BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome

Subject: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Hilary
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 07:43 AM

I'm going to stay in a hotel for the weekend - but the thought of not having my guitar is apalling I've only had the thing 2 months - what's it gonna be like when I'm really hooked ??

.....And I've just worked out some chords for 'She Moved Through The Fair'.

.....Must get things into proportion, must get things into proportion .....

Hilary

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Oversoul
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 08:16 AM

Hey kiddo! Get one of those hollow-bodied electrics and play it "unplugged." The important thing here is to just keep playing, is it not? If you travel much it might be worth the investment. And you have thought about getting another guitar, have you not? Deity knows these things, my child.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Grab
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 08:46 AM

Take it with you. So long as you tell the hotel "I've got a guitar, do you have any rules about it?" then you should be OK. Most won't mind so long as you don't keep playing late at night - if you regularly serenade the guests at 2am or 6am though then your axe may meet another type of axe... :-) Singing loud may be a problem though, but just quiet strumming should be fine.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: IvanB
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 02:16 PM

I'm assuming from the last two posts that it's general knowledge that Hilary's guitar is electric. Another solution is to get one of the small guitar amps that come with headphone outputs - you could jam all night and not bother anybody.

As for acoustic guitars, I take mine whenever we travel and have never had any problem at a hotel or motel. Course, I'm usually in bed by 11 or earlier when I'm in a motel, so that could be part of the reason too.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 02:23 PM

Great idea - but what if one isn't willing to give their guitar to the baggage handlers at the airport? Is there such a thing as a rental shop? Would a music store be willing to rent one for a week or two? And the headphones thing is a great idea!! We use that at home on occasion -

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:04 PM

Sounds like what you need is a travel guitar. The "Go" guitar is a real winner. I got one recently, and it's outrageously good. The bass is not quite as strong as a full-sized guitar, but it does sound like a real guitar!. Surprised the heck out of me when I first played it. A much bigger sound than I expected (I got the walnut "Grande" model). Also, since it's small, I keep it handy all the time and pick it up and play it in odd, idle moments or whenever the spirit moves me, which is often. They make both steel-string and nylon-string models, and an option is a Fishman Matrix pick-up (I didn't get that). They also make a terrific padded gig-bag for them. Check it out.

I've heard that there's rarely a problem flying with them and they fit okay into an overhead, but Lord knows whether that hold true these days. The gig-bag looks like you're carrying a rifle.

Also, if you're worried about getting grief for playing in a hotel, Segovia said that since he had to do a lot of practicing in hotels, he'd roll up a clean handkerchief and slide it under the strings up close to the bridge. Muffled the strings and gave them a sort of pizzicato sound. I once spent a fair amount of time in a hospital, and I used to practice a lot late at night using the handkerchief trick. I could hear it, but the nurses out in the hall couldn't.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: wildlone
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:51 PM

Hilary,when you are really hooked you will have to go out with a minder at all times to stop you from getting another guitar.
I went out without mine the other day {just to get some petrol} and came back with a Tanglewood resonator plus amp.
dave

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: jup
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 04:11 PM

If I keep taking my tablets I'm allright. BUT THEN,the urge for guitar is too much,I have to have one. Any one will do,I've even played childrens toy guitars. Once at a course I went to they made us stay silent from 9PM TILL 7AM ,I still found a guitar to play at mealtimes. Try not to be a GUITAR BORE though ,you know the ones I mean who play at parties uninvited.FOLKIES DON'T DO THAT. DON'T it's mine, LEAVE IT ALONE ,I need that ,I need that! SIGN IN GUITAR SHOP. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN: LEADS STRAIGHT TO HELL AROUND HERE!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: 53
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 04:30 PM

It's Hell.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 06:05 PM

Dang it Don - I'm saving up a bunch of money for a hand built unit - there is no way I could convince Jan to let me buy another guitar. Especially after the banjo and banjolin!!

Anyone in the Washington DC area want to loan a guitar for a week??

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 07:51 PM

Maybe there's a twelve-step program. . . .

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: 53
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 07:54 PM

I don't know if that would work, guitar is guitar, and there's nothing to take its place.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 08:39 PM

Have a holiday (as Monet once said "absinth makes the heart grow fonder")

Spot

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: GUEST,Sufferer
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 11:36 PM

Maybe there's a twelve fret program :)

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Grab
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 07:16 PM

A twelve-string program looks the most likely solution... :-)

You want a travel guitar, get a cheap half-size and a cheap case for it. I bought an ultra-cheapo £30 job from Argos (UK catalogue store, for those in the US) for my wife to try to learn on, and amazingly it sounds just fine, plenty good enough for practising on (and the string spacing on a 1/2-size classical is about the same as on a normal electric). It's a damn sight better than those crappy Martin Backpackers - I can only think that ppl who voluntarily play Backpackers have _really_ been away from guitars for a long time, to be that desperate!

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: 53
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 10:51 PM

A backpacker is the biggest piece of crap that Martin has ever made. It looks like a boat oar with strings on it.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 02:40 AM

That's why I got the Go guitar. Like I say, it sounds like a real guitar. I use it a lot at hoots and songfests and it does right well. I might think twice if I were going to sing at Carnegie Hall, but I wouldn't hestitate to use it at a house concert or even something bigger. It's that good.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Bert
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 03:24 AM

Wal-Mart have a cheap guitar for about $80 and a half size for about $50. Get yourself one of those and you won't have too much to lose at the airports.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: GUEST,C-flat
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 04:39 AM

Top-tip;When travelling light always make it your business to find the nearest guitar shop in town.I've dragged my family around many a resort on our annual holidays in search of a "fix".The only danger is that sometimes you find something you really dont want to put down!

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: 53
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 04:35 PM

I know that Wal Mart has those guitars, but i've never tried one, reckon their any good?

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Hilary
Date: 10 Feb 02 - 06:09 PM

Hi guys (& any of you that aren't guys)

The 'hankie-method' sounds brilliant, thanks Don - and if it's good enough for Segovia ..... It's probably a good idea for home as well when I want to practice in the early hours without waking anyone else.

When I said I'd only my guitar for 2 months I meant I'd only had a guitar at all for 2 months - so I'm not very good ! Turned out most of the other guests were there for the music festival as well - so I MIGHT have got away with it.

I Didn't buy any more guitars and there was a LOVELY mandolin I put back, (but did get a 10th whistle, oops).

BTW it's accoustic, PLEASE don't encourage me onto electric. I generally sing quiet gentle songs - but the idea of unexpectedly launching into 'Black Dog' or 'Paranoia' is a delightful thought.

You lot a bad influence (BG)

H

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Grab
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 08:45 AM

53, I wouldn't mind if it only looked like a boat oar with strings, but it _sounds_ like one as well! :-( Very tempted to have a look for Don's "Go" guitar, so I won't have to lug around my decent one.

Incidentally, Tacomo do a "Papoose" mini-guitar, which you tune 4 semitones higher than normal - has anyone tried one of those? Looks pretty funky and claims to sound good.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 09:28 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 09:56 PM

Learn pattern picking. Then you can practice without an instrument--just drum a Travis pick or a Church lick on a table top, dashboard, top of significant other's head .... No, strike that last.

CC

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: 53
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 10:14 PM

I'd rather play a guitar than a tabletop.

Subject: RE: BS: Guitar Deprivation Syndrome
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 10:37 PM

As would we all. I was speaking of compensations.

On second thought, I would rather play a tabletop than an accordion.

CC