It is not everyday that you get to go to a stellar guitar shop. It is not everyday that you get to go with a friend. It is not everyday that you get a great story and it is not everyday that you get VIP treatment… and today all of this came true and it came true at nearly all six guitar shops in the St. Louis area.

But why was I in St. Louis? Did I buy any new gear? What kind of VIP treatment are we talking about? Did I need an appointment? What do they keep in the backroom? What do they keep in the basement? Can I just walk into a luthier’s shop? Should I get a tetanus shot? Who is Obeid Kahn? Are K-Line guitars anygood? What happens when Lloyd plays a Murphy Lab for the first time˙? And Chainsaw’s in a guitar store… is Jakyl in town?

Well we will discuss this, and more on this group therapy session with Lloyd, on the Tweed Couch.

Today on the Tweed Couch we are counseling on “Inear Monitoring Systems: Trusting Your Gig to a Belt Pack”

There is no doubt that how well you hear yourself and others affects how well you play the show. Of course the method you chose to hear yourself can vary. Some use floor wedges, some use inears, and some just play with the sound system cranked behind them. I have been using in ear monitors for 25 years and one thing can be said… they are not all created equal.

But which in ear system is superior? What features matter most? How have the systems changed over time? Do you have to spend a million dollars? Should I even go wireless? Are in ears better than floor wedges? Do the earbuds make a difference? How often do they fail? Can in ears make the band sound better to the crowd? And older musicians… in ears are essentially hearing aids with a chord right?

Well we will discuss this, and more on this group therapy session with John, on the Tweed Couch.

I love going to guitar shops. It's fun to go, enjoy, play, and experience what is out on the market. I cannot think of a single shop I go to that doesn't have at least 1 guitar that inspires me when I pick it up.

Of course this is usually out of a selection of 50 to 1000 guitars of my choosing because I am right handed. My buddies Barber and Swags are a different story because they are lefties. This is why I’ve offered to take either of them on a roadtrip to Houston, TX to shop at South Paw Guitars. A guitar sanctuary solely dedicated to stocking high quality left handed instruments.

But how far is it to Houston? Did we make any stops along the way? Why are we looking for a new guitar? Should you trade in the old one? How quickly can you bond with a new piece of gear? Can it make you play better? What does Guitar Hero have to do with all of this? Can you put a right handed guitar in a left handed case? And he didn’t choose lefty… lefty chose him.

Well we will discuss this, and more on this group therapy session with Swags, on the Tweed Couch.