Well folks, it is true - I found the golden ticket and got to meet Willy Wonka and his factory in Greensboro, NC last Friday.
First I want to say how gracious and welcoming the whole staff was for our stay. I was traveling with my wife and two daughters from Florida en route to Cape Cod, MA and I had set up a nice pit stop in Greensboro for the night with Gard in advance. We rolled into town around 5:30 and I was pleasantly surprised how late the crew was working on a Friday night even! I found the first door of 3, and when I opened it to peek in, who did I see but Willy Wonka himself - Keith B. Roscoe!
He was working on a bass at that time of day, & on a Friday no less! I said, "Hi, is this the wrong door; we are here to see Gard,.....", To which Keith said, "No, there is no wrong door, you must be Pete". At first, I didn't realize him from the pictures.
Man, how cool.
The place is magical- a true wood worker's shop. You get the feeling instantly when you walk in, that this place where works of art and beauty are made. NOTHING mass produced,
everything is hand carved where possible and made by the true artists who love what they do. Laid back, yet serious about their craft. Gard was all too happy to show us around and even my wife was impressed. Guys, you would be amazed to see the slabs of wood in their "virgin" state before they get made into bass and guitar bodies. Really cool. I got to see Ryan L's new bass, Pacman's and several southpaw's heading across the pond. We got the whole tour, soup to nuts- even the 80's basses and guitars (Betty Boop, etc..).
Luckily, we also had a chance to meet Keith's wife, Catina. A fantastic person who really hit it off with my wife and two girls, as did Keith. They were both extremely generous with their time and you could easily see their love for what they do and their people skills; especially for children (Keith- you scored big points with my girls). I really was surprised at how much fun the girls had; Emma said, "Dad, that was the owner, 'Roscoe' that we met, how cool!" (A.K.A. - OMG). A true gentleman.
Gard and I shared a Turbodog together (I made sure I would bring him a "special gift"), then we met his lovely family at a local pizza joint for food and suds (Brixx Pizza in Greensboro). Fantastic place! For what it's worth, my daughter, Maddy said it was the best pizza she has ever had.
We liked the town so much that we grabbed a hotel (Marriott) and stayed the night. Another jem of a place and the people were all great to us. Waking up the next day for the 14 hour drive was not easy, but a good night's sleep and fond memories made traveling that much easier.
Gard, I'm afraid we are good buddies now; we can rib each other (a little more than usual) on football, music, movies, favorite quotes, airplanes, etc.., all good. I am already planning my Bubinga SKB as we speak ...
Thanks again, man - I really enjoyed it!
'Heads, you have to visit the shop and the city if possible. Very chill place- lots of outdoor activtites, good climate and easy to navigate. Also has a large college community.
(Warning, crappy iPhone pics ahead)
Me & the Gardfather (I believe I was standing on a guitar player to look taller for the pic):
Keith & I (note the Rocket Music "T"):
Angry Panda:
More wood:
Greensboro Sunrise 2.27. 2011:
Oh, did I mention they make basses there?
