Hot Picks

A Santa Rosa woman has been indicted in federal court in San Francisco for allegedly taking part in the illegal trade of endangered sea turtle parts from China into the United States, authorities said.

A representative for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said 54-year-old Qing Song was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in importing and selling guitar picks made from the shells of the endangered Hawksbill sea turtle. Hawksbill sea turtles are one of seven turtle species listed as endangered under either U.S. law or international treaties, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The alleged activities took place from 2005 to 2007, and included the possession and sale both of imported picks made from the shells and of imported shells that were later fashioned into picks, prosecutors said. Song has been charged with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits illegal trade in wildlife, and one misdemeanor count of violating the Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $200,000 fine for the felony, and one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for each of the two misdemeanors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

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April is International Guitar Month

This has been going on as long as I can remember…publicity stunt, maybe but I think it may be the right time to look at the guitar, it’s past it’s present and the future of the instrument.

However to get things started. in honor og the departed IG… (he’s not dead, but his link is) Ive decided to bring back:

Hug Your Guitar Week

So post away…Hug your guitar and put the picture up.

three questions…

My friend Sank reminded me today that it is the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Buddy Holly and Richie Valens this brought a few questions to mind

Here’s the premise:

If you could raise from the dead one Rock Star/Singer/Musician to do one last performance,

-Who would it be and why?

-Where would the performance be?

-What would the performance benifit? (i.e. your own satisfaction, a charity, or calibration)

My answer: Elvis Presley to sing at the dinner on Valentines Day for my wife and I

So what’s your answer?

for a list of dead rockstars, click here

someting new

click here

in time I’ll move the knowledge base, technical stuff, and stuff that really pertains to guitar building over to this site. It may be more what I was setting out to do in the first place

2009 Winter NAMM Review

Yeah, I went, and again I was underwhelmed by what I saw. Sure there were some guitars that I played, but for the most part I was interested in touching base with those who I left behind 8 years ago. It didn’t take long to start bumping into old colleagues and friends.

That being said, for me this was the year of the Ukulele. I played a ton of them and came to the same conclusion…they all play terribly. It didn’t matter who manufactured them, the set up was in need of improvement…that is the goal for this year. Make a uke that plays well.

One untold story that you will not hear around the blogisphere about the show was this. The Kamaka family had been making Ukuleles for 93 years. In an obscure booth we found a Kamaka Guitar that was dated in the early 20’s at the same booth was a pineapple uke that was dated 1928 …No big deal you say…

The man in the picture is the grandson of the guitar maker. He now runs the company. The owner of the guitar is the grandson of the original purchaser. Along with the uke, it was a pretty sweet thing to come across.