The Road Show

Here at Fifth Fret world headquarters, we get a lot of press releases. Some are for new releases by artists I’ve never heard of and artists I haven’t thought about in years. Some are about new products a company is trying to hype. Some are about guitar manufacturers’ latest charity efforts.

But my favorite type of press releases are the event announcements.

There is nothing like a great in-store event. Living in the La Crosse, WI, I have had the opportunity to attend some awesome in-store events at Dave’s Guitar Shop over the last few years, including a clinic by Greg Koch, a Q and A discussion with Paul Reed Smith and a charity event where a Fender Custom Shop technician set-up your guitar in exchange for canned goods for the needy.

And then there are the Road Shows.

If you’ve never been to a Road Show event, imagine 10 or so guitar geeks who happen to work for your favorite manufacturer. They’re all jammed into a RV and traveling the country, showing off their company’s coolest gear. It’s an eclectic group and a chance for guitar players to rub shoulders with the folks who actually make their gear.

The usual Road Show includes clinics, hands-on demos, and a sort of travelling museum of guitars. Plus, you never know what kind of odd encounters you might have. At the last Gibson Road Show I attended, the bus driver told me the story of how Conway Twitty died on his tour bus.

Recently, I received a press release from Taylor announcing their scheduled plans for not one, not five, not ten, but one hundred tour dates this fall! Check out the link below to see if your city made the list:

http://www.taylorguitars.com/roadshow/

Watch the bulletin board at your local shop to see what events are upcoming. It’ll be well worth your while. And remember, events won’t continue if they’re not well-attended. So go and bring a friend.

Bliss on,

PT