Order in June and You Could Win Karl's Guitar!
Mon., Jun. 20. 2005 10:48am EDT
You could win the electric guitar ApologetiX lead guitarist Karl Messner played in over 400 concerts and on the first 7 ApologetiX CDs! (pictured: Inside Out Soulfest 8.6.00 in Lincoln, NH)
On July 1, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, our computer system will randomly select ONE order from our online store from the month of June. The person who placed that order will win that guitar.
Here's what Karl has to say:
"I love to play my guitars :o) Growing up, I had my dad's old beat-up one that I learned on, then for my 16th birthday, he GAVE me one. I still have it. When he died (the year before ApologetiX was formed), his sister got his guitar. Years later she gave it to me. Those two guitars are the two acoustic guitars I played on 'Apol-acoustiX.'
"My sister Lisa gave me a Gibson Marauder electric guitar when I started learning (to lure me away from my twangy flat top and country music tastes).
"When we started the band, I decided I needed a good guitar, so she and I went to Pittsburgh Guitars and tried every guitar on the wall. The one that we both immediately fell in love with was a Les Paul style guitar by Vantage. That was MY guitar. The only one I played, and I lent out all my others to kids learning to play. I played it at each of the first 401 ApologetiX concerts and on every album until from 'Isn't Wasn't Ain't (Director's Cut)' to 'Keep the Change.'
"Well, on August 4, 2001, (at our 402nd concert) Mike Stillwagon handed me an Epiphone Les Paul, and that immediately took over as my main instrument. Halfway through the recording of 'Keep the Change,' I set my Vantage down, and picked up the Epi.
"NOT to be outdone, on April Fool's Day, Dave Barnett, handed me a Gibson ES-135 hollow body that is GORGEOUS. I play it in the live DVD and on the video for 'Are You Gonna Be Ike's Girl' (they'll be out later this summer, God willing). THEN, the old Marauder, my first electric, came home from its 15-year stay with its borrower (longtime friend J'Elvis) . I also have a few other guitars folks have given me over the years.
"But the only guitar I ever hand-chose, trying every one in the store and then paid for, is the Vantage. It plays great. I dropped it, snapped the head off, glued it back on and it still plays great! Lots of memories and miles on that guitar.
"It's been hanging in a place of honor on the wall in my studio since 2001, but I've decided to let it go, and put it in the hands of someone who would use it. J and I talked about putting it on eBay as something of a fundraiser in tight times, but we agreed that that would only make it available to a certain few who could win that kind of auction, and not some 15-year-old who would play it every day.
Here are some high resolution photos of the Vantage. You may have to scroll around to see the whole image since it's bigger than the screen:
Full Shot
Close Up of the Body
Close Up of the Broken and Re-Glued Headstock
"Here's the plan: On July 1, at 12:01 EDT, our computer system, Dexter, is going to pick ONE order from our online store from the month of June. And I'm going to (deep breath ... you can do it, Karl) give them my Vantage guitar. If you're a big ApologetX fan, head over to the online store and get your order in now to count toward this drawing!"
http://www.apologetix.com/store/store.php
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