Austin Diary: Italian Supercars And Engelmann Spruce

It's been a busy week, one that's offered me some unique opportunities as both a musician --- no, wait, let's put "musician" in quotes there, to make sure it doesn't look serious --- and driver. Any day that you drive a Lamborghini, play a 1961 Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty", and buy an Engelmann-topped Taylor guitar is worth remembering.

That's not "100K only", it's "look only", and it was scribbled on my valet tag to remind everyone not to touch the Huracan. Chris Chilton previewed this car for R&T earlier this year, but now it's time to give the big green bull a chance to run around an American racetrack. What's it like? Well, it's very fast, but you expected that, right?

I stopped at the new location for Austin Vintage Guitars. The old shop, which I visited during my last trip to Austin over three years ago, was tucked in a strip mall and it felt more vintage than the inventory did. Not so the current digs, which are spacious and modern and chock-full of everybody's favorite old stuff. Arriving in a Lamborghini establishes your bona fides in a hurry, but I managed to walk out with just an early Fulton Webb Textosterone, as seen here. Why'd I buy it? Come on, man, it's called TEXTOSTERONE!

I also went to Guitar Center, where they brought down a 1961 Les Paul Custom for me to play. I hadn't realized this, but not every Les Paul made in 1961 was an "SG style" body. A few are identical to 1960 Customs, as seen here. This one was on sale for just $39,999. How did it play? Well, I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't really tell the difference between this authentic vintage guitar and an aged Gibson Custom Shop Reissue. I'm sure that a player with more talent would easily figure it out.

While I was there, I bought a Taylor 714ce with the optional Engelmann spruce top. It's the complete opposite of my Rainsong or some of my other dreadnaught acoustics in that it's meant to be played quietly. I think it's wonderful. Best of all, Southwest didn't break it.

"Let's make sure it fits in the Lambo," I told the salesman.

"Dude," he deadpanned in response, "I put an Orange 2x12 in a Ferrari 458 last week."

I probably shouldn't have bought it --- only an idiot buys a Taylor at the beginning of an Ohio winter where not even the stoutest humidifier will keep it safe above ground. Still, you haven't truly lived until you've arrived at a luxury hotel in Austin behind the wheel of a bright green supercar and carrying a guitar case. All the gorgeous Texas-hipster girls in their ironic square glasses and their Lululemons really dig it.

"Is that your car?"

"No, ma'am, it belongs to the record company."