October 11th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Studio Update, “Gear, Gear, Gear!!!!”

Chapters
00:00 - A little tour around the instruments and microphones
01:48 - '62 Country Club
02:31 - Gibson Custom
03:15 - Pedals / treble booster (R2R Electric) / Ebo / Tranzformer (api select)


Notes
Day two of a four day record project for Morgan Wallen and Joey Moi at Blackbird Studios in Nashville TN. There is enough gear in this place to kill an elephant. Thought i would give ya a little tour Hope you enjoy

October 10th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Volume 167, Tom Bukovac, “Super Echo Twin”

Chapters
00:00 - Plucking some tunes
04:43 - Hello, friends! / High Life
05:15 - Ampeg amp
07:07 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin)
07:17 - Lesson: Strumming like a pendulum / "Scrape the beat"
09:48 - Tone knob use
10:33 - Fruit of the Loom and brand t-shirts
11:07 - Pickup brightness
11:35 - Dream music?  Absolutely
11:59 - Bayou rocker / New ideas keep flowing
13:21 - Danocaster Tele for sale / playing
15:45 - Cheifs / Sessions / Thanks to Homeskoolin crowd


Notes
After a long day of sessions, Larry plunks his old Strat through a really fun old ‘64 Ampeg ET-2 and answers a few questions from the VCB.

October 9th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Volume 166, Tom Bukovac, “And Your Bird Is Too Bright”

Chapters
00:00 - Funky playing on the bass
04:06 - Hello, class! / Loop
04:42 - ZZ Top swag / Sessions
05:32 - Lesson: Loop chords and little tablature
06:41 - Overdubbing loop and hitting out of the park
11:00 - Insight thoughts during playing / Motif or theme
11:54 - Steve Hackett and certain tricks / decending 6ths
13:35 - Firebird guitars / Brightness 250k vs 500k pots


Notes
I took a brief hiatus from some heavy gambling to film this little odyssey…this one goes out to Ray Dietrich…who changed the world forever in October of 1962…exactly 60 years ago…wow

Big thanks to all those who watch regularly and steal all my licks and concepts…use them in good health my friends.

Today’s amplification provided by Benson Electronics from Portland Oregon…the model is a very limited run of 3x10 tweed Bandmaster clones they recently made called a “Benmaster”

somewhat inconsequential side note:
from 3:04 to 3:06 is a good illustration of the kind of musical "telepathy" that can only come from one person...(the subconscious break in the rhythm in EXACTLY the same spot on both instruments)...that kinda shit fascinates me.

Paypal tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com
Venmo tip jar is @Tom-Bukovac-1

October 8th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “New Yorker”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing to loop


Notes
Happy Saturday fellow rock and roll enthusiasts.
The beautiful fall weather is upon us, in Nashville the trees are changing colors and the leaves are swirling in the wind….and the answer my friends is blowing in that aforementioned wind.

October 6th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Music City Motor Club”

Chapters
00:00 - Some hot rods


Notes
This one is strictly for the motor heads out there.

October 6th 2022, Blackbird Studios in Nashville TN.

Day two of a Morgan Wallen session…which turned into a bit of an old car show on this beautiful fall day

Starring:
Jimmie Lee Sloas
Joey Moi
Bryan Sutton
Little Davey Cohen
Josh Diddy
Jerry Lee Roe
Richard Healey
Ryan Yount
Joey Stanca

October 4th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus, “Electric Spanish Larry”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing the 335


Notes
Well guys, the late 62/ early 63 block marker 335 with unopened factory PAF’s that i ordered on approval showed up today.

I swear i could already tell from just the few scant photos i saw of it that it had somethin’ special, and dammit if i wasn’t dead right.

As usual, upon opening the shipping box and the case for the first time, thousands of infantessimal calculations and observations took place in my mind…and they were all giving me a real nice warm feeling.

Every old guitar tells you a story when you hold it in your hands for the first time.

I love the way this one explained its life to me…its obviously been very well cared for, but it also clearly has a slightly naughty side that is ready to throw down any time.

Absolutely PERFECT neck profile…all of those zillion little things you look for add up beautifully when you look closely at this one…the balance…the smell…the evenness of the wear…the sustain…the acoustic vibe…powerful pickups…everything is just right.

Special thank you to Charlie Gelber at OK Guitars in Kent CT for the smooth ride. Basically all he deals in are old 335’s…and he literally has them all.

September 30th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Uncle Larry's Spooky Fall Garage Sale”

Chapters
00:00 - Beautiful playing
04:11 - Hello, Homeskoolers! / Greetings / Folkway Music
05:18 - '64 Firebird III / Chopper bridge
06:00 - Tour / Football / Gear / '63 Gibson 335
08:11 - Garage Sale


Notes
Many ideas went through my head about what to name this video……

“Evidence Of Autumn” (maybe a little too inside)
“Desert Sand Man” (cuz i can never resist any Pre-CBS related pun.....)

but anyhoo, email me at tombukovac@gmail.com if you want any of this stuff. this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.....i have got WAY too much gear. Every few years I do a massive purge in an attempt to simplify my life...i'm sure some of you out there know the feeling and can relate.

PRS Cleveland one of a kind guitar...to my knowledge the only single pickup PRS ever made...constructed of super lightweight Korina, with an old Dimarzio Super Distortion humbucker $5000.00

1978 BC Rich Super Eagle, you already know how hard these original ones are to find
$6500.00

1964 Vox AC30 JMI grey panel factory top boost with original trannies and silver dogs...the classic AC30 sound in spades $3500.00

1962 Fender Brown Deluxe recovered and regrilled…original trannies and a high dollar brand new Celestion Gold speaker ....this thing sounds really really good
$2800.00

1960 Fender Duo Sonic in desert sand finish
$3000.00

1966 Fender Duo Sonic II in dakota red
$2000.00

1957 Supro Ozark with sandwich pickup
$900.00

1960’s Teisco TG-1 with built in amp
$750.00


IMPORTANT NOTES:
1) Buyer pays actual shipping
2) Sorry to all my beloved international Homeskoolers, but I'm only doing domestic U.S. shipping on these guitars

September 29th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Big Fish In A Big Pond”

Chapters
00:00 - Recording pedal steel in the studio
06:47 - Drum playing and lesson


Notes
A brief chat with two of the baddest cats to ever put on a pair of headphones….Paul Franklin and Victor Indrizzo.

September 28th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Pedal Board Cam”

Chapters
00:00 - Footage: Pedalboard cam
04:30 - Guitar playing / Heart - Even It Up
10:12 - Ann Wilson greetings / Ann Wilson - Black Wing
17:00 - Ann Wilson - Greed
20:30 - Heart - Magic Man
26:45 - Tom solo / Heart - Crazy On You
33:25 - The Who - Rain On Me
39:15 - Band intro / Heart - Barracuda
44:30 - Heart - Straight On
50:10 - Led Zeppelin - Black Dog


Notes
Ann Wilson live, Sunday September 25th in Houston Texas….opening for Jeff Beck and The ZZ Tops…

In case you were ever wondering what pedal changes Larry makes on what songs, here ya go As my dear friend Joe Vitale once said watching me on a session….”Buko, it looks like you’re trying to put out a fire”

Hope you enjoy

September 28th, 2022

Homeskoolin Road Update “Texas Heat”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing without amp
00:45 - Hello, friends! / Tour update (Jeff Beck / ZZ Top)
01:30 - Back injury and gig
02:40 - David Grissom
02:55 - Jeff Beck / Noises (Eddie Van Halen)
03:55 - Fan shoutouts
04:42 - Footage: Stage tour
07:25 - Footage: Jeff Beck
08:23 - Chug challenge


Notes
Lord…picture old larry up on stage yesterday…blown lower back agony, pouring sweat in that special kind of Texas heat and strangling humidity…good times for sure.

Fun show though, we really got that 50 minute long hit it and quit it opening act thing down.

Thank you for your continued patronage of the humble Homeskoolin’ channel. Go wolverines, (a 17 point favorite by the way)

September 21st, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “A Small Miracle”

Chapters
00:00 - Session gear and Marshalls


Notes
When something virtually impossible happens to you, you just HAVE to share it with your friends right?

September 18th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “The Birdman”

Chapters
00:00 - Funky little loop play through


Notes
Uncle Larry tries to make contact with all the dead satellites and other junk that travels through space.

September 18th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “B Roll From Giants Show”

Chapters
00:00 - Footage of the rehearsal for "Giants"


Notes
Warning: this one here is ONLY for the real die hard Homeskoolers out there.

Damn near 30 minutes of rehearsal footage....i thought about chopping it up, but then decided to give it all to ya in one big long painful block, so you can feel the slog of a 10 hour rehearsal day just like we do haha.

disclaimer: i clearly realize that there are worse 10 hour work days.....

i'll tell ya' a job that would REALLY suck. top of my list of all-time nightmare jobs....to be the guy that cleans and maintains a busy airport restroom....there's something about "international shit" that's even more horrifying than "domestic shit".... the worst job i ever had in my younger days was doing carpet and flooring with my older brother doug...it was great to hang out with him all day, but the job itself SUCKED.

i also did asphalt with my other brother Mike....a VERY small company in Cleveland called "Perfection Paving"...the only dump truck the company could afford was from the 40's and it wouldn't go over 35 MPH on the highway....which was a problem when you are carrying a hot load of asphalt long distances.

anyhoo....back to today's video...b roll rehearsal footage from the recently aired CMT show called "Giants" honoring Vince Gill.

Starring
Uncle Larry
Jedd Hughes
Paulie Franklin
Chris Stapleton
Jimmie Lee Sloas
Becky Fluke

September 17th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Saturday Night Bonus Jam “Point Of Contact”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing the chopper


Notes
Hello friends…a while back my dear dear friend sweet Greggy Voros gifted me a wonderful old 54 Esquire chopper that i have been slowly but surely trying to turn into the monster that i absolutely know it can be.

From the start this guitar had a hell of a lot going for it (super lightweight and the neck is to die for) but it had a long way to go. It started with refretting, then trying to find the right pickups…i ended up finding some great pickups, an original bridge pickup from a 1960 tele custom was a nice addition.

The original bridge saddles were driving me insane, so i just had my dear old friend Phil Crabtree install a set of Callaham compensated steel saddles. I picked it up from him today, Philly works alongside Tom Murphy at the Gibson custom shop. He is one of the sweetest kindest souls that has ever walked this earth. Thats him pictured at the end of this video.

Lord did these saddles help a lot…a MAJOR step in the right direction. The intonation is sooo good now, the string spacing is perfect, and the thing is just ringing beautifully acoustically, great sustain.

I swear the older i get i am focusing more and more on what i have always called the “point of contact” in guitars.

The purity and trueness of the way fretted and open notes pop out of a guitar, whether its electric or acoustic. The way the notes ring and sustain without an amp.

It’s the first thing i look at when i am checking out any guitar I haven’t seen before. It’s amazing how many guitars there are out there, even “high end” instruments, that just have terrible “point of contact”.

Strangled sounding dead notes all over the guitar, which could be caused by many things….a shitty bridge, bad fretwork, a fingerboard that is separating slightly from the neck, a pinched nut slot, and the worst offender, just plain dead wood.

September 17th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Larry, Jedd and Paul, featuring Sting”

Chapters
00:00 - Footage from Country Music Television's "Giants"


Notes
Hahaaa….just kiddin…i know the real billing order…it should be “Jedd, Paul and Tom, featuring Sting”

Heres an alternate take from the one that actually was on the show.

Hope you enjoy…i had a lonely princeton reverb backstage behind a wall, mic’ed up, and what you are hearing is through the wedge.

When you got your guitar sounding like this through a wedge, you KNOW its gonna be right out front.

September 16th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Target Shooting”

Chapters
00:00 - Session footage


Notes
An excerpt from a little session i did today at Castle studio here in nashville.

It can be tedious at times, but a big part of being a session man is straight up what i’ve always referred to as “target shooting”. You gotta be able to quickly and cleanly execute fairly repetitive parts take after take and be dead in the pocket….and trust me on this friends, if you CAN’T do it, they will find someone who can.

I borrowed this Baxendale Sovereign from my buddy Kris Donegan, absolutely GREAT guitar. This was a double of a 6 string “ganjo” part i had previously played, but ill spare you that carnage haha.

Thanks for watching guys

September 16th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ PSA, “TV Time”

Chapters
00:00 - Beautiful crunch playing
01:56 - Hello, class!
02:30 - Who carries Duesenberg model
03:55 - Vince Gill CMT Special "Giants"
04:20 - Rickenbacker 360 Bubbletop


Notes
Hi guys.....if you're bored tonite check out the show i played on called "Giants" honoring Vince Gill
on the CMT network
8pm central...y'all better hurry

Stores in the U.S. that carry the Duesenberg Session Man guitar:
The Guitar Sanctuary, TX
Palen Music Center, MO
Sound Pure, NC
N' Stuff Music, PA
Lark Guitars, TX
Huber & Breese Music, MI
Willcutt Guitar, KY
Boston Guitars, MA
Midwood Guitars, NC
Spicer Music, AL
Ye Olde Music, SC
Danville Music, CA
Music Villa. MT

Thank you to all of you guys for believing in the model!

September 15th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus…”The Drum Kit Of The Future?”

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to a good cause


Notes
So, i played this crazy gig tonight for my dear old friend Chris Donahoe (you may remember him from the “Community Of Tenderness” video i did a while back) at the Gibson Garage in Nashville…the local Gibson show room.

All i was told is that it was a charity gig for a foundation that used to be “Little Kids Rock” that has been renamed “Music Will”.

We rehearsed all morning, five songs, and then went to soundcheck... while we were all waiting around and hanging out after the soundcheck, our drummer, my dear old friend and legendary session drummer Chris “Stix” Mchugh (fellow Genesis fan who also happened to be the producer of my “Plexi Soul” record) started talking about this super cool prototype drum kit that he saw backstage…a great sounding little portable kit that you can pick up and carry around with one hand...and it all fits inside the plastic trash bucket that also doubles as the kick drum.

we were all totally blown away by it…especially Stix…. and we were all like “ok, so where can we buy one of these right now?”

but they are only in prototype stages at this point...apparently only 30 in existence at this point, according to the inventor Dave.

All i know is this... it’s a VERY rare moment when a bunch of jaded session players are totally blown away by ANY piece of gear enough to pull out their wallets...it does not happen very often, trust me.

My first thought was “damn, whoever invented this little drum kit is about to make a fucking BOAT LOAD of cash".... But it turns out it’s much different than that....

The guy who invented it, Dave Wish, is somehow amazingly NOT trying to get rich off of this invention, he is actually ONLY interested in furnishing schools with thousands of these kits…and he needs help.

I’m not sure what this all means or how it could all play out, but maybe some of YOU guys will have some ideas

check it out...this is very cool my friends...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhcAj...

September 15th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Pulled Into Nazareth”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing a good one


Notes
Ain’t NO damn acoustic guitar is worth 100K right?….until you hear the sound of that open G string…

I literally just pulled this thing outta the case, didn’t even tune it, and this is what it gives up…

Every single time i pick this guitar up i am amazed by it….i am so eternally thankful i found old 70253 in this life.

September 14th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Volume 165, Tom Bukovac, “Flutter And Wow”

Chapters
00:00 - Hello, class! / Video intro about loop building lesson / '62 Strat
01:17 - Loop: Starting the loop
02:04 - Loop: Changing loops
04:02 - Get the bass / Tuning
05:38 - Lesson: Chords and progression
07:30 - Harmony H22 hollowbody bass
07:56 - Loop: Bass recording and play along
10:49 - Getting ready to solo / Looper
11:40 - Loop: Practice soloing
13:00 - Marshall 50-watt Combo Amp / Cleaning it up
13:45 - Loop: Restarting the loop for solo
16:35 - Tone (pickup, pedals)
17:34 - Loop: Take 1 soloing
20:33 - Summarizing


Notes
Uncle Larry takes the class along on a leisurely stroll to looptown….with a cameo appearance by his son’s old Harmony H-22 hollowbody bass.

Ampluhmicatiun provided by a ‘78 Marshall JMP 50 watt 2x12” combo with master volume.

If you guys are indeed learning and enjoying these meager low cost tutorials…the tip jar is just a click away…and it’s TOTALLY on the honor system.

paypal is tombukovac@gmail.com
venmo is @Tom-Bukovac-1

if you wanna buy some Homeskoolin merch go here...
https://dvg-inc.shoplightspeed.com/me...

if you wanna buy my album "Plexi Soul" go here...
https://tombukovac.bandcamp.com/album...

if you wanna buy the album i made with Dean Deleo go here...
https://tripthewitch.bandcamp.com/alb...

I GREATLY appreciate all the past donations my good people….a couple bucks here and there makes this all make sense, and it keeps the old fridge stocked.

Thank you for watching friends, i mean it