Sadly, the world many musicians inhabit is anything but gentle and kind. My friend took the position that he was reluctant to share the stage with anyone who did not have the toned physique of a Doberman Pinscher. His stance is that real performers should be lean and mean, just like fabled Rock ‘n Rollers who have lost every extra ounce of body fat to the rigors of the road. Without being said, the message is: Image is as important as the music you hear. Maybe even more important?

Perhaps that misguided belief is a product of birth. I give mercy and latitude to anyone born at least 40 years ago. If you were born after 1970, that means you came of “Rock ‘n Roll” age in the early or mid 1980s. Your heroes shredded away in skin-tight stretch pants. Were as topless as a French beach. Wore makeup like your sister. No wonder you’re confused.

Why is it so important that musicians need to look a certain way if they want to be taken seriously? Truth be told, we all desire a body like Lance Armstrong’s. But at some point in our lives, many of us make that charge up Hamburger Hill. The casualties are many, and the wounds most of us bear (and bare) add a notch or two to our belt sizes.

So then we ask: Why are rock musicians typically so skinny? The early British rockers had an excuse. They spent the first of their formative years in bomb shelters. Food was rationed, especially sugary “sweets.” As a result, the war produced thousands of runts. Look at the super-talented keyboard player Nicky Hopkins. His head took up a full third of his body size. He unfortunately died before the start of casting for “Lord of the Rings.” Odds are he would have been offered some Hobbit bit part.

Even though before MTV, we took in Rock ‘n Roll mainly through our ears, image has always been a dominating force. The Rolling Stones excluded Ian Stewart from their stage performances, but leaned heavily on his barrel-house piano for their early albums. Ian looked a lot like Jay Leno. Compared to the other Stones, he came across as a gentle giant who favored golf shirts. He didn’t have the “snot” factor that the Rolling Stones had carefully molded into their image. But Ian proved invaluable to the band as their quasi manager, herding the Stones and their equipment from gig to gig in a timely fashion. And he kept them in line (even Keith) until the moment of his untimely death.

And everyone is aware (or should be) about the role drugs play in shaping rockers’ bodies. Touring is a form of physical torture, right up there with water-boarding, and a preferred method of staying conscious between a seemingly endless string of shows is consuming a steady diet of uppers, cocaine and whatever other high-octane concoction comes roaring down the pike.

Like it or not, the accepted physique for rockers and performers working many other venues is lean and mean. Also country music stars. Interestingly though, we don’t mind our rappers living large.

It is the same phenomenon seen inside television news. Where is it written that only thin, super-attractive people are qualified to explain the days events to us couch potatoes? I used to be a newspaper reporter, and I know for a fact that lots of big-nosed, balding men who look like Lou Grant and stringy-haired, dumpy women who could double as bag ladies have more talent in their little fingers than most of the broadcast reporters and anchors I used to know.

Now having blathered on about misguided images, I cannot say there is anything wrong with being skinny. The ancient Greeks placed high standards on the male physique. But then again, they liked to wrestle naked, which today is considered a tad improper in some circles.

Truth be told, we Americans are largely a nation of super-sized slobs. Your Momma’s so fat that she has to sit at the back of a concert in order to get a front-row seat. I have been to Europe a few times, and on the “Continent,” the citizens in general seem fit and trim. One reason for this is that many are physically active on a daily basis. They often walk a mile or more to work and their diet is usually free from the grease and the mountains of carbs and fats we shovel down our guts. They also collectively smoke more than a forest fire. Lighting up is a form of oral gratification. It also doesn’t leave much money for a trip to McDonald’s. Jolly old England may be the exception. When I watch BBC America on the Telly, I see plenty of tubbies who keep the British stretch pants industry humming 24/7.

It is sad that some American musicians are quick to segregate their big brothers. In the course of any week or month, I rub elbows with many super-sized guitar and bass players who, talent-wise, far outdistance their skinny-butt poser cousins. And I’m not talking inches … I’m talking miles. Musical talent is certainly not limited to the realm of the petite. Just look at rock pioneer Leslie West of Mountain (I love that his group was so aptly named). Behold Meatloaf, a virtual second helping. Also, witness blues players. By and large (pun), many are fat and happy. And they can play the Python pants off many a streamlined guitar hero.

I used to avidly ride mountain bikes, and like a good junkie subscribed to all the popular magazines. The sport had a respectful moniker for its larger brethren. They are called Clydesdales, like the mighty horses you see in the Budweiser beer commercials (beer is good). Clydesdales were not considered inferior. They were in a league of their own, and in downhill events, gravity honors their physical gift.

I long for the day when the Clydesdales of the music world are eagerly welcomed to share the stage with their streamlined cousins. Let’s peel away all the crazy layers we impose to get to that which is tasty. The music.

Being a small operation, we are not here 24/7. We are more like 8/6. And we are not 9 to 5. We start very early to pack things for shipment, which means we leave before most other businesses close. I make no apologies. I am a businessman, not a shopkeeper. I don’t spend 10 hours leaning on the counter by the cash register, like some music store owners. My vendors tell me I am one of their few dealers who actually take their calls, so I know I’m doing a somewhat decent job at that end. On the customer side, it gets trickier.

Vendors call during their normal business hours. Customers call at all hours. That’s why we have answering machines. I try my best to get back to every person who calls. It is not rocket science to check messages each day and work down the list. But every once in awhile, I seem to miss one. Why, I don’t know. Maybe the message was accidentally deleted. It is easy to do when clearing dozens of messages each day. Sometimes I get an itchy trigger finger when hitting the delete button. I do so with machine-gun rapidity.

I realize if you are a customer who did not receive a callback, you don’t give a hoot about possible reasons. But have a little mercy. If you really want to discuss something, try calling again. One thing I hate is the “my turn … your turn” game we tend to play with phone calls. If I want to speak to someone or find out about something, I’ll keep calling until I get through. I have found that it is more fun to chew someone out in person for not getting back than it is to leave a snide message on the anwer machine.

Why am I sharing this? Because I just got a snide message on my answer machine. The caller left a message saying he called once before and “so much for customer service.” I really take pride in the customer service we provide, and his comments really bugged me. What still bugs me is that he is right. Most customers say they cannot believe the great service they receive. But this guy will probably never call again. Instead, I will face a firing squad on some musicians’ forum. And this guy’s rifle will contain that traditional lone bullet … the one that will snuff me in front of lots of witnesses. Ouch!

So I pledge right now before the entire universe that I will try and do a better job of returning phone calls. But this pledge only covers those messages I have not accidentally zapped. Maybe you should email me at 1stgearmusic@gmail.com if I have not returned your call. If you end up in my Spam folder, don’t worry. I check it at least once a week.

Last year I opened a Facebook account for 1st Gear Music. I had read an article on how businesses use Facebook to connect with their customers. I enjoy interacting with people, chatting away about guitars and basses and the like, so I decided to give it a whirl. What I have observed so far is that the main reason so many people love Facebook is that they are addicted to it because they are addicted to themselves. Each Facebook entry I read seems like a daily newspaper headline screaming Me, Me, Me!

For all the talk about businesses using Facebook, it is interesting that a business itself is not allowed to have a Facebook account. Only personal accounts can be established, but then you can devote a portion of your personal account to your business.

My problem is that I do not like to get personal. I am a people person, but I do not want to share with others what I had for breakfast, that I’m having a bad day, or other ho-hum tidbits about my life. And to me, that’s what Facebook is all about. People taking off their clothes and standing naked before a community of friends, not to mention total strangers, and laying bare their lives.

I don’t want to share that I had the double fudge brownie for desert at Olive Garden and it was “yummy.” Or that a friend really frustrates me … Grrrr! Or that I really, really like my new haircut … Yay! All I want to do is talk about the cool gear that has come into my guitar and bass specialty shop. But compared to much of the bizarre soap-opera stuff I see on Facebook, my little offering about the arrival of a new effects pedal is pretty mundane.

And then there is the whole Friend thing. I always thought friends are people that you already know and like. So who are all these people that I either don’t know, or don’t particularly like, who want to be Friends? Seems kind of phony. And what about the myriad strangers who are their Friends, but are presented to me as possibly being Friend-worthy?

It scares me that I have to give a thumbs up or down to each request. Do rejected persons get some notice that they didn’t make the cut? Does the same thing happen if I de-Friend someone?

I have heard rumors that Facebook does offer some useful tools. I have heard that I can send personal messages. Maybe there is some group message feature that I, as a business, can use. But right now, all I know for certain about Facebook is that I am totally ignorant and need to learn all its ins and outs. I need to buy “Facebook for Dummies.”

Growing up, I was called a dummy almost every day of my young life. This was before parents my age began telling their children how special they were, even when they peed in the hallway. To deal with dummyhood, my choice later on was to either undergo shock therapy or to embrace that moniker. I’m okay with being called a dummy because I don’t take myself all that seriously (which is probably why Facebook does not make sense). If you are a fellow business owner and have any tips for this dummy, please pass them along. Give me a link, some required light reading … anything that can help me get my hands around social networking.

In the meantime, I will be working hard at maintaining a regular presence on Facebook. I have done a very poor job of this to date. I am that intimidated. So look for something like this: “I just got in a new 5-string bass and, wow, how low can you go? Yay!” Or: “I just finished reading ‘Facebook for Dummies’ and still don’t know my ass from my elbow! Grrrr.”

… From the guy who used to think LOL meant “Lots of Love” and secretly wondered if all his email buddies were hitting on him.

G&L Guitars and Heritage Guitars are two cases in point. Every guitar player on the planet knows of Fender guitars and basses. Fender was founded by the late, great Leo Fender in the late 1940s. In 1951, he created the famous Telecaster guitar and Precision bass. Three years later, he introduced the legendary Stratocaster. These three instruments, followed by the ever-popular Jazz bass, triggered a musical supernova that will likely burn forever.

Leo Fender was a living legend in his day, and though he passed in 1991, his legend lives on.

Leo sold Fender in 1995 to CBS, the same company that brought you news anchor Dan Rather. Many musicians think Leo stayed on the job. Very few seem to know instead that Leo quickly moved on to found two more companies that produced fantastic guitars and basses: first Music Man, then G&L.

Leo sold Music Man to Ernie Ball, a company that produces everything from guitar strings to great guitars, before founding G&L in the late 1970s with longtime sidekick George Fullerton. G&L actually stands for George and Leo.

What’s interesting is that G&L continues to this day to produce guitars and basses in the original Fender plant using much of the original Fender tooling. You see, Leo only sold his name and lineup of famous guitars and basses to CBS. He did not sell his factory.

Most players who own G&Ls say they sound and play much better than Fenders. In fact, Leo once said in a print ad that G&Ls were “the best instruments I have ever made.” But of course you would expect him to say that. Yet his was not a hollow boast. G&L still builds guitars and basses virtually one at a time. If I order a “plain Jane” Legacy, G&L’s improved version of the Strat, it most often takes six or more weeks to arrive. They do not make G&Ls by the thousands and store them in warehouses and distribution centers. The company is strictly old school, and visiting its operation is like stepping back in time. Decades of time. And here is an interesting fact: most hand built G&L instruments cost less than the mass-produced Fender models against which they compete.

So why do so many musicians prefer Fenders to G&Ls? I think it is because human nature often directs us to the easy choice. Why do so many football fans like the Dallas Cowboys? Or baseball addicts the Yankees? Or basketball junkies the Los Angeles Lakers? It is because it is relatively safe to go with big names that everybody knows. The herd principle dictates that there is safety in numbers.

Also many guitar and bass owners believe that certain brands’ instruments appreciate in value over time. This is the case with the earliest instruments produced, but it doesn’t happen today. Five or 10 years from now, your guitar or bass is likely to be worth less than what you paid for it. For you Fender and Gibson owners, sorry to pop so many bubbles.

Another great company, Heritage Guitars, follows a path similar to that of G&L. It builds Gibson-style guitars at the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In fact, many of its employees once worked for Gibson, and chose not to relocate when Gibson picked up and moved to its new, super-automated plant in Nashville, Tennessee in the mid ’80s.

Like G&L, Heritage instruments are largely hand-built, considered by many to play and sound better than their Gibson counterparts, and also cost less.

G&L and Heritage might be considered “off” brands by many, but they have managed to retain the original substance and flavor that their larger competitors traded in long ago. So you might say that G&L in many ways is more Fender than Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. And the same can be said for Heritage Guitars … often more Gibson than Gibson USA.

It would be foolish to believe that behemoths Fender and Gibson could ever be eclipsed by their upstart genesis rivals. But it is not foolish to suggest that G&L and Heritage have improved upon their predecessors’ accomplishments by staying close to the original roots.

So next time you are surfing online or checking out a music store, look for these two great brands … G&L and Heritage. Handle them, play them and listen. You will discover that the best instruments are often made by great minds or institutions that chose to reinvent themselves by going home again.

It is not that we don’t like some of the pedals that Guitar Player Magazine loves. We simply cannot carry all the brands that are reviewed, especially when it seems that new a new line surfaces almost daily.

We have found that when Guitar Player bestows an Editor’s Pick award on a pedal, demand for that effect spikes. But after a month (when the next issue hits the stands), demand often falls off a cliff. What to do?

As the economy limps along, we have focused more on mid-priced pedals that receive good magazine and player feedback. That means a lot of boutique names get excluded.

But that doesn’t stop the incoming flow of quality pedals. We just took on the Way Huge line and will soon bring in Carl Martin. We have also started selling modded Boss pedals created by Mike Baker of Baker Modifications.

Here’s a question for you players: What are some good, practical pedals that do the trick but do not cost an arm and a leg? Also, what impresses you most about them? Hopefully, some pattern or trend will develop as we sort through recommendations. And you may someday soon see the effects that you personally recommended among our pedal offering.

Then along came the Big Boy catalog operations, followed a few years later by Internet stores both large and small. That’s when I realized how often and for how much I had been ripped off in the past.

Today almost every competitive music gear business charges MAP, or minimum advertised price, for its goodies. MAP is established by manufacturers, and is designed to create a level playing field for large and small retailers, as well as protect the integrity of each manufacturer’s brand. In other words, no price dumping allowed in catalogs or on Internet music stores – both considered advertising venues.

A lot of retailers play the game of ignoring MAP until a competitor squeals on them. Then the manufacturer calls the offender to slap his wrist. Then, as if by magic, the price is corrected upwards to MAP. Once the coast seems clear, the game starts all over.

The nice thing about MAP pricing is that it is supposed to be the best price you can offer. At least that’s how it used to be. Nowadays, I get tons of phone calls asking (and more often telling) me to drop the price below MAP. There is a general conception that since the economy is going through a tough stretch, retailers should be willing to sell at deep, deep discounts. I usually try to work out pricing with a customer (unless he or she is a jerk; then I ask if they are looking to buy or rent).

Some customers very much appreciate getting a break on an already-low price. But offer an impressive deal to others and they smell blood. That’s when they want to haggle. One metal head told me he would buy two Aguilar amp heads and two large 8×10 cabs if I sold each item for $100 more than I paid for it. His reasoning was that I would make $400. I told him I would buy his existing rig for $100 more than he paid for it. Shut him right up (and he hasn’t called since).

Here are a few factors that determine how low I may go with gear prices. Of course, we are talking in-store pricing or prices discussed over the phone. The Internet store only shows MAP. Push “add to cart” and that is what you will pay.

1) If you are a jerk, no soup for you. I’ve learned that a troublesome customer never changes, from that initial great deal to that final damaged return. Jerks are jerks are jerks. Get over yourself, ya big jerk!

2) How long will it take me to replace an item I might sell for below MAP? There is no way I am going to further decrease an item’s price – especially an item that is in demand – if it takes weeks to restock. In between, there are a lot of customers happy to pay MAP and as a bonus get real one-on-one customer service.

3) What are my out-of-pocket expenses, beyond already making less profit? Most customers do not realize that incoming shipping costs take a sizable bite out of the profit margin. That means there is less “wiggle room” with which to negotiate. In my opinion, it makes no sense to win a sale only to make next to nothing.

3) What is my competition doing? Often, that’s what precipitates customers demanding lower prices. Many stores selling on eBay charge MAP during the week, then lower prices from Friday evening through early Monday morning. They know that nobody is going to police prices over the weekend. A lot of online stores trumpet that they will match any advertised price lower than theirs. I don’t have to play that game because I am already selling at the best price each manufacturer will allow.

4) What kind of profit will I make? 1st Gear Music is a business with lots of bills to pay. Why should I match someone else’s dirt cheap, illegal discount if I am only going to make $10?

I love to see and hear from happy customers. Sometimes they can get a price break, and always they will get great customer service. It is actually very easy to give customer service that is superior to competitors’. Just give a damn. Many operations don’t.

Anyway, if you own a Warwick bass or two (which is often the case with Warwick afficianados), there is a product that works as well as Warwick’s beeswax, and it is not expensive.  Go to Home Depot and look for a product called Howard’s Feed-N-Wax.  It comes in a 16 0z. plastic bottle, and costs less than $10.  That single bottle is practically a lifetime supply.

Howard’s is made with beeswax, carnauba wax and orange oil.  It was introduced to us by our guitar tech Kerry Hill, soon to be world famous.  Kerry owns Warwicks as well as builds his own guitars and basses using oil finishes.  He uses Howard’s to not only polish and protect his instruments, but also to treat dry fingerboards.

My first thought was that a wax product was not good for fingerboards.  But Howard’s seeps in and wipes off so easily that it leaves no waxy residue.  We now treat all our porous fingerboards with Howard’s on a regular basis.

But getting back to substituting Howard’s Feed-N-Wax for Warwick Surface Finisher.  After shaking the bottle very (we mean VERY) well to thoroughly blend the three main ingredients, squirt some directly on the wood or on a rag and apply it to the instrument.  Don’t be shy with amounts.  Slather the stuff on, then let it sit for 20 minutes.  What isn’t absorbed is easy to wipe off.  Then using a soft cloth, you can quickly buff Howard’s to a high sheen.  The result is a beautifully smooth finish which shows off your instrument’s wood like you have never seen before.

Now you will still eventually need Warwick Surface Finisher.  While Howard’s both feeds the wood as well as waxes it (hence the product’s name), the Warwick beeswax builds up a durable wax finish that you can easily buff after each playing session.  So Howard’s makes a good initial treatment, while beeswax is recommended for the long run.

You can alternate applications of Warwick beeswax and Howard’s Feed-N-Wax, but we have found that laying on successive layers of beeswax is sufficient to protect your instrument while bringing out the true character of its wood.

So as we patiently wait for Hanser to receive its first shipment of Warwick beeswax surface finisher, we now all know of a great product that will keep our instruments happy in the days (and hopefully not weeks) ahead.

… My name is Marko Jakovljevic, and i am living in East Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town named Mostar. Full address would go like this; “Zrinskih i Frankopana 1/3 88000 Mostar, BiH” i have bought this bass (an EP55 Studio Active 5-String) at 1st gear music, from guy named George i think before maybe 4 months or so. All i can say about this bass that it is just unbeliveable how good it feels in my hands. I was thinking that it will take some time to get use to the neck, but it was opposite, i just took it and start playing on it. The electronics are working perfect! It is just by blending the pickups that i get a variety of sounds and there are more and more options to go through in shaping the sound! Finish and body shape are also great! It is also well ballanced so it is not too heavy for my shoulders.
Now something about my bands. I play in band named “Mostar Sevdah Reunion” who plays traditional music from Balkan’s in a little bit modern arragements. Publishing house is from Holland, named “Snail Records”, and they do mostly a “world music”. Concerts that we play are all over Europe, Australia, some states in Azia, and are working our way to US. Distribution of the CD’s is world wide, Europe, Azia, USA. I also perform with a gypsy female singer “Ljiljana Butler” and she is also part of “Snail Records” familly. Also i am performing with a new project “Arkul” who plays traditional music on ladino language(Old spanish)
Below i send you some links from these bands;

• http://www.amazon.com/Mostar-Sevdah-Reunion/dp/B00005CC4Y
• http://www.snailrecords.com/Schaal/booking.html
• http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=73807535

Also i perform with band named “Zoster”, who performs on Balkan’s mostly, and Europe (Austria, France and Spain). Verry good band who plays a lot also.We have published 2 CD’s and are recording third one, and it will be published in Croatia.
Below are some links;

• http://www.myspace.com/bandzoster
• http://www.gramofon.ba/artists.php?artist_id=8&lang=en

Also i perform in a project called “Teta Dunja Teta Visnja i Teta Jagoda”, new project, trio with guitar bass and drums. We are performing on Xenophonia music happening in Sarajevo soon.  Also i have worked with many artists from this area, different styles of music like band “Vuneny” who is touring in Europe a quite often.
Below are some links;

• http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=448551475
• http://xenophonia.ba/
• http://www.myspace.com/vuneny

Thanks, Marko!