Surgical Sound -

Last week I went down to Wrigleyville to catch one of my favorite bands, American English perform at the Cubby Bear. The night was steeped in history, both Cubs and Beatles. Between sets I walked up to the stage and took a really close look at the Beatle instruments that had created that wonderful music. To me the experience was much like looking at a museum exhibit--antique objects basic, simple and sturdy. Primitive. It was a wonder that they were able to make so many amazing sounds and songs with this stuff. This period really was the stone age of rock. I wondered about what they might do if they had all the options that were available today. Ever think about stuff like that?

This got me thinking about my own Guild D44. The guild is only a handful of years newer than the Beatle Guitarsshes over 30!!! The only modernization that Ive added was a 1994 DiMarzio DP132 sound-hole pickup in 2002. Thats it in over 30 years! I wonder if people watching me perform where thinking that I was playing with a museum exhibit!!!

As it turns out my children and I took a little shopping trip to Guitar Center on Fathers Day (those who know me disregard what I used to say about it being a Hallmark Holiday OK?). We went into the Acoustic room for a long time. The Acoustic room is like a huge cigar humidor, only instead of Cubans, its got Martins and such. I started pulling down guitars from the wall and playing. I was looking for 2005. Technology has invaded all areas of life, even the relatively untouched realm of the acoustic guitar. Many of them had features that I liked but only one had them all. I had found 2005.

I took her home and ran her through the show. The plugged in sound was simply amazing ( the D44 still is the worlds best sounding unamplified guitar). But Ill tell you I was throwin down some Hoochie Coochie on my new baby and I was just slapping myself with the sound on those punchy accent chords-POW! Aural light saber, surgical sound. 2005. I can slice peoples ears off with this guitar--gotta be careful...

In case you are wondering, I havent really thrown the D44 over thoughyoull still hear her magnificent sound on Feel Something, after all she still is the worlds best sounding unamplified guitar. I simply removed the sound hole pickup and returned her back to the way I found her back 1974--pristine, pure. Dare I say even virginal? I'll always love her--no strings attached.

Peace, Love
g-man

Gary Wesselhoff

BIO "g-man Blues" is Gary Wesselhoff, a solo acoustic rocker with a genuine dedication to Chicago Style Blues. Hailing from the Chicago suburbs, he began his musical career in the mid-sixties during the Folk Rock movement. Playing Chicago coffeehouse scene in the early ‘70’s, he hit it off with a couple of other folk rockers and began playing under the name Woodlind. Woodlind wrote and performed their own material exclusively—one point boasting a song list of over seventy-five original songs. At the end of his high school years, g-man and Woodlind recorded but never released a double album of songs at Chicagolands famous "Pumpkin Recording Studio" with producer Gary Loizzo (star of the group "The American Breed" who later became renowned for his production of several Styx albums). Over the years the band members eventually drifted apart.

In college g-man met and began playing with two outstanding performers, Bob May, and Ken Zemanek. The three began playing once again under the name of Woodlind. The band grew in size and following. Ken would later progress on to join American English; other band members Scott Bonshire would join Heartsfield, and Jim Williams hooked up with a country band called Crossfyre. Joey Drada currently plays with contemporary Chicago Blues Royalty.

In the interim, g-man dropped out of the business to raise a family.

In 2003 g-man sat in with some friends and immediately decided to return to music. Quotes g-man "When I returned, I discovered something forceful about myself; I found that I had new abilities that were not present when I was a kid—it’s much more than the synergy of practice and focus. I discovered that I could sing more dynamically, play more powerfully, and write better than ever". He began to chase the blues, and worked a blues harp into his act.

In 2005 he launched his Website: gmanblues.com is a successful Website often with hits from countries around the world. It’s at this site that you can sample some of g-man’s music offerings, and see photos of him in action. Currently g-man Blues is writing an album of original songs that has the working title "g-Force", and he is playing around the city. More information can be found at his website.