acoustic put away

OK, I solved the problem. I found that I can play fingerstyle on my electrics -- my fingers have toughened up enough. So I don' t need the nylon acoustic. Note that my fingerstyle playing is a little ragged and untrained. I'm not very systematic or smooth; I more like claw at the strings! But I like the rough quality of it. It's more like plucking with five fingers, or fewer if needed. And then strumming downward with the back of my fingernails. I like it so far.

I've got the yamaha pacifica out as my "cheapie" guitar to play when I don't want to be so careful. I can grab it at a moment's notice and play -- unplugged of course.

hearing and nylon guitar

oh, that little classical guitar is so much fun to play. I play better with it than with my gibby or fendy. But -- there's gotta be a but -- its acoustic qualities do a little number on my damaged hearing. Just a little, but it's noticeable. I stuffed the guitar with t-shirts today to muffle the sound, and that helps, but I must admit to myself that it still, in the lower range, is not too good for me. I am super cautious about hearing. A few nights ago, after a day of intense nylong string playing, i could tell at night that the ringing was more pronounced. So I gotta lay off the acoustic.

Well, semi-hollow electrics are just made for me! Not too loud, not as quiet as a solid body. Just perfect for my hearing issues. Funny, but I like electrics because they're not too loud!

I still love the easy playability of the nylon strings -- so maybe someday I'll get a chambered semi-solid nylon stringer. Epiphone makes one for like 350. There are other brands too.

I've gotten requests to put some music online at youtube (1 request, you know who you are!). yeah, I wanna do that sometime. Probably at thanksgiving break. The weeks just pass by, and with grading on the weekend, etc. etc.

yeah baby

OK, tonight I finally got it. A blues piece that's got all the parts; it's got the rhythm. it sounds good. turnarounds, several bass lines, some decent improv. A blues in E minor. Good old E. Played it on my little cheapo oldie nylon stringed classical guitar from Japan that cost about a hundred bucks. A little 3/4 scale student model with the same strings since 1998.

I'll record it sometime and put it online. For me it's an achievement.

I really like my little cheapie nylon guitar!

I got a strat!

Yeah, it happened sooner than I thought, but I bought a new American strat. To be more specific, I bought one of the oddest strats ever made, I think. It's a VG strat. OK, here it is: It's an American standard strat with a built in synthesizer from Roland for modeling other guitars and tunings. So it has the 3 standard strat pickups, and acts like a strat through them. It also has a fourth Roland pickup right at the bridge. The strat has the typical volume and tone controls, and two more: T and M. M is for modeling or something; it switches from natural strat, modeling strat, telecaster, humbucker, and acoustic. The T knob is for various tunings, like open G, drop D, baritone, another one or two, and also for 12 string. So these knobs can be combined in various combinations. You can have a strat, tele, humbucker or acoustic sound with any of the tunings or 12 string. I love the 12 string acoustic mode! It sounds like the Byrds. The T knob can be bypassed also, so it can be a straight Strat with no modeling.

The Roland system runs on 4 AA batteries. You insert them in the back. The Roland circuits are at the base of the guitar in a routed out section in the back.

So this thing can make great combos like 12 string strat or 12 string tele. cool!

OK, Fender made this model from 2007 to 2009 only. It originally cost about 1700 dollars at any guitar shop.

I got it, new, as clearance at a Guitar Center for 870. That includes a hardshell molded case. So that's 50% off what it sold for a few years ago! A regular American Standard strat goes for 999, so in that sense too it's also a deal. Mine is black. It was made in black, sunburst, and a few in blizzard pearl. I got one with a maple neck, my first, and I love it!

I really like the modeled sounds. I think they sound great. Are they 100% right on? Of course not. Get a real 12 string if that's what you need to hear. For synth I think it sounds pretty good.

The alternate tunings are synthetic; the strings stay absolutely the same.

Battery life is maybe 4-10 hours, depends on who you ask. I'll get some of the recommended NimH rechargeables.

Poly and I went to the guitar center to look at a used American deluxe strat that was on the website (this is the GC in Rockford), but it wasn't available; they said they were gonna use it for parts 'cause it had a broken truss rod. Then the sales guy showed me the VG strat. I took my time playing it. I just really liked it, and so did Poly. It's like buying 5 or 6 guitars in one.

We took the leap and bought it, then drove home and went online to look it up. I was fearing that the Roland unit was crappy or had bad reviews or would die soon. Nothing like that at all. I DID buy a 2 year extended warranty just in case (I almost never get those), and if anything goes wrong GC will replace the strat or give me my money back.

The reviews are very good, mostly. You know musicians, you could give them God's own strat and somebody wouldn't like the pickups, etc.

I think Fender is unloading these great VG strats because they didn't sell; a lot of guitarists are skeptical of active electronics or onboard advanced circuits and stuff, so it probably didn't sell well. Plus at 1700 it was pricey, as much as a Deluxe American strat. Oh well, good for me! I think I got a hell of a deal.

In terms of making music I think it's the most versatile strat they've ever made. I don't play gigs and I don't need extended battery life. but anyway, you can take out the batteries and it's still a strat and plays like one. I've done it. Same 3 strat pickups, no batteries needed.

check it out online. They are cool!

care and feeding of a 339

Today I bought some supplies to keep my 339, Gibby, in good health.

1. Gibson guitar polish. Pump spray on a cotton cloth lightly and wide down the guitar. good for all metal, wood, plastic, etc. It got rid of the stickiness of the back of the neck that had been bothering me. It also made it shine real pretty!

2. Fast Fret. a solid mineral oil on a wooden stick, sort of. Rub it on the strings and frets, wipe off the excess, and zoom! Fast strings, less rust and crud on them.

That's all so far. I still need to get Roche Thomas fretboard oil, but that can wait until I put in a new set of strings.

Gibby is shiny and happy!

Tube Amp!

Yup, I spent that 50 dollar gift certificate on a tube amp. A Bugera V5, a 5 watt little tube amp with digital reverb. It sells for 149 and I paid 99. Pretty good deal. I got it tonight and have only played it a little, but it sounds good. Tubey, like it's supposed to. It's got a power attenuator so it can be set at 5 watts, 1 watt, or .1 watt. I use .1 watt so I get that good tubey vibe without a lot of volume. the Gibson sounds pretty good in it.

Chords!

yup, I'm no longer afraid of chords! My rhythm playing has really improved lately (from nothing to something!). It just started clicking. My chords are for blues 12 bar, like a7, d7, b7, g7, e7, etc. I'm expanding my call-response form and getting better at jumping from chords to lead. Much fun! This is the kind of blues I wanted to play!