User Group Day - Accounts, Impressions and Photos

[Aceman]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

The Dog Ate my Custom Wound Pickup....

So I get back to my friend's place Saturday night. He's out but he left me a key. So i go in and start setting my stuff down. I put my bag of Duncan goodies on the floor, and go get my guitar. When i get back, the dog (Akida-type) is sniffing in my Duncan bag. The dog proceeds to pick up the bag with the pickup I wound (Zebra 9k PG!) in it's mouth. So I say "Here poochy poochy" and attempt to get the animal to put the pickup down. The dog runs off into the kitchen with pickup in mouth!. A brief chase ensues, and the dog get's away!!!!!!

So I'm looking for the dog - and more importantly the pickup all over. I even check through the doggie door into the garage, because it's obvious the dog hangs out in there and plays. After a short while the dog shows up in the kitchen, without the bag. Now I'm really worried. It's decent sized house, and the thing could be anywhere, and I don't want to go totally tearing up my friend's place (but I will if i have to...). My heart is beating at a very unhealthy pace...

I decide that maybe I can get the dog to show me where it put the pickup by pretending to want to play with a doggie toy, thinking that's what he was doing in the first place. So I get a toy and hold it out and shake it a bit "Do you want to play boy?" Sure enough the dog starts moving away like it wants to play.

It moves out into the garage. I'm thinking cool - it looks like plays with stuff and hangs out there in the garage a lot, so it's in here somewhere! I'm looking around all over the garage and think cool, I'll find in here behind something. Cool - until I see the dog run out ANOTHER doggie door in the garage to the outside!!! AHHHHHHHHH - the mutt has dropped my pickup in a hole somewhere in the hills of Simi Valley!!!!!!!!

I proceed outside, still under the guise of playing with the beast. We go over to the patio and onto the grass. It's dark and there is a whole lot of California hill out there. I'm not real optimistic at this point. I'm looking around though, and I notice the bag out of the corner of my eye just laying there - and the pickup was in it!!!! My pulse returns to normal finally!!!!!!

I did not let that pickup of of me until about 10 minutes ago! I could not believe that some ill trained half dingo might have ran off and buried my pickup out in the hills somewhere. The animal at a couple of other points in the evening managed to jump up and walk around on the kitchen table and piss on the leg of my bed. I don't think he liked me. The feeling was mutual.

[jlopez1978]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Had an amazing time this weekend and I cant wait for the next one. Everyone at Seymour Duncan was great to all of us. My favorite part was seeing my brother in law Bob get up and sing a few tunes with the band and other members.

[Scott Olson]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

It was really awesome meeting all of you (and getting to hear some of you play). It was so nice to see that folks would travel so far to come visit Seymour Duncan, in a way that is very humbling. Seymour truly is a modest guy and that reflects well in the company culture. Personally, I enjoyed listening to MJ in the Custom Shop show all the history and also Frank showing the Zephyr (fantastically bright). It was great to interview Aceman, RJ, Robert, Joe Gore and others and I hope to get a video up for you (hopefully this week). By the way, for those that were interviewed, if you want your band site to be featured in the video, please PM me a link.



I got to play a sweet Jazzmaster during lunch and best of all meet you all!

[slicepaperdavid]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

I had an AMAZING time at UGD, the entire staff were amazing. Seymour is the real deal, one of the coolest dudes I have ever had the privilege of meeting. It was like Disneyland for guitarists, such a unique opportunity. Thank you Evan and everyone else(I know there were a lot of people)who helped make it happen. Highlights included MJ who was, as everyone has mentioned, an inspiration and sweetheart, such incredible passion for tone and music. And Seymour telling amazing stories, wish I had the whole thing on video. To be honest though everything was amazing. I fell in love with the Jazzmaster they had out in the demo area. Hearing and playing the Zephyrs was a unique treat. In the a/b test with the non Zephyr featured pups, the Zephyrs sounded like a 12 string, with amazing harmonic overtones. And the fries at the dinner.....damn those fries were good...

[Gamera]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Also sorry I missed it. Finances/schedule just didn't allow for it this year.

Thanks to all for posting the pics/stories. It looks like it was a very cool event provided by a very cool company that is genuinely appreciative of it's customer base. You really can't ask for more than that.

[arellanon]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos



That's me with three pickups and a backpack wearing a blue shirt! I only took home one of those three pickups home though.

Photo by Great_Kazoo.

[dme5500]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

The whole day was incredible. For a science geek like me, it was totally cool to talk with the R&D team and see how they make their magic. It does boarder on the miraculous how this company breaths life into inanimate objects. One of the best parts for me was sitting in Seymour's office, asking questions, and getting these wonderful, story-filled replies. He is truely the modest master.

Everyone at the factory was so friendly and supportive, it was like hanging out at your best friend's house. Evan, Wayne, Dewi, everybody - You are the best!

I posted a few pictures in the picture area of the forum.
Many, many thanks to everyone for an amazing day!

-Dave (Gimme Three Steps)

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Really sorry I missed it. A funny thing, we played Friday Night at Pepe Delgatos. When I looked it up on the interweb, there is the one in OKC that we played at and also one in San Luis Obispo. I was hoping there was some sort of portal so I could go back and forth between them.

It occured to me when I thought about going that I didn't know what pup to wind. Might have gone for an S-Deco with screws and studs like a Screaming Demon.

[LesStrat]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

I have a pic of the Frankenstein pickup from the factory tour a couple of years ago. I'll post it if no one else has one (and if I can get to my PC).

[TheLivingDead]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Awesome pics!

[BTMN]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos






About my not going....

[frankfalbo]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Time for my special thanks to those behind the scenes, which included the company picnic the following day. It was great to see some UGD attendees there. People like Dewi, Saulina, Andreina, Rosario, Kellie et al doing all sorts of things unnoticeable to the attendee. Scott O. was filming the stream, James Garza and the rest of the sales team prepared that awesome demo area outside, some donating their own personal instruments to the cause. Alex S helping get the pedalboards prepared and finding all the cables.

Derek Duncan was a madman. There must have been clones of him because he was everywhere, keeping all the plates spinning. Joe Gore and Boomer stringing up guitars late into Thursday night so you guys could hear our pickups in all their glory. Ray for working the floor through the wind your own pickup and factory tours. Way to go everyone, and thanks to the UGD attendees, because your greatness IS what made it so great. It confirms what a stellar community we have here, and why I joined years ago (never imagining one day I would BE here)

[Wattage]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Fantastic!

[aleclee]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Good stuff! I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of similar events at the PRS factory (though we didn't get to build our own!) and they were a blast. Would love to make it out for UGD some time but the last couple years I've had July trips to SoCal for Guitar Workshop. That makes it hard to justify another 1000mi trip in August.

[frankfalbo]

Re: User Group Day - Your Accounts, Impressions and Photos

Frank played Jesse's Girl on a pink strat and danced with me briefly. I'm not sure what that means. He was upset that I tried to lead.

First of all it's LAVENDER. I have a pink strat, this was not it. Now, we all know it takes a real man to play a pink (or lavender) guitar, so that should speak to your second part. Finally, you'll have to come to terms with how all of that makes you feel Brosephine. LOL