'' SANDMAN '', Batu Pahat ... Probably The Best Guitar Centre In Malaysia !!

Hi Folks,

Thanks again for being so patience in waiting for an update to my Boring Blog. This is an update that I Promise I will do in Godspeed for My Good friend and Long time school and classmate, Mr. Seah Kok Hwa. Unlike me, He's an Entrepreneur, Successful Businessman, A Father of Three Children and also A proud Grandpa. But Unlike other Grandad, Kok Hwa like myself has a fond Love for all things Musical, especially The '' Guitar ''. Hence, with Money to spare he Venture into a Business that is also his Life long Passion, and that's Opening a Guitar Shop. With that, '' SANDMAN '' was Born, in a town where there's no shortage of Talents... Batu Pahat !!


 Believe me when I say that this really is a Unique Guitar shop. Besides two floors of Guitars, Drums, Amps, Books, Software, Ukeleles, one can get almost almost anything related to strings. Sure, anyone with money can open one, but few have a passion for Guitars like Kok Hwa. There's also a Jam studio, Guitar and Drum class for those who are interested in learning. The Unique thing is that you can order online at your fancy any Guitar that you like. See something you like  and feel you couldn't get it in Malaysia ? No problem, just give them a call, and your dream '' Les Paul or Stratocastor '' will be send to you in no time at all. The service and the smiles of the staff will also have you in cloud nine in no time at all ... Yee Haa !! Here's the Link to the company online store : http://www.sandmanguitaronline.com  And the address can be found on their online shop. There are of course in Facebook here : https://www.facebook.com/Sandmangc/info 

 Now to the string Instrument that I loved ... the Guitar. So, where did the guitar first originate ? The guitar's roots go way back to 15th-century Malaga in Spain. Its engineering was pioneered by a Spanish black man, who gave just four strings or 'courses' to his guitar. Thereafter, the instrument went through the Baroque and Classical periods before evolving into the six-stringed, modern-day guitar. 

The word guitar comes from the Portugese word 'guitarra' derived from the Greek word 'kitharra' that refers to the Greek island of love and poetry, Cythara, which was dedicated to the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus.

As with all other Musical Instruments, You either Love it or Hate it. In a recent Research by French Scientists, carrying a Guitar increases your chance of a date by a Third. Yes, Man who carries and Play the Guitar do look sexier then those who don't ... Ha,Ha.

As usual, I will do this Photo journey in two sections, one those '' Straight '' shots and the other , in my own '' ART '' form. Just relax and enjoy the Boring Pictures ...!!! All captured with my Old and Trusty Olympus E-300 and  the standard kit lens.

I shall start with the '' OOC '' jpegs of the '' SANDMAN '' itself.

The Store's online Ads and Front page with an offer item that I feel is really a Bargain ... The Les Paul Junior for a mere RM 389.00.

  The Reception and Store Front.

 Those Friendly and Wonderful Staff.

The Best of The Rest in the World of Strings and Drums ... !!

  

And Now for a Mix of '' Lights, Strings & Curves '' In the Wonderful World of Strings, the Guitar itself is a Beautiful work of '' ART '', with Curves  and Streamline that are sometimes more Beautiful then a Women ...Ha, Ha. Don't believe me ? Take a look below to see some creations of mine ...  Far Out !!

  Just like a Beautiful Women, the Guitar is also a Thing of Beauty in the eyes of the Beholder ... !!

She will stand up straight and be proud of you ...

Or Lay Down Next to you .....

 She will also Open her Heart and show you her Soul .... OMG !!!

 

Finally, as with all Ladies, She will , on occasion ..... Stare  You in the Eye !!

 

Here at Sandman, one can get what your Pocket and Heart Desire. From the Highest Priced '' Les Paul Standard '' ( RM 19K ) to a Budget Rm 200 plus to choose from, the choice is limitless. The two pics below tells it all . But of course, if you have the money to burn , you can always order even a RM 100K Guitar from Sandman.

The RM19K plus '' Les Paul '' Standard .

 

Or a Affordable one like this for around RM 200, Which my Old friend and Buddy Mr. Kok Young is trying out with. That happens to be the one that I am buying, out of love for the '' Guitar ''.

Just Like Kok Hwa, I was influenced by the likes of the Beatles, Elvis, Cliff Richards , Peter, Paul & Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, CCR and Santana. The Bands and Idols of our days whose playing style still influence my love for both the Rock & Folk music till today.  Down memory lane Pics below  :

Self Portrait taken during the early 70's during the era of Simon & Garfunkel.

And The Folks whose music I still play today .

 

By now you would have a Feel or two of what Guitar means to Folks like us, why don't you try out and take up a few lessons in Guitar playing. After all, if you Girl happens to Dump you, You still has a Lifelong companion to ... '' Play Along '' !! For that I will Cheer you on .... Yee Haa !!

I hope you enjoy this short update and I wish  you all the Best in your Endeavor,  be it a simple pastime as playing the Guitar or Drumming away to the digust of your neighbours ....Ha,Ha. Take care and Remember, Time waits for No One . So ... '' Live for this day for it is Life, The very Life of Life '' .

Here's a latest update as of 21st Dec, 2013. There's only a few days left from now to Christmas & New Year, so, go get your Love ones or your good friend an '' Good Ole Guitar ''... !!! Its also an update on a Beautiful Guitar, Design and shape like a Violin. It's of course made Famous by the one and only ''Paul McCartney '' of the Beatles.   This baby is simply a Beautiful work of Art and one that I adore the most. Well, Thanks again to '' Kok Hwa ''  for inviting me along to Join in in their '' Jamming '' session. I must admit I am a little too old for this, but as with most Music lovers and Guitar players, this is surely '' Fun & Entertainment '' at its Best. I certainly can'y catch up with our '' Band of Brothers '' here, but I believe I can still belt out a Song or two with my rusty vocals ...Yee Haa !!

Here's a Thing of Beauty in the eyes of yours Truly .... The Paul McCartney Styled Bass Guitar !!

 Remember, This is the season to be Giving, so, Give someone you Love a '' Guitar '', and get them at Sales Price at '' SANDMAN '' , Batu Pahat ... !!! Here's Wishing you all a '' Merry Xmas & A Jolly Good New Year '' ... !!

Thanks for dropping by and three cheers to you all ... !!!

Regards ..... Uncle James.

New Gear Lust ... Does It Makes You A Better Photographer ??

Hi Folks,

This is an Article I personally felt should be dealt with sooner or later. Since the Holiday season is near and Camera companies are trying to Chunk out ( More new cameras ) than most of us can chew. The Million dollar question is ...'' Does the latest and Newest cameras makes us a Better Photographer ?? ''... Generally speaking '' NO ''.
Who doesn't want a new EM-1 , 6D, D800 or even The Latest 36MP , '' FF '' A7R ... ?? For most of us it's simply way beyond our means and budget. But does that makes you with whatever camera you're having now Obsolete ? ...Again '' NO ''.
We need to remember how amazing our camera was when it was announced. We need to remember how excited we were to finally own it. We read everything we could about the camera. We looked at every sample image coming out of the first models. We counted our pennies until we could finally own that amazing piece of gear we wanted so much.
Then it became old. It became outdated. There was something newer. And flashier. And more advanced. The siren’s call of better photographs lured us into researching the even newer camera. Looking at all of the sample images. It has us counting pennies again trying to get to the end of the rainbow to find the new pot of gold.
That great camera we already own seems worthless. It seems like an anchor weighing us down and holding us back from our dreams. If only it did what the new camera can do, then we could find success.
We have so much technology and so many options at our fingertips right now. Even the simplest of cameras are good performers when used correctly. That camera you were so excited about two years ago is just as good today as it was then.
Yes, there are times to upgrade. Yes, there are times when gear matters. Yes, there are some advantages to staying up to date with certain technologies. Yes, there are times to retire a piece of gear and replace it with something new. As a enthusiast you will see gear come and you will see gear go, but I have yet to get a camera that made my photos better. Or made me see the world differently.
Enjoy what you have. Do the most with it. Remember there are folks in the world with older gear taking better photos than you are. If they had your gear they would see it as a blessing when, at times, we see the gear we have as a curse.
Always remember not to get yourself into a '' self-Imposed Inferiority Complex '' whereby your friends latest camera will take better pictures than yours. That's all Bullshit and I know from all those years been out there amongst the best there is....
Well, if you have Money to spare, by all means buy ... But for most of us , money is still a major issue, especially in this Hard Times. Ask yourself whether you really need that upgrade or will it make you a better Photographer. The grass is always greener on the other side, but in the end it too will decay...Ha,Ha. But if you're a Pro, who makes a Living in Photography, that my friend is a different Ball game.
I have decided recently to either go back to Film or just downgrade to a simpler camera that will do the job for me. I am a little tired of all this Gear Madness and lust and have finally decided to get myself an Old and outdated E-300. Nothing Fancy, just another camera that will see me through my daily needs... 

 I just thought I would provide an update for anyone who runs across one of these now ancient cameras. With some tweaking of the camera's color settings --slight increases in contrast and saturation -- the colors are amazing, the best I think of any of my cameras. There's just something about the sensor. My favorite combo is the camera and the very small and light Oly 14-42. It focuses quickly and accurately, and just feels great in the hand. Of course, some caveats. No image stabilization. Don't get too serious above ISO 1600. 

But sometimes we get too, too spoiled by the latest and greatest. This isn't one of those cameras, but it keeps one thinking seriously about photography, reminds me that for generations pros used cameras much more simple than this to create great images.

And Here are 12 '' Kodak Moments '' from the past and why I have decided to downgrade.

This shots below were taken recently from my new ( old ) E-300. This Old Favorite of mine has made me Re-Discover my old self and Re-exploring the Basics of Photography, all over again. For over the past few years, I have indeed gotten lazy & spoiled by all those iAutos, P and Art Filters. I have never felt so refresh and eager since those Film days when I first started exploring  Photography.... Yee Haa !! It's really a blessing in disguise for me. Well, here's some random shots that were done using basic old school Techniques that were all about Lighting, composition, creativity and most of all ... Imaginations. Nothing Fancy , just simple old school '' go out and have fun '' Pictures.

So, be content and Happy with whatever you have, for there will always be another newer camera over the Horizon. Utilize your gear to the Max and when your shutter count tells you it time to let go, then just do so. In the meantime enjoy your Photography and just go out and have Fun. Please don't let those Latest gear bugs bite you and get you down. 

Photography is all about capturing that '' Moment '' in time and sharing it with your love ones and friends. Be it the cry of a new Born or tears of a Mother on a wedding day, it's that precious moment that you were there that makes it memorable. The camera matters less, it's your will, passion and love that makes capturing that Moment counts. 

As with most Art form, Photography is all about the way you see the world through your lens. It's your Imaginative Vision that matters, and not your Gears ....  

  Have a nice day ahead ...!!!

  Cheers !!!......Uncle James.