August 15th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus Jam, “The Weather Man”

Chapters
00:00 - Loop with some soaring playing


Notes
Uncle Larry test drives a beautiful old blonde '61 Telecaster around some tight corners, possibly hitting a few orange cones along the way.

Dig this cat...I fuckin' love this guy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir3eJ1t13fk

i especially love how they put his landline phone number in the vid description (per his request I'm sure) so that he can field phone calls from potential ass all day hahaaaaa

it gets lonely out there in the country...

July 30th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 232, Tom Bukovac, "Ice Breaker Blues"

Chapters
00:00 - That playing that hits you right there
03:39 - Hello, friends! / Early morning Larry
04:00 - Lesson: Old Larry trick with a lot of Soul (2 chord progression)
06:30 - Thank yous
08:45 - Robert Keeley - Nobel Screamer / Halo
09:20 - Guitar nerd chat / Support your pedal friends
12:15 - Goodbye to Donnie Baker
12:55 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / Jim Irsay Boston gig
13:45 - Peter Wolfe
14:24 - Selling gear? Buying?
15:45 - Car shopping with motorhead Scank
16:40 - '61 Fender Telecaster / Callaham stainless steel compensated saddles
17:51 - Telecasters happening in the '60s
19:20 - Slab board (Brazilian fretboard)
19:45 - Super low pickup height / Selector
20:20 - Mud cap and playing it as a bass / Playing
22:12 - 1970 Monte Carlo


Notes
Uncle Larry answers some VCB and talks about his favorite "soundcheck song".

Here is some CLASSIC Donnie Baker for anyone who doesn't know....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrDXm-iTEWs

rest in peace brother

if you guys feel led to throw something in the jar...
my PayPal address is tombukovac@gmail.com

July 25th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Bonus Jam "Beat It Like It Owes You Money"

Chapters
00:00 - Rockin' and a pickin' the money out of it


Notes
Larry takes a swing on a sassy old 54 Esquire.

Hello friends....getting stitches out tomorrow and my big fat Slovenian face is very slowly healing up.
Thanks for all the concern and support.
Homeskoolin' is cool.

July 20th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Bonus Jam "Competition Blue"

Chapters
00:00 - Fingerpickin' good


Notes
Headless guitar...volume 2


a LOT of new viewers have recently asked "where is the tip jar?" when they felt led to contribute something after 228 free guitar lessons...despite Dominic Hudson's best efforts to deter them.

You can make PayPal donations to this address: tombukovac@gmail.com You can make Venmo donations to this address: @Tom-Bukovac-1

Believe it or not....i have a new website people....an actual proper website.

https://thesessionman.com

You can make PayPal donations to this address:
tombukovac@gmail.com


You can make Venmo donations to this address:
@Tom-Bukovac-1

A lot of these very same new viewers don't seem to know that Uncle Larry made a couple records that they could potentially listen to...one is an instrumental solo record called "Plexi Soul" that is available here:
https://tombukovac.bandcamp.com/album/plexi-soul


another is an instrumental collaboration with his dear friend Dean Deleo (originally from the Stone Temple Pilots organization) that is available here:
https://tripthewitch.bandcamp.com/album/trip-the-witch


and a LOT of people don't seem to know that they can go here to purchase a myriad of Homeskoolin' related merchandise..including several different T-shirts and some beautifully constructed coffee mugs for those afflicted with thin lips...
https://dvg-inc.shoplightspeed.com/merch/tom-bukovac/

June 27th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Session Update, “Division Street”

Chapters
00:00 - Session and talk with Russ Pahl
02:55 - Tour of Omni
04:30 - Little keyboard playing


Notes
THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT VID IS OFFICIALLY LIVE ....go to thesessionman.com if you wanna check it out!

Uncle Larry was busy as usual today kids….he did two sessions in two different studios that were waaaay across town from each other.

This little clip is from the morning session where I led a demo session (four songs in 3 hours) for my old buddy Dan Friszell at an old studio downtown called Omnisound on Division Street.

The band was
Russ Pahl: pedal steel
Evan Hutchings: drums
Mark Hill: bass
Jenee Fleenor: fiddle
John D Willis: acoustic
David Crutcher: keys
Uncle Larry: electronic guitar

When I say i “led” the session that means I wrote the charts and got twice as much dough as the rest of the guys for doing so. By the long-standing rules of the Nashville Musicians Union AFM branch 257, every session must have an assigned “leader”, who makes twice the dough of the other cats, in return for going through the trouble of making all the charts beforehand. Also, historically, whoever is the leader of the session gets to boss people around a little more than usual on that day, People kind of treat you like it's your birthday when you are the "session leader".

This video stars the legendary Russ Pahl, who has played pedal steel and guitar on A LOT of records…he has played with Vince Gill, Dan Auerbach and Bob Plant to name a few. Russ makes some really nice guitars under the brand name of “RP Guitars” (mostly Fender Tele and Strats with a few twists and turns) and he hand winds his own custom pickups. He is the living definition and pure embodiment of the phrase "tinkerer". Contact me for his email if you would like to investigate his work further.

And…if you can name the tune that i play on the piano at the end of this video, then I KNOW that you are a cool person

June 12th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 227, Tom Bukovac, "Got A Girl In Cincinnatti..."

Chapters
00:00 - Song and dance, without the dance / Medley Michael Jackson - Beat It
03:45 - Thank you for comments / Robert Baker help with YouTube Channel
05:00 - Old concert programs (Eddie Van Halen photo of guitars)
06:10 - Wynonna Judd / Dave Letterman / Epiphone Crestwood best "chopper" ever had / Dan Huff story
07:30 - '64 Lake Placid Blue Fender Jaguar
08:00 - Cranking the mute on (cool sound, but goes sharp) / Adjustable individual string mute
09:45 - NFL cards (Hewrtitt Dixon)
10:36 - Kameron Marlowe - one-take singer / James Otto - loudest singer
12:00 - Coming to Nashville and getting vintage acoustic guitar with songs in it
13:00 - Watching YouTube and numbskulls who don't know shit
15:30 - "Strat Tuesday" video and joke / Ole Clevelander
16:25 - "Catch 22" band, spandex, hair, metal, glam
17:00 - Hearing damage & wearing ear protection / Hearing aid story
18:13 - Meaningful compliments are from people that don't overuse them / Club soundman compliment story
20:56 - Strat video comments / Rewire Strat tone controls
23:00 - Strat guitar shape & ergonomics


Notes
Uncle Larry talks about mutes and numbskulls.

June 7th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus, “Oh, Hey Man..."

Chapters
00:00 - Intro to Robert Baker
04:20 - Fender Esquire
06:00 - Potientiometer codes


Notes
Uncle Larry gets a visit from a friend and well known YouTuber, dearest Robert Baker….who just happened to move here to the great country of Nashville .....a place that is completely isolated in it's own economic and social bubble.... and thusly absolutely impervious to any of the "economic woes" that may happen to occasionally devastate the rest of the United States at any given time.

Welcome my son….welcome….to…the machine….

...and if anyone wants to see ol' Uncle Larry plunkin' it waaaaaay back in 1996 on a major television broadcast check this out.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws6D23KvsN8

if anyone is interested in purchasing dear Robert's '58 Esquire for 15K with nice tweed case email me at tombukovac@gmail.com

June 6th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 226, Tom Bukovac, "Strat Tuesday"

Chapters
00:00 - Intro cover
00:40 - Hello, class! / The Stratocaster
04:23 - Booker T. Jones / Playing by ear vs. knowing chords
05:25 - J.D. Simo / Wah-wah
07:40 - Setup / Jeff Senn pickups? / Suhr silent system
09:18 - Jeff Senn - Bridge pickup
09:45 - Bridge on a Strat will cut your face off
11:16 - '62 Strat - Bridge pickup / Vince Gill
12:43 - '63 Strat - Bridge pickup
13:35 - Senn Strat - Bridge pickup part II
14:03 - '62 Strat - Bridge pickup part II
14:37 - '63 Strat - Bridge pickup part II
15:05 - '63 Strat - Neck pickup
15:40 - '62 Strat - Neck pickup
16:23 - Senn Strat - Neck pickup
17:00 - Lesson: Bob Schmidty lick
17:58 - '63 Strat - Neck pickup part II
18:31 - 3-way switch
19:00 - '63 Strat - Middle pickup
20:00 - Out of hundreds of pre-CBS Strats - "this is the best"
20:34 - Senn Strat - Middle pickup
21:05 - Trigger Hippy & Senn Strat story
22:40 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / Expound on Chuck Berry
23:47 - Plexi Soul part II?  Guthrie project, then Dean project
24:30 - Tone is heavy... / National New Yorker thanks and donations
25:17 - Recipe for a good comment? / "Hey Tom!"
26:03 - Flatwounds vs. Roundwound & raunch / Dan Auerbach / Pre-aged strings
28:25 - Favorite album cover art
30:00 - Marshall's hiss? / Some old 100W Marshall heads are quiet
31:18 - Blind tests
32:19 - Tape hiss...love it
32:30 - Sound wizard
32:50 - Lesson: Capistan reverb sound / Firebird video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztsptU_XIPk
34:48 - Wynonna Judd memories & Dave Letterman


Notes
Uncle Larry cracks open the VCB and gives you a tour of all 3 pickups.

May 18th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 218, Tom Bukovac, "The Bad News Vent"

Chapters
00:00 - Intro playing
04:00 - Hello, friends! / Thanks / Taking kids to school
05:30 - Contest and the myriad of players, even weirdos
06:40 - "Can't stand looking at your mouth"
07:00 - Young gal from Jersey and a TV show
07:53 - Friend's Fender Stratocaster (Black?)
08:00 - Strung Out Repairs - Andy Jellison
10:00 - What kind of fuzz is that? / Can't tell you everything!
10:30 - Favorite comments -> Melodic pickups! :)
11:27 - Ann Wilson decision
12:33 - Producing credits, stepping on toes, and lucky to be here
14:30 - Can't tell a person, "that stove is hot!" / Got to learn firsthand experience
15:30 - Producing for people / Driving or guiding the project
16:50 - Father like son, telling people how to do their part
17:45 - Collaboration lights the fire
18:18 - Involuntary guitar face
19:25 - Bring string bending back / Bending in tune
19:50 - Being in the studio under a microscope / Exploiting weakness / Special person for session work
21:30 - Checking the phone
23:20 - Music style reflects society and how newer generation is growing up


Notes
Larry gets a little deeper here than he does on most Thursdays after a busy week of sessions.

a LOT of new viewers have recently asked "where is the tip jar?" when they felt led to contribute something after 218 free guitar lessons...despite Dominic Hudson's best efforts to deter them.

You can make PayPal donations to this address:
tombukovac@gmail.com

You can make Venmo donations to this address:
@Tom-Bukovac-1

A lot of these very same new viewers don't seem to know that Uncle Larry made a couple records that they could potentially listen to...
one is an instrumental solo record called "Plexi Soul" that is available here:
https://tombukovac.bandcamp.com/album/plexi-soul

another is an instrumental collaboration with his dear friend Dean Deleo (originally from the Stone Temple Pilots organization) that is available here:
https://tripthewitch.bandcamp.com/album/trip-the-witch

and a LOT of people don't seem to know that they can go here to purchase a myriad of Homeskoolin' related merchandise..including several different T-shirts and some beautifully constructed coffee mugs for those afflicted with thin lips...
https://dvg-inc.shoplightspeed.com/merch/tom-bukovac/

May 15th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Bonus Jam "Three Chords & The Truth & Some Bends"

Chapters
00:00 - Finger pickin' good into a bender


Notes
Uncle Larry gettin weird early in the mornin'....hell what else is new?

May 13th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 216, Tom Bukovac, "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em"

Chapters
00:00 - Beatle-esque intro playing
01:05 - Hello, friends! / Fun night with Gov't Mule and playing with them
03:00 - Plugging in and there's no audio (Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs3Yf82sVsE)
03:45 - Collage of sound and loudness - "God's Stereo System"
04:30 - Rock'Em Sock'Em
05:36 - Nick, Audley, Warren story / Dreams
07:12 - VCB / Dan Auerbach project / Guitar shop
08:19 - More testosterone playing?
09:33 - Skipping the talking vs. skipping the playing / Free channel
11:09 - Fastest Tom can play? BPM
11:40 - Lesson: Cascading harmony moving all around and the unexpected
13:18 - Lesson: A lot of Tom's playing style
14:15 - Lesson: Cool chord (Absus/E [0 x 6 6 4 4])
14:42 - Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreamin'
16:00 - John Unitas card



Notes
Uncle Larry with the news of the day.

This day.

Summer is here...make sure you keep those ants out of the kitchen folks.

and...everyone knows that chiropractic porn is one of the fastest growing industries of 2023.

this channel is pioneering the way with some cutting edge content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvAemQx8pV8&t=0s

May 11th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s Volume 2

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Pet peeves when visiting Gruhn's / Playing guitars in house
04:18 - Hesitant repair vs. knowledgeable repair (Explaining and educating)
06:59 - Heirloom guitars that aren't expensive
08:00 - George Gruhn and his business
11:35 - '53 Telecaster / Cool factor vs collector's and playing guitars
14:40 - Back to the Tele
17:00 - Stickiness of a neck and lacquer
18:00 - Gibson ES-335 / "Electric Spanish" (ES) naming convention
19:25 - Playing Gibson
24:00 - 1931 OM Shade Top acoustic / Playing
27:40 - Checking on binding indicates refinish
29:31 - 1966 Epiphone Caiola / Playing
40:00 - 1965 Gibson Melody Maker D
42:20 - Gibson Melody Maker
43:30 - Joan Jett and I Love Rock 'N Roll cover (Arrows)
45:00 - 1963 Gibson Special (Lefty) / Playing upside down
49:00 - 1958 Fender Esquire (Lefty) / Playing upside down
54:10 - Back to the Gibson ES-335 / Prices
60:24 - Trivia: Pickup rings
62:25 - Closing statements too soon
67:12 - 1963 Gibson Firebird / Playing


Notes
The dynamic trio pulls 7 killer guitars from the current Gruhn’s inventory and takes them for a ride.

Starring:
Greg Voros
Corey Terrell
Uncle Larry

May 11th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 215, Tom Bukovac, "Orange Skin Blues"

Chapters
00:00 - Some Country playing and whammy bar playing
02:45 - Hello, class!
03:33 - Guitar picks / Rolling Rock pick / Favorite
05:38 - '62 Strat / Wang bars (Vibrato vs. Tremolo) / Leo Fender
07:25 - Talent show at son's school (Back In Black)
07:48 - Lesson: Wang bars (whammy bar, trem, vibrato) and how to use it
09:40 - Floating the bar
10:18 - Different position
10:45 - Setting up a wang bar and measurement
12:10 - Gretsch Sparkle Jet with Bigsby measurement
14:11 - Subtle effect
15:33 - Teddy Boy! altercation / Totalling up guitar expenditure / Brian May
19:20 - Pickup height
20:15 - Thanks
21:21 - Plexi Soul CDs
21:45 - Music City Bridge
23:20 - Go practice!  "Stop watching The Gear Page"


Notes
Uncle Larry addresses a major problem in the guitar culture...a complete and total misunderstanding of what that shiny metal bar that sticks out of your bridge is supposed to do.

Thanks for watching kids, i mean it

Paypal tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com

Venmo tip jar is @Tom-Bukovac-1

May 9th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 214, Tom Bukovac, "The Viking Scale"

Chapters
00:00 - Jamming on some strings
01:13 - Demonstration of ashtray (faraday cage) on a guitar (with and without)
02:00 - Hello / Box of Rock rehousing / Greg Voros coffee
03:08 - Speed playing around
03:28 - Lesson: "The Viking Scale"
04:12 - "Original Ace Hendrix Strap"
04:35 - '54 Esquire / Playing
05:45 - Ashtray cover back on comparison
05:58 - Pedals (Simulate ashtray cover / Snare rattle)
06:44 - Joe Glaser & Music City Bridge cool idea
07:15 - Tele bridge pickup in guitar demo
08:16 - Steel guitar playing / Waylon Jennings
09:13 - "Learn how to fix a Wurlitzer"
09:30 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / Ebo comedic timing
10:00 - Grammar helping a viewer / Session players humor and getting serious
11:45 - Bohemian Grove
13:22 - Double slide / Learning new tricks
14:17 - Lesson: New trick / Doubling track
16:37 - The Gear Page and the ODR-1 / Social Media is not cool


Notes
Uncle Larry filets and pan fries the VCB and plunks around on a nice old slab of golden age Fullerton Fender.

May 9th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus Session Update “Fro-ceanway”

Chapters
00:00 - Laying down a solo for the Guthrie Trapp project
02:00 - Rolling Rock and the bottle vs. can beer taste story
04:20 - Vertex pedals (Boost) and The Gear Page comments


Notes
5/8/23....Donelson Tennessee

The last piece of the overdub puzzle to complete the 11 track instrumental LP that your dear old Uncle Larry is making with guitar slinging prodigy Guthrie Trapp…which will soon be in a theatre near you.

Co starring Eric “Ebo” Borash, Brandon Bell and the world's lightest 1966 Fender Telecaster.

oh, and totally unrelated, try to watch this whole thing without getting all queasy or getting sweaty palms....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvc1Li3rJi0

April 29th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Sideman Blues”

Chapters
00:00 - Trying out that rental gear


Notes
A little clip from rehearsal tonight in the freezing cold at Hollywood Bowl.
Tasty vocals by Nathaniel Rateliff.

April 22nd, 2023

Homeskoolin' "I've Always Pictured You Wearing Pants Pt. 10" (Rare B&W Mix)

Chapters
00:00 - Deep, soulful song


Notes
Beautiful day in downtown Nash Angeles...been cruisin the old 65 Chevy drop all day lookin at houses with a pool.
Took a break to plunk my old 66 Tele and this is what showed up.

Some folks out there have taken my tunes and messed with them in the past...but no one has topped this.

April 14th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 211, Tom Bukovac, "The Power Of Delegation"

Chapters
00:00 - Annie Lenox - No More I Love You's into a version of Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
02:14 - Hello from Uncle Larry / Johnny McBride shoot
03:48 - Dave Stewart story (Delegation power)
05:28 - Professionals
07:00 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / The Gear Page donation thanks
08:00 - "2 Kinds of people in this world" / Try to thank all patronage
09:45 - "Who's the impossible musician?" (Hint: song 10:17)
10:33 - Church video and Gretsch guitar (Possibly for sale)
11:45 - Song played at your funeral (Peter Gabriel - Indigo)
12:35 - "Bursting into flames going into church" deserves a "fuck-off"
13:33 - Annie Lenox - No More I Love You's
14:10 - Most common comment? (1 guitar & 1 amp) / Twilight Zone / NFL card
16:36 - Cleveland socks
17:15 - Lesson: "No More I Love You's" (Bass notes makes it expensive sounding)


Notes
Uncle Larry tells us about the two kinds of people in this world.

April 11th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 210, Tom Bukovac, "He Came From Somewhere Back In Her Long Ago"

Chapters
00:00 - Pickin' with the best of them
04:04 - Hello, friends! / Trip The Witch mugs
05:00 - Some amazing picking ascending into finger picking
06:02 - Lesson: Cool lick
06:52 - Twang like a Jazzmaster / Mosrite Combo
07:28 - Back to picking
08:54 - 50% hit ratio on licks
09:25 - Sweet gifts (NFL puzzles, Spuds lamp)
11:50 - The Gear Page comments
13:20 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / Percentage of wankers?
14:57 - Certain artists' insecurity / Having a good time / Dan Auerbach
17:10 - Building your own studio?
17:58 - The Gear Page comedy / Chumbawamba
19:27 - Trip The Witch with Dean DeLeo / Guthrie project


Notes
Uncle Larry damn near strangles this poor old 64 Jazzy to death in a desperate search to find the lost chord.

Followed by an awkward transition into the VCB.

Trip the witch mugs available here
https://shop.bandwear.com/collections/trip-the-witch-shop

April 8th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s, Episode 1

Chapters
00:00 - Chatting with in-depth views at Gruhn's with Fender Stratocasters
03:00 - Introduction to Stratocasters
03:50 - Maple neck Strats opinions / Tom's opinion
06:00 - Corey's opinion
07:22 - Greg's opinion
09:00 - Fretboard repair standpoint
13:00 - Comparison of 4 Strats
13:50 - '57 Strat look / Tone control on bridge pickup
16:20 - '57 Strat playing
18:10 - Early '58 Strat playing
20:45 - Late '58 Strat playing
23:14 - '59 Strat playing / Activator switch
27:50 - Thoughts / Favorites
30:45 - Prices
31:45 - Favorites / COVID price effect / Left-handed
39:50 - '63 Strat with rosewood fretboard comparison with '57
40:57 - '63 Strat playing / Back and forth
45:40 - Thoughts?
50:20 - Pickup shootout
52:32 - Sounds - pickups about same / Neck sizes / Truss rod route
57:00 - Lead sounds
61:20 - George Gruhn and electric guitars


Notes

As promised, the first installment of what will hopefully be monthly collaboration videos between Uncle Larry and the legendary Gruhn Guitars store in downtown Nashville TN.
This amazing store has been around since 1970.

Filmed on Thursday April 6th 2023

Starring:
Greg Voros
Corey Terrell
George Gruhn
Uncle Larry

and five bitchin’ old Fender Stratocasters, all with “field replaceable necks”….just like the 50’s Fender catalogs claimed.