From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #108 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 Tuesday, June 6 2000 Volume 02 : Number 108 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] More Guitar Speak [RockinRonD@aol.com] [RS] More Guitar Advice [RockinRonD@aol.com] [RS] bloody hills and spanish inquisitions (sounds kinda messy) ["Wheeler] [RS] Girl without guitar ["sharon g" ] [RS] RE: Taylor vs. Martin [Ifung Lu ] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V2 #107 [SoccrDawg@aol.com] [RS] eek.. [SoccrDawg@aol.com] [RS] Learning to play. [Rongrittz@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 19:13:03 EDT From: RockinRonD@aol.com Subject: [RS] More Guitar Speak In a message dated 6/6/2000 11:58:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Charlie writes: << First a few caveats - guitars are made of wood, and like all natural products, wood varies. No two guitars of the same make and model will play or sound exactly alike, especially hand-made instruments. >> Right on Charlie--truer words were never spoke. When I first played my Martin SPD-16R I had already had a deposit on a Taylor cutaway that I loved, which was more expensive than the Martin. But the Martin sang to me in ways the Taylor didn't. I don't profess to be a masterful guitar player, but I HAVE been at it a long time, off and on. And the difference in the sound to me was easily recognizable. I've played other, more expensive Martins, from various years, and none sound as good as mine. Each guitar is individual, with its own personality and attributes. Best to play as many as you can until you find the one that speaks to you in a special way. Kind of like falling in love. Ron ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 19:37:21 EDT From: RockinRonD@aol.com Subject: [RS] More Guitar Advice In a message dated 6/6/2000 6:58:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, RonG writes: << ...finally, don't buy cheap. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to buy cheap because they don't want to make a big expenditure if they're thinking they might not stick with it. But it's a Catch-22-and-egg-self-fulfilling-prophecy. If you buy a cheap guitar, it'll sound bad, and if it sounds bad you won't want to stick with it. If you buy a cheap guitar, it may be difficult to play, and if it's difficult to play you won't want to stick with it. So buy the best you can afford, but don't spend a lot JUST to spend a lot. >> This is sage advice for anyone who wants to learn to play the guitar. But don't get hung up on names---whatever sounds great to you and feels good in your hands--that's your guitar. I recently played a Guild jumbo that blew my mind. I came close to plunking down $1,000 for it even though I need another guitar like a hole in my head. Guitar playing can be an addictive thing and collecting guitars is part of the joy. Ron ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 20:04:28 -0400 From: "Wheeler, Tina" Subject: [RS] bloody hills and spanish inquisitions (sounds kinda messy) Just catching up on digests...... Pat, in regard to his Leonard Cohen comments, remarked: Geez, I wasn't expecting some kind of Spanish Inquisition!! *Nobody* expects the Spanish Inquisition. Cardinal....get the comfy chair!! Oh no, sorry, didn't mean to start a Monty Python thread. On another note, RockinRon wrote: >Not that I'd ever consider camping at Falcon Ridge in this lifetime, but >"Reunion Hill" is a great name for a camping area comprised of Shindell Listers. to which Vanessa answered the call: >BTW, if people tend to concur with RockinRon's opinion (and I think "Reunion Hill" >would be a darn cool name for CampRichard, even if I do say so myself) I'll be glad to >make a big ol' sign and plant it right outside Fort Vanessa, so you all know which >tent to avoid. ;-) 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 there from the campgrounds and went on to apologize in advance to any municipal workers in attendance for the inevitability of the sign being gone by tomorrow. But hey, maybe they've replaced it by now. Vanessa, are you game for a midnight raid on the street sign? ;-) Anybody know of a CryCryCry Ave. anywhere? See you at Falcon Ridge, Tina ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 17:36:25 PDT From: "sharon g" Subject: [RS] Girl without guitar to respond to RONG as a girl who plays no guitar ONLY her stereo- YOu all seem like you are having so much fun talking about your instruments I say Keep on... not every thread is for everyone and I for one am learning something.. just my thoughts... sharon ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 22:18:28 -0400 From: Ifung Lu Subject: [RS] RE: Taylor vs. Martin Hello. Just quickly delurking for a little bit to add my two cents to this discussion... and then I will quietly fade away into lurkdom again. I totally agree with RonG about picking the guitar that feels and sounds the best to you (that best that you can afford, anyway.) I had picked up a cheap $200 guitar in college, and it was hard to play and didn't sound very good. As a result, I didn't play very much and didn't get very far in terms of learning how to play. Recently though, maybe six months ago, I started fooling around musically with a couple of friends at their house in some impromptu jam sessions, which inspired me to go out and buy a new guitar. When I went to the guitar store, I instantly fell in love with the look and the sound of this particular Martin DC-15E. Compared to what some of the people on the list seem to be playing, this is quite a modest guitar (although I was happy to read about RS playing one), but it was lightyears ahead of what I had been playing before. I love it to death. As a result, I have been playing a lot more, and I think I can safely say that I have improved a lot. One thing I did notice at the store is that each guitar, even if they are supposed to be the same, do sound different, so it is good to really connect with the guitar that you buy. BTW, thanks RonG and Ed Dupas for your RS guitar tabs! It's great to have something nice to play without having to figure out what the darn notes are. Best regards, Ifung Lu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 22:36:56 EDT From: SoccrDawg@aol.com Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V2 #107 I've been quiet on the guitar issue until now because I admit that I'm not a gearhead and have little to share on the matter. However, RonG said something that caught my attention: << And finally, don't buy cheap. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to buy cheap because they don't want to make a big expenditure if they're thinking they might not stick with it. But it's a Catch-22-and-egg-self-fulfilling-prophecy. If you buy a cheap guitar, it'll sound bad, and if it sounds bad you won't want to stick with it. If you buy a cheap guitar, it may be difficult to play, and if it's difficult to play you won't want to stick with it. So buy the best you can afford, but don't spend a lot JUST to spend a lot. >> I doubt that I'm the only one here who got their first guitar as a gift. I understand that most of the discussion has been from guitar connoisseurs. 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. No, I have no aspirations of playing for anyone aside from friends or roommates who happen to be at my house. I would like to upgrade because I have since played nicer instruments and know that it's something that I would like to treat myself to someday. 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. Maybe I'm just way too good at accepting my limitations but when I learned my first real song and compared it to the recorded version of it, I still was very proud of myself. The "sound" of the guitar didn't matter. I guess that's my two cents for a while. Hope everyone's having a good week... ..Nicole ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 22:38:10 EDT From: SoccrDawg@aol.com Subject: [RS] eek.. Doh! Yes, I know the subject line rule. I meant to change it before sending that last message. Sorry ListFolk. ..Nicole ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 23:17:48 EDT From: Rongrittz@aol.com Subject: [RS] Learning to play. << 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. >> I understand what Nicole's saying, and sure hope we're not coming across as a bunch of elitists. I really just wanted to say that it's always a good idea to buy the best instrument you can afford, and that better sound quality and easier playability are helpful when you're trying to learn. I guess the analogy would be that learning to drive a car without power steering or power brakes (do they even make cars like that anymore?), with a manual transmission, can make the entire driving/learning experience more daunting, more frustrating, and often less enjoyable. The better the tools, the better the performance, I think, and the better the peformance, the more you'll want to do it at all . . . in ANY endeavor. RG ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #108 ***********************************