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While I was visiting my father this weekend, I had the opportunity to play around with the DADGAD tuning on my Martin 00-18V I’ve named “Little Billy”.

DADGAD is a D modal tuning mostly associated with Celtic music. Instead of the standard EADGBE tuning, the six guitar strings are tuned, from low to high, DADGAD.

Over the course of the last month, I’ve dove into the abyss of this tuning and on Saturday night I decided to record some improvised passages after my father retired for the evening.

I like recording these passages improvisational with no predetermined method. With this style, I often make mistakes and I think it helps me grow as a guitarist.

I found one truth in this madness. My recorder, the Edirol R 09 is one unforgiving bastard. 

Little Billy Serenade © 2008 Hippiedog Produce

DADGAD Blues Improv © 2008 Hippiedog Produce

This next one is not a DADGAD tune but a song I’ve been obsessing over the last few months. I normally play harmonica with the tune but couldn’t get the balance right on the recorder. Plus, I didn’t want to wake my father from his restful sleep.

One Too Many Mornings Bob Dylan Cover

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My 175th anniversay year Martin 00-18V

Here are detail photos of the lovely woods used on my Gibson Advanced Jumbo (left) and Martin 00-18V

Both have sitka spruce tops and vintage stylings

I love the patterns in the top wood of the 00-18V

I had the opportunity to get a beautiful sounding 175th anniversary year Martin 00-18V (right) and pound for pound I think it is the best guitar I’ve ever owned. I like sitting on the sofa and practicing scales and riffs, and because of the small size and wide neck, its playable for hours on my lap. The guitar is loud and responsive but it’s best attributes are awesome sustain and clarity of tone. Each string rings separately and there’s no boominess or muddy overtones.

With this little hog wonder, I am lucky to own my 10-year-old Gibson Advanced Jumbo. I’ve kept this AJ longer than any other guitar in my life. I feel the combo of the smaller body 0018V and the awesome power of the rosewood round-shouldered dreadnaught is a perfect combination.  I’ve searched my whole life for great sounding guitars and this is the best two-guitar combo I’ve owned. 

Right now I use the 18 for fingerstyle and acoustic blues moods. The AJ is currently tuned to DADGAD and being tested with a set of Newtone nickel strings. Mostly the AJ is my go to bluegrass guitar and she’s a behemoth in the mid-ranges. Normally I keep both strung with Martin SP lights when a test is not underway.

Are there others out there that have two box combos they love to share news about?

Here is a recording of the 00-18V © 2008 Hippiedog Produce

Here is the Gibson ©2007 Hippiedog Produce

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To celebrate the end of a long campaign run, I put together a gallery of photos taken of the final candidates during visits to Myrtle Beach.  

Go to myrtlebachonline.com to see this gallery of images.

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During a driving rainstorm, the Carolina Forest High School coaching staff waits for their game to begin with Sumter High Friday evening at the school’s football stadium. The storm was the least of the Panther’s concerns as Sumter defeated Carolina Forest 40-0 in a slippery , muddy match-up.  

Okay I’ve had enough of this stuff. I want for once to cover a Friday night high school football game where both teams are close in score and the game is competitive. Last weeks game at Myrtle Beach was a 73-3 nightmare.

Check out these galleries at myrtlebeachonline.com if you want to know how to cover a blowout. 

Myrtle Beach / North Myrtle Beach —- 73-3

Sumter / Carolina Forest —- 40-0

Myrtle Beach / St. James —- 48-0

Myrtle Beach / Socastee —- 52-7

Waccamaw / Aynor —- 31-0

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I put this video together on deadline with 15 minutes of HD tape, one little band of battery strength and a prayer to the great Buddha that my good karma was in tact for the day.

Yes, this is a tad cheesy.

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Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the Ocean Isle Beach fire that took the lives of the 7 students from South Carolina. The tragedy was a sad time here at the beach and this video project opened up some bad memories for the residents we talked to. I think it’s an important video because the tragedy is part of the town’s history and should be remembered.

For good or bad, this is also the anniversary of my blog. 

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Jacob Robinson, 16, was severely burned when a firework was tossed into his car while he was on the first day of his job as a food delivery boy. 

The young man told us his story with encouragement from his parents, but I feel he was still in shock from the trauma of the event. After the visit where I recorded this interview, Jacob would not return my calls for more visits and ride alongs.

You can’t blame the kid; I tried to put myself into his shoes and didn’t push the matter.

I still feel the video is pretty powerful and works just as is.

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Participants hold American flags and red glow sticks on Thursday, September 11, 2008 during a memorial service on the beach near Main Street in North Myrtle Beach as part of the city’s proclamation to honor the heroes and victims of September 11, 2001. 

Tonight I photographed the North Myrtle Beach memorial for the 7th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on New York and Washington. Here are a few images from the event that took place on the beach at night with participants holding glow sticks and American flags.   

Maureen Cerami (right) of North Myrtle Beach and her friend Susanne Kalinski Bruccoleri of Garden City Beach, show their emotions while holding photos of Cerami’s brother Lt. Timothy Higgins during a 9-11 memorial service on Thursday, September 11, 2008 on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. Lt. Higgins, a fireman with the FDNY, was killed in the north tower of the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Go to myrtlebeachonline for a gallery of other photos from the event.

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Gordon Roberts of Ocean Isle Beach runs from a storm surge at his home on East Third Street on September 5, 2008, during the effects of tropical storm Hanna in Ocean Isle Beach. Because of ongoing beach erosion problems, many east end residents fear the storm could cause severe damage to area homes if it hits at high tide.    

On Saturday morning I had the excitement of riding the storm out with brothers Mike and Gordon Roberts of the east end of the island. The night was pretty non-stop with great food and music (I brought my Gibson) and constant bouts with water leaks. In the morning we had to dig our cars out of the sand but luckily no person or thing was seriously hurt. 

Here is a gallery of the images from the evening. 

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