BJFE / BearFoot fx Guitar Effects Community

so "Newarkwilder" Mike came over this weekend to stay with me and bring his 67-68 super reverb to the amplifier wizard.

believe it OR NOT, this 40 year old amp was 100% stock. still had RCA blackplate tubes in it!!!

filter caps were shot and had leaked. but somehow, this 40 year old amp was still RUNNING. it needs some work. it will be done. but the amp is 100% stock, down to the damn tubes. amazing that it still WORKED.

i would tell you more about that evening but none of you would believe it. we spent hours playing some amazing guitars, listened to a recording of Jaco that NO ONE has heard yet from 1968 that was AWESOME, and that may be released into the world next year. it's Jaco with an organ trio, and Jaco is just "playing bass", NOt being "Jaco", if you know what I mean. it was 1968, so he had not become "JACO" yet

and then we went to Le Tub, this funky outdoor restauraunt that has one of the top ten burgers in the entire world according to some. we both agreed it was a REALLY GOOD burger.

and then we perused downtown hollywood, and went back to the amplifier wizard's place, and played about a dozen of the most amazing guitars i have ever seen in my life. i had never asked George about his guitars, as he is all about amps, and has worked on my amps for nearly a decade now (wow, does time go by fast..)

basically, Mike and I sat there and our minds were blown each time a case was opened.

no pics were taken, no video was shot. George is very private, and it is VERY rare that I will bring someone to his shop. But Mike is a cool guy, and he needed that 68 super to be restored CORRECTLY. and the only other guy I can think of that has the skills and passion that George does would be BJ.

somehow, whenever BJ gets over here to FLorida again, I am going to take him to see George, and just sit back and watch the fireworks.

anyhow.......good times, good friends, good guitars and amps, and a good weekend.

sounds like a lot of fun! Hopefully the spirit of the BJF Fest will be similar.

What kind of guitars did you guys get to play?

Eskimo_Joe wrote:sounds like a lot of fun! Hopefully the spirit of the BJF Fest will be similar.

What kind of guitars did you guys get to play?

BJF fest would be an amazing thing!

I can't divulge too many specifics, as George prefers to remain somewhat anonymous.....but one guitar was one that was played on a record called "461 ocean blvd"....and there were several others of equally crazy vintage/celebrity owned status. guitar wise, there were strats, teles, les pauls, SG's, ricks, and more. it was a lot of fun. and completely MIND BLOWING.

but the Jaco recording was really something cool.....and will hopefully be available commercially next year. i liked it because it showed Jaco just PLAYING BASS....and doing it very well. organ trio style, nasty greasy B3, and a drummer that sang lead vocals as well. NO GUITARS

Sounds like a pretty good weekend.

That Jaco recording got my attention though, sounds like it'd be interesting. I'll be looking forward to it if it makes it out!

mills wrote:Sounds like a pretty good weekend.

That Jaco recording got my attention though, sounds like it'd be interesting. I'll be looking forward to it if it makes it out!

yeah, that -- for me -- was the highlight of the post, other than the AMAZING and CRAZY time I had with Mike newarkwilder the past weekend. He and I just got along fabulously, and really spent a lot of time just hanging out and talking.

but the Jaco recording is very special. he lived only a few blocks away from where George's shop is hidden. and the OTHER two guys who recorded that album with him are still alive and well in hollywood FL.

i know Jaco's sons (Felix and Julius) and they are AMAZING. i know his widow as well, so Jaco is pretty special to me. I only met Jaco once, when he basically forced his way onstage with my band during the 80s, and my drummer nearly beat him up until I recognized who he was (we were a NEW WAVE band, not jazzers)

If you liked Jaco, you should hear FELIX PASTORIUS play bass. somehow the apple DID NOT fall far from the TREE.......

this was an amazing, amazing night.

i can't spill the beans but you guys would absolutely flip out if you knew some of the guitars we played. and this guy's amp collection... holy god. And listening to the Jaco recordings was really the cherry on top, business was concluded, minds had been blown by the guitars, and then we just hung out and listened to some amazing, amazing music.

good times. seriously. george and bjorn are like brothas from anotha motha.

(i hate myself for saying that just now )

twas quite a party!

for any of you interested in George, he has a little website dedicated to his work, and he said that I can share this with you all:

http://www.harryjoycerocks.com/