"I think this guitar wants to go to Carolina with you..."

Remember the "fantastic four" array of guitars that Dave Ireland let me borrow over the course of the project which included three custom made Taylor acoustic guitars and a 1985 Gibson Les Paul Studio electric? How awesome was that? Yeah...pretty awesome. His contribution helped to provide greater depth in sound and variety on the record that may not have existed with only one acoustic guitar model strumming out the tunes. It was a great display of generosity on the part of Dave and was a testament to his support of the project.

Well his legacy of support lives on with me here in South Carolina as I am reminded everyday by his incredibly generous farewell gift:
The 1985 Gibson Les Paul!! Housed in its pink-lined hardshell case, this cream colored gem helped me create the necessary sound for Circles and will be the driving force for my next record project. I couldn't believe it when Dave pulled me into his office to hand me over his guitar on my last day of work. Words could not describe how honored and appreciative I felt standing there with my new friend in hand but amidst the shock, I managed to squeeze out about a hundred 'thank you's, an "are you sure?" and a few "wows" before heading back to my desk.

So almost two months after leaving for South Carolina, here we are, me and my Les Paul, and I finally have some clearer words to say:

Dave, thanks for ALL your enthusiasm, excitement, support, generosity and advice during the entire What To Keep & Let Go project. I am proud to have your guitar journey with me towards future endeavors and I will be forever reminded of where it came from. Thank you so very much. It says hello, by the way. ......Oh, and Batman 3 pre-production work is starting soon. Keep up with me on its progress?