1.25.11

Well Hello Folks!!! I am so excited about this year! I really feel it’s going to be great. It’s hard to believe we’re a month into it already. It won’t be long and we’ll be getting the Christmas decorations back out again! HA! It is so exciting to come to you with all this good news. I feel really unworthy. In other words… “I Don’t Deserve It” but “I’LL TAKE IT!!!”

First of all, my new guitar, the “Doyle Dykes Deluxe” or “DDX” edition was formally debuted at the Winter NAMM show event a couple of weeks ago in Anaheim, CA. It is different than the DDSM in many ways as it has a list price of $1,498.00 versus $5,000.00 and it comes in any color you want (as Bob Taylor would say… and did say) “As long as it’s black!” It is a very pretty guitar and sounds great too. The DDX is basically a 200 series Taylor with a black gloss finish. The sides and back are laminated maple and the top is solid spruce. It has a piezo pickup under the saddle and the pre-amp section is based off the ES system. The neck is a full scale (25 1/2″) and is 1 11/16″ at the nut which is also different from the 24 7/8″ scale and 1 3/4″ nut width of the DDSM. I actually enjoy the narrower nut width with the long scale neck. It reminds me of Taylor’s original dreadnought guitars and I love the difference in the feel of the instrument. I just know it’s going to be a fine guitar for many young aspiring players as well as a good one for anyone who wants to have a cool glossy-black Taylor and not have to spend 3 times as much! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the acoustic tone of these guitars. It’s Bob’s design proficiency and genius that makes it a true Taylor. I’m proud to have my name on it!

Speaking of Bob’s genius, you’ve GOT to get his new book, “Guitar Lessons.” It brings you up close and personal to the man who went totally against the normal way of building traditional guitars and how he and his partner Kurt Listug went from such incredible humble beginnings to the major guitar brand they are today. The cool thing about this book is that it’s really as “Bob” as “Bob” can get and knowing him personally for almost twenty years… it’s the only way he’d write a book. He’s the real deal and whether you know him personally or not, you’ll definitely connect and feel as though you do. You’ll learn a lot about business things too. It’s one of the best reads I’ve experienced in years.

Speaking of books… my new book “The Lights of Marfa” is DONE! It will be released on APRIL FIRST!!!! Really… no April Fools! In fact, please consider pre-ordering because right now the prices are really low. In fact, I’m going to order some myself! And it comes with CRAYONS too!!! Just kidding. This book is also a really huge… “I Don’t Deserve This” subject, but as I said… “I’ll take it!” I am currently finishing the recording on the song I wrote… “The Lights of Marfa” this week. Duane Eddy will be with me in the studio, and we have some of the finest players in Nashville. I wanted triple fiddles to get that real western feel, so I have Andy Leftwich, Aubrey Haney, and Kenny Sears. Wow! Another I.D.D.T. (I Don’t Deserve This) thing. Dave Pomeroy is on bass, John Gardner on drums, Jimmy Capps on rhythm guitar, and my brother, Aubrey Dykes, on piano. I might also add that on the plane ride home I wrote some lyrics, and Miss Haley is singing it, and man is it gonna be good. I’ll also have several solo pieces on guitar that pertain to some of the stories in the book such as “The Changing of the Guard,” “The Visitation,” and “White Rose for Heidi.” Saddleback Church also sent us some footage of “How Great Thou Art” that will be included as well. So there will be music and a DVD of us as we record it. My publisher, Steve Lyon at Moody Publishing in Chicago told me recently that they’ve never done anything of this magnatude before with a book that includes music and a DVD. The e-book version will also be available and will include these features or have them made available. This is all so new to me. I.D.D.T.! (Did you get that?)

My friend Jeff Carlisi (38 Special) just sent me an endorsement and also commented to me personally in the nicest way about the love I have for my family and for God. One might understand the relationship of a wife and children but loving God? Why not? He loves you! He really does! Jeff understands this too, and the good thing is we can have our friendship for a whole lot longer than the few years we have “down here.” Jeff also sent me a file from a song that he and Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote and recorded together called “Four Walls of Raiford.” Although Ronnie’s life was short lived (he’s buried only fifty or so yards from my dad), there’s a great chance of meeting again and playing music together. That’s what this book is about… giving hope and the reality of a loving Heavenly Father. Bob Taylor has written the forward for the book. I’m Excited!! (I.D.D.T.!!!)

With all my heart… I want this year to count BIG in my life. I want to see Touchstones turn out of stumbling blocks! I’m believing God for blessings that will overtake me. And at the same time, I’m praying for you as you’re reading this. There are millions of things you could be reading on the world wide web right now, but you’re reading this. I hope you have the best year of your life and the more you give to the good Lord… the more you’ll see that you can’t “Out-give” Him. He wants to bless your life and give you “Life More Abundantly!”

While at NAMM, I got to play with my friend David Pack and also Larry Carlton. What a blessing that was and I believe it was just a taste of what’s going to happen also this year with our television show, “Live Sessions.” As I keep saying… I.D.D.T…. but then again, who am I to say that! Hey, how about… let’s just have a GREAT, GREAT YEAR whether we deserve it or not! Let’s take it!

God Bless!

Doyle

Doyle and David Pack