I’ve become afflicted with a condition known as “Gear Acquisition Syndrome.”  This is a common occurrence, recognized immediately among the guitar (and gun) owning community.

For decades, I was more than satisfied with two guitars: a 1971 Framus 12-string and a 1957 Gibson ES-225.  Now, within the span of a couple of months, my collection has grown to six.

Guitar Collection

From left to right:

• Taylor “Big Baby Taylor-e”
• Framus 12-string
• 1957 Gibson ES-225
• 2015 Gibson Les Paul limited edition “Classic Rock II”
• 2016 Fender Stratocaster, Eric Clapton signature model
• 2016 Pignose PGG-200 Deluxe

The newest addition is the Les Paul.  The guitar I fell in love with the first moment I held and played it is the Stratocaster.  I may look to add a Telecaster as well, and maybe replace the Les Paul with a more traditional model.

“What’s a Pignose?” you may be asking.  Years ago, I bought a shoebox-sized practice amp that was powered by a 9-volt battery and had carrying strap buttons that enabled one to plug in and walk around while playing.  I loved that little amp, and still have it!

Power in a Piggy Pack

Note the on/off/volume knob is shaped like a pig’s snout, hence the name.

Well, when I learned Pignose offered a practice guitar with a built-in amp and speaker, I just knew I had to have one. I found several models on Amazon, and went for the Deluxe (which I think differs from other models in that it has a humbucking pickup). I’ve committed to practicing a minimum of five minutes every day, and this guitar has already gone with me on two trips, helping me accomplish my goal. I’m going to put some heavier gauge strings on it though, because I find it goes out of tune too easily.

It’s a good thing I’m single and don’t have a lot of debts.  🙂

One of the benefits of being single, employed and aging, is that one can pursue pastimes and interests without feeling guilt.  As I have posted here, I’ve re-engaged in my photography interest, have enjoyed traveling extensively, and started an interest in the shooting sport.

So, once again, the bug has bitten, and out of the depths and shadows, I’ve begun playing guitar again.  I taught myself to play guitar back when I was in high school, after feeling stifled that I had to go to the basement of my parents’ home to practice piano for eight years.  I paid my best friend $10 for a beat up old Kay (Sears brand) guitar that had a bit of a warped neck, but it was all I needed to be able to “carry my music around.”

In college, I bought a brand-new 12-string guitar, made by Framus.  I was in Germany at the time, so buying a local product was decidedly more cost-effective.  Several years later, I traded a co-worker a set of four stereo speakers for a 1957 Gibson ES-225.  I still have those guitars.

By my estimation, I played avidly for about 22 years.  Then, I broke my left elbow at my daughter’s fourth birthday party (that’s another story), and due to having my arm immobilized for several weeks, combined with feeling stagnant, put the guitars away.  And left them.  For nearly 30 years!

All of a sudden, I’ve pulled them out again.  I’ve dusted them off, changed the strings, and even took them to a luthier for some professional adjusting.  Thinking I would need to leave them for a bit, I purchased a new guitar, to be used as a “beater” (I hate that term; perhaps “carry-and-practice” works better).  It’s a Taylor, a brand I knew nothing about (FYI: they were founded in 1974 and are now the #1 manufacturer of acoustic guitars in the USA).

Searching for an appropriate “beater” guitar, I came across a site called Sweetwater.  Wow!  Photographs of the ACTUAL instrument (one can select among inventory), superb customer service and knowledge, and pretty soon, my order was in. Here are some of their photographs of MY guitar, which is scheduled to arrive tomorrow:

The guitar purchase includes a “gig bag,” a soft carry case used to tote it to “gigs.”  I may get a hard case, but I want to see how this one works out first.

I’ll post more after it’s arrived. I have a few other surprises in store, too!

I just returned from a delightful and all too brief vacation to Kaua`i, Hawai`i.

I’ll ramble on about the trip in a bit, but I wanted first to mention one of the pleasant surprises I experienced there: a real, listenable, terrestrial radio!

I arrived at Lihu`e Airport late in the evening and quickly shuttled to the rental car lot.  There I was told that my economy class car was not available and so I was being upgraded to a four-wheel drive Jeep.  Nice!

When I had a chance to begin my forays around the island (I drove some 600 miles in five days around an island that is only 552 square miles, and 80% of that is inaccessible by vehicle!) I started scanning the radio dial. I expected to find the usual claptrap and tripe that makes up FM these days, and was not disappointed. That is, until I landed on the 103.1 frequency. This is the home of “Shaka 103,” which bills itself as “Kauai’s Rock Station” playing “three generations of the iconic music that changed the world.”

From that moment on, I never changed the dial. In fact, I brought with me one of my iPod Shuffles (the postage stamp-sized one) and used the built-in radio to listen during my runs. Not only did I hear well-known “standard” rock tunes, but also cuts that I haven’t heard in ages, such as Taj Mahal doing “Take A Giant Step” (from his album of the same name), live tracks of rare concert recordings, and deep track cuts from artists such as solo Mick Jagger, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, vintage Steve Miller Band (from Sailor and Number 5), The Band, and more.  Wow.

There isn’t a lot of talk, either.  Two DJs man the mics during the day: Ron Middag hosts the 6:00 a.m. – noon slot, and Tony Kilbert the noon – 6:00 p.m.  Nights are given over to the syndicated “Nights With Alice Cooper,” which airs a similarly-themed playlist interspersed with one of the originators of “shock-rock” make-up artists insights and inside stories.

Given the island’s geography, Shaka 103 is heard mainly on the eastern side. The signal fades when traversing through the Waimea Canyon or driving on the west side of the island past Waimea, Kekaha and up to Polihale Beach.

Ah, Polihale Beach. When I came to the park entrance I was greeted by a sign that read “Four Wheel Drive Only.” Now I knew why fate had been kind to me and blessed me with a Jeep. Off I went.

Five miles down a washboard, rock-strewn “road” lands one at a remote beach. There were some people bathing, picnicking and enjoying themselves, but for the most part, it was as remote as one could wish. I had to deflate the tires to 20 psi to ensure that even a Jeep wouldn’t get bogged down in the sand. Fun!There were times when I couldn’t listen, such as during the helicopter tour I took, or during my excursions to waterfalls, beaches, restaurants and the Kaua`i Coffee Company, but when I was in the Jeep and within range, Shaka 103 was on the radio.

The station publishes an ongoing playlist. A quick glimpse at it will show the great diversity and range of music in their library. For one who grew up listening to the exploding world of rock-n-roll in the Sixties, Shaka 103 made my trip to a heavenly place seem like heaven!

Patrick O’Hearn, David Helpling and Jon Jenkins.

There, I said it.

Now to backtrack a bit. I started the MFNA web site in 1995 as a means to teach myself HTML and (the then new) web technologies. In the beginning it was pretty much a site filled with links to other sites.  I enjoyed finding new music, and began writing reviews. Writing reviews became an offshoot, and I wrote reviews for other sites as well as my own.

For a while, the web site became a central part and focus of my life; I had become divorced, and it helped fill the time. It also became a way to contact others with an interest in the same kind of music.  Let’s be honest: “New Age Music” (a term I loathe, by the way) isn’t “mainstream.” Therefore, it’s hard to find like-minded folk. Admitting to liking it is almost a way to embarrass oneself in public.

But I do. I can list other artists whose music I enjoy on an ongoing basis: Vangelis, Checkfield (defunct), Steve Roach, Erik Wøllo, to name a few. These days, most of my listening occurs on the Internet, where I listen/subscribe to several services and podcasts. Chief among these is Music From The Hearts of Space, the unpredictable Spacemusic.nl (and its bookend, Fresh Air) from the Netherlands, and Australian Ultima Thule. It is truly a global world in some respects!

The sites mentioned above provide me with a constant flow of new music – and when I’m out running, new music is a special joy to experience – but I must come back to the title of this entry.

There is something intangible and indescribable about the music of Patrick O’Hearn and

The So Flows Sessions by Patrick O’Hearn

the duo of David Helpling and Jon Jenkins (oh, the two as solo artists have some outstanding work as well).

As I review the different devices I use to listen to music (a conglomeration of computers, tablets, iPods, etc.) I find that each and every one of them contains works by these artists. In random rotation, whenever one of these tracks begins I am instantly transported to a place of peace, serenity and bliss. Even the “darker” tunes leave me feeling comforted and satisfied.

It’s rare that I purchase music these days, as the podcasts and Internet broadcasts fill up so much of my listening time, but I own releases by all of these artists. This article isn’t a review of their music, specific albums or even an attempt to rate them with their peers. It’s merely an appreciation of the pleasure they’ve given me over the years, with the hope they will continue to create more.