WCBI's Eric Crosswhite is joined by Jeffrey Rupp to discuss a workshop that will allow kids to build electric guitars.
He also speaks about the Talledegourd 500 pumpkin race which will be held October 22nd in downtown Starkville at 5:30 PM
Eric crosswhite: welcome back.
We are here at the idea shop, talking with mr. jeff rupp.
Jeff, good morning.
Thank you for taking the time.
Jeffrey rupp: i appreciate y'all being over here.
Good morning.
Eric crosswhite: you bet you.
It's a really cool scene in here this morning, all these guitars.
Tell us what's going on.
Jeffrey rupp: well, i've been a guitar player now for over 40 years, going back to the days when i actually had hair.
And the idea shop is a place for folks to come create and to make.
And so, we got this idea of bringing kids in and letting them make their own electric guitar.
And we got a grant from international paper, we bought some really nice guitar kits and had a bunch of kids sign up.
We drew nine names, and so we're going to spend three weeks making the guitars.
And then, we're going to have a public concert on thursday, november 12th in front of the cadence bank plaza.
We'll have a food truck.
We'd love for you to come out and support your local musicians.
These folks, these kids are so excited about doing this.
Eric crosswhite: and basically, from scratch they're making these guitars.
And they'll play and sound just like a regular guitar.
Jeffrey rupp: yeah, so this is what it's going to look like when it's finished.
And we put one together just to make sure we knew how to do it.
I've got some really good engineering students in here.
So this looks very similar.
It's based on a gibson les paul.
And if you're a guitar player, particularly one who's about 16 years old, you want a gibson les paul.
Eric crosswhite: sure.
Jeffrey rupp: it takes about three weeks to put it together.
The first night we put the finishes on them.
You have to let that dry and we put the necks on them.
And then, we'll wire them up.
So the kids will learn some basic woodworking, a little bit of electric soldering, things like that.
And then of course, there's a performance piece, so they'll get out and they'll play this.
Eric crosswhite: that's very cool.
At what skill level do they have to be to take this class?
Where do you have to start?
Jeffrey rupp: that's a good question, and when we put the application online, we wanted the kids to at least be able to play.
And so, they can make the basic cabo code as we call them.
And some are pretty advanced.
We have some really great players in the group.
And we're going to split them into three groups.
So we'll have three groups of three kids, and then, local pros are going to back them up, guys that are professional musicians.
We've got one guy, doug thomas, who was the assistant band director at starkville high, who's retired.
Who's played with the temptations, huey lewis and the news, some guys in the grateful dead.
Eric crosswhite: wow.
Jeffrey rupp: so we really want this to be a great experience for the kids.
Eric crosswhite: absolutely.
So three weeks long, when does it end?
When's it wrapping up?
Jeffrey rupp: well, let's see, the construction part of wrap up, october 28th will be our last workshop.
Then we'll go into rehearsals.
And then the gig, as we say, will be november 12th.
And gibson guitars has stepped up and their foundation has helped us a bit.
Backstage music in starkville and international paper are our biggest sponsors.
So we thank them for that.
Eric crosswhite: awesome.
And people can catch the show?
Jeffrey rupp: they can catch it, yeah.
I hope to record it, but we'd love for folks to come out.
It should be a beautiful fall evening, and these kids are going to be rocking.
I said, we'll have a food truck.
It'll be a great night in downtown starkville.
Eric crosswhite: nice.
Speaking of great fall evenings, another event you got coming up, the .
Jeffrey rupp: talladegour, that's friends for talladegourd.
Yes.
So this is the second annual talladegourd.
And it's a charity pumpkin race.
And folks will make a pumpkin any way they want.
It can be like a traditional jack-o'- lantern or just don't leave the guts in it and put your name on it.
And then they'll bring them downtown starkville on october 22nd.
And we'll put them on a chassis.
There'll be a big spike coming out of this.
And we will put the pumpkin on there.
And don't worry, we guarantee no pumpkins will be harmed in the making of the... so it costs 50 bucks to get a pumpkin, and that all goes to the humane society.
We have a family division and that's $25, and we take that money and we use it to pay for activities here in the idea shop.
So all the money's going to a good cause.
Jeffrey rupp: there's a rumor that coach is going to race a pirate pumpkin in the event.
And it'll be on lafayette street around 5:30 or 6:00 on thursday, the 22nd.
And you can always go online and look up the e- center, msu e- center, and find some more details.
Eric crosswhite: yeah.
And i'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun.
Jeffrey rupp: it's going to be a lot of fun.
And again, these are the types of community events we want to do, to just create that sense of place here in starkville.
Eric crosswhite: yeah.
Community and incorporating creativity too.
Jeffrey rupp: that's right.
And i would love to see a wcbi pumpkin in here.
Now that you could put bill head on it.
And i know he's retired, but he'd let you use his like.
Eric crosswhite: so many options.
Jeffrey rupp: we need a big, big pumpkin.
Eric crosswhite: absolutely.
Jeffrey rupp: nevermind, we can't find a pumpkin big enough to fit his head on.
Eric crosswhite: if you say so, jeff.
Anything that we need to add that we're forgetting about?
Jeffrey rupp: no, not at all.
Again, i appreciate your interest and invite folks just to come down to starkville and check out these activities.
Eric crosswhite: all right, jeff.
Thanks so much.
WCBI's Eric Crosswhite is joined by Jeffrey Rupp to discuss a workshop that will allow kids to build electric guitars