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List mo or last mo'? I wonder...

I've got G.A.S. Chas. GAS for days, and need a fix. Actually, I am moderately fixated on a semi-slender semi-hollowbody F-hole electric, with a nice medium scale comfy neck. That Guild had me goin'. Acquisition, careful playing, resell, to an earlier "Savoy" model eventually, or a reasonably priced Gibson 175.

It bugs me that Gibsons are so overly priced for their 175's, with the Reissue running around 3 grand. I can't help but think that half that price would be closer to the value. So now I'm thinking of heading for Guitar Center later this month and checking out the Epiphone Regent line, I've played a couple and liked a lot for the overall sound. They're long scale (25 1/2 inches string length) and would prefer a medium scale length, somewhat shorter and with a little looser feel to them, but the Regents do play well and are very responsive and the neck is right up my hand-alley. So....we'll see....eBay may still channel my meager dollars though, never know...

Just saw your post Chas. Yes, Wildkat's look nice! So how is the neck on it? I need a slightly smaller neck, to feel comfortable moving around above the 7th fret. Depending on the neck I avoid certain kinds of things, even keys, which is sort of a pain. My Tele is the most consistent overall, in fact it's really doing everything I want in standard playing, but I'd like to be able to instantly have the fuller chordal sound that a semi or full body guitar gets.

Another alternative I'm exploring is putting a floating mini-Humbucking pickup on my Takamine, if I can get it to fit right. I have no pickup guard on it now so that might be a problem, and I don't want to do any drilling. It has a Piezo pickup setup now.

Edited by socks
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Y'know I might check them out closer Chas, was doing some reading on them. (It cracks me up that some reviews by buyers describe it as not being good for "heavy metal" type styles. Slap a sticker on those dudes and ship "Duh" rate :doh::biglaugh: ) But it sounds like it has nice range.

So many guitars, so many guitars....so many.... :love3:

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Was RUDELY awakened at 7:30 this AM by a hammering on my roof.

What the heck is going on out there???!!!??

Oh yea -- today the roofers were coming to put a new roof on the house.

((Sigh)) I can't sleep through that noise, so I may as well get up.

Waiting for the coffee to brew -- I pick up the 1736 fiddle, and dink around on it.

Check GSCafe, dink around some more, and then coffee's done.

Ahhhhhhhhh -- Jehovah Java -- The Lord Our Stimulant!

Suddenly I have a SEVERE G.A.S. attack.

I just spent close to 5 grand for a roof (a practical purchase),

but what fun is that, eh?????

Give me something to WORK WITH here!!!

Feeling poor, I decided new strings for the 1736 fiddle were in order,

since I couldn't really afford a new instrument.

It's a balmy 49 degrees here, so I need to get outside.

I wander into the local (classical) violin shop ---

(they know I'm a fiddler, but tolerate me none-the-less),

and get into a serious discussion about *string theory*

with the guy behind the counter.

Well -- the short of the long of it is -- I walked out of there $65.00 poorer, for 4 fiddle strings.

BUT - the good news is -- after putting them on the 1736 fiddle ---

that thing WOKE UP and *started to talk*!!!!

:spy::spy::spy:

MMM MMMM MMMMM!!!! Boy does it sound good!!

The high E string is made of gold/steel

(cuts down on the extreme vibration and *raspiness* of sound)

the A is made of aluminum, to maximize it's potential,

and the D and G strings are made of sterling silver, to optimize their sound.

Felt guilty at first for spending $65.00 on four small strings ---

but now I'm glad I did!!

Feel like I have a *brand new instrument*!!

(Can't wait till pay day -- to get another set of them for the REALLY good fiddle!)

:dance:

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Mr. Music...

How wonderful... probably made you feel like a million bucks to play your fiddle and have it sound like it does now!!!!

I'm very excited for you!!! (really)... nothing like a good set of strings to make your day better.

Did you see all the links i posted for you of stepdancers? I figured when you didn't respond you might have been thinking... OH SHEESHH...what does this girl think?? Stepdancers at a bluegrass concert???

Anyway...

I just got my AMG release of the week email...

CHATTY.. hot off the press... Eric Clapton with JJ Cale just released an album today.

Also... another Bill Evans album was released today.

And... Wes Montgomery...what is he all about??? Looks interesting.

ok... i gotta run...

Socks.... did you get the guitar??? It looked amazing! (oops ... just found it ... sorry for the outbidding...sigh)

Edited by A la prochaine
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How wonderful... probably made you feel like a million bucks to play your fiddle and have it sound like it does now!!!!

I'm very excited for you!!! (really)... nothing like a good set of strings to make your day better.

Did you see all the links i posted for you of stepdancers? I figured when you didn't respond you might have been thinking... OH SHEESHH...what does this girl think?? Stepdancers at a bluegrass concert???

Ala -- forgive me. Yes I saw your links.

(They call it *buck-dancing* in the Southern USA).

LOVED hearing those tunes behind the steps. :)

Reminds me of the fiddling I heard 10 (or 20) years ago,

at the fiddle contest held up in Thunder Bay.

Powerful strokes, definitive notes, absolute command of the tune!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This thing has never sounded better in the 28 years I have had it.

I can feel the vibrations from the fiddle to me,

that were never there before. No more *muffled* sound.

The *extra* resonance is astounding, and the volume is over-powering.

Lesson learned today by this cheap-skate Scot --- Splurge on strings!!

:dance:

Edited by dmiller
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Soldier's Joy....

MISTER MUSIC MAN....

IS THAT YOU???????? Playing the fiddle and the mandolin????

OH MY OH MY OH MY OH MY OH MY .... I WANT MORE if it is...

that was fantastic.... reminded me of Nickel Creek...

are you playing the oldie fiddle on that one??? love the slurrs....

cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH and thanks for the link to Wes Montgomery...

Also... my little fiddle friend from Canadia is actually in the USA doing some gig for a couple months.

He's near NYC and therefore wants to check out the irish fiddle scene!!

I got this from his website... i'm guessing he posts this stuff as part of his workshop with notation for those wanting to learn certain tunes.... but i'm not sure.Enjoy!

Edited by A la prochaine
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Socks --

His looks like this:

Solidays04b.jpg

Minus the scribbles...

img10312003998.jpeg

I found it on eBay and ended up getting it for something like $230 - no kidding. They usualy go for around $400. I'm the queen of good timing. (Usually...ha!)

It's got great tone - it's an arch top - and the color almost matches an amp he has -- a tolex seafoam green Fender Custom Shop Prosonic combo amp. The Prosonic is a tube amp and has a great warm retro sound to it - the Wildkat sounds killer thru it - he can make it prrrrrr!

I'll take a "family pic" sometime....

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Aaah yes! Like that guitar, what a nice finish! Family pics are in order, yes.

Guilds have some serious tone. I'm enjoying reading up on them, only knew a little bit about them.

(Im' getting some weird cha-cha on the 'net - locking up...must be GAS!)

But the tremelo - I've read they're good, stable, keep a true tone. How's it sound on yours Chas?

Ah, dancing aside, strings! Strings are probably the most under rated component on a guitar, dmiller and nothing brings it on like a new set. I'm fussy about strings, and have found for guitar - regardless what you pay - you gotta be discerning to get a perfect set. Modern winding technology puts out a more consistent string but there are mishaps that seem to get through Quality Control, enough that I've learned to check. On average, any set will do and sound good once broken in. But I've found faults in every brand I've ever bought, so I buy several sets at once and for my two main guitars, the Fernandes Dragonfly and the Telecaster I examine them as I put them on and trade out a bum dinged string if it appears. Or if I'm in a hurry, y'know, what the heck. :biglaugh:

I know what you mean though - a set of sweets on my Telecaster and it just seems to play so nice!

Been messing around, making a rhythm track for a student, of Norah Jones' "Lonestar". It's a nice tune. The CD cut is very slow and hangs elegantly in slow motion through the whole song. I've got a couple other live cuts where she does it a bit faster, and live she did it at a faster clip too. It works as a 3/4 waltz, or a 2/4 march-y kind of thing. Country or pop. It's a very flexible tune. Key of C, lots of voicing possibilites, and open string chimey sounds. It's easy to wander around with and not get lost.

Edited by socks
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Mr. Music Man...

Please come back and let us know who is playing Soldier Boy?

I've played it for my hubby...he said...wow... he has a great ear!

And, if it's not you, then I must correct my story.

Tom,

Catgut .... that's for AMATEURS! We're playing in the big leagues here!!! :P

Edited by A la prochaine
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Tom -- The Peta folks pretty much ended cat-gut strings,

(although horse hair is still used on the fiddle bows.) :)

I -- for one -- am happy with silver and gold.

They shine -- and don't yeee owll!! :biglaugh:

Hey Ala -- that wasn't me on Soldier's Joy.

That was Megan Lynch.

She's the fiddle player for 3 Fox Drive.

That style of playing (in that clip) is more *contest style*.

I do some of that, but not as well as she does.

It's easy enough to copy/ -- but *tedious* in my mind,

so even though I know how to do it -- I prefer other styles.

I have more of a bluegrass *chromatic* flavour to my playing.

I had no problem following that clip, and playing it as played --

but I am usually more free-wheeling, rather than *cut and dried*,

like that clip was.

Texas (and contest-style) playing are very much centered on individual notes,

and connecting runs/ frills between the key notes,

leading from one segment of the tune to the next.

And while it all sounds good -- playing Texas style reminds me of

an accountant pouring over figures, before an audit.

Gotta get the numbers/ (notes) right so that it looks/ (sounds) good.

I like the free-wheeling style of Bluegrass.

Improv rules. :)

Edited by dmiller
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Dear Music Man,

OH sigh...it wasn't you. :(

Maybe someday we will get a chance to hear your beautiful style of playing!!!

I have often thought wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all get together for one big jam! :dance:

Socks on his MANY guitars (hee hee)and vocals

Mr. Miller Music Man on the fiddle, mando and banjo

Chas on the bass

T-Bone on the guitar (and bass I think???)

Bluzeman on the guitar

Waysider on something??? (can't remember - sorry Sider... please forgive :blink: )

Keynote (my hubby) on bass, guitar and piano

Sunesis with her 36 guitars

Chatty on vocals

Jonny Lingo on the harmonica

Dougie 73 on guitar

me on a bit of guitar (not much),

uuuuummmmm.... I'm sure I'm missing some, but whomever I've missed....you're invited too.

I THINK it would be cool. :spy:

Edited by A la prochaine
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