From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #109 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Wednesday, June 7 2000 Volume 02 : Number 109 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Still more guitar stuff ["David E. Briggs" ] Re: [RS] eekin' guitars [TRNMT@aol.com] [RS] Learning to play ["David E. Briggs" ] Re: [RS] bloody hills [ptpower@juno.com] Re: [RS] More guitar stuff. [John Andrew Clary ] [RS] Re: Cheap Guitars [ptpower@juno.com] Re: [RS] Still more guitar stuff ["L. Davis" ] [RS] bloody hills and petty theft at falcon ridge [Vanessa Wills Subject: [RS] Still more guitar stuff I love this guitar thread since I'm addicted to playing and collecting guitars. I hope non guitar-playing listers don't mind. Finding the guitar that sounds and feels right to you is obviously excellent advice. But I've found that what sounds and feels right to me is constantly evolving. I've had a Martin D-35 since high school and I used to brag about it's power and sound - until I played a Collings. I waited a long time and then finally bought a D-1. Then I bought a 000-2H for fingerstyle. In my mind there is just no comparison between Collings and any of the production line Martins, Taylors or Gibsons (I own one of all three.) As my playing has evolved, so has my ear. What used to sound good no longer does. And my style has changed too. I'm sure the other players on the list will agree that different guitars are right for different styles, different songs or different purposes. Maple vs. Rosewood vs. Mahogany. Wider nut widths, etc. That's why I was interested to hear why RS was playing a 000-15. I'm assuming it's because he didn't want to have a special guitar stolen. Or maybe he just liked the way that guitar sounded. By the way, does anyone share my enthusiasm for sunburst guitars? Or is this just way too off topic for the list? Dave ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 23:27:05 EDT From: TRNMT@aol.com Subject: Re: [RS] eekin' guitars In a message dated 6/6/00 10:53:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, SoccrDawg@aol.com writes: << However, I have to argue that starting out with a "cheap" guitar is a catch 22 situation. As for my experience as a beginner I have to say that when I finally started to be able to play recognizable chords and stuff from some of my favorite songs, it gave me the biggest thrill. The fact that I have a very cheap Fender meant nothing to me. I was ecstatic to have anything. My parents bought it for me with the idea that I probably wouldn't play it long. I still have it. >> snip << I guess my whole point was just that you don't have to have the best sounding guitar to START learning to play anymore than a 16 year old needs a Ferrari to get from point a to point b.>> After reading all the stuff from you real guitar players, Nicole came along with the above, and actually, I was going to chime in when my personal guitar guru, RonG wrote just about the same advice he gave me when I shopped for my guitar last fall. I bought, many moons ago, a cheap-o cookie cutter Epiphone which I treasured because a) I could afford it and b) it wasn't a hand-me-down like my first guitar, which fell apart. It is certainly nothing to write home about for its sound. Ron's advice and my limited ability to yearn for a really expensive instrument lead me to a low-end Larrivee, which, in comparison to the Epiphone, is incredible. So, did I get rid of the old Epiphone? No, I used it to overcome my fear of DADGAD (with thanks again to RonG), and you know, it sounds even better to me these days than ever. I have learned from my husband, who has played the pipe organ since he was a kid, that the organ has a soul and each one is different. I'm inclined to think that all instruments, especially those crafted with loving hands, are similar, even if breath is not rushing through them (just vibrating), as in the case of the guitar. NT ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 22:34:23 -0500 From: "David E. Briggs" Subject: [RS] Learning to play > Nicole said: > > I guess my whole point was just that you don't have to have the best > sounding guitar to START learning to play anymore than a 16 year old needs a > Ferrari to get from point a to point b. I think that one truly should start > playing and find out if they have the desire necessary before making a major > investment, unless of course you have the money to burn. > Excellent point. Why spend a lot of money if you're not sure you even want to play. I learned to play on a $10 guitar that my Mom picked up at a garage sale when I was in 6th grade. But I think Ron's advice is especially good for adults. It's harder to learn anything as an adult - if only because of the time constraints. Having a nicer guitar sure makes it easier. Dave ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 23:48:55 -0700 From: ptpower@juno.com Subject: Re: [RS] bloody hills Tina noted: <> I forgot to mention when I saw Richard a few weeks ago that on the first night of my three-show week, I thought I heard Richard sing "Bloody HELL" in "Arrowhead." I thought it was just me, however, and basically forgot about it. When I saw him either the next night or at the third show, I listened *very* closely and he indeed sang "Bloody HELL. Can anyone else corroborate this? Pat ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 20:57:44 -0700 From: John Andrew Clary Subject: Re: [RS] More guitar stuff. Ron friendily taunted: << John and I have actually discussed this privately, and I think we agree to disagree on Taylors. >> Ron, I said some nice things about Taylor!!! =) I realize that this thread could go on and on, so if any non-guitar-playing members (besides Sharon G -- thanks for your indulgence) want this thread to end I'm cool with taking it off-line or letting it die. What it all comes down to for me is this: If Richard changed guitars today to something completely different I would still love his music AND I am really appreciating all of you -- how this community conducts it's friendly discussions and has made me feel welcome. j a c - -- mailto:drewclary@juno.com mailto:clry@chevron.com "Given a Chance and a Rock see which One breaks a Window / and See which one Keeps me up All night and Into the Day" Derek Webb ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 23:40:04 -0700 From: ptpower@juno.com Subject: [RS] Re: Cheap Guitars Ron wrote: <> My first guitar was an Ovation. Don't ask me what possessed me to buy such a piece of ________ because I can only recall walking into the store and saying something like, "I'll take this one." That was at a time when I didn't have a clue as to what a *good* guitar sounded like, and at a time when I didn't know what *I liked* with regard to guitar sounds. I had the guitar for a number of years, always wondering why it sounded like such a piece of __________ compared to the guitars my friends had (one had a Martin and most of the others seemed to have Yamahas. My roommate had a *real* cheap guitar that even sounded better than mine!). After getting married and getting away from playing, I sold the guitar to someone who was in a rock band -- I guess they sound considerably better amplified. To get to my point . . . After a couple of years without a guitar (this was probably twelve years ago), my then-wife bought a twelve-string for me from a friend of hers for $80 or something. It's a Madeira with a bowed neck and buzzing frets and is in generally bad condition. It set for a long time before I was inspired again to pick it up and begin to play it. The more I played it the more I got used to its shortcomings. More importantly, however, the more I played it, the more I realized that I had left a very important aspect of my life behind. Not only did I quickly improve as a player, but I began writing songs for the first time in my life (well, except for one that I wrote in 1975!!). I guess the moral then, is . . . Yeah, it might be cheap, and it may not be the best sounding guitar, but if you can learn what you can on it before moving on, it may have more value than what first your glance (or listen) might want you to believe. I have since moved up to a low-end Martin -- a D1R, which (after I compared it to a thirty-year old D-28) I decided sounded close enough to the sound I was looking for, and that I'd buy the *new* guitar for the warranty; I also figured that the D1R would only get better with age. Pat ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 23:58:01 -0400 From: "L. Davis" Subject: Re: [RS] Still more guitar stuff "David E. Briggs" wrote: > > I love this guitar thread since I'm addicted to playing and collecting guitars. I hope non guitar-playing listers don't mind. well, we like knowing that the "experts" like Richard too, it's sort of the guitar-player's seal of approval. Bet he'd like it. lisa ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 00:02:53 -0400 From: Vanessa Wills Subject: [RS] bloody hills and petty theft at falcon ridge "Wheeler, Tina" wrote: > A couple of years ago at FRFF when RS introduced Reunion Hill and Arrowhead, > he happened to mention that Bloody Hill Road was right down the street > Vanessa, are you game for a midnight raid on the street sign? ;-) Sounds good to me! Can we pick up a Kenworth, too? ;-) - --Vanessa, who always means to learn the guitar, cuz you guitar-people always look like you're having so much fun, but is first trying to get herself back to her piano after years of neglect. ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #109 ***********************************