Guitar Players: What Do You Think?

Subject: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 13 May 02 - 10:31 PM

Check this out.

Comments?

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 13 May 02 - 10:36 PM

Seems like a "Why bother?" to me.

Don

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: pict
Date: 13 May 02 - 10:41 PM

Interesting I'd like to try it.I suspect it won't sound very much like a mandolin though,and let's face it if you can play the guitar reasonably well you should be able to pick up the mandolin fairly easily so why bother with this octave guitar unless it has an especially distinctive tone.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Amos
Date: 13 May 02 - 10:44 PM

Looks like a REALLY portable guitar, meanning you could take it anywhere easily, whip it out in odd locations and really do a number on those Blue Ball Castrati Blues (Squeeking on home, momma!) Yeah!!

But...well it would be fun to have, a conversation piece, but unless I was a lot more affluent than I am, not my first call for placing money on.

A

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 13 May 02 - 11:40 PM

An interesting idea. Though I like the lower resonances on the guitar (which is why I also have an octave mandolin). I would be concerned about spacing for my left hand on the fret board. I sold the first Taylor guitar I had to my significant other because I was starting to have problems with the narrow neck. Might be just the thing for some players.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: michaelr
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:20 AM

Yes, string spacing would certainly be a concern. But so would the tuning: on the mandolin, tuned in fifths, it's a comfortable hand position, with the crossovers at the seventh fret. Tuned like a guitar (in Fourths), I suspect things would get cramped.
Looks cute, though.

Michael

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:20 PM

I wouldn't mind test driving one, just fer laughs...

I wonder how it sounds in DADGAD??

;-)

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:59 PM

Looks like it might be an interesting tool to add sparkle to a recording or dull performance but I'd have to guess that, just as the six-string banjo doens't really sound like a banjo (it doesn't have the same open string on the same inversions), I assume that it wouldn't sound very mando like. That's without even the consideration that the strings aren't double courses (unless tuning keys are hidden like the Rick elecrtic 12's.

I have a friend who does essentially the same thing by using the Papoose.

JH

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:11 PM

Interesting ya...

But at $1945.00, it's not THAT interesting...

pass...

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:51 PM

I agree with all the comments here -- that it wouldn't sound much like a mandolin, because the tuning is different, the strings aren't in pairs, etc., and that trying to play guitar on an instrument this small could really cramp your style. I think that if people want to play mandolin, they should play mandolin. The tuning in fifths takes some getting used to, but it can be done, and once you master it you find that it actually makes more sense for a small instrument like this. I was a guitar player who decided some years ago to incorporate mandolin into my arsenal, and I have definitely benefited from the experience.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 03:45 PM

I've seen James Keelaghan and Garnet Rogers playing the electric 12 string octave guitar... it's a neat change in a 'guitar' show... but like I said above, not neat enough that I'm gonna unpocket that kinda scratch...

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: greg stephens
Date: 14 May 02 - 03:47 PM

$1945? Well, as my old Granny always said, a fool and his money are soon parted.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: SharonA
Date: 14 May 02 - 04:48 PM

I'm with John Hardly and Whistle Stop; it would have to have 12 strings to interest me... but then it would have such a wide neck and bridge as to look even weirder than it does now!

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 05:28 PM

The octave 12 string

http://www.fbass.com/georgepersweb/octave12.htm

;-)

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: C-flat
Date: 15 May 02 - 02:44 PM

A while ago I saw Elton John in concert and Davy Johnstone, his main guitarist/musical director used one of these on a couple of numbers. At least, he seemed to be using one of these judging from the guitar-type chord shapes he was using. I have to say it sounded very much like a mandolin and I, for one, would like to try one out.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 15 May 02 - 03:27 PM

I'm barely competent on the guitar, and have learned a few songs on the mandolin, but don't think I would do more than take it for a test drive. Especially at that price!

Steve

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 15 May 02 - 04:03 PM

I think I'd rather capo up to about the 9th fret on my guitar and save about $1300.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: pict
Date: 15 May 02 - 04:28 PM

There's no way I'd buy it for anything like that price.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Steve-o
Date: 15 May 02 - 04:30 PM

PERFECT (what Les B. said)!! What a dopey idea- if it won't sound like a guitar, why play it like a guitar?? Somebody at Gibson has way too much time on his hands.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: GUEST,Mike Billo
Date: 15 May 02 - 04:49 PM

This is truly a musical hermaphrodite. A little bit of both but not nearly enough of either to suit anybody.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Mooh
Date: 15 May 02 - 05:31 PM

Previous comments notwithstanding, what's wrong with the idea of a differently configured guitar? It is not a mandolin for alot of reasons, but we are quite accustomed to bass, tenor, baritone, virtual tuned, alternate tuned, various scale length, guitars. All this one does is take the short scale length to an extreme. It seems to me that it would be real cool as an overdubbing tool, second or third guitar in a guitar heavy combo, as a travel instrument, or as a novelty instrument for unique arrangements. I wouldn't want to pay list price for it, but when I think of what folks spend on smokes, booze, betting, cars which don't run, boats which don't float, and any number of other hobbies, the expected street price ain't all that bad...and I'd be paying Canadian dollars (gasp!) if I had them.

I think I'd try it tuned to CGDABE or CGDGBE for a wider range of notes and yes, a tuning of (partially) fifths for that virtual-mando sound. Even in standard tuning it would be fun.

It would be a different sound for sure, neither mandolin nor guitar, and different sounds work, imho.

I want one.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: 53
Date: 15 May 02 - 07:22 PM

Nice looking guitar but I can not buy any more guitars right now. Bob

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 May 02 - 07:32 PM

The wheel is reinvented again. Trapezoidal with an eccentric axle.??????

I'd have to expect that it sound more like "tin(n)y guitar" than like a mando - since without the double course strings it would be an efficient meat slicer at mando pitch.

I'd be more curious to hear it first, rather than to play it.

With the Gibson name, one might expect to see one out in the real world fairly soon, though.

John

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 15 May 02 - 10:12 PM

I'm kinda surprised there's no 'sound samples' anywhere to be had...

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Jim Krause
Date: 15 May 02 - 10:57 PM

It's almost trying to be an 18^th century wire strung guittar I think I'd rather play the real thing.
Jim

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: GUEST,Bullfrog Jones (on the road)
Date: 16 May 02 - 12:16 PM

I've mentioned in a couple of other threads (most recently about Eko guitars)that I have a hybrid instrument made up of an Eko guitar neck and a round-backed mandolin body. This makes for a really good travel guitar, small enough to go in an overhead locker (at least pre September 11) and the depth of the body gives it enough resonance to be heard, unlike, say, the Martin Backpacker which is too thin to have any oomph.And it has a pickup. All of which cost me 75 English quids on Milton Keynes market!

BJ

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Fortunato
Date: 16 May 02 - 12:26 PM

the idea is good. but it's ugly.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: DADGBE
Date: 16 May 02 - 12:50 PM

It brings to mind banjo-guitars, mo-peds, suburbs and other hybrids which look good on paper but which combine their parents' worst features.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: Anahootz
Date: 16 May 02 - 03:15 PM

I have heard rave reviews from the guys that have played it, and Gibson seems to be doing a brisk business in them...and $1900 is Gibson's MAP, not the actual, out the door price.

Not having played one myself, and a mandoholic to boot, I do think that they are a bit off base...stick to mandos, stick to guitars, no need to mix em up.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: John Hardly
Date: 19 May 02 - 11:04 PM

I was up at Elderly's on Friday and I got a chance to play around on one. My impressions were -- it sounds great, but it was VERY hard for me to play. 1. its string courses are so close that chording was nearly impossible for me. Whipping off a fiddle tune wasn't too bad once I could convince my brain that, though I was holding a mandolin, I had to finger it for the guitar. I constantly reached for the mando chords and scales.

It wasn't anything like a baby Taylor or a Papoose -- it really much more approximated the mandolin sound. I would highly recommend trying one -- it could really add sparkle to a set or recording.

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 20 May 02 - 09:11 PM

Personally, I'm not sure the left hand is the problem, given that chording a mando isn't what it's entirely about.

As to the converse of the proposition, getting a mando-playable instrument that sounds more guitarish, just get a "cuatro" and tune it like a mandolin with an extra bottom string.

CC

Subject: RE: Guitar Players: What Do You Think?
From: harpmaker
Date: 20 May 02 - 09:41 PM

"cuatro" just curious, did Penguin Cafe incude this instrument? John.