You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Posts by Tenement Funster
Thanks, Amy!
My Larrivee gives me lots of "boom for the buck", and even moreso since I bought it a few years ago and the wood has opened up a bit. It's great for open playing, but when mic'd it's just too overwhelming and hard to manage. I'm gradually learning more finger-style music (got a long ways to go) so the slightly sharper tone of the rosewood seems to favor this a bit more.
Great question about heat type, Uncle Joe!
We have electric baseboards throughout, on energy-efficient, programmable thermostats for consistency. Upon your suggestion about simply putting a pot of water on, my wife has "loaned" me a couple of metal bread pans, which I've filled with water and put on top of the heater in the man cave. We'll see how that works for a week or so, before investing in something.
Very helpful ... thanks!
Paul Simon uses different types of "rhyming" here and there, which often involves similar sounding syllables, or alliteration.
"There were incidents and accidents" (You Can Call Me Al)
"The boy in the bubble and the baby with the baboon heart" (Boy in the Bubble)
Very creative stuff, and fun to sing also.
2 deg. this morning, had about all the "global warming" I can stand.
Love this comment ... LOL! I'm not in denial about climate change, but it does seem that in my 57 years there have always been wild year-to-year fluctuations in weather patterns.
This year, we didn't really see any snow until mid-January, with above freezing temps all through December. But now it's piled up with a vengeance!
Last year (2013-2014), we had snow running steadily from late-November to early-April, but never in quantities like this year.
The year before (2012-2013), I don't think I started the snowblower any more than 3 times all winter.
And it has always fluctuated like this here in Nova Scotia, where I've lived all my life. A lot of that has to do with living by the ocean, where we can get colder Labrador air one day, replaced by warm Gulf Stream air the next. It's not unusual to have 20 - 30 degree temperature fluctuations in a 24 hour period, which drives us all a bit nuts at times.
When my boys were small, they loved when I played this one for them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY__agG_eXc
Bruce Cockburn "Wonder Where the Lions Are"
I can still picture my youngest (Timothy) bouncing around to it in his high chair, trying to sing and flinging Alpha-Ghetti everywhere. He's 29 now, and still loves music and Alpha Ghetti.
BGD, what a great idea for Chordie thread! I think we're all feeling honoured to be asked for song requests; thank-you. You and your girlfriend are setting off on a wonderful adventure as parents. Enjoy!
Winter is firmly entrenched here, and with that comes the drying out of the air. My Larrivee has a very slight tell-tale hump at the neck joint and the accompanying string buzz, which is a sure sign that it's too dry in here. Probably my other 2 acoustics are also, although there are no symptoms yet. We have a dehumidifier which runs constantly from May - September, to maintain a 55% humidity downstairs in the humid months. It's only a one-way device, and says that we're around 35% RH right now ... too dry.
I know there are those little sound-hole humidifier gadgets, but I haven't heard many guitarists speak well of them. They seem to just be a band-aid solution. I'm sure a number of you can recommend a decent humidifier that I could put in the music room, without having to break the bank.
Recommendations, please?
Thanks, DE!
That's a good review, and there are several others which were helpful. The first priority was that it had to sound good unplugged, which it certainly did. I found (to my ear) that the rosewood body gives it a bit more tightness at the bottom end with not quite as much boom (which Zurf says I should embrace ... great comment!). The other contender for a spruce/rosewood, with cutaway + pickup is this beauty from Eastman:
http://www.eastmanguitars.com/acoustic- … um-ac422ce
The upside is that the Eastman has a 1 3/4" nut, which is the wider neck that I prefer, it sounded very good and seemed to "fit me" a bit better. The downside is that I'll need to add a pickguard (piece of cake) and the Fishman Matrix V wasn't quite as good sounding pickup system as a the Yamaha SRT. Nice to find a couple of good all-solid-wood guitars in the sub $1,000 price range. It's going to take a while to save the dough, so I'll waffle back and forth a lot. It's a wonderful torment!!!
I haven't found too many other sites that have as comprehensive a library as Chordie ... well done to the Mods for this!
Once in awhile, I might find one at www.songsterr.com that isn't on Chordie, but that's about it.
Chordie is #1
Having a major G.A.S. attack!!!
I got to play that Yamaha A3R on Monday, and it sounded amazing. I had a preconceived notion of most Yamaha's being entry-price-point guitars, so my expectations were demolished by how great it sounded. There's no doubt that the all-solid mahogany / rosewood blend produces the sound I like best from an acoustic. The guitar sounds, feels and looks like a top end instrument ... period.
Their proprietary SRT pickup system is also worth mentioning. I plugged it into Peavey Valveking 112 (a 50-watt, single speaker version of what I have) and the sound was pure acoustic tone with all the warmth and ambience of a high-end mic system. I also like that the pickguard wraps around the soundhole to the base of the neck. I like to pick a lot of Jethro Tull material there, and most pickguards don't protect that part of the instrument. A minor detail, that I can only recall seeing on some Guild guitars.
So ... at under $1,000, this is definitely worth saving for. Any Chordians own a Yamaha A3R? What do you think of it?
I spoke to the luthier I go to about this, who also builds guitars, mandolins, and banjos. He immediately recommended the L. R. Baggs "Lyric":
http://www.lrbaggs.com/pickups/lyric-ac … microphone
It's really a microphone and not a pickup, so it will work with any type of strings on an acoustic instrument. He says he's installed several dozen of them, and every recipient has been more than pleased with the results, both for studio work and live performance. Most of his customers are bluegrass performers, who wanted to get rid of the clumsiness of a microphone setup for stage use. This way they can plug into an amp, and not worry about mixing into the PA system.
A standard scale Classical guitar is 65cm, and some manufacturers do make strings which they claim are optimized for the shorter or fractional scale instruments.
I'm not familiar with the Aquila brand, although they are reputed to be one of the world's premier string makers. They apparently use different nylon formulations for a different sound & feel, as you've already pointed out. I personally use the D'Addario Pro Arte Composites on mine, with the "G" string being a composite that softens the sound transition from the wound strings to the nylon strings:
http://www.daddario.com/DADProductFamil … amilyid=27
It might be a good idea to email Aquila to find out for sure:
http://www.aquilacorde.com/contacts/
Good luck to you in your search!
A tip of the hat to the snow clearing crews and emergency workers here in the Valley. Looking a bit better today, with roads starting to get opened even if many are just one lane for the moment:
Anglagard "Jordrok" Sweden, 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMebru4Mcsc
When not moving snow, most of the weekend has been spent recuperating from moving snow, and enjoying some music. This recorded rehearsal of Swedish prog group Anglagard is quite good, both from the playing and sound quality captured. I really like the biting sound of Johan Brand's Rickenbacker bass ... no other guitar sounds quite like it.
Trivia note: The name "Jordrok" is the Swedish name for a plant called "Fumitory". Among other things, ancient alchemists and exorcists claimed that the smoke of the burning Jordrok had the ability to expel evil spirits. I guess it must really reek!
Enjoy!
Topdown ... don't feel guilty! We'd be flaunting it if we could, but here's what we're dealing with:
My wife and I are coming to stay with you, at least until the end of March! (LOL)
After spending the morning out with the snowblower and shovel, I found a VW Golf under the snow (my wife's) and not long after my own VW Jetta. Both are diesels, and both started with the first turn of the key. They were completely buried, and I thought afterwards what a great commercial this would make for VW. I can't recall seeing this much snow accumulation in the past 10 years here ... absolutely foolish.
It's 9:30 AM here in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, and we're well into a blizzard that's forecast to dump 50+ centimeters (24") of snow on us today. The snow along both sides of my driveway is already at least 6' high, and I'm going to need stilts for my snowblower to get this new mess cleared out. Good day for hot chocolate, watching some soccer on TV, tying some flies, and of course ... some guitar time.
Didn't notice that, Doug .... thanks for pointing it out. Whatever the motives for Blackcap145's query, it's still fun to have an excuse to look into issues like this a bit.
Just from looking at an online photo of the Wilson, I'm wondering if a Tune-O-Matic bridge (like for a Gibson SG or Les Paul) wouldn't work as a substitute:
Here's a pic of the tune-o-matic:
A number of on-line companies like All Parts sell them, and I would think a half decent luthier could replace it and set it up properly.
The funniest and perhaps most daring audience interaction I've ever seen is this bit from Ian Anderson, promoting prostate examinations and cancer prevention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d3_gOPwSc0
It's done with humour, but one has to appreciate the importance of getting this message out. On that note, I sincerely hope all you +50 year old Chordie guys are having your annual exam. A bit of discomfort is better than eventually discovering a fatal problem.
Hope to catch some of the tournament on TV.
My oldest son (now 33) played full contact rugby throughout High School (tight head prop), and also played one year for Nova Scotia's provincial team, also as a prop. Some goof illegally shoulder-tackled his right leg and his knee was destroyed. Three surgeries later, and it was the end of his rugby career.
Rugby is an awesome game to watch, and with a basic grasp of the rules, the spectator can really appreciate the strategy and grit of a well-coached squad. I wish we had "Sevens" programs years ago, so younger men & women (12 - 15 yrs old) could start playing earlier and learn the game before the heavy contact starts.
DE, that's an amazingly well-written piece of poetry. All I can say is "Wow!" For all of us anglers on the site, the metaphors and imagery are spot on. Yup ... wow!
Since we're including other hobby gear collections, better insert the fishing rods. That would be 5 fly rods, 6 spinning rods, and 2 baitcasters, all in various weights or lengths for various species, conditions, etc. ... or so I tell my dear wife! The 3 kayaks are for when I'm guiding clients for smallmouth bass or trout fishing.
Some favorites that I like to play on 12-string are:
"Over the Hills and Far Away" (Led Zeppelin)
"Wish You Were Here" (Pink Floyd)
"Kashmir" (Led Zeppelin)
"Bron-Yr-Aur" (Led Zeppelin)
"And You and I" (Yes)
"Supper's Ready" (Genesis)
"Entangled" (Genesis)
To me, these songs just don't sound right any other way, except obviously "Kashmir". The electric version is played with DADGAD tuning, but my 12-string version plays well in A with standard tuning and open chording.
Magenta "Metamorphosis" Bath, England 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdCvDEO7nGM
Originating from Wales, Magenta was formed in 1999, with 12 studio albums and 4 live albums to date. This is an "unplugged" version of the title track from their 2008 album of the same name, recorded at Peter Gabriel's "Real World Studio" in front of an intimate audience of 60 people. There are great guitar and string arrangements throughout, and singer Christina Booth's clear and expressive voice punctuates the piece nicely. I'm a real fan of the so-called "unplugged" format for Prog Rock, and bands that do it well often exceed the quality of their full-blown electronic versions.
Tenement Funster wrote:The now-defunct "Wyse Owl Beverage Room" in Dartmouth, NS was never the same after Dutch hit it big. Good tune, Badeye!
You've seen dutch live I bet T.F, . Great performer, Great person.. got to play harp with dutchie at a kitchen party years ago, what fun,,,bout three in the morn he asked me where I got my chops,, I was humbled.
badeye
I only saw Dutch live once, and I was about 20 years old (37 years ago). I may have mentioned this here before, but it was a show at the Wyse Owl this one night. Dutch had drank way too much, and managed to tumble off the stage during a song. A table broke his fall, and after a short break they carried on. We all got a big laugh out of it, and I don't think Dutch was any worse for wear. It was at the outset of his career, and he was just doing small bar gigs around Sydney <-> Halifax <-> Dartmouth in those days.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Posts by Tenement Funster
