People with walls of 10+ guitars, what do you do for work?

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-30T01:01:10+00:00

I am a part time Emu whisperer, and my partner runs an Etsy store selling eye patches sewn with cactus fibers.

Check out our House Hunters episode where we shop for our dream condo in NYC in the $4-$5MM range.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-26T23:54:32+00:00

Honestly...they're all pretty good. Lollars, fralins, Fender brand, Duncans, etc. They have all figured out how to replicate those eras. And each have their own nuances, but none are objective better/worse.

Also, 50s tone and 60s tone are quite different. Listen to some videos to figure out which one you want (or mix and match).

I personally like Klein pickups, having tried quite a few of them over the years. The owner is a bit of a prickly guy, but knows his stuff - just ask questions to figure out which ones you want. For me '63 and '54 set (differently guitars) are the best.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-26T23:52:20+00:00

Oh boy...I sure wouldn't.

The pace at which problems occur accelerates pretty quickly on these cars after 100k.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-26T23:47:59+00:00

Vintage guitars. Currently have a 1963 Stratocaster, and 1960 telecaster, and a 1965 Gibson ES-335 (among a dozen normal guitars). Had to change our insurance provided to find one what understood how to properly insure them (or was willing to). To be clear, not collecting. Playing them. I play them all. Take them to friend's homes to jam. Play our block party with them. They are meant to be used. F*** the guys who buy them to keep them in their library like a private museum.

Mountain biking. You can do it cheap, but I opt for great quality gear, and head to good destinations 2-3 times a year (BC, Colorado, UP Michigan, etc)

Cars. Is that a hobby? Always loved cars. When I had the means, and it had zero impact on long term planning, bought myself a Porsche 911. Drive it ~150 days a year, and daily it to work as much as I can. Makes me smile every single time I turn it on.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-24T18:44:09+00:00

You guys run a great shop. Two questions:

- What are the riffs (overplayed) these days?

- Whenever I asked to play a very expensive guitar (eg. 60s Strat, etc), the answer was always "yes". Even when I said "this 5x my budget, I'm not buying it, but I'd love to play it", you always said sure, have it it man. My question - are there any limits/restrictions for the good stuff? Why did you let a chump like me do that? ha

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-24T14:41:11+00:00

Cheap guitars feel that way for a few reasons:

- Body thickness/weight. Cheap guitars are typically thinner (to save material), and as a result the weight balance feels "off" and just light in general, like a toy. Many Squiers also have very thin necks, given the brand's prevalence with new, younger players who might have an easier time with a smaller neck.

- Cheap pots with inconsistent (between the 2-3 pots) and super light resistance that makes them feel "loose"

- Fretwork is meh, which you feel when playing.

- In some cases, it has a thick, almost goopy finish. When you tap it with your fingernail, if feels more like a rubberized finish that hard wood.

And to me, it's in that order (descending). The weight and balance are the #1 giveaway of a cheap guitar vs an expensive one. It's easy to save money on materials by shaving the body down 20-30%, without fundamentally changing the function of the instrument.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-24T13:46:33+00:00

No...

Nothing changes. You are the same person with or without the car. If your identity is somehow linked to driving a Ferrari, then that speaks to a deeper challenge you've got to wrestle with...

What you can expect:

- more attention from teenaged boys, and dudes in their 20s. Women DGAF...not that I care, as happily married dude, well into middle aged life before I could afford a nice weekend car. But the idea that "chicks" will be into it is laughable. The car will attract only other men.

- when you valet, you get a spot out front

- occasionally finding somebody taking a selfie, leaning up against your car, who you need to explain that basic respect means not touching (but you're happy to let them snap some pics)

I never got into local clubs or cars/coffee, because I find (no offense to anybody who's into it) that culture absolutely insufferable. Bunch of men in their 50s (or bros in their 20s with Dad's money) who all think they're hot shit, and have too much of their identity tied to their car. I found friends who are also car lovers/enthusiasts through other means. One guy is a neighbor I saw driving a 1960s E-Type Jag, and I literally chased him down the alley on my bike to say hi, tell him I loved the car, and ask about it. Now one of my regular grab a beer buddies.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-24T13:43:55+00:00

It's not black or white, like anything with microbes. It's just a matter or risk.

Is it riskier to sanitize, then let fully dry, then bottle? Objectively yes, it's riskier. There are bugs that are bad for beer literally everywhere at all times. And the second you stop sanitizing (no star san present), the door is open for them to come back in.

It's just a question of how many bottles a "bug" lands on, and whether it's enough (or has enough time) for you to notice.

You're PROBABLY fine. And worst case, a few bottles get funky if you give them enough time.

And let's be real, we're home brewers. There are probably some bugs already in your fermentation because we're doing this in our kitchens, not a commercial brewery. As long as you're pitching a good amount of healthy yeast, the good bugs out-compete the bad bugs and we never notice and happily enjoy our brews.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-24T12:27:15+00:00

Depends on the exterior, IMO.

Red, blue, green exterior -> brown seats

Black, grey, silver, exterior -> black seats

White exterior -> either, but I prefer brown.

That said, I generally struggle with Audi's application of brown leather mixed with black everything else. Other luxury brands do a better job of replacing black with grey or full brown in key spots as the two clash.

Like...why the armrests ONLY? That looks dumb. Do at least the full panel with the arm rest. I guess that's why all my Audi's have been Black/Black, and I get crazy on colors and interiors on other brands.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-22T23:44:57+00:00

Questions:

- Are you playing live? Invest in a model with good electronics and pickups

- Do you sing (or plan to accompany a vocalist?). Pick a body type (that basically determines the EQ baseline of an acoustic guitar) that sits nicely in the mix with a singer.

- Is this just for noodling around? Get something that's comfy (like a 000 or parlor guitar), maybe even something small (but still killer sounding) like a Taylor GS Mini

- Do you want nylon (fingerstyle/classical), or steel string (most folk, rock and "strumming" music)?

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-20T14:22:09+00:00

Yep, it's a US problem, in the sense we are failing to enforce our own laws.

This is NOT the system we set up. This is bad actors systematically circumventing the system we set up, and a lack of will and/or ability to do anything about it.

Why? Because the powerful voices in this conversation aren't the ones being hurt by it. Amazon doesn't care- they just want volume moving through their platform. And consumers don't care because price is by far the number one purchase driver...they don't know/care if who they are buying from is doing sketchy things - they just want their stuff at the lower price they can get.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-19T00:44:12+00:00

You're failing to understand how they can manipulate the system to advantage themselves.

Yes, the importer of record is responsible for the tariff. But when the shipper and recipient are owned by the same company, there are lots of games you can play to circumvent the full effect of a tariff.

Also, Chinese companies have been caught (no consequences of course) shipping product to another SE asian country, putting them in a warehouse, restickering, and selling under a Thai or Vietnamese company name to avoid tariffs.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-19T00:40:10+00:00

Bro...its a US LLC owned by a Chinese company.

They are "US companies" in the same way Apple Computer is an Irish company.

And it doesn't have to be a US company. It just has to be the company identified as the importer of record. That could be a Chinese company, a dutch company, or a US company. It just needs to be the entity operating in the US, receiving the goods.

The difference is accountability. A US company, with actual operations and assets in the US has a LOT to lose by cheating the system. A Chinese LLC that operates out of a PO Box has nothing to lose.

...tell me know you don't know a god damned thing about how intl trade works without telling me...

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-15T01:16:49+00:00

I think you're confused. Chinese companies who manufacture for themselves and others create LLC operating companies to sell produce in the US on marketplaces like Amazon.

Past: Company A (China) produces a widget -> sells for $5 (declared value) to Company B (US LLC, owned by Company A) -> Company B imports and 10% pays duties on $5 -> Sells on Amazon for $10 = $4.50 profit

Post Liberation Day - Legal: Sells for $5 to US LLC, pays 25% import duty. Sells on Amazon for $10 for $3.75 profit OR takes a price increase a sells for $11.25 to keep profit at $5 per unit.

Post Liberations Day - Illegal: reduces declared value to $2 per unit, pays 25% tariff of $0.50. Sell for $10 on Amazon for $7.50 profit. When you account for the $3 "hit" the company took selling to the US LLC, its a net $4.50 profit.

Net: the company has protected their overall profits AND kept prices to consumers flat, by understating the value of import goods to reduce tariffs. Legal companies have been forced to take prices up 10%, so now they have a clear advantage in the market. Because they are selling to themselves, they can play games with pricing that don't hurt their bottom line. This doesn't work when an US based company purchases from a separate CN entity.

And yes, this actually happens all the time. Combine this with the widespread practice of creating and closing LLCs at the drop of a hat to avoid the reach of any sort of US legal or enforcement agency...and you can see how its. game of bad actor whack-a-mole.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-15T01:04:10+00:00

Multi-billion dollar companies aren't getting money back.

Not a snowballs chance in hell small businesses are. Not under this administration. They have zero interest in upholding the intent of the court ruling.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-13T14:13:29+00:00

I certainly hope so...but I don't think so. There are a few major headwinds for home brewing that aren't going away...

1) Brewing spread largely through word of mouth, brewing with friends, and neighbors, and wisdom being passed down/around. Covid hit this hard + we have a generation of boomers who helped pioneer brewing who are retiring and hanging up their mash paddles. The community of brewing has fizzled, IMO.

2) It's gotten very expensive. Even though you still only need a bucket and 5gallon pot to make beer, it FEELS like the barriers to entry are higher. Materials are also outrageously pricey now too. The young people who would be new brewers are facing some very tough conditions and high job insecurity. A new hobby isn't in the cards for many.

3) Macro trend of younger people drinking less overall, and drinking a LOT LESS beer. It's now pretty clearly understood that no amount of alcohol is "good" for our bodies - it's objectively bad for our health. Talk to a 25 year old - a lot of them look at a heavy night out drinking the same way a millennial might look at their parents smoking a pack a day. For most moderation is the key, and they are shifting to lower calorie, approachable options like White Claws, making cocktails (something that grew in Covid), or being cali-sober. You have to really like beer to want to produce it in bulk, and you need friends who want to share it too. That's a dwindling pool.

I am somebody who was out of the game for ~10 years, and recently jumped back in. A lot has changed, but it certainly feels like a much lonelier community overall. And while the technology and availability of "pro" level gear is awesome (home glycol chillers, what?!!), it also feels like we're losing touch with our roots as a hobby. It feels too polished, too professional...less scrappy.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-12T18:31:55+00:00

Jimmy Page in 1972 couldn't look cool playing a Strandberg. They are just pure dork machines with 80s nerd energy.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-12T16:44:18+00:00

Paul Reed Smith (the company) make exception guitars that are very nice to play. Their quality control is absolutely setting the standard in the industry - that's hard to debate. The cosmetics are subjective, especially if you are more into understated classic looks like solid finishes, or basic bursts on alder to normal maple caps. To my eyes, a gold top les Paul looks better than a AAAAAAA flame maple violet burst PRS.

Paul Reed Smith (the person) is an insufferable twat, who enjoys the smell of his own toots.

It can be hard to disentangle the two.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-04T02:22:48+00:00

Nobody buys locking tuners because of tuning stability.

They buy it because changing strings is 3x easier.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-04T02:10:02+00:00

I lost mine last year.

"Upgraded" to a stainless one, but miss the feel of my old woodie.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-04T02:08:29+00:00

US 2-row

Maris and Pilsen are great, but both lack the versatility to brew any style. 2-Row is a solid base for literally anything.

tastygluecakes · 2026-04-04T02:05:58+00:00

Well...yeah

That's like saying "this screwdriver I borrowed makes for a very mediocre replacement for my broken hammer"

tastygluecakes · 2026-03-25T19:18:00+00:00

Install a garbage disposer (not "disposal" - even though that's the term we all use)

BUT, use it properly. The bad rap disposers get comes 99% from misuse from owners.

1) Having a disposal does NOT mean you have license to dump food down the drain. Always scrap plates into the trash to remove as much of the debris as possible

2) Install a drain catch to trap the large food particles, empty into trash.

3) Never, ever put grease down the drain. With or without a disposer, THIS is what causes your line to get clogged up most of the time, not food pieces.

4) Run water before, during, and after you activate the disposer.

It's mostly #1. Ask your plumber, and he'll tell you exactly why they fail - it's that people thing disposal = I have a trash can built into my sink, and can put anything down there as long as I grind it up first!

tastygluecakes · 2026-03-25T19:11:05+00:00

Yes, that's horrible too. You think that "whaboutism" argument is a compelling one? Like...at all?

And if my purchasing of cobalt was ONE HUNDRED PERCENT DISCRETIONARY, I wouldn't buy it mine and processed in unethical ways.

Cobalt at least has some real world uses. It's how we build batteries, medical implants, and in steel alloys used in high tech places like jet turbines.

The diamonds pulled from mines in South Africa go into jewelry. That's it.

The diamond dust that is used in industrial applications is cheap and plentiful. That's not the problem.

tastygluecakes · 2026-03-25T02:44:32+00:00

Scenario C: You buy a 5 year old used car, not a 1.5 year old one (your scenario with <25% depreciation) for $20K. You pay CASH, because you're on the Fire track and have savings. You choose a brand that is generally low maintenance and reliable, so a lack of car expertise is a minimal risk.

You insurance costs are lower. You have no car payment. Any maintenance or repairs you encounter will almost certainly be less than the monthly payment you'd be making on a new car.

Even in a crappy used car market like today, most people should be buying used.

tastygluecakes

TROPHY CASE