Best Gear Score Evar...

Last night my friend Mike Fisher and I went to an auction. The actual brick-and-mortar kind, with an auctioneer and guys yelling and rows of chairs. Most of the shit auctioned was exactly that (at one point the auctioneer called one lot a “rummage sale starter kit” which should give you an idea…) but one item, which I had to wait a couple hours for, was what brought me out to the ass end of nowhere, otherwise known as Apache Junction, Arizona.

For some reason, this auction house that trafficked mainly in broken tools and headless dolls had a Yamaha CP80B electric grand piano. I know, right? The case (which, in this instance also comprises the body of the piano) was pretty beat up. Tolex ripped in a couple spots, and very dirty, like it sat in someone’s barn for a decade or so. However, inside, it was brand new.

If you’ve never gone, a real auction works just like an eBay one, except it happens much faster, and the people you’re bidding against are standing right there next to you, which (if you’re used to the Intardwebs) is a little odd.

Anyhow, after a seemingly endless parade of beer signs and cans of nails, our lot came up. He started the bidding at a thousand bucks. No bids. Dropped it to a hundred. No bids. Dropped it to $50. I bid.

And that was that.

So, 10 minutes later, we were on the way back to Phoenix with a CP80B in the back of my SUV, $50 lighter in the wallet. I’ve now got it set up in my garage, and other than a couple little issues as a result of sitting idle for so long, this thing is perfect. I’ll put up a ton of pictures and samples once I get out of traction. (Mike helped me get it in the SUV, but I got it out and set it up on my own.)