Get Ready To Evacuate - Which guitar did I pack?

[Joeontheguitar]

Thank you everyone for your well wishes. It is a stressful, worrisome time here but it has brought my family closer. Without a doubt their lives and the lives of our friends are the most important thing.

As it played out on the afternoon we received notice to prepare to evacuate, the winds were moving the big fire close to us, and carrying embers into the air and sparking little fires everywhere. We packed as if we'd get the call to leave at any moment. As you might expect, the 175 went into the car, along with the paperwork for the other guitars. How did I choose? It boiled down to the difficulty I'd face replacing any one of them, and the value. The Gibsons are my treasures, and the Eastmans are my players. If I had taken the one that I have played the most in the last year it would have been the AR371.

Fortunately, I got a second chance at the decision. The next day, we were still on Level 2 evacuation notice and I calculated that I had time to do a "guitar evacuation." So I loaded four of them into the car and drove them to my son's house. I wanted to have a guitar here at the house that I could continue to play while we wait out the fire storm. The one I chose? The Eastman Romeo. I have had it a bit over a week, but it has been a joy to play and has exceeded my expectations in every way. It has taken over as the most versatile guitar in my quiver (though I doubt Larry Carlton would agree)! At some point I hope to share more about my experiences with it.

Thanks, again, we are getting through this. I do appreciate the kinds words from all of you. I hadn't even contemplated this when I sat down to write my story.

All the best.

I'm also very curious about your thoughts on the Romeo. Interesting you swapped the high praised (tweaked) Lollars. How did it affect the sound and what is your setup (strings etc)?

[Bflat233]

I'm also very curious about your thoughts on the Romeo. Interesting you swapped the high praised (tweaked) Lollars. How did it affect the sound and what is your setup (strings etc)?

Eastman is shipping a Romeo-K model, which features Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday pick-ups. BK is renowned for its handwound pups so it was a welcome variant for me as a jazz player. I'm sure the Lollars are great, I played a Romeo with them. I'd say the BK's are darker.

I would describe the tone as thick and warm at the bottom-end, like my 335, and honey-coated steel, Telecaster-like, at the top-end. It is very unique. I'm still playing the string-set it shipped with - D'Addario NYXLs 10-46 rounds. I've got a set of TI Jazz Swing 11-47 flats that I'll put on eventually. I just haven't wanted to take the time to do that - with everything going on here ...

[rolijen]

All the best to our brothers and sisters dealing with the fires, smoke, riots, unemployment, or, heaven forbid, COVID. 2020 has been so very hard for so many. Godspeed, 3rdw. We have all seen too much. Nice to have a pleasant group of friends to support one another. All, please accept my sincere appreciation and well wishes. May you be safe, healthy, happy, and surrounded by those you love. And, if possible play your guitars and be grateful for what you have.

Roli
(Robert Jennings)

[Bflat233]

A very hearty "thank you" to all who shared their concern, their prayers and wishes for the best of all possible outcomes for us. The evacuation notice affecting our neighborhood was lifted yesterday afternoon. We are very grateful for this reprieve, but we cannot help but worry about others in the region who are homeless, or who have lost loved ones in these hellish blazes.

We've been told the fires will likely continue to burn until the rainy season sets in later in the fall. I have never been so eager for it. We expect light rain later in the week and that will help. FEMA is sending aircraft and nearby states (Utah, and Wyoming) are sending personnel and equipment. The fire nearest to us has more than 560 fire-fighters working ... as of 7 a.m. Saturday, 37 active wildfires had burned more than 861,000 acres across Oregon.

All the best jazz guitarists - and once again - thank you all for your support.

[Joeontheguitar]

Eastman is shipping a Romeo-K model, which features Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday pick-ups. BK is renowned for its handwound pups so it was a welcome variant for me as a jazz player. I'm sure the Lollars are great, I played a Romeo with them. I'd say the BK's are darker.

I would describe the tone as thick and warm at the bottom-end, like my 335, and honey-coated steel, Telecaster-like, at the top-end. It is very unique. I'm still playing the string-set it shipped with - D'Addario NYXLs 10-46 rounds. I've got a set of TI Jazz Swing 11-47 flats that I'll put on eventually. I just haven't wanted to take the time to do that - with everything going on here ...

I didn't know about the K-model. Darker sounds nice to me. I have a 'stock' Romeo that I got after trading two other guitars for it. The store replaced the stock strings (which were already a bit dead) with D'Addario Flatwounds. I tried TI Swings on it, but I thought it could be better, so switched the Swings to my T64 (which needed replacement strings... I'm not doing that string swapping again, because I ruined the low E). Now there are (partially) recycled TI Bebop 11's on it and it sounds really good. I like the added sustain.

I've had the Romeo for a few months and it's one of my favorites.

[Zedism]

Whichever you don't take, wrap the rest in their cases and then in fire retardant material and bury them in the ground, if and only if you have the time of course. They will likely survive just fine with that course of action.

[Bflat233]

Whichever you don't take, wrap the rest in their cases and then in fire retardant material and bury them in the ground, if and only if you have the time of course. They will likely survive just fine with that course of action.

... OK ... I've heard that suggestion twice. And I thought Rob was kidding when he said it! The good news is I was able to shuttle them all away to safety.

[AlsoRan]

It is really bad here also in Calif. My white cars are black with ash.
We had one day that was as dark as night. Constant burning eyes and throat from smoke. 2020 has been the worst year my eyes have seen. Praying for you 3rdw. So much despair this year. Not to mention all the horrible violence everywhere and this virus that won’t go away.

I have an associate in a state near years who was gloating about the California fires (due to his religios beliefs and politics). Now, he is finding out the winds have blown a lot of that soot and smoke over into his area and he is suffering badly with his allergies and breathing. He says he can't sleep at night because he can't breathe.

I remember a few years back when our air quality in Texas suffered from fires in your area. I am hoping all this stuff goes away - for all of our sakes.

We are all truly connected in one way or another.