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Post by dobro on Dec 18, 2017 22:08:43 GMT
Looking forward to it!
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Post by andyhowell on Dec 19, 2017 10:09:27 GMT
Thanks for the views and positive comments everyone, much appreciated! andyhowell, I'm a big fan of Disraeli's maxim..."Never complain; never explain" Well I was relieved when I saw those shots of you sitting on the stairs. Thank goodness he has furniture I thought.
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Riverman
Artist / Performer
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 12:54:00 GMT
dobro : here are some photos of the Orsino and the small Falstaff together, plus one including the Ariel - which I think, for those who know Fyldes, will give the best impression of the relative sizes. It's overcast here today so the light wasn't great but hopefully they'll be clear enough for you to get an idea. I've played the Orsino and Falstaff back to back and there are similarities, but also distinct tonal differences, though it's difficult to describe them properly in words. Of course it needs to be borne in mind that, as well as the timber and size differences, the Orsino has had eight years of playing in - whereas it's only a few months since the Falstaff was just pieces of wood stacked in Roger's storeroom. I remember when I bought the Orsino I thought it was an archetypal mahogany guitar - bright, airy, snappy...it records very well and isn't short of bass, but (and here's where I differ from Mr Bucknall) I'd call it crisp rather than warm. That said, I love it, and didn't order the Falstaff because I was in any way dissatisfied with the Orsino, though it is now the largest guitar I own, and I'm drawn more nowadays to mid sized guitars (Martin 000/00 sized). I told Roger that the best sounding Fylde I remember playing was cedar/rosewood, and that was the original plan for my Falstaff, but when the time came to start the build he suddenly announced that, having thought about it, he thought walnut would be a better fit. I went with his judgement and I'm glad I did. I've heard it said that walnut combines some of the qualities of mahogany and rosewood, and based on this guitar I'd say that's accurate. It's a bit less bright in the trebles than the Orsino but has a slightly heavier and warmer midrange and bass, and it sustains a bit longer. Volume wise they're about the same, despite the size and age differences. I think words may fail me here, but the Falstaff has superb balance across the strings - they all sound to be working together in some way - whereas the Orsino's strings sound more individually defined...no, I'm losing it now and in danger of ending up in Pseud's Corner I'm not a strummer but I've heard a friend play the Orsino with a pick and, despite the very low action, it sounded great. Don't think I'll let a pick anywhere near the Falstaff... I probably haven't done justice here to these guitars. They both sound fabulous.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Dec 19, 2017 12:57:06 GMT
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 12:59:54 GMT
Proper sized photos...
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Riverman
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Posts: 7,345
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 13:01:43 GMT
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 13:02:29 GMT
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 13:03:18 GMT
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Post by dobro on Dec 19, 2017 13:45:39 GMT
Thanks so much for taking your time on this. I must admit my curiosity is slightly connected to the fact that I'm expecting an Orsino from Roger in the summer. At the same time, I was very taken with your record, and can understand you being drawn to smaller body guitars for your country-blues playing style. The Orsino might not be the perfect fit for that..? I sold an Alexander, which I for some reason never bonded with, to fund the Orsino. Oh well, and thanks again for your time. I hope all goes well with your CD, it's a tough market in these times of streaming, I know , because I have myself made four records during the last ten years. Happy X-mas
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 15:54:49 GMT
Thanks dobro. Hard times indeed for CD sales, though it's going rather well so far, thanks to the nice people on this forum... You know, I've given up thinking of any particular brand or size of guitar as being "right" for any individual player or style of music. I did in fact use the Orsino for the majority of tracks on the album, including Let's Go To Town which I put up in the Plucky Duck last week. I think it's a great fingerpicking guitar, and I found that it really comes alive in open D tuning, though I don't change tunings much. But I think if a guitar suits you, makes you want to pick it up, feels comfortable to play...well, then you're going to make your best music with it. And only other guitarists give two hoots about this stuff anyway! Most listeners couldn't care less. I had an Alexander too - the Fylde 30th Anniversary guitar (Engelmann spruce/rosewood). I remember hearing a friend play it and being struck that it had a more "mid-Atlantic" sound than my others, so you'd think it would have worked well for my style. But the nut was too narrow for me - and much as I liked that guitar, I realised I was never going to be 100% comfortable with it, and would therefore never play as well on it as I would on one that fitted me better. I'm sure you'll love your Orsino. Mine easily passes the "would I be satisfied with this if it were my only guitar" criterion*, which currently determines for me whether it's a keeper or not. (* I've no intention of putting this to the test... )
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Post by dobro on Dec 19, 2017 16:38:38 GMT
Me neither. And, by the way, would it be possible to have a cd sent to Norway?
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Dec 19, 2017 16:40:04 GMT
Me neither. And, by the way, would it be possible to have a cd sent to Norway? Certainly. Just send me a PM
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