MOTM

I've posted a couple of my favorite pictures of Larry at my website. I
just don't have words to express what I feel right now.

Moe
www.hotrodmotm.com

Oh no. I told Paul S recently that life was too short. I am so sad to
realize how stupid that comment was.  Life *is* too short, and I'd
like to follow Larry's example and make this most out of it in the
kindest, most helpful way I can.

How completely unfair.

Mike

The cables I ordered from him just got here in the mail.

Spooky.

PLL, BFG

I just got back into town and have read the terrible news.

I never met Larry.  We had planned to meet several times over the last 
few months, but somehow either his day job or mine always managed to 
sidetrack the plans we had made.  
Neverless, Larry was my friend.  We spoke many times.  
Everytime there was a question, every time there was a problem, 
everytime someone needed help on this group, Larry was there.
He made a difference.  He was a very large part of why the MOTM 
community is so very special.

He will be missed, but not forgotten.  
I'd like to think that his spirit will remain connected to all those 
musical instruments he helped build, and to all those who are part of 
this wonderful group.

May God rest his soul.

Needless to say it's been a long, sad day for me. The outpouring on this list, 
the guestbook and other places has kept me going since this morning. I have a 
package here with parts ready to ship to him. It will be a while until I can 
unpack it.

Larry was the "niceness standard" on any Internet group. I tried several times 
to give him money for his efforts, which he always refused. I chastised him for 
sell stuff too cheap, he joked that he was planning to get "up to $2/hr at some 
point". When I ordered some cases with flat rails, he *installed them* for free. 
To say he went out of his way to help people is a gross understatement. It would 
not surprise me 1 bit if he, in reality, made no money whatsoever for helping 
*me*, someone he had only met 1 time (at NAMM). How many of us have done the 
same?

We can all learn from Larry's example: that helping people is the best reward. 
He was technically customer #6, but will always be #1 in my heart.

I cannot imagine what his family is experiencing right now.

Paul S.

It's in it's nature that incedents like this are very, very saddening.
I'm thousands of miles away from where Larry and Anne used to live and 
practically not more than just a pretty small customer.
But mostly due to Larry's generous spirit, his kindness and last but not 
least his special sense of humour it was always inspiring and fun to 
share some thoughts with him or just having funny small talks like 
showing on aerial shots where each others place is etc.

I remember when I received my bunch of flat rails how speechless I was 
when I reconized how carefully the parts where wrapped and packed and 
when I saw the personal note Larry included.
Lots of efforts were put into this little heavy parcel.


I received Moe's sad message here on the list shortly before I left for 
seeing some friends.
An hour later when they recognized my mood I just replied "a friend and 
his wife got killed in an accident".

How come that I call someone that far away, a guy that I never met in 
person, I never talked too on the phone, a friend?

That's what's so special about Larry. Trust, openess, straightness, 
kindness, spirit, helpfullness ... you all already named it ... this is 
what makes the quality of contact we had when we where in touch with 
this great fellow.

And then ...

I just re-read Larry's last post to this list. That's tough - really.

...

I'm not sure if that makes sense what I'm saying at the moment and 
sometimes I feel a lack of language.
I just needed to express that, couldn't keep it for myself.

However, if I were a sprayer I'd give it a big nice "Larry" on some wall 
here in the city.

Best wishes, Michael.

Ok. It's taken me a day to soak this in but I'll add some thoughts. You  know 
for an instant I thought (was desperately hoping) that this was (another)  
one of Larry's wonderful/sick/silly jokes which I loved so much. Many will  
remember that seemingly every March 31 there would be some ridiculous post from  
Larry which after scrolling many lines would conclude with the (obvious) words  
"April Fools"!
 
I never met Larry in person, but he was one of the first people I "met"  
online back in April of 96. I think we both got on sdiy at the same time and he  
had just purchased a "vintage" PAiA 2700 (I think) without any envelope  
generators. He asked if EGs were important and how many he needed in  his system. My 
reply was 12 minimum: more if you had a larger system!
 
When this MOTM list was first going, Larry, Dave and I quickly hijacked the  
rather small, dormant or rather nascent list. We used it slightly productively 
 for musing and daydreaming of what MOTM might (and would) become: different  
powerful modules and how we could best use them. But we also (happily!) 
abused  the list with our absurd outlandish and typically sophomoric humor. I 
always  thought that period in the MOTM list really brought a sense of community to 
 the group, but as the list grew bigger, all the OT stuff became unmanageable 
to  the list.
 
I was really impressed that the "other two Stooges" could grow beyond this  
and realize the dreams and whims of those early days and get some of these  
wonderful MOTM "helper" modules out to us lowly users; and then to watch Larry  
branch out to the cable and cabinet business was an even bigger commitment. And 
 the pictures Moe posted; damn, those guys ARE brothers!
 
So while I've been thinking of how I will miss Larry, and how I regret not  
being in touch with him more in recent months, the thing that I have really 
been  thinking of is the great humorous exchanges we had; I've been smiling all 
day  thinking about some of them. All the self deprecation and mutual 
(Stoogelike)  insults we'd hurl at each other in good fun.
 
I'm reminded of an e-mail exchange with Larry I had in the summer of 2002.  I 
had just taken some time off work and was looking forward to attending a few  
shows by The Who who were just starting there tour. Unfortunately, John  
Entwistle hadn't taken my schedule into account and chose that week to die.  
Larry's reply (jumping to the set-up as I knew he would) was that JE was an  
"inconsiderate bastard!"
 
So in that spirit, I am shaking my fist at the sky, "but Larry! How can you  
leave me now!? I don't yet have enough of these high quality cables in these  
beautiful translucent colors! And what about the warranty?"
 
I guess the way I want to honor Larry is to be more giving, patient, and  
considerate. He made my world a much better place, I should do  the same for 
others.
 
John (Stooge) Barlow