WRITTEN BY: JIM GAUSTAD
It occurs to me, the longer I’m around guitars and the music business, the more my awe in everything guitar grows. The reason I mention this is that we just wrapped up shooting some footage at the Franklin, Tennessee Guitar Show. It’s more like an exhibit hall full of vintage, new, rare, unique and historic guitars and their manufacturers, dealers, brokers, etc…I’m not sure what’s more interesting - the guitars, or those that build and sell them? I think I’m leaning to the people…
The Bluesman Vintage guys were there - just about all of them. John Scott was busy being the ambassador of Bluesman Vintage, while Mark Taylor seemed to be on an endless loop, walking around the show, shaking hands and making deals on the phone that’s often stuck to his ear. He pulled me aside and told me about a line he’s got on a late 1950’s Gibson Les Paul - we may be watching that deal on an upcoming episode of Strings Attached. Dave was meeting and greeting and talking all things guitar. Big Mike Griffin was quick to pick up a guitar and play with anyone that came into the booth - One of those that popped in and hung around for a good part of Saturday was Riley Bria - you may have seen him in the top 24 on this season’s American Idol. He’s a really down to earth young guy with a real chance to have a great career in the music business.
Being here in Nashville for the past couple of years, and hanging around the Bluesman Vintage shop, you kind of get used to seeing and talking to celebrities - My wife, on the other hand, doesn’t hang around the Bluesman Vintage Shop, and doesn’t know the studio musicians, professional road guys and hired guns around town, and probably only knows those that she sees on TV, or those that make it to magazine covers, local news spots and newspaper articles - but, she knew Riley Bria from American Idol - she was able to speak with him and his father. Then, while we were sitting down to lunch at one of the restaurants just outside of the guitar show “exhibit hall,” we had another celebrity encounter - Vince Gill said hi, sat down and had lunch at the table right next to us, elbow to elbow with my wife - afterward, I believe she said something like, “I’ve been here in Nashville for two years, and I’ve never seen a celebrity, I hang out with you and your guitar people and I see two in one day.” I didn’t want to tell her that I saw many more at the show - she was already kind of giddy about it.
We just put up the latest episode which introduces a new cast member. Ryan (the quiet guy behind the counter) has hired an assistant - which, we’re not exactly sure what Ryan does, and now he has an assistant??? Anyway, look for Grace in some upcoming episodes. She’ll be adding the female perspective at Bluesman Vintage and we’re excited to catch that dynamic on Strings Attached.
Stay tuned,
jim
