instruments: does appearance matter?

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: John P
Date: 11 Feb 19 - 08:11 PM

JennieG: A battered, bent and bruised instrument, on the other hand, can send the message that its owner doesn't care about looking after what can be an expensive investment......and if they don't care about their instrument, what else don't they care about? Playing well? Annoying or boring an audience with a crap performance?

Or one might think that the musician is a long-time musician who probably knows what they are doing. I take very good care of my instruments. They are well-setup, well-maintained, clean, and freshly strung. After thousands of gigs in bars, at weddings, in restaurants and coffee houses, at street festivals, and at folk dances, they are no longer pristine.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: leeneia
Date: 11 Feb 19 - 10:12 PM

I suppose expense is a factor, but I take care of my instruments because they are my friends. We have a close relationship, because they are the intermediaries between my musical soul and my listeners.   

For example I once told someone, you don't play the recorder, the recorder plays you.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 06:34 AM

I take care of my instruments but it didn't stop some cretin sitting on my Fylde mandolin many years ago.

Dave H

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: gillymor
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 06:34 AM

The quality of someone's performance has nothing to do with the appearance of their instrument, it's determined by the quality of the actual performance. The late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn was often seen ripping it up on his old beaten up Strat, which probably helped give rise to the vogue of distressing new instruments as mentioned above.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Will Fly
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 06:54 AM

There has been a vogue since Victorian days for giving violins an artificially aged look. I bought a new Jay Heide violin some years ago, purely on the qualities of volume, tone and feel, and accepted the ageing look on the exterior. I would have preferred a non-aged model - particularly for the price I paid - but one was not to be had.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: gillymor
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 06:57 AM

...conversely, I remember a doctor with an immaculate pearl Martin who would regularly show up and perform at a open mic I used to run and he was painful to listen to. Nice guy, though.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 10:02 AM

Some instrument builders, notably Gibson had period of roughing the finish up on new mandolins and calling them ' distressed ' to save you the bother of wearing it in naturally.

I can easily do this myself.

Dave H

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: leeneia
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 12:16 PM

Fake distress is one thing. Being rough on the instrument so that it buzzes or splits affects both the appearance, the longevity and the sound. Take care of the appearance and you are also taking care of the sound.

Too bad about the mandolin, Dave. I'm sorry to hear that happened.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 01:17 PM

Lacquer checking seems to be far more common among Gibson guitars than most other brands. I used to consider that to be a negative, but I've developed an appreciation for the crackled look as my own J-45 has aged. It reminds me a bit of white crackle raku pottery, which I love. As long as chunks of lacquer don't start falling off the guitar, no problem.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 01:38 PM

T was delighted with my first impressions of my Martin in the shop - it was dusty, with dead strings, repaired damage on the back, and the traces of what was (I hope) a can of fizzy drink opened too close to it. All that led to a price ticket around half of what I would have expected to pay.

Needless to say, with a little tlc, it played like a dream. Wish I was worthy of it.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 02:23 PM

Not had time to read this yet, but am venting frustration at a premium top of the range guitar...

About 5 years ago I got terrific discount prices on 3 end of line discontinued guitars..

The premium top of the line version - made in Korea - retail when first introduced approx £1000

The medium version approx £700, and budget version approx £500, both made in Indonesia...

Obviously, I payed nowhere near the reccomended retail prices...
[got them all for about the price of the middle guitar]

Unfortunately, at the time, I had to suddenly take on responsibility for my old mum's care,
and the guitars got stuck in a corner neglected..

Yesterday I got them out and thought I'd make most of a few spare hours to set them up properly.

Out of all three, the most expensive top of the line in the range
is the worst player.
It is the only one with fancy neck binding,
and that binding has such a sharp edge all along the fingerboard, making that guitar the most uncomfortable to play.

The cheapest one has the nicest most comfortable neck...!!!???

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 02:35 PM

When I bought my Gibson F9 mandolin I bought the 3rd one I tried out, it was the best sounding of the 3 and the cheapest, it looks cheap [ they all look cheap ] but sounds great.

Dave H

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 04:43 PM

My button box (aka melodeon) is now about 15years old, and has a few dunts in the woodwork, but still plays fine after one repair to a cracked bass reed.
I variously get asked: "It looks very old...??" and "Is it brand new?"
Beauty in the eye of the beholder?

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 08:08 PM

Some guitars only yield up their secrets after a long courtship.

Some sing with the bloom of youth on their cheeks.

Some are a conundrum - they seem to promise great things. And you have to try all manner of adjustments, string options, amplifier settings, finger picks, etc looking for that essential experience.

Really it doesn't matter what they look like or their financial value - its that spirituality that they release within you.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Andy7
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 09:35 PM

My violin, although not an especially expensive instrument, was made a long time ago. And to say that I am in love with it, is not an understatement.

I have the greatest respect for the craftsperson/people that created this fine musical work of art, and for those that have loved and cared for it before me.

So now, I would not ever want to play this beautiful violin in public with old rosin splattered across its face, or with dust visible on its fingerboard or in its scroll.

I guess, therefore, that appearance does matter. Although maybe, more often to the performer than to the listener.

Subject: RE: instruments: does appearance matter?
From: Andy7
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 09:42 PM

* for 'understatement', read 'overstatement'! :-)