Credits

Though I had imagined that I would design and build this page with the help some guitar-playing experts, it's turned out that suggestions from perfect web-strangers have driven, directed, and inspired the bulk of my online updates. I would like to take a moment to credit them here.

If I've failed to credit anyone here, I'm sorry. Let me know, and I'll do my best to correct things....

• John M. Strubhart (AKA Strub!) is the keyboard player to whom I refer in the opening paragraph of this web site. He deserves a very special mention in these pages. Had he not asked for my thoughts on buying an acoustic guitar, this page would probably never have been created. Strub also suggested that a first-time buyer might have more audio information on making that first purchase if I were to provide a page listing artists/songs and what type of guitar was used on the recording (gee, I wish *I* had thought of that!!).

• Joe V. Black - Joe is a dear friend of mine and an intimidatingly talented guitarist/recording engineer. His willingness to discuss and share with me his ideas on guitar care, playing, recording, and cigar-buying have really helped me articulate my thoughts in these Web pages. You may think that cigar-buying is unrelated to guitar purchases, but you'd be surprised....
• Bill Childers - Bill wrote me and suggested that a prospective buyer would be better able to compare the sonic qualities of the instrument finalists by allowing the salesman/guitarist to play them while the buyer listens. This gives the buyer a 'listener's perspective' on how the instrument sounds, and very likely puts the guitars into the hands of a working musician (music stores are full of 'em!). It's a great idea, and I am indebted to him for sharing it with the rest of us.
• John Texas Haynes has been a musical collaborator and partner-in-crime of mine since we met in Grad school in the late 80's. John has inspired me, pushed me, and included me in some of the most enjoyable projects of my life. His novel (unconventional? drastic? perverse?) approach to guitar playing has challenged my own thinking about the instrument and has kept me growing as a musician. Since his move away from Texas, he is sorely missed by us remaining Psychic Cowboys....
• Len Humbird - Len was one of the first people to write me with suggestions. He reminded me of several shopping techniques that had frankly escaped me when I was first putting the updates of these pages together.
• Joseph Mancuso - Joe's stylistic observations/confirmations about my writing have done me a WORLD of good, and have made me think harder about the material I present online. His personal home page is here.
• Michael Masterson - Michael urged me to add a section on luthiers (or guitar makers). As he put it, "even though any beginner and most intermediate players won't want to spend enough to consider a custom guitar, some do. And some makers have already-made guitars for sale, especially relatively new luthiers, some for as low as $800." An excellent point, and something that our readers deserve to hear. Thanks, Michael.
• Alan Vassberg - My very own brother. Like Joe Black, Alan has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me as I've learned to play over these past 15 years. He has been there for me through thick and thin, has kept me on my toes and off my high horse. I wouldn't be near the guitar player that I am today without his influence and support (or, for that matter, his bass playing!!).