Does the guitar make the difference?

Subject: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,Martin Dawson (marty D)
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 12:21 PM

I've read so many threads here about the finer points of every brand of guitar, and even bought a Martin partly based on some Mudcat advice. My question is though, can a different brand actually make someone a better player? I don't mean going from a cheap guitar to an expensive one, but if someone plays well or badly on a Martin or a Taylor will they play at the same level on a Gibson or Takoma? Am I making any sense at all?

marty D

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,Phil Cooper
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 12:27 PM

It seems to me that a good player can find the spots that will make any guitar sound good. I had a friend who could make a $24.00 Sears silvertone sound great. I went through a series of cheaper guitars before I got the ones I play now, and don't think I could have appreciated the current ones without having gone through the others. But, it still gets back to: it's not the guitar, but the player that makes a difference.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 12:44 PM

Yeah, I think its been said a lot here before, but the player makes the difference. Now.....Does a good player sound better on some instruments than others? Sure, but some of that is related to what YOU hear and the kind of sound you like. Martins don't all sound the same. Gibsons don't all sound the same. Some Gibsons and some Martins sound very much alike.

Then add in that even good players have a certain "comfort zone" they prefer and the neck of one or the gauge length may not be as comfortable to them as another and that does affect how well they play.

Does a guitar make a difference......sure it does, but the differences are subtle and personal and not of the "get a good guitar and I'll be great" variety.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 12:54 PM

What about a better guitar making it easier for someone to become a better player because it is not such hard work anymore. So now they become more interested in playing more often and that results in them becoming a better player.

Actually, I am running into this very problem right now with my Goodtime banjo. I would like a better banjo that responds more. When I play a better banjo it responds more, sounds better and I want to play it more.


Bonnie

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: MichaelAnthony
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:00 PM

I think if you're playing classical or a style that is very dependent on variations in tone, a good guitar can "teach" you a little.

But if a guitar player has an ear and a love for music and guitars, he or she will find a way to maximize the good points about any instrument, $25 guitar or $800 guitar. It's nice for me not to have just one guitar--I need the variety.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: MK
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:03 PM

Ultimately, it comes down to the player
(which more or less summarizes the points already made here.)

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John Hardly
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:04 PM

Actually, though I don't take issue with 'spaw, I assume what you are driving at is--can the specific differences that come standard in one brand make a better player out of your average run-of-the-mill player (not can a good player make a bad guitar sound good). The answer is an emphatic probably. Case in point. Larrivee has a wider, less radiused neck standard. As a finger-style player I find myself making far fewer extraneous left-hand mutes on a Larrivee. In that way it makes me a "better player". The reason it's not necessarily true is that almost all the major manufacturers are aware of the variations we look for and offer them on one model or another--it's just a maze to figure out what model has what. For instance, if you favor short-scale because of the comfort and accuracy of a short reach/straight attack in first position, you'd have to make yourself aware of f'rinstance, Martin's 000 as opposed to 0M (same body/woods etc--different neck).--blow hard, John

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: RichM
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:18 PM

Yes, yes, yes: the instrument you choose makes a difference.
I agree that a good player can get the best out of any given guitar-but-he or she will get MORE out of a better quality instrument. I have played many acoustic guitars in many years of playing, and a good player can instantly feel immediately when playing,how responsive or non-responsive an instrument is.

I know what I like: a certain combination of sound that is clear,loud and has a degree of sustain with attractive overtones. There may be time you want a kind of funky cheap-guitar sound, but that guitar will never be your all round favorite...

Rich

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:20 PM

Yeah John......In a way, that's the point. I don't even want to count the models available within any line. Most makers have a wide variety of "feels" and "sounds." My only point was that a good player will find certain things more comfortable and hence play a bit better on Instrument A than Instrument B.

And to say something to Bonnie's point.....You're quite right. If you feel better and are more comfortable and you think you sound better, yes, I think you're more likely to play more.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Matt_R
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:20 PM

Hey, I got news for ya, Rich. My guitar is a $130 Yamaha from 1994. It IS my all around favorite.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Mooh
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 01:29 PM

While I agree with Phil (who has great guitars) and Spaw above, I will say that I fine instrument can be very inspiring, and that's purely psychological but not a bad thing. Too, if you can forgive a slight drift of thread, the guitar can make a difference if it is what fits the music. By this I mean that not all guitars, cheap or expensive, may have the desired sound for a tune or song. I get a little weary of the same guitar sound all the time. Often a 12 string, electric, alternate tuning, high-strung or capoed, baritone, bass, or whatever guitar can break up the monotony of the same guitar sound or timbre, no matter how good, all the time. That said, there's still lots of ways to get a variety of sounds from one decent instrument, and I wish more folks would.

Gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) victim, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod (at the therapist)
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 02:13 PM

There comes a point in the development of every guitar player when they realise what it is they need in a guitar in order to fulfil their potential. The requirements may vary from player to player, but I would suggest that almost every guitarist could benefit from playing a guitar with a wider neck than the standard 1-11/16" nut width. 1-3/4" is good and 1-13/16" is even better.

Paradoxically, this benefits women, with smaller hands, even more than men.

Tony McManus (the world's greatest guitarist) attributes his development largely to his custom-built guitar.

Murray

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Bernard
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 03:44 PM

A good player will make it despite the instrument. I'm living proof of that (this is genuine humility, BTW!). I've never owned a guitar more expensive than my 1971 Yamaha FG160 and FG260 (6 & 12 string, respectively).

I have lesser-able friends with Gibsons, Martins, Guilds, Lowdons, Fyldes, etc., and I sound better because I play better.

Maybe if I could afford it, I'd buy something expensive... then again, don't fix what ain't broke...

Accordions - now that's another story...

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John Hardly
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 03:53 PM

Bernard,

Your post helps me make my point exactly. I also learned to play much of what I know on my '69 FG140. I can tell you, same guy different guitars--I can play much better, much more challenging material, and sound better on my Larrivee or my '62 LG2 Gibson--It's not even close. I still love my Yamaha (it's out in my shop and I play it daily). Glad you're satisfied with your Yammy though--it's great to find a guitar you love.

John Hardly

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,Alliekatt
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 04:36 PM

I have an old Yamaha that I still prefer to the Guild monster that I just bought...the Guild wails, and is really well made, but my old Yamaha somehow has the kinder sound, especially when strung with fingerstyle silk-and-steel. It's all wood too.

Now I've played an OLD Martin before, and I do have to say it does make a big difference. On old Martins, the tonality is far richer from being played, the way a very well made and old German violin will have a piercing and beautiful tone. This is mostly based on the grain of the spruce in a guitar's top, as well as the back and sides also being solid wood and not laminated. Modern acoustics nowadays are laminated, but since most of them have tinny internal pickups, it doesn't really matter when they're plugged in. A lot of internal pickups sound the same regardless of the brand of acoustic guitar, unless you're using a K&K pickup, which is by far the best on the market.

When you're playing a well made acoustic with a K&K pickup, such as an old Martin, a better Spanish classical, etc. etc., your sound will blow any other old acoustic setup to bits.

Price does not necessarily mean quality. If you find a weatherbeaten Yamaha (or Alvarez, or Epiphone) that's at least twenty to twenty five years old, several of the pegs are loose, it needs a new bridge, and somebody's asking two hundred for it, then in my opinion haggling is negligible. I would take that old guitar and get it fixed, (as long as the neck's fine), stringing it with silk and steel. This I would take, even if a newer model Martin were the same cost. Which they're definitely not.

These older guitars are often made so well, that any made nowadays in the same fashion would cost three, four times as much.

And, by the way, K&K pickups are often cheaper than the usual pickups on the market; they're fantastic.

Alliekatt

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 04:55 PM

Oops, guess I shoulda been in here this morning instead of trying to play carpenter (and I DON'T mean "If I was a Carpenter") out in my new shed.

Marty already has my two cents worth on this issue, but since I love talking instruments, here it is again. Nothing new, 'cause he's getting excellent feed-back and I hardly disagree with anybody's point of view here, but...

...the answer is a difinitive YES! YES! YES!.........and no.

It's all INCREDIBLY personal. For example, on my old Epiphone Texan, with it's micro-thin neck I could play lightening fast chords, runs, and thumb chords. (playing the 6th and 5th strings with my thumb on "Bm" and "Bb" style chords was a breeze) One of my current instruments is a big herringbone D-35. I can knock walls over with it's volume on flatpicked bass runs, but because of the shape of the neck, it's impossible to cover both bass strings with my thumb...so, I have to play a different style altogether (mostly barre chords), and because the guitar needs heavier strings to drive the top, the action is stiffer, and hence the playing is not as fast up the neck. My "little Martin" ('49 0-18) is somewhere in between the Texan and the D-35, and in many ways is an acceptable compromise (after I had the neck shaved)

Part of the fun of playing for me, is to try and get better every year (or month or week) and never let the creative process die. I've worked with both Bonnie and Mike and I gather they feel the same. Sometimes a new instrument can be absolutely inspirational in that process. Whether the "buzz" you get is from the new instrument's physical properties or even if "it's all in your head" who cares? If it makes you play more accurately or faster (if you want) or with more character, it's worth it.

I think any good player can make a cheap guitar sound better, just as I've seen limited players make fabulous instruments sound ordinary...but it's all in what turns your crank, isn't it? Everyday I pass by the service station next door where the three owners park their Ferrari's. There's always a crowd of people admiring them (while they get their Fords fixed), but I'd rather stare at a piece of rosewood!

Rick (only obsessive when it comes to guitars and banjos...and mandolins..and dobros...and)

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 08:28 PM

In Nigel Tufnel's case...no difference at all. The man is just sheer, raw charisma, and a visionary besides, no matter which one of his 35 guitars he decideds to play.

NIGEL! NIGEL! NIGEL!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: MK
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 08:39 PM

It comes down to the player. Yes a great player can make a cheap instrument sound good. A weak player will not sound any stronger on an expensive instrument....but like Rick and others have pointed out, a higher end instrument may be easier to work your magic on.

Reminds me of a story Chet Atkins used to tell about years ago taking a cruise with his wife, and they were socializing with some guests they met on the ship. At this point they'd not yet introduced themselves by name to the guests. One of them had a really old beat up guitar and was strumming it, and Chet asked if he could borrow it, and proceeded to play it for them. At the end, the guest who owned the guitar said to Chet " Not bad.....but you're no Chet Atkins."

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Matt_R
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 09:14 PM

Wow, Alliekat...someone out there who strings their Yamaha with silk & steel strings--just like me!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: WyoWoman
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 09:42 PM

Hey, I string MY Yamaha with silk and steel strings. As of last Wednesday. I really like those strings.

I wonder if I would have progressed faster in my playing though if I had had something from the very beginning that was easier on my fingers. I'm finally beginning to be able to mash all the strings down without dampening them, but it has been such a slow process. Partly that's because my hands are small and haven't been very strong, but I also wonder if maybe a more expensive, "better" guitar might have been easier on my hands and therefore, as Bonnie says, more tempting to play.

Whatever -- at least I've got callouses now ... and I'M LEARNING A FAKE Bm CHORD!!!! Who-hooo.

ww

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 10:03 PM

I was at a song circle this weekend. I swapped banjos with someone there who had a 'better banjo' than mine. I played a tune on his banjo that I was having difficulties with on mine. On mine I could not do the 'hammer-on' technique up the neck. But on his banjo it worked beautifully. We swapped back. I told him what my problem was. He tried himself and found he could not do it either. He said "oy, this is awful!"

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Thyme2dream
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 10:30 PM

There's definately a point at which a bad instrument really does hamper your ability to do new things... I used to play an old no-name guitar that had a lovely deep rich sound, but terrible action. I still played quite a bit, but kind of like your experience Neo, I couldn't do a lot or the things I wanted.

I had much better luck playing my darlin's Takemine/Jasmine when he brought it for a visit last MArch...almost made him leave it with me..it's a sweet little guitar, and I could even play barre chords and up the neck and all! This summer tho, when I was across in Scotland, I played a guitar I have never heard of before (anyone ever heard of the Landola make??) and I fell instantly in love. My mom had a Martin when I was a teenager, and I loved that guitar as well, but this Landola thingie has stolen my heart...I'm going to save my pence and try to aquire one when I'm over again in the spring.(if I don't decide to get the cittern I also fell in love with...just what I need, another instrument I can barely play!)

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,pict
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 11:36 PM

I personally think it really just comes down to luck with instruments I've heard and played many that are expensive but didn't warrant the price asked and others that were cheap and sounded and felt great.In the end I think it's best to aim at getting a guitar from a maker that achieves a reasonably consistent clear tone and good intonation,setup etc. across their range of instruments (Seagull comes to mind).If you can't improve your playing ability on an instrument like that regardless of make or cost then basically you just can't improve your playing ability period.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,CraigS
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 12:52 AM

"The smoker you drink, the player you get" as Joe Walsh once put it. Unless the guitar is really badly set up, it is down to how it is played as to how good it sounds. If you have a good guitar, it will usually sound and play better than a laminated top Korean guitar. But get past this point and you have to work on tone production in the way you use your right hand. If you don't work on it, you will not get a better sound. This is even more true with high-quality classical guitars - if you don't work on it, a lot of them, eg. Fleta, sound awful. Incidentally, I have a very good Bacon & Day Senorita,which sounds excellent in the right hands - when I play it sounds sh*t! I get a better sound from my $300 Seagull.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Bernard
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 04:41 AM

There's a lot to be said for choosing the right strings, but it's a very personal thing.

Some people want their strings to last (hello Jon! rusty banjo strings at Llanstock!), whereas others prefer a good, biting sound that you tend only to get when the strings are new.

I fall somewhere in between - it tends not to matter too much when I'm gigging, because new strings tend to be wasted on an average audience. That's not said in a nasty way - good strings only really make a difference in an intimate setting, such as a recording studio. You do yourself no favours recording with strings that have passed their best.

I once tried recording a tune using old strings, then again having restrung. Not only was the quality better, but the recording level was improved.

I suppose my point is - The guitar is secondary to the performer, but strings are another story!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John P
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 07:39 AM

Alliekatt said: "Modern acoustics nowadays are laminated, but since most of them have tinny internal pickups, it doesn't really matter when they're plugged in."

Alliekatt, what makes you think that modern acoustic guitars are laminated? Any guitar that costs more than about $800 will be made of solid wood. Taylor, Martin, Goodall, Lowden, Collings, Everett, Froggy Bottom, Larivee, and Santa Cruz, to name a few, are primarily solid wood instruments. I agree that any guitar with a piezo style pickup inside sounds more like the pickup than like the guitar, but not that most guitars have them.

The quality of the instrument definitely makes a difference, both in what it is possible to play and in how good it will sound. Yes, a good player will make that $300 Yamaha -- or the $25 Silvertone -- sound as good as it can, but the fact is that a $2800 Goodall will offer a much wider and richer palette of sounds for the guitarist to work with. And there will be a range of techniques that can be played on the good guitar that are not possible on the cheapie.

The REALLY bad guitars can cause a new player to not want to practice enough, and to not get enough out of the time they spend practicing. I often find myself in the position of advising people about their first guitar purchase. I always tell them to get a good sounding and good playing inexpensive guitar (Simon and Patricks or Seagulls are really good for this). If they don't play a lot and don't really push the skills, they will never need to buy another guitar. If they practice every day and start getting to be a good player, they will know when they have outgrown the beginner instrument. And they will have acquired, through experience, a very clear idea of what they are seeking in a nice guitar, both for feel and for sound.

John

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Bernard
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 07:59 AM

> The REALLY bad guitars can cause a new player to not want to practice enough,
> and to not get enough out of the time they spend practicing.

True of players who will never be outstanding, but, once again, I cite myself as an example of learning despite the instrument.

I had been playing for over a year (1964) before owning a guitar - I learned on a home-made guitar borrowed once a week from a friend. Against all the odds, I learned - self taught, too.

I eventually bought a very cheap guitar, very secondhand, in 1965. It wasn't until 1970 that I finally bought a half-decent instrument - the legendary Eko Ranger! - which was a delight to play, but dreadfully quiet.

The following year I bought my Yamahas...

I had already qualified as a teacher in 1969 - my salary enabled me to progress...

Since then, I've been fortunate to teach many people to play, and have influenced the playing of many others. Not my own opinion, incidentally!!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: harpgirl
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 10:22 AM

I recently visited Dave Mallett, and he was playing the old Gibson I gave him. He told me that it had made him a better picker. No question about it...he loves that guitar. Now, the old bitch never did anything for MY picking. But..my Taylor has. You could walk a ways in shoes that dont fit very well, but, you will go a lot further in shoes that DO fit! One final observation...a good picker can bring out the best that a cheap guitar has. Problem is, he/she cant bring out what is not there. My friend harpgirl has a Takamine that can hold its own in a group, but, it has little bass, and, Norman Blake couldn't make it sound like it has any bass. IMO silk and steel strings make good rabbit snares.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 10:23 AM

I had an astonishingly bad guitar when I was around 16, and never got anywhere with it. It was worse than those Kent guitars they used to sell in places like Woolworth's. Some bastard of a salesman in Auburn, New York sold it to my parents. All you could do with the f##king thing was tune it to an open string chord (very tinny at that) and play it like a drum. The intonation was totally off, the frets were bad, the action was an inch off the fretboard...it was totally, utterly useless except for firewood.

Five years later I got a decent guitar from a real guitar teacher (an American draft-dodger, and a very cool guy) in Toronto, Canada...and I have never looked back. I love a good guitar. It makes a really BIG difference!!!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 11:02 AM

Gee, another opportunity for people to plug Larrivee guitars and Tony McManus--does poor Tony know that the more obnoxious Murray McLeod get about plugging him, the less likely people are to listen to him? As to the Larrivee people, nothing anyone says here is going to change my opinion of their instruments, nor will it change the opinion of anyone who has played them--I am getting really sick of these posts that read like advertising copy!!!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Bernard
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 11:22 AM

The one thing that has emerged from this thread is what we all knew already - it's all down to personal preference.

'...it was totally, utterly useless except for firewood.'

That sums up the first guitar I used to borrow!!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Marion
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 12:12 PM

I'm interested in this statement of Murray's:

"There comes a point in the development of every guitar player when they realise what it is they need in a guitar in order to fulfil their potential."

I think it's about time that I sold my classical guitar (my first guitar, and the one that fell into my hands - I didn't choose to play nylon) and got a steel string, but I've been putting the decision off because I'm intimidated by the process of choosing a guitar.

I've browsed in music stores, but every steel string that I try sounds the same to me. And I don't have any idea what I need in a guitar. The music stores have dozens of them and I don't know where to begin except by how the guitars look.

Does this mean that I'm not ready to buy one and should wait for this critical point in my development? Or maybe I should take a step of faith and just buy a Seagull since they seem to be so commonly pointed to as an honest guitar for a novice.

Marion

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 12:57 PM

Marion, I also started on nylon strings, and studied classical guitar for years before buying my first steel-string. If you're new to steel strings, you may not know how to get the most out of them. The way you pluck the string is different, the way the strings handle the dynamics of your playing is different -- it's a different instrument, basically. But they are not all the same, by any means. If possible, I would spend time with an acoustic steel-string (or several) before purchasing one. Given time, you will start to recognize what it is that makes a steel-string guitar respond well, and what "responding well" means. Then you'll be able to make an educated choice.

Ted, sorry you don't like Larrivee guitars. I love mine (my second; had to sell my first years ago during hard times), and I don't work for the company. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John Hardly
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 01:49 PM

Harpgirl, (Kendall?),

You got my attention. I love David Mallett's music and NOTICED that (J45?). He also plays a beautiful Guild that I admire every time I pull out "Parallel Lives" (which is quite often). I'll bet he appreciates the gift!!

John

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 02:15 PM

Didn't say whether I liked them or not--when I was in acquistion mode, I certain tried them, but didn't feel the urge-What I did say was that I am getting really tired of seeing what strikes me as commercial sounding plugs--such as the following "Larrivee has a wider, less radiused neck standard. As a finger-style player I find myself making far fewer extraneous left-hand mutes on a Larrivee."

It is a perfectly crafted "Feature/benefit" statement of like you'd see in the better guitar advertisements--As a general rule, people don't write like that in discussion threads--

I am somewhat paranoid, I know, but I fear the day that our Mudcat is awash with little plugs like "I particularly enjoy playing :Wild Mountain Thyme on my "Hoot Gibson Commemorative Clavinet" which comes, standard, with an embossed Faux-Cordura gig-bag, and 180 Hours of AOL"--

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 02:22 PM

LMAOROTF.................You have my vote for "Best Line of the Week."

Spaw

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Frankham
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 03:19 PM

My view is that you can learn on the best guitar you can afford then once you have the skills, play anyone you want within reason. It's easier to learn on a better instrument.

Frank

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 03:28 PM

Point well taken, Ted. I don't know if it's paranoia or not, but I'm sure some of that "ghost endorsement" stuff goes on. In fact, last night 60 Minutes featured a 16-year-old kid who made a killing (around $800,000) buying penny stocks and then signing onto various investment chat rooms under a number of assumed names and talking about how this company or that was about to be the next big thing. apparently it caused enough people to buy the stocks he was talking about, so he would turn a quick profit and then dump the stock before the price came back to earth. The SEC got after him, and eventually settled for a payback of around $250,000 -- leaving the kid with a half million free and clear. Kid bought his folks a Mercedes, and he isn't even old enough to get his driver's license yet.

So... has Larrivee gone public yet?

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John Hardly
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 04:21 PM

M.Ted,

I am stunned.


I will attone and ammend.





I hope my writing is not also sub-standard for your ideal post :>).

John Hardly

Hey Fielding, One more mention of those damn [B]Shubb[/B] capos and I'm afraid it's gonna come to blows!!:>)

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John Hardly
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 04:24 PM

M.Ted,

I am stunned.


I will attone and ammend.



I play a certain manufacturer's guitar because I play fingerstyle and this unnamed company makes a wider, less radiused neck standard. It really helps me make less extraneous left hand mutings. So, to answer your question, Marty, the choice of guitar manufacturer can make a difference in your playing.


I hope my writing is not also sub-standard for your ideal post :>).

John Hardly

Hey Fielding, One more mention of those damn [B]Shubb[/B] capos and I'm afraid it's gonna come to blows!!:>)

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 04:39 PM

OK, John, you've convinced be that you are really just a hopeless guitar wonk, and you just sleep with the brochure from that unnamed guitar company under your pillow--but what about that Clavinet?

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 04:42 PM

Well John I must say that your posting twice is, shall we say, indelicate. Try to do better.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: hesperis
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 05:26 PM

Spaw - you accusing someone else of indelicacy?

You must be practising for your irony lessons again, eh?

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: John Hardly
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 05:39 PM

I am the sincere sort. Unfortunately, my sincerity is limited mostly to my ineptness. And yes, my clavinet is small but since I'm married I don't get to use it that much anyway. As for in delicates, my wife won't let me do that either.

John

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Bernard
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 07:18 PM

Posting twice beats not at all any day...

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod (at the Advertising agency)
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 10:59 PM

M Ted, I sincerely regret it if you find my light hearted plugging of Tony McManus "obnoxious". Tedious perhaps, misplaced, aggravating, but "obnoxious" ? I can guarantee that more Mudcatters have heard his music now than before I brought his name up. I can also guarantee that Tony doesn't give a tinker's cuss whether I plug him or not.

However I just realised that I had forgotten to mention the maker of his guita. He is a Scottish luthier called Bill Kelday, whose wider fingerboards and shorter scale length enable the advanced player to attain heights which previously they could only dream about .............

Murray

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 11:03 PM

Shubb forever....Down with the Kaiser!

Boy I feel old 'cause I remember the "Bill Russell" capo!

Ted, you'd have LOVED the old Gibson catalogues from the twenties (I've got reprints). They used hyperbole better than even Martin (who felt they were so much better than the other companies that their blurbs were relatively brief.

'Course Gibson's slogan was "only a Gibson is good enough" and don't forget the "THE GIBSON" logo on all their higher end instruments. They did bogus interviews with prominent players who'd claim: "I truly feel sorry for the musician who has to make do with other than a GIBSON"(!!)

Believe me they were both put to shame by the Dobson and Vega banjo companies who implied that before playing one of their instruments you should put on your tuxedo! (I'm not kidding) They had pictures of formally attired young men and ladies with Vega and Dobson banjos, next to farm hands and black(!!) labourers, who played inferior brands!

Rick

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Matt_R
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 11:04 PM

Well Murray, I'd heard Tony MacManus even before I came to Mudcat, on the Thistle & Shamrock. And I'd just yawn and hope for some more David Allison or Burach or something...

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 01:13 AM

Didn't Hound dog Taylor play a real cheap import solid body electric. I don't know if he chose it of just didn't think about it that much, but he sure made it work. Different brands can make you play better, because different brands can make you play different. It's up to you to decide which ones are better. My favorite acoustic was a plain old Yamaha too, but it got stolen along with my old fender bronco, what a goofy guitar that was!

Subject: RE: Does the guitar make the difference?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 03:07 AM

There are many reasons why people prefer
To play good guitars; so let us concur
Some like the status, some like the feel
Others like inlays, and engleman real

Action is everything to those who must play
And string size and tention both must have their sway
Some like their necks longer with cut-away shaping
While purist tradition needs no trendy escaping

But I want the sound to be full, warm and bright
And surely, to like it, will my playing requite
For the tone makes the tune, as the singer; the song
When I like what I hear, I know right from wrong

Technique is indifferent to the brand of the wood
For well set-up plywood lets our Jonnie be good
Yes, the richness of wood-tone amingling with steel
Brings enjoyment to players; a sensual meal. ttr