Sunday at the Auldridges

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 24 Oct 2006 6:30 pm

Well, this Sunday I drive down to Silver Spring and pick up my new Beard MA8 especially chosen for me by King Mike himself.

While I'm there I'm picking up a lesson.

You all can now be officially envious.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 25 Oct 2006 9:07 am

Bill-why am I under the impression that you already had an MAS?

Folks-don't get TOO envious-the story is that Mike test drives all of these MAS guitars before he will give Beard the thumbs up to let them out the door. The goal is to have them all sound pretty much identical.

But the lesson part DOES make me very envious-that will be great!

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Mark
[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 25 October 2006 at 10:10 AM.]

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 25 Oct 2006 9:40 am

Mike Auldrige is the reason I began reso playing.
Bill, I am officially envious.
I bought a National Model D sq. neck in walnut because it came close to Mike's sound.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 25 Oct 2006 10:17 am

I did have a MA6. This is an MA8. And Mike will be making a special trip to the Beard shop to pick the one that he thinks sounds best of all the MA8's available.

I actually sold my MA6 a while back when I needed some money and was spending most of my time playing 12 string lap steel.

However I picked up a Benoit 8 string and fell in love with what was possible on the 8 string dobro.

So, now I've sold my house (I was holding 4 mortgages - yikes) and have one mortgage and some cash: I'm getting my MA back but this time reborn as an 8 string.

I'll report on how the lesson goes. [This message was edited by Bill McCloskey on 25 October 2006 at 11:18 AM.]

Les Doerfler · Post by **Les Doerfler** » 26 Oct 2006 10:22 am

I have been lucky enough to have a lesson or two from Mike on both lap steel and pedal steel.

Mike is an excellent teacher and a nice person to hang around with. As with all the best teachers, he will give much more info than you can process.

He records each lesson directly to CD and pauses to make index marks between each of his key points. That makes it really easy to jump from section to section when you are working with the CD later.

Bill, I am also envious of your MA8. Mike let me mess around with one the last time I was there and it looks and sounds perfect. You are in for a treat. Have fun!

Post by **Joey Ace** » 26 Oct 2006 11:18 am

I remember Mike saying, "I can teach you all I know in about two hours. It might take you 40 years to get it down".

Have fun, Bill.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 26 Oct 2006 11:54 am

You know it is funny you mention that. I remember taking a lesson from someone once and the first lesson was unbelievable: the guy went on for 2 and a half hours and just filled me with tremendous stuff. I got a second lesson which was pretty much a disappointment. This guy had literally taught me everything worth teaching me in that first session and didn't have a second act to follow it.

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 26 Oct 2006 3:37 pm

Congratulations on the new MA-8. How did you arrange to have Mike handpick your guitar? Did you buy it directly from Beard? That guitar will be the best of the best. I wish you many years of enjoyment with it.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 26 Oct 2006 5:19 pm

I wrote Mike directly. If you buy it from him, you get the best of the best from the best.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 28 Oct 2006 6:23 pm

Well, Mike's picked me out not one, but two: a black one and a dark cherry one. I'll let you know tomorrow which one I come back with.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 Oct 2006 8:06 pm

Well, just got back from an incredible day. First I want to thank Mike for his hospitality and a wonderful afternoon and lesson.

When I got there, Mike had both guitars out and waiting for me.

I would like to suggest that if you are ever thinking of buying a Beard MA, buy it through Mike and let him pick it out for you.

As I said, he picked a dark cherry and the standard black. I played the Cherry first. Beautiful rich finish, and if I was buying on looks alone that would have been the one. It sounded great of course.

Then I picked up the the black one. Man, what can I say. The sound was amazing. Now I used to own a 6 string MA so I know what they sound like, but this was like something from another planet.

Apparently Mike thought so to, because he told me later that he was hoping I was going to pick the Cherry because he would have taken the black one as his personal guitar if I hadn't grabed it. At the end of the lesson, I had Mike play it and he just kept commenting that it was the best sounding dobro he'd ever heard. He last words to me were: if you ever decide to sell it, call me.

For those of you who are anywhere near the Maryland area (and I drove 5 hours each way from New York), it is well worth the trip to take a lesson from Mike. I'll be working on the CD of the lesson he cut for me for years. I can think of no better gift for yourself that to spend a few hours with Mike, having him blow you away, all the while saying, "well of course, this is so easy."

Thanks again Mike!!

Mike Auldridge · Post by **Mike Auldridge** » 30 Oct 2006 6:48 am

Bill,

Thank you very much for the purchase of that great guitar, and for the kind words about the lesson. I enjoyed having you here and probably had more fun than you did... except for you ending up with that guitar! Just kidding, of course... there's plenty more where that one came from.

Mike Auldridge

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www.mikeauldridge.com

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 30 Oct 2006 9:28 am

just goes to show the kind of guy Mike is... he didn't have to let you know the black one even existed...

he could've said "here's an excellent cherry".... and you'd have been none the wiser...

but he didn't

Go Mike!

PS: Love the Skylighters CD Mike!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 30 Oct 2006 11:24 am

Ain't it the truth.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 30 Oct 2006 1:01 pm

Bill,.....you didn't bring the cherry one for me and drop it off on the way back? What am I, chopped liver?

Howard Parker · Post by **Howard Parker** » 30 Oct 2006 1:17 pm

Howard...Howard...Howard,

The 12 step program for GAS did not help???

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Howard Parker
poobah@resoguit.com
www.resoguit.com
ListOwner RESOGUIT-L
03' Carter D-10

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 30 Oct 2006 1:24 pm

Sorry Howard...

I'll give it to you in Norwalk!

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 31 Oct 2006 8:08 am

It's a small world. My son lives in works for Fed-Ex. He's picked up strings at the factory to be delivered to Mike Auldridge.