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I came to Halifax in
1991...joined CHNS and CHFX FM as General Sales Manager when the stations
were part of the Maclean Hunter empire. The plan was to stay at CHNS and
Country 101 for five years and learn as much as there was to learn.
I learned a lot...Maclean
Hunter sold to Rogers, Rogers sold to Maritime Broadcasting and five years
nearly to the day after arriving - I left.
After taking the summer to golf
and re-energize I joined CHUM Radio at CJCH and C100 in Halifax. My career
in sales and advertising was to continue.
Looking back, it's been quite a
ride....and the one constant has been playing guitar and singing....right
from 14 years old when I first picked up a guitar ( probably brother Doug's
when he wasn't home) until today - today I probably play more than I ever
have.
A typical day for me starts
with a large cup of coffee, twice through TSN's Sportscentre, and an hour of
fingerpicking or trying to work out the chords to some cloudy melody...After
a day at work- the first thing I do when I come home after exchanging
hello's with the beautiful Charlene and
Ceiladh the wonder dog, is
collapse on the couch in the
office/studio, and play a tune or two - or
hammer out a few runs on the bass.
I don't think there is a
prettier sound than that of an acoustic guitar...An acoustic guitar with
tight vocal harmonies is the simple answer to anything that's wrong in the
world.
Favorite guitar...Larrivee
D-03BW - Incomparable Sound and Feel - and Canadian made.
Best
Guitar for Recording..Martin DX1R...beautiful miked or plugged in
with the pick-ups I installed myself
Traveller...Bought a Garrison on
Ebay...it's amazing how far guitar manufacturing has come in the three and a
half decades since I bought my last cheap guitar...twice the guitar that my
Seagull was. Decent sound and a neck that reminds me of the
Framus
Texan my parents bought me 35 years ago.
When the six strings just won't
do...Takamine G Series EG535C 12 string. Best mid priced 12 string
for the money.
Bass Guitar...Jasmine ( by Takamine ) does the job
With Thanks Gibson Gospel… Every time I pick it up it
reminds of the Gibson Firebird Brother Doug had when we were teens living in
Whitehorse in the Yukon. Thanks to Tom at Halifax Folklore for resurrecting
this guitar from what I feared was it’s final resting place. It’s a lovely
guitar either plugged in or acoustically.
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Don laying down a bass track on "Maritime
Son" with his "Jasmine"
acoustic bass guitar.
35 years and 90 pounds ago performing "Gordon Lightfoot"
material at a Beer Tent in Lahr Germany with
buddy Don Macaulay.
Don developed a love for the 12 string guitar early - he has had a
couple of Yamaha 12 strings
guitars which served him well but has
most recently switched to a Takamine with pickup , the EG535C....beautiful
neck and lovely ring plugged into a Yamaha
B212 Amp. |
