27th Street

Our Americana Series addresses four elements crucial to producing the world’s first series of strings directed to the needs of players performing within this exciting genre of contemporary music. Our own roots go back decades as one of the premier string manufacturers with an abundance of knowledge in string design that incorporates innovation into materials selection and string construction, while utilizing preferred gauging based on many years of input from our GHS Artist Family. Add in cryogenic treatment to extend the life and enhance the tone for a series of strings that will have acoustic guitarists, bluegrass players, country, blues, R&B and roots-rock performers embracing the GHS Americana Series of strings.

Yes, I bought the previously frozen banjo strings. How could I resist? After work today, I sat out on the porch and put a set on my Bart Reiter banjo. They sound great, bright and wonderful. But then every time I put on fresh strings I feel the same kind of wow. Do they sound better than ordinary banjo strings? Does freezing them to a ridiculous level of cold actually do anything? I suspect it is a matter of belief.

I experience something similar when I’m out on a trout stream fly fishing. I catch more trout on some variation of the Usual emerger pattern (followed by the parachute ant) than I do using any other fly. At least part of the reason for my success with these patterns is that I fish them with confidence and I use them more than other patterns. Other fly fishing bums have other favourite patterns. This isn’t to negate the importance of matching the hatch and so on. I’m just saying that confidence is a factor.

I just know with these previously frozen strings, the notes are just going to fly off my banjo. The tone will be awesome and I will magically become a better player overnight. The cryogenic strings are clearly superior and worth the extra money (refer to Red Striped Socks, a story in Episode 1 of the 27th Street Podcast).

On the topic of marketing, today Tuffy P brought home a bag of Montreal Smoked Meat flavour potato chips. I’m not even kidding. We cracked them open. Unlike the cryogenic banjo strings, which are brilliant, they are so-so. But tomorrow, tomorrow we’re going to enjoy an even better flavour:

Yes friends, we have a bag of Cowboy BBQ Beans flavour chips. Be afraid.

This reminds me that when I eventually retire from my day job, I’d like to be the guy who writes the blurbs on the back of scotch bottles. From my cupboard:

ABERFELDY Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey. Scottish alchemy: turning water, barley and yeast into liquid gold is simpler when the stream tumbling towards you contains that precious metal. Built on land famous for deposits of gold, our distillery has welcomed travellers to taste its treasure since 1898.