HOT LINKS
Picks of the Rich and Famous
This month, Staff Writer Chris Burgess takes a look at some recent
advances in the plectrum (page 127). The entire office got in on the act,
testing a slew of new picks, ranging from quirky to revolutionary to downright practical. Once we had picks on the brain, it was hard to stop. What
else could we do but start Googling?
A sort of pick-obsessed society became apparent through a quick search
of the web. We soon learned that a legion of guitar pick collectors worldwide have been showcasing and trading picks online for a while now.
The result? Massive pick collections! Some collectors have nearly 1000
picks displayed on their websites, and online trading has enabled them to
grow their collections in ways never before possible.
Most of these collectors don’t appear to be guitar players—or web
designers, for that matter—but that doesn’t mean that the websites are
useless to players. Ever wonder what kind of picks your favorite guitarist
is using? Chances are there’s a picture of the pick, front and back, on one
of these sites. And if you really want to take that extra step in snagging a
specific guy’s tone, you can log onto one of the trading sites and procure
one of the picks that he personally used.
One of the biggest pick-trading networks exists on PickNET, where collectors from around the world can post messages about anything pick-related and list trade offerings. It uses a Yahoo!Groups message board,
and anyone can join.
If you’re just looking to browse, there are plenty of sites for that as well.
In fact, most sites we found serve as a simple bragging device for the collector. The flashy section titled “My Picks,” is usually followed by a flashy
disclaimer that reads, “Sorry, not eligible for trade!”
And when we say flashy, it isn’t necessarily in a good way. Most of these
sites look as though they were built in the early days of the internet, and
aren’t updated frequently. Others have compatibility issues with newer
browsers like Firefox. But it’s hard not to be impressed by someone who
owns nearly 1000 picks, and takes the time to upload a picture of every
single one. If you’re looking to get into pick collecting or copy one of the
basic elements of your idols’ tone, these websites are worth a look.
Get your pick on at:
home.att.net/~StevieLeavitt/join.html
picks.fr.st/
guitar-picks.com/
guitarpicks.co.nr/
This month we find resources for compulsive traders, with four pick
collecting and trading websites and a blog that recalls long-gone gear.
www.premierguitar.com
The Ones That Got Away
Feel like saying ohhhhhhhhhh over and over again? Head over to
The Ones That Got Away blog and eat your heart out on post after
post of sob stories. Forget about that cute girl at the bus stop in
college, we’re talking long lost Silverfaces and Thinline Teles.
The blog is the creation of Jaimie Muehlhausen, who appears to
have traded in more guitars in his lifetime than our entire staff
combined. Not every story is from Jaimie, however. Readers are
encouraged to commiserate with their own stories of love and loss.
The stories range from gut-wrenchingly painful to hilarious. More than a
few center around trading in a beloved instrument to pay the bills—and
are accompanied by warnings against doing this, pleas for the return of
their instrument, or both. Other stories actually feature instruments that
were once happily unloaded, with detailed descriptions of the guitars’
shortcomings, along with cringe-inducing current values.
What really makes the blog a good read—and might keep you
reading archived posts for a while—is Jaimie’s style of writing. He
winds in stories from his personal life, that at times perfectly capture
a moment of time (being psyched about a friend’s Delorean, for
example), along with astute and funny gear reflections (“You wear
a Rick on your sleeve if you know what I’m sayin’,” he says about
Rickenbackers).
The blog is surprisingly active, with 86 different stories so far this
year, which averages out to about nine per month. There isn’t something new every day, but there are generally a few posts each week.
If you’ve ever pawned an old Strat to keep the water on, or tried to
trade up only to be let down, this blog might ease your pain.
Throw a pity party at
theonesthatgotaway.blogspot.com.
