25 Comments

Boy, I could feel the blast of your disgust coming through my computer screen! And I really appreciated it. There doesn't seem to be anything that jerk won't try to put over on his naive subjects. I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing a little pimping on the side! Thanks for being there for us!

Expand full comment

THAT POS (President Of Self) IS A TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT !!!!!! As I read all I thought was SPEND SOME OF THAT Geetar MONEY ON THE GAS AND EGGS YOU COMPLAINED SO MUCH ABOUT DURING THE ELECTION, AS--OLES.

Expand full comment

Love your comics on Cartoon Movement!

Expand full comment

Allow me to tell a short story.

My wife is a musician. Or, was. She even majored in music at a snotty music college. (Her description...) She got to play with, as well as be taught by, a lot of cool musicians while there. If you're smart, one of the things you learn at a school like that is who are the gifted musicians and who are just good. So, she decided to become a public school teacher. Middle school science, in fact.

Anyway, she played the same Martin acoustic she got when she was 10 or so for about 40 years. I suggested to her that she might like to try a second guitar, just for some variety. Long story short, we ended up at a very fancy high end invitation only studio in Fairfield County, CT. She worked with the owner and had a custom acoustic made for her by a luthier in the PNW.

For some reason, that owner and I hit it off. He had zillions of stories and explained his business to me. This is a guy who hung around guys like Leslie West, so he knew real professionals but he also had amateur customers. At least those who could get past the phone screening and the locked gate to the estate.

Here's the point. His bread and butter business was not musicians like Leslie West. They get their guitars for free. Or, get paid to endorse them. Nor, like my wife. (He said acoustic guitarists were terrible customers because they kept using the same guitar for decades.) Instead, he had loads of customers, most of them who worked in NYC finance, who fancied themselves as guitarists. Every year they'd buy a couple new electric guitars from him. They were especially interested in semi- or full- customs. Or, even, ones signed by famous guitar professionals. Think of the guys who hang around the Ferrari dealership who consider themselves to be talented racers - like them. Hey; their checks cash.

This was twenty years ago, and he was charging $3K and up even back then. A guitar used by Lindsey Buckingham for a few chords might fetch over $20K. A signed guitar? Fuggettaboutit. It's a real business.

Ironically, this guy also went to the same military school as Trump, at the same time. I can say with a lot of assurance that he's not behind this grift, though - he died about 10 years ago.

Full disclosure - I have never even tried to play a guitar. My gift to the world.

Expand full comment

Even if he was alive I'd be certain he'd be a part of this grift because one, these guitars are made in Asia and two, from your description, it sounds like you guy made quality guitars. What Trump's grifting is six-string crap.

Expand full comment

I meant he WOULDN'T be a part of this grift. This is the second time I've done this today. Sorry.

Expand full comment

Probably sound like he does… whiny, indistinct, wavering, and tuning is all over the place…

Expand full comment

Loved the rant. Honest. A friend from high school (>55 years ago) got really excited when he bought his black SG Standard. Named it Murgatroid. These days, I believe he does most of his picking on Martin Dreadnought (D45). In the last few years he's developed a taste for jazz. I would love to have a Jazzmaster, tbh. But a bit of nomenclatural clarification, if I may: you are not a geek. You are a nerd. I respect you more for it.

I think I saw something about either TX or OK requiring use of Bibles in their public schools and that the state superintendent just placed an order for bibles with Trump. Unbelievable.

Expand full comment

I haven’t heard Murgatroid since my mom died in 1976! She used to say heavens to Murgatroid but I still have no idea where it came from😂

Expand full comment

it's from Snagglepuss, a pink cartoon cat created by Hanna-Barbera.

Expand full comment

I think, upon reading your comment, that the correct spelling may have been Murgatroyd. It's hard to say. The guitar's full name was Black Murgatroyd.

Expand full comment

It's in OK. Crazy, right??

Expand full comment

Yeah, it's in OK, but Texas is doing some weird Bible shit too.

Expand full comment

Thanks. It's almost too easy to assign bad deeds to Texas (Abbot, et al.), but separating it from the similar politics of OK (which used to be a bastion of liberalism - remember Frank Harris?) can be difficult.

Expand full comment

And the Bibles…🤢

Expand full comment

Understood your anger, great toon and very educational blog.

Expand full comment

A guitar for each Musk kid would definitely help sales.

Expand full comment

How incredibly tacky. Oh, wait...I guess it is credible given the hawker. Sounds like a money laundering scheme to me.

Expand full comment

My son likes guitars. I loved listening to him play every day after high school- this was the 80s and he still has a couple now. It’s such a shame this is allowed, the red hats were bad enough. How much does he get from sales, is it like the Bibles? That’s so disgusting you would think people would see through all this, but maybe these ignorant US citizens are more stupid than I imagined.

Expand full comment

The only thing Trump is geeky about is his grifting.

Expand full comment

I knew this would stir you up. As soon as I saw this grift I thought of you, that is after I bitched about it for a few minutes. The action is probably a 1/2 inch high from a warped neck made out of particle board. David Gilmour definitely won’t have one in his collection.

Expand full comment

Oh Clay, tell us how you REALLY feel. I’m (was) a musician (in my youth classical), and could do the same as you in covering the history and love of my instrument. This guitar thing obviously hit a nerve for you…..and I agree with your every word! He’s a fake in all regards and I want you to take a deep breath. Know there are folks out here living in the red communities trying to survive the ignorance of friends, acquaintances, and sometimes family. I too am in a deep, dark funk over what is happening to our country, so get it all said like you did, and then keep on keeping on with your insightful work. Love, pal

Expand full comment

Best rant ever!

Expand full comment

I was going to swap out the Mr Glyn's Black Sands P-90s in my Gretsch for MAGA 45 Trumpbuckers, but I can't find them listed on Temu anywhere. Sorely disappointed.

Expand full comment

Hilarious but true

Expand full comment