Meanwhile, Back at the Scalzi Compound
Posted on April 12, 2021 Posted by John Scalzi 38 Comments
What’s been going on in Scalzi land? Well:
Beast News: The Beast is currently at the local shop, being restrung and serviced. As I noted on Twitter, when I brought it into the shop the fellow there looked at it mostly with resignation, as if to say, yup, well, this is my life now, and then he wrote it up and and told me they’d start working on it soon. The only real change I’m having them make to the thing is that the bottom six string will now be strung like a baritone; it seems a good idea to have more playable options on the thing. I’m looking forward to it being fully functional.
The more astute among you will note that there are actually two (or seven) guitars in the photo above; I also this last week purchased a Squier Mini Strat, which is basically a 3/4 scale electric guitar, mostly cause I think it’s kind of cute, and I think it will be useful to have for practice and travel purposes. Also, it’s inexpensive so I won’t mind knocking it about. With that said, I now officially have Too Many Guitars and will not be buying any more any time soon, I swear.
Pet News: The dog and cats are now hanging around in the same room at the same time without too much problem, until and unless Charlie gets the zoomies, which, since she’s a pup, is not infrequent. In which case the cats get annoyed with her. But! This is very good progress, especially with Sugar, who goes out of her way to spend time with Charlie, which Charlie loves. Sugar is definitely driving the bus in that relationship, if you know what I mean. Anyway, it’s nice the pets are getting used to each other and even seem to like each other.
Other News: Everything’s fine! Also, I’ll have some concrete news about a few different things soon, which I will tell you about here when they become tellable. The short version is I’ve had a good couple of weeks, some of which will be revealable soon, and some of which will likely have to wait. I’m not trying to be mysterious, I’m just not in charge of when news comes out. Patience! It’ll be worth it. Maybe.
How are you?
— JS
I wonder if the guitar shop guy reads this blog and knew the Beast was coming in and was determined to play it cool when it did.
Also were is the second guitar? CAN NOT FIND IT. IT HID SO WELL.
“Too many guitars?” I have never heard of such a thing.
I know the too many guitars syndrome. Recently divorced and I said to just leave me one playable guitar. He left 3 (barely dents what he took), and my old original guitar which needs a major neck adjustment and my electric bass.
And I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Packing up my house for a cross (1/2) country move. Michigan back to Philly, where I grew up. So a little freaked, too.
Love to see pets living harmoniously. I had one cat that HATED every single creature in the house except the dog. You just never know!
Enjoy your Beastly new decor/instrument. We will look forward to hearing about progress on the new music studio.
Looking forward to seeing video of the ScamperBeasts reacting when you play the Beast.
Is Charlie an Official ScamperBeast, or is that a cats only club?
Saying you have too many guitars is like me saying I’ve read too many Scalzi books. Indulge yourself! I really want to see you play that thing.
Usually I’d say “Ya know, you can only play one at a time” but that’s obviously not true in your case…
Just wanted to let you know that I finally got to the front of the library queue for The Ghost Brigades, and I can’t put it down unless physically dragged away from it.
No such thing as Too Many Guitars. How many instruments does a guitar (or bass) player need? Just One More.
I’m doing pretty well! We just relocated temporarily for some renovations at our house, including a complete makeover of the kitchen and laundry room.
We’re renting from a friend, so we have more company! Two of the three of us are fully vaxxed and I will be soon.
Can a thing like that ever truly be said to be fully functional? I mean, unless you have gibbon arms.
Tell Athena the bunny was suicidal because of terminal illness and she did it a favor, sad though it is to be chosen as the instrument of death.
Is The Beast like the TARDIS, in that it can technically be played by one person but is intended to be operated by six (as the TARDIS was in the episode Journey’s End near the end of David Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor)?
Very brave to officially go on the record as saying I now have too many guitars, as if that is even possible. I personally now have more acoustics than electrics and my high school self would have said: yeah, that’s not gonna happen.
So very glad to get an update on the critter integration! I am honestly not surprised that Sugar is becoming besties with Charlie – she was absolutely besotted with Daisy, and I kind of guessed that once she got over the shock of A DOG IN THE HOUSE, she’d decide that Charlie was just a smaller and more energetic Daisy who would adore her just as much as Daisy did.
How is Zeus since his recent vet visit? Is he feeling more perky now, I hope? He has that elder statescat look about him, much like our old guy does, but I hope he’s got a lot more years of mischief in him still.
I am well, and thank you very much for asking – work is frustrating just now, but nothing out of the ordinary. One of our offspring has an appointment for the J&J one-shot tomorrow, so we gradually getting closer to having the family fully vaccinated and safe. The level of relief that I feel about that still astounds me.
Enjoy your critters, your various stringed instruments, and the happy anticipation of good news to share soon!
Way to go, John. Seems the Never-too-many-guitars faction rules here.
Interesting that Sugar is the one closest to Charlie now, since she was the one who took longest to tolerate him at first. Although Colonel Snuggledorf’s theory rings true.
My wife gets her second Moderna shot tomorrow, which makes me happy. (Got my second three weeks ago, so I’m good.)
The pet pic looks like it would be a good reaction shot to the one of you holding up the Beast. The Squier is adorable- it looks like what happens when a full sized Strat and your electric uke love each other very much.
If you get all of your animals to play that obscene six-neck guitar at the same time and record a song, I’ll give you a zillion dollars*.
*payable over the course of a jillion years
Squire? Hmm. Mama always said be nice, so…
You sound WAY less stressed in posting the last week or so.
Well, so am I, since I’m coming on second shot + 14 days.
Okay, I got it. The bottom 6-string is a hardtail and the upper 6-string has a tremolo installed with the whammy bar taken off (and the string saddles strangely out of adjustment).
How does on even play it?
Is it meant to be played?
I still can’t get my head around how you’re going to play the thing. Perhaps you can clone a few of you or grow some extra arms. Sorry I know that’s super weird but the three-arm thing I sorta get. This beast? Me thinks it’s just a bit too big. Take care, Ju _/|_
Bob Dye:
I didn’t buy a $160 guitar thinking I bought something amazing, my dude. I know what I got, and I’m happy with it for what it is.
Knowing what a regular sized, say, Les Paul weighs, I’m wondering if your latest purchase includes a complimentary lower back brace and a set of dumb bells !! (?) Maybe Krissy’ll have to wear it while you play it!
It’s called Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.
It’ll be OK and we’re here if you just need someone to talk to about it.
“Too many guitars” is always one more than you currently own, therefore, it is never possible to have too many guitars. Also, your “…I swear” statement is a clear sign that you have gas… Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. It starts around the time you buy your second guitar (it sounds different than the first. I swear.) and never ends. Sometimes it also results in the acquisition of amplifiers, drums, a piano, bass guitars, etc. Rarely does it result in the sale of one to make room for another, but that does happen occasionally, too. More often, it results in discussions with the wife about where to store them all while they are not in use, even though she doesn’t mind you owning them ;)
Paraphrasing Quint: Back home we got a guitar man, he’s gonna have a heart attack when he sees what I brung him!
Having a lovely spring week in the Willamette Valley in Oregon with a break in the rain and clouds. Not quite Scalzi-yard pretty, but it’s nice, and grass allergy season hasn’t quite ramped up yet.
Out of curiosity as a fellow guitar player, how much does the Beast weigh?
There’s no such thing as too many guitars. Personally, I think what you need next is a Gibson SG. They weigh less than the Les Paul but still give you a full-throated ROAR.
Is there a six -guitar arrangement of “Ja Ja Ding Dong”?
@pjcamp – yeah, I’m in the same place; “fully functional” and “more playable” weren’t the first things that came to mind looking at The Beast…
Yes as other have stated, you officially have G.A.S. Nothing wrong with that! I have too many basses and I keep buying em, and the wife encourages it, bless her soul.
$160? That’s the bargain of the century.
You really need to install that on a stand with a hydraulic lift so you can run it up and down.
Teh Gerg:
That’s for the Squier, not for The Beast. The Beast cost, uhhhhh, a multiple of that.
Whoops! Thanks.