mandovark
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Post by mandovark on Mar 13, 2015 10:34:56 GMT
No problem - according to Fox News, he won't be allowed in anyway.
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Post by mandovark on Mar 11, 2015 18:29:18 GMT
Just beautiful. Congratulations, Martin (and Dave of course!).
The walnut looks great, especially with the matching neck. Enjoy getting to know it!
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Post by mandovark on Mar 7, 2015 18:35:00 GMT
I thought the same thing, but that hasn't been my experience. If anything, the coated strings I've used (both Elixirs and D'Addarios) have sounded brighter than the strings I was using before. The Elixir polywebs are a bit less bright than the nanowebs, and I stay away from 80/20 bronze because they're far too bright for my taste.
I was put off by the cost for a while, but actually they hold their tone for so much longer that they pay for themselves. I've had the same set of Elixirs on my Oddy mandocello for about 6 months, and they're only now starting to show a few signs of wear. The only thing to keep in mind in terms of cost is if you use a lot of altered tunings - coated strings might resist wear, but they still fatigue and break like any other strings if you're retuning a lot.
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Post by mandovark on Mar 6, 2015 22:32:47 GMT
I've had the same experience, but for me it came in my other main hobby, which is running. When I was running competitively at club level, I was doing exactly what you've been doing with music: up first thing every morning for a training session, out again after work, and thinking about it in between. Gradually, what started off as something that I looked forward to doing became something that I felt guilty if I wasn't doing (which sounds exactly like the anxiety you describe). I know lots of athletes go through it, and I'm sure that lots of musicians do too.
For runners, the trick to recovering some enthusiasm is (1) take a bit of time off, and (2) when you start again, leave the stopwatch at home, forget about your regular training routes and just run wherever you fancy at whatever pace feels good.
What you probably need is the musical equivalent of taking off the stopwatch. Forget about the set practices for a while - you won't instantly forget everything you've learned, even though your anxiety will tell you that you will - and just play whatever takes your fancy, and play it for as much or as little time as you feel like it. Remind yourself why you started playing in the first place and why you loved it.
Good luck.
Simon
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Post by mandovark on Jan 31, 2015 9:22:33 GMT
Thanks for your replies fellas, going to check out some of those products, the Acus one8 sounds interesting, sorry for not explaining what I need it for,, basically at the moment I just plug straight into the PA there's no problem hearing my guitar it's really the age old holy grail, getting the best acoustic sound at high volume. The sound I have at the moment is really nice I must admit but, I would like to know if there's a better way. If you don't actually need an amp for volume or monitoring, then a good acoustic preamp might be what you're after. I use the Orchid because it makes it easy to switch between instruments and styles. I also have a Fishman, which is fine if you want the same setting throughout but is a bit fiddly if you need to make adjustments mid-set. I've also heard good things about K&K and LR Baggs, but I haven't had chance to try them myself.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 30, 2015 19:18:50 GMT
Personally I prefer to go straight into a PA (through an Orchid acoustic pre-amp) as far as possible.
I have a Marshall AS50R that I sometimes use for ceilidhs when there isn't much of a PA available. I don't really like to use it because (for me) it colours the sound far too much - it can make a cheaper guitar sound good, but if you actually like the sound of the guitar you're playing and you just want to make it louder, it's probably not the best option. That said, it's fairly cheap and very reliable.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 26, 2015 19:31:43 GMT
Thanks for the comments guys – keep them coming. Mandovark – How did these compare to your Brook Tamar as an all-rounder (I’m mindful to keep Brook on my radar but again, never seem to come across a Tamar in my travels)? The reviews for both the C3 and CZ3 suggest they might be up my street: almost like a hand built British equivalent of a Larrivee L shape – of which I am a fan. Sounds good in theory but it’s a lot of money to lay down for something that you’ve never properly heard or felt an example of with your own hands/ears before. The Moons I've played have been good all-rounders as far as the tone goes, but the standard fingerboards are a bit too narrow for me. I think their standard nut width is 43mm, whereas Brook's is 44: it's amazing what a difference 1mm makes! For me, most of the Moons I've played (which includes a couple of their OMs as well as the Cs) have been a bit more on the strumming/flatpicking side of things. The exceptions were a pau ferro 0003 and the CZ3, which seemed to have richer tones for fingerstyle. Having said that, for me, neither of them competes with Brook for fingerstyle, especially in dropped tunings. I'd describe the tone of Moons as sounding a little more American: there's obviously a strong Martin influence there. My Tamar isn't quite a true all-rounder in the sense of being equally good at everything: it's a nice strummer as long as it isn't pushed too hard, but it really comes into its own as a fingerpicker. That said, it has a Euro spruce soundboard, which the guys at Brook recommend more for fingerstyle. I'm planning my next Brook at the moment, and I'm thinking of going for a sitka top this time so that my current one can become a full-time fingerpicker. At the risk of throwing another name into the mix, if you're after a genuine all-rounder - in the sense of a guitar that does everything equally well - then Lakewood are worth a look.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 26, 2015 13:28:23 GMT
I've played the C3 and the CZ3. Both were very good all-rounders, though for me the CZ3 was more impressive - it just seemed to have more depth of tone than the C3. I've only played one of each, so can't really say how much of the difference was down to the ziricote and how much was just the natural difference between any two guitars. I do remember that the ziricote looked stunning, though I think it's also more expensive.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 20, 2015 12:31:30 GMT
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Post by mandovark on Jan 14, 2015 10:30:28 GMT
Maybe the philosophy is just 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'
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Post by mandovark on Jan 14, 2015 9:15:44 GMT
Who came up with the original headstock shape and all the other stuff? Or are mando players such stick-in-the-muds that they can't envisage anything different? A lot of it comes from Lloyd Loar's designs when he was working for Gibson in the 1920s. Loar-era Gibsons have become the holy grail for bluegrass players and a lot of top American luthiers still tend to go for a similar look and sound.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 13, 2015 19:40:22 GMT
Trevor, you have the best job in the world
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Post by mandovark on Jan 12, 2015 16:53:22 GMT
Getting back to the point, the Taylors I've played have been nice, well-made guitars with a good sound - a bit brighter and more modern-sounding (to my ears) than Martins. I think they sound a bit short of individual character, but that's a problem I find with a lot of factory-made guitars. When you consider that you could often get a handmade guitar designed around your own preferences for the same price as a higher-end Taylor or Martin, I'd go for that option every time.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 12, 2015 16:45:51 GMT
I've no idea where the pricing for that one came from, but as I valued it at less than half the sticker price, I didn't even try to negotiate. I'd be relatively confident that the 'Gibson' inlay on the headstock accounted for at least 40% of the cost Sounds about right. I vaguely remember reading something on MandolinCafe about some unscrupulous dealers getting hold of fake Gibson decals, sticking them on the headstock of any old piece of junk, then putting on it on ebay as a vintage Gibson.
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Post by mandovark on Jan 7, 2015 12:11:29 GMT
An interesting point about age Kym and you are iffy but it doesn't have to be that way. Some people seem to get stronger as they age probably because they look after their voice and themselves better. Ralph McTell is a case in point. He has adapted to his lowered register well, has given up smoking and generally seems to be singing as well as ever at 70! There are also those few special artists who actually seem to become better singers as their voices deteriorate. One of the best examples was Billie Holiday - her voice was basically knackered by the time she made her later recordings, but it was that 'lived in' quality that made them great. Another good example is this one by Johnny Cash. The voice maybe isn't what it once was, but for me that's part of what makes the song great.
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