Guitars, What Do You Play? II

Subject: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 05 Apr 99 - 10:40 PM

This is a continuation of the thread Guitars, What Do You Play?.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Ronn
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 12:25 AM

Thanks, Roger.

I have mentioned this elsewhere, but for about 20 years I have been the proud owner of a 1947 Gibson L12 archtop acoustic guitar, serial #A877. I found it in a pawnshop in Cincinnati, and it has a wonderfully warm tone. It has been ideal for blues, jazz, folk, bluegrass, and country. I've never put a pickup on it, but it mic's real well, and the neck fits my hands perfectly. The guitar is in fine shape, but the case was lost in a flood about 2 years ago, so if anyone has a line on vintage cases, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Thanks, y'all.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 01:01 AM

I never counted before, and I'm shocked, but I admit to: National Style 3 square neck, old National Delphi D-073, 1994 National Triolian tenor, old Guild M20, 1962 - very small, all mahogany, often my favorite. Goya G-10 Classical, c. 1965 (added an EMG pickup) Gibson Les Paul, 1970 (eek! an electric) Guitar carried back from Madagascar - frets made of umbrella stays, 1997 American Acoustech dreadnaught, 1997 - Ginny's new guitar. Gibson LG-3, 1957 - Ginny's old guitar. Gibson Super 400 Epitone lap steel, by Federated Teachers Service Corp, matching amp, c.1938. Oahu Squareneck, by Oachu Publishing Co, Chicago, c. 1930. K&S Weisenborn style Hawaiian laptop, c. 1997. Morrell resonator, Dobro copy c.1995 - cheap! take it anywhere! Takamine 12-string, c.1994 - Ginny's Takamine dreadnaught, squashed, but sounds great lap style. The kids have 1/2 size guitars that we use as "travel" guitars.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 01:03 AM

That does it! I'm gonna learn to do proper punctuation on this forum. Sorry for the jumble!

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 01:56 AM

Mark! You're a guitar nerd! Welcome to the club.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: reggie miles
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 02:36 AM

I've been playing a 1967 Martin D-12-20 that is set up for only six strings, something I'd like to remedy soon, and a homemade rezophonic that I put together out of pieces of garage sale fodder. Let's see there's a couple cover plates I robbed from the speaker cavity of a suit case record player, from the fifties. Then there's the bridge which is a peice of an old vegetable steamer with a slice of an old Wilson baseball bat in the center of it. The top is cut from the sound board of a one hundred year old German piano and the back and sides are brass. The back was actually once a door kick plate in a previous existence. How I do prattle on and on....

Reggie

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: reggie miles
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 03:06 AM

I curently work with a 1967 Martin D 12-20, set up for six strings and a homemade rezophonic square neck Nobro, (that's a hybrid of a National and a Dobro), my own unique development, that I use for bottleneckin'.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: reggie miles
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 04:28 AM

I must be experiencing some sort of deja vu, sorry cats, slip o' th' program.

Reggie

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Paul G.
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 08:56 PM

Well now, having spent the last two hours reading the original thread (very good stuff!) I have to admit, I'm one of "those" guys...a Taylor picker. I fell in love with the sound of the 514C -- Mahogany back and sides, cedar top. Warm tone and responsive, incredible sustain. A truely great finger pickers instrument. I use Daddario phos-bronze lights, had it built with the broader neck option which fits my large hands. I did have a Fishman Matrix under-the-saddle pick up put in as I play the occassional large venue and can't stand still in front of a mic. I also have a Guild JF4-D...a big, heavy guitar, but easy to play.

I learned on a 1950's vintage Martin classical guitar, now in my brothers hands -- love the Martins for flat-picking, blugrass, Celtic dance tunes, etc., but for my reinforced finger nails...give me a Taylor every time.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: BK
Date: 06 Apr 99 - 11:19 PM

Mark: your diagnosis is "GAS" (Guitar Aquisition Syndrome); You have many fellow sufferers from that odious malady, and it's first cousin, "IAS" (Instrument Aquisition Syndrome) here on the Mudcat. I must admit to a chronic, severe, unrelenting case of this terrible infirmity myself, aleviated only by a budget-minded adult supervisor/wife, who almost keeps me in line... You're in good company!

Cheers, BK

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Big Mick
Date: 07 Apr 99 - 12:32 AM

An early 60's Guild 12 string, a Seagull SGS6, a Baby Taylor, an unknown 4 string banjo, numerous pennywhistles, a bodhran and a ton of my Mithers spoons.

Mick

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 07 Apr 99 - 02:23 AM

Thanks for the diagnoses. Rick and BK. I was in denial - never thought I was out to acquire stuff; it sorta just grew, one at a time. But now I see I have "IAS" as well as "GAS" (clarinets, violins, flute, sax, steel drum, hammered dulcimer, piano, accordian, banjo, ukes, more...) I'm thankful to hear there are others similarly afflicted at the Mudcat. Is the prognosis that we end up like reggie - cutting guitar-shaped holes in 100-year old pianos, living with doors that have no kick plates, and mixing these ingredients with vegetable steamers and baseball bats to cook up Nobros? Somehow I can imagine the Nobro sound, and it's beautiful.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Apr 99 - 02:29 AM

Too late Mark, you're in deep!!! Have you got an end table that has a removable top with a hammered dulcimer inside?

catspaw

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Apr 99 - 02:41 AM

Jeesus Paw! You're psychic! Many years ago I built one of my stranger and (totally unappreciated) weirdolins. Take one autoharp. Add legs! Add plexiglass top, and presto! The most annoying coffee table in existence. My non-musical lady love at the time (God bless you Nancy, wherever you are. You deserved better.) forgot that the top was off one evening and dumped (accidently I think) a pot of tea and two cups into the works. Wouldn't tune up at all after that.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 07 Apr 99 - 03:24 AM

Ha!! There's still hope, catspaw. You're way off - my autoharp is NOT inside an endtable. Sheesh! It's on TOP of a perfectly normal coffee table. I leave it there for allegedly "non-musical" visitors to pick up and strum. The idea is for them to afterwards redefine their musical capabilities, because I removed all the push-button stuff and turned it into a zither, which is tuned to some eerie modal sweep. No matter what strings are plucked, strummed, or hit - hauntingly meditative music comes out. No skill required. Skill may be a handicap.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: reggie miles
Date: 07 Apr 99 - 04:23 AM

Mark, you have reMarkable, (oou, that pun was totally unintentional, honest), powers of perception. My little foray into realm of Frankensteinian constructionism produced one heck of an offspring with a voice all its own and I mean that in a good way. My next two will be twins. My older brother wants one so I'm putting together one for each of us with the same components. They'll each have hardwood faces instead of spruce sound board. I've got some beautiful wood, kind of a cross between ebony and rosewood, I think I'll call it rosebony...

Reggie

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From:
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 01:51 PM

So how often do you tune an autoharp - and how do you tune one accurately? A guitar tuner just won't cut it and it seems you can work onthe thing for an hour in order to be able to play it for a couple of days max.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: woody
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 09:28 PM

My personal favorites are a Larivee OM-09, rosewood back and sides and a cedar top, Taylor 512 mahogany back and sides spruce top and a 1937? Gibson L-00, all mahogany with an ebony finish.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 09:48 PM

"... a cross between ebony and rosewood"...durn, I wasn't aware they would mate! *grin*...makes me wonder what you actually have, Reggie. Wood is my business and hobby...always alert to something interesting

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 09:50 PM

I tune Caroline's autoharp with a chromatic tuner and a clip-on pickup connector. This takes me about ten minutes, max. You're right, a guitar tuner won't help a lot, but the chromatics don't cost that much more.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 10:06 PM

years ago, I made myself a t-shirt that said.."I tune my autoharp every month or so...need it or not"

gets big grins at 'harp gatherings...(I LOVE those clip-on things...for the first time I can tune in a room full of noodling guitarists!)

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 11:35 PM

My Martin D35 has the best sound and volumn, a Yamaha 12 string, a gibson ES135 (a good blues guitar), a Hondo (no not honda) classical. Then there is a Pete Seeger model vega extra long neck 5 string banjo, a vega tenor banjo, an old fiddle that has been in the family for years, a bodhran, assorted recorders and pennywhistles, 4 ukulele's, etc., etc.

I'm presently looking for a small guitar with a wide neck (classical type) only with metal strings. Me thinks that a Gibson F25 is what I'm looking for to use on the boat. Any other ideas?

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From:
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 11:45 PM

Hey Sandy, can you recommend a clip-on pickup. My old Hohner pitchpipe is getting too "bendable" to be reliable (and it has developed a case of bad brreath!) so I just bought a chromatic tuner for tuning our clavichord. This is a very soft instrument, and hitting the keys harder makes the pitch go up, so I would like to do as you do and amplify its output.

Murray

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Jory Nash
Date: 10 Jun 99 - 11:58 PM

My baby is a 1989 Martin Custom 15, no longer manufactured. Lovely to hold, big dreadnought sound. Bought it on a pilgrimage with my Dad at Mandolin Brothers in New York when I was in my teens. "Jory," my Dad said to me, "looks like you're pretty serious about this guitar thing. Guess we'll have to get you a real guitar." And off we went. Now that I'm a struggling professional singer-songwriter, I think my father regrets his initial investment. But I don't: that Martin is still my baby.

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: bbelle
Date: 11 Jun 99 - 12:11 AM

My instrument is a 30-yr-old Gibson B-25. It fits me, fits my small hands, and still sounds smooth as silk. Have had many offers for it, some quite substantial, but it would be like selling my soul. Do y'll have an intimate relationship with your guitars, as well? moonchild

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 11 Jun 99 - 12:20 AM

In my earlier entry on this thead, I went through all the guitars I play, this one and that one, etc. and so forth, but now none of that matters because GINNY BOUGHT ME A GOODALL GUITAR TODAY , and I'm trying to figure out what the heck I need all the other ones for.
To see a Standard Goodall, Click here

Barcus Woofy

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 11 Jun 99 - 12:26 AM

Whoops, ok, then, click HERE to see a Standard Goodall Guitar.

Hope I did the B.C.T. correctly that time...
Bark

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Jun 99 - 12:31 AM

Another vote for chromatic tuners here. Hammered Dulcimers come out SO much better as do autoharps and other difficult instruments. I always do a little tweaking afterwards to be sure the instrument is in tune with itself, but the results with the chromatic tuners are far superior. Big time savings too, especially on new instruments which I've just finished or re-strings.

catspaw

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Songbob
Date: 11 Jun 99 - 02:09 AM

I can't remember if I enumerated my instruments in the original thread or not, but I've added a couple or three since then anyway. I have a Martin D-28 with a non-Martin top (my regular "playing" guitar), a 1942 Martin 0-18 that needs a neck reset, a 1942 Orpheum archtop (made by Kay), an Oahu (of Cincinatti, not Chicago, I believe) lap steel, a recent Regal Dobro, a "Goldtone" guitar-banjo, a D'Agostino Les Paul, a 1950s vintage National (Valco-made) with lipstick pickup, a Spanish (Cordoba) classical, five five-string banjos, two mandolins, a couple of ukes (one for sale on eBay as we speak -- look for "Favilla"), a Vega banjo-mandolin, a fiddle, a couple of banjo-ukes (non-playing but due for setup), an autoharp, and a dozen harmonicas. Other'n a souple of amps and two pianos (one real, the other Memorex), that's all I have to deal with.

To see some of these, try

http://members.aol.com/rjclayton/instrums.jpg

Gotta get some sleep.

'Bye!

Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: Guitars, What Do You Play? II
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 11 Jun 99 - 04:46 AM

Okay,

Finally waded through everything on the 1st thread, posted something way before finishing, and then discovered that the thread has been closed/transformed. Phooey.

For what it's worth, here's the reply to someone named Mike who posted back in November, just in case it's still relevant ....

*******************************

Interesting reading. Still got about half of the posts to catch up with, but I wanted to get some info Mike with the Norman guitar. I don't know where you are, but if you're anywhere in southern Ontario, you might want to be in touch with Ralph Pickersgill in Port Dover (1-519-583-3940). He does pretty fine unobtrusive work. He uses good quality piezo pickups & experiments with the individual guitar for best placement. The ONLY cutting he will do on a guitar is for an end-pin jack. No batteries to worry about either. A small outboard preamp can be used, but the system works pretty fine without it.

On the advice of a friend I got in touch with him and arranged to have him wire up my custom-built Glen Reid acoustic bass guitar (about which more later). I took it down to him, we chatted for a bit and he very politely suggested I piss of for a couple of hours while he did the work. Took it to a folk club (Caledonia) that evening and the sound was just wall-to-wall even at low volume levels. Simply outstanding. Cost me about $160 (apparently cost can vary with installation). I'm very happy with it, and recommend the man's work quite highly.

If you're nowhere near that area, a good quality piezo system should be possible, and is probably the easiest and quite possibly the best solution. It should in no way change the sound you have acoustically.