I'm still putting the finish touches on "Salomila" an old Tahitian Slackkey piece as arranged by Fran Guidry http://www.youtube.com/user/Guitarpixx# … 4VE66NiCGE If anyone else is interested in the arrangement, Email me for tabs...
I've also been toying around with an acoustic take on Bing Crosby's "Swinging on a Star" http://www.youtube.com/user/Guitarpixx# … ATftJiWdkw though I'll be playing the parody by fretkiller more http://www.youtube.com/user/Guitarpixx# … o3jeHrZbWs
Last one would have to be "Worries" by Langhorne Slim http://www.youtube.com/user/Guitarpixx# … T2NMuzpWi4 This is a simple little song that I love to play! It's taken me a little time to get all the hammer ons just right but it's pretty much there....
601 2010-03-24 11:33:32
Re: The Last Three Songs............ (30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
602 2010-03-24 00:44:47
Topic: Any other Chordians getting the fishing bug? (34 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
It's been warming up nicely and the past few weeks my thoughts have kept straying to some time on the river.... I finally acted on it Saturday and pulled out my crow boat and hit the river for a few hrs just checking things out and marking some spots. Went back Monday and trolled for some crappie during the afternoon and set up for some blue and flathead fishing after dark. All in all some good days on the water 
No real crappie to speak of and the water's still high so the cats were slow but I did land 3 blues ranging from 15 to 34 lbs. I was fishing 1/2 pound bluegill on a #5 rigged on a slip float to about 12 ft... Anyone else getting the bug this time of year? -Pix
603 2010-03-20 16:00:05
Re: Question (8 replies, posted in Acoustic)
I'm with wayne on this... I prefer straight acoustic and then I'll add my own pickup system to the guitar if I want to plug in for live performances. Like Russ I almost always mic mine when recording though.
It's odd that you're finding the same model cheaper with electronics... They are usually higher in price. Not so much because of the electronics but because of the added manufactoring cost of the cut-aways that come on most acoustic electrics. Also remember, when looking for a natural acousic sound the amp plays a large role. An acoustic amp can make all the diffrence! -Pix
604 2010-03-18 21:20:40
Re: change 2nd & 3rd frets (4 replies, posted in Acoustic)
It's not hard but it's tedious.. You need patience and to do a lot of research beforehand. There are lots of things to learn even though none of them are really difficult.
If your not experienced with this kind of stuff, I'd also recommend you carry it to someone and have them do it for you.... But if you want to learn how and have some cash to invest in the minimal tools required, there's tons of good information to be found online. You're going to have to remove the frets so a fret puller needs to be bought (or you can make one for about 5-10 bucks) You'll need a soldering iron, fretting hammer, Fret leveler (a good straight file can be used for jobs this small), smaller files for fret end dressing and crowning (if you don't want to spend the $40 for a crowning file), Sandpaper, and maybe some tightbond glue. You'd probably have $40-$50 invested not including the wire... Radiusing the fret wire by hand and can be challenging the first few times you try...
I have the proper replacement wire here in the shop and would be happy to radius it on my machine and pre-cut the pieces and send them to ya for free plus a few spares, just in case.. 
A few links http://www.richbeckguitars.com/refretting/ http://www.frets.com/fretspages/Luthier … fret1.html http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/frets.htm
605 2010-03-18 02:57:00
Re: When did the "new cool tools" arrive? (11 replies, posted in About Chordie)
cameronkl7 wrote:
Im just curious, is everyone just now seeing this on the song pages, it's been on mine for a couple of months now, and as I remember someone had posted about this site even before it showed up on my computer, just curious I thought if others are just now seeing it.
Cam
It's been on there for a bit.... I had posted a link to the site (Songster) maybe 5-6 months back. -Pix
606 2010-03-11 23:00:25
Re: Reggae feel (2 replies, posted in Acoustic)
No time for a long post so I'll cheat and throw you a link http://www.how-to-play-reggae.com/How-t … c-way.html
The main components of reggae strumming are using up strokes, strum on the & or "offbeat", muted shuffles or strums, and shortening of sounded chords... -Pix
607 2010-03-03 21:10:48
Re: Remodeling and looking for recording space ideas. (6 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Thanks for all the great info Doug!
Yea I'm going small... All I want is a recording booth for acoustic guitar and vocals. I considered doing the whole room but didn't want to get into that kind of expence. This is just for me to tinker on my original recordings Would you recommend it being bigger for solo acoustic and vocals? Mine doesn't have to be no where near as professional as yours I plan to use heavey sound dampening insulation around the entire room so it should be fairly quite already and all I want is a small recording booth to keep any interior room noise out while I lay down tracks. For the short periods of time I'll be using it, I don't think I'll even have to ventilate it but we'll see once I spend a little time in there... Should I avoid 90* angles and work all corners as two 45's?
608 2010-03-03 18:22:45
Topic: Remodeling and looking for recording space ideas. (6 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
As some of you may have seen in other posts, I'm doing a "bit" of remodeling at the moment. It started off small Just open up one wall a little to open the floor plan between the dining and family room. Then it was expanding the doorway from the kitchen to dining to allow better flow there... Okay a few more walls could be moved and we don't use this hall closet so we can open that up as well...Oh look, Now this would be perfect for a stairway since it's already tore out and we have some room upstairs that could be tapped into. Oh man, I need to rewire all this old wiring before I cover it up with the 2nd story flooring. This old house is being run off of an old 75amp lead and buss panel so I might as well run a larger lead from the drop and upgrade to a 200amp Square D box before I add more to it. Hate to run old wire to a new panel so might as well rewire the lower section while I'm going.... That's where I stand at the moment, I should be through with the wiring this week. The stairs are done and all walls have been rebuilt and drywalled. I've been doing all this after work and on weekends and it's getting pretty old!! Been at it for almost 5 weeks now and am doing all the work myself... Well the wife is helping when she can and has proven to be an excellent gofor
I'm adding a bed, bath, and "my room" upstairs. My room is going to be 16 x 12. Just a general music room for my guits, percussion stuff, pc and recording equipment and a place for friends to come over and jam... Anyway, I'm wanting to close in a small corner of the room for just recording. I plan on soundproofing it so I can eliminate any outside noise (Ac/Heat, the Pc, and other little things that tend to creep in. So does anyone have any input on the proper size, angles, materials, etc...? I was thinking along the lines of a 5x6 or 6x6... Opinions? -Pix
609 2010-03-03 05:11:08
Re: What do you do for a living? (76 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
I'm a finish contractor... Sort of Like you I do most anything, remodels, cabinetry, furniture restoration, etc... I have a few guys that help me out and we handle mostly insurance work (Burn outs, flood, Storm damage, etc..). Nothing fancy but it puts food on the table and an occasional guit in the stable I stay pretty busy teaching on the weekends and doing set-ups and such for locals... When my regular work schedule allows, I build plywood 1 & 2 man boats for resale... -Pix
610 2010-03-01 22:02:51
Re: New Guitar purchased today (13 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Happy NGD Tony! Hope you enjoy her! I sold my classical (actually it was bought for my wife) to a friend a couple years ago and have really missed it. Really fun to play and I enjoyed the softer tones. As far as strings go: Here are a few good brands to consider..Savarez, Hannabach, La Bella (Professional series) and D'Addario.
Here's a few things to consider when looking for classical strings...
Tension -- Classic guitar strings are made in different tensions. They are: low tension also referred to as moderate or light, normal or medium tension, hard or high tension. There are some other tensions....
String material -- Treble nylon guitar strings can be made with clear or rectified nylon. Clear nylon strings are extruded and then calibrated for accuracy. Rectified nylon strings are extruded and then ground to produce a string that will play in tune. They have a very fine roughness of texture. Treble strings are also made of carbon fiber and composite materials. Bass strings are primarily made of bronze wire or silver plated copper wire wound around a core of fine threads. Silver wound strings tend to last longer than bronze wound but bronze has better tone (IMO)
Also keep in mind ,if you decide to lower the action, That nylon strings vibrate more due to reduced tension and therefore usually can't be as low as steel strings without buzzing... Just be sure to take it real slow with your adjustments and you should do fine with it -Pix
611 2010-03-01 21:43:33
Re: Strings for Martins (16 replies, posted in Acoustic)
Zurf wrote:
Guitarpix. One D18 us enough for any man. How about we start a new 'round the world' thread and send your spare D18. I volunteer to be the first recipient...
- Zurf
Sounds like a plan If I still had them I bought the first one about 2 years ago (2008 model) and then sold it about 3 months later... Then I bought a early 80's model last year but sold it after 3-4 months as well. The tone was fine on both but the necks just don't fit my hands well. I like more radius to my fretboards... Martins are rather flat which is great for bends and such since they don't fretout but that and the neck profile combined was just too uncomfortable in my hands for my playing style. I've had my eye open for a 000-15s for fingerwork though... Got to give them one more try before I wash my hands of them -Pix
612 2010-03-01 17:40:07
Re: Getting some buzz on the b and e strings. (6 replies, posted in Acoustic)
+2 on checking the humidity! Chances are that's the culprit. However, if that's fine, you may want to check your frets out. The b and e strings seem to be the first to get divets in the frets. The smaller diameter wears the frets faster. So you may need a little leveling and crowning done. If both of those are good I'd just give it a slight truss rod adjustment... For a mild buzz, 1/8 turn (counter clockwise/loosening) of the truss rod will more than likely solve the problem. You can pinpoint the bad or high fret that's causing the buzz by simply placing a piece of paper between the fret and string and see if the buzz mutes. Try that on the frets before and after the actual fretting point to see if it's a nut issue or bridge issue. If it quitens it when placed before the fretting point (towards the nut), the nut slots are probably worn, if after (towards the bridge) than the saddle could have some wear or need to be raised/replaced... If you find a single high fret you can spot sand it with some 600 to lower it and solve the problem.
Unless you have a usp (under saddle pickup) I'd choose bone over tusq. Tusq has a more consistent density resulting in more balance sound transfer for pickups. Bone sounds slightly better (IMO) but can be inconsistent with USP's causing some strings to sound more pronounced when plugged in. I'd think you could get a new saddle shaped and installed for aprox $50-60 including some minor set-up tweaking. -Pix
613 2010-03-01 17:13:39
Re: Strings for Martins (16 replies, posted in Acoustic)
Yep, I always used Martin SP 12-54's on my 2 D-18's. I tried several others ,like Wayne, but went back to the Martins. My 2nd choice was the Gibson Masterclass PB mediums... -Pix
614 2010-03-01 04:14:37
Re: I need help replacing an acoustic pickguard. (3 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Naptha works best and is safe on most all finishes. It can be purchased at most hardware stores... Ronsonol lighter fluid also works really well, seeing that it's 99% naptha. A little heat from a hair drier will soften the glue and ease removal as well. (Don't put the naptha on the guitar before heating. It's flammable!) Heat the guitar and then apply the naptha with a soft cloth. Gently work it in circular motions doing a small area at a time. Be careful not to get the guitar too hot when heating it... About 12 inches away in a fanning motion for a minute should suffice. -Pix
615 2010-02-27 01:18:09
Topic: Jason Reeves Request... (0 replies, posted in Song requests)
By chance, anyone know where I can find a tab for "Treefall" by Jason Reeves?? I know it's a long shot but worth a try Thanks!
616 2010-02-25 00:42:50
Re: best acoustic guitar for small woman (8 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Hey Alexis! Welcome to Chordie!
I think you'd be most comfortable with a parlor, 000, 00, etc.. or possibly even a folk or GA (Grand Auditorium)body size. It's really best if you can get out there and get some hands on playing at a local music store. Try a few diffrent sizes and see what's most comfortable for you. All we can do is guess.... But here's mine I'd consider either a parlor or 000. Here a great example of a nice sounding parlor in your budget http://www.artandlutherieguitars.com/ami.htm and here's a nice 000 in your budget http://elderly.com/also/new_instruments/items/RO07.htm What style of music do you plan to play? Strumming or fingerstyle?
617 2010-02-22 04:06:20
Re: Building a guitar (8 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
I haven't built an actual guitar... YET I plan to start one as soon as I can wrap up some other projects I have going on... I have built a tenor uke and am currently building a solid mahogany baritone uke. The sides are bent, top and back is cut and sanded to thickness. Back has been braced. I've rough cut the bracing for the top but haven't glued or shaped them yet. The neck and neck block are done and have been fitted for a dove tail joint. It's been at that stage for about 3 months now... Home projects (adding a second story and opening the existing floor plan) have been taking up my time recently. I have pictures of the build process and am planning on posting it when I get it closer to completion. I want to try a 14 fret 000 next... Redwood top with African blackwood back and sides. We'll see... It's probably a good year away but that's the plan It'll take that long to save up for the extra tools and build the molds/dishes.
I'd recommend you giving it a shot! Start off with something small like a restoration. You can usually find some nice vintage solid wood parlor projects on ebay for around $100-150 bucks for the ones worth saving. There's no better way to learn how to assemble something than to disassemble it The stewmac kits http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Kits.html are great from what I hear! Nice solid tone woods and a good complete kit with very thorough instructions. -Pix
Hee's a few links to some good forums that I also participate in that you'll find very helpfull if you decide to persue this... The OLF (Official Luthiers Forum) http://luthiersforum.com/forum/index.php and The Guitar Kit Forum http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/index.php The AGF has also recently opened a DIY category that you may like http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru … y.php?f=44
618 2010-02-22 03:21:49
Re: Bone Saddles (12 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
To Quote Bob Colosi... "Bone increases clarity and sustain, provides better overtones, and provides a better high to low end balance. It provides a much more “focused†high end and punchier low end, and is not at all shrill like some plastic saddles render the guitar. Additionally, bone will long outlast the factory installed plastic saddles."
That pretty much sums up my experiences as well... I have bone saddles in 5 of my acoustics, Tusq in one and am shaping an Ivory one now for the newest addition. It's the best upgrade in tone for the money that you can make (IMO).
As far as shaping them... You can order square blanks or ones that have been radiused to match your fretboard so you have only minimal fitting/adjusting to do. If you have a spare, you can remove the one you have in now and send it to get it matched and then just put it in... It really all depends on how much you want to invest.
You can find bones saddles at almost any music store. StewMac is a great online supplier that I use often http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_saddles/Acoustic_bridge_saddles/White_Bone_Saddles.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=42 Also Bob is a great guy to deal with http://www.guitarsaddles.com/products.asp Even ebay has loads of them...
619 2010-02-12 00:08:31
Re: Adding pickup to acoustic (5 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
I have the AER AK 15 Dual source http://www.ellisguitars.com/AER_Pickups.html in my S&P Showcase and it is very natural sounding. You can choose to run it only through the mic or the USP (undersaddle pickup) or any combination of the two. All controls are tucked neatly just inside the soundhole. Pricey but Very Highly recommended!!
I've installed K&K Pure Western mini's on 2 of my Yairis and they have a very natural tone as well. http://www.kksound.com/purewestern.html It's a passive system using three pick ups placed under the bridge plate. There is no battery or electronics involved but they run hot enough for just plug and play. A pre-amp is preferred but not really necessary. I'd also highly recommend these! Great acoustic tone when plugged in... They're easy to install and fairly affordable at just under $100.
620 2010-02-09 00:13:34
Re: Gone Going by Black Eyed Peas ft Jack Jonson (3 replies, posted in Song requests)
I'll get to it as soon as I can... Probably this coming weekend as a late night project I just tore a few walls out of the house and am in the process of opening up the floor plan and adding a second story... So much for my new guitar budget 
Glad you liked the acoustic version... You know that the song was originally done by Jack Johnson right? The BEP's just redid it... I like both versions myself Depends on the mood
Gotta run! The wife is cracking the whip and wants more progress before I rest for the day 
I'll email you a link to the vid this weekend... Peace! -Pix
621 2010-02-07 13:47:43
Re: Gone Going by Black Eyed Peas ft Jack Jonson (3 replies, posted in Song requests)
Here you go... http://www.yourchords.com/213151/Jack-J … -2-Chords/ Just swap out the lyrics for the Blackeyed Peas version...
This is actually one of my favorites to play... If it would help you out, I'd be happy to post you a tutorial with the chords and strumming patterns... Here's a great vid of Jack playing it solo in the studio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XFJnk-Nzk Just let me know about the vid! Peace! -Pix
BTW... Welcome to Chordie!!
622 2010-02-06 02:59:31
Re: When in doubt, play loud! (15 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Every once in a while ,when I'm playing songs I don't play very often, I'll screw up and play a wrong chord... I guess I'm thinking about a similar progression that I have been playing a lot when I do it... Anyway, when it happens to me I just change songs and label it a melody I'll just work through it and add a few more songs that flow with it into the melody mix
623 2010-02-02 04:37:07
Re: Should I set up my Guitar myself? (31 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
I don't think Tony is saying he's not practicing because it's too hard. He's still putting in the time but has to stop frequently. He just wants to be able to practice more and I think that's great Lowering his action 3/32 of an inch is considerable (IMO) That's reducing his fatigue by half and allowing him to practice for twice as long Yea he's still going to have to suffer through the pain to toughen his fingers and the time to build muscle memory but he'll get in more play time during the process. The progress/satisfaction you gain from being able to play longer and more comfortably is well worth the time it takes to set up a guitar (IMO). I think a lot of new players give up because of poorly set up guitars... Yea, if you want it bad enough you'll suffer through any setup but why do it if you don't have to?
I think every player should have a basic understanding of set ups and be able to do them ,to some degree, on their own... But that's just me -Pix
624 2010-02-01 20:54:22
Re: Should I set up my Guitar myself? (31 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Tony, Our next step will be to file the nut slots to their proper depth... I'll have the nut files you need in the mail tomorrow with directions for use and I'll send you some pics via email to aid in the process... Once we get the nut right we'll adjust the saddle and decide what relief you want/need before the final touches are made -Pix/Chris
I'll respond via email also...
625 2010-01-31 17:09:33
Re: NGD & bringing her back to life :) (8 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
naolslager wrote:
Guitarpix,
Interesting idea using the neck as a lever to tilt the bridge back. I've got an OLD 12-string with similiar issues and might give it a try. My concern is the forcemay casue the neck to bow which would make teh problem worse. Also, thanks for the tip about the dry guitar. I did not know the symptoms but would not want an igition source around the 12-stringer. It's as light as feather, and I'm sure, very dry.I'm not familair with you humidify process?
The tension on the neck isn't much with the rig I used... Just enough to to keep the top in the shape I want. The tension I'm applying is far less than it would normally have with strings tuned to pitch. As wood dries it shrinks and can cause the top to sink in.. When you hydrate it it swells and the tension from the rig is just to make sure that the majority of the swelling is caputered where it's needed. If not, the sides of the top could catch it and push the top further down. As far as the humidifing process, This video is very close to what I did http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB8tELj4 … re=related There's a part 2 in the related vids..