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Post by fretter on Dec 24, 2021 12:44:45 GMT
This has been a really interesting discussion. Like many others, no doubt, I have bought and moved on many guitars over the years. I admit that some of them were bought on reputation. An advantage in this is that you will struggle to lose money on a decent used guitar with a good reputation, so 'chopping and changing' needn't cost a fortune!
Whilst I liked them well enough, none became keepers, and, come selling time I was happy enough to let them go. I have a friend who is a luthier. It is not his full time job. As Dreadnought 28 says, few people can make a sensible living at it. Consequently, he is able to take as much time as he needs to get every build absolutely right. I am lucky enough to have three of his guitars - all were built for me. All three are excellent, and I have enjoyed playing them as much as any guitar I have ever owned.
The most recent one he built me - in 2014 - has qualities that I have never experienced before. It has huge resonance , and is easy to play - being very forgiving of my less than stellar ability! It has features that usually come on far more expensive guitars (bevel arm rest/full bindings on fretboard and body/carbon fibre rods linking top to neck joint) which help to make it a very satisfying guitar to own, if not directly adding to its tone.
I love it, and could never imagine selling it. However, I would be really interested to play it back to back with other custom made instruments! Is it as good as I perceive it to be? Does the fact that it was built specifically for me alter my perception of it? Is there a guitar out there costing a lot more that would make me change my mind on the 'ceiling' amount I would ever spend on a guitar. Quite possibly not, but I would love to find out- hypothetically speaking of course!
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Post by fretter on Sept 10, 2021 8:44:42 GMT
I have sent a pm
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Post by fretter on Sept 9, 2021 13:13:50 GMT
A couple of ideas.
A cardboard tube of suitasble length could work. Feed one end down, and make a small slit to hold that end in position. A second slit would secure the other end.
From any DIY shop you can buy foam cylinders (with a lengthways slit in them) which are used as water pipe insulation. The larger ones are around 8cm or so in diameter. Simply wind the string around them and tuck the loose ends into the slit. Works a treat for fishing traces!
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Post by fretter on Aug 26, 2020 9:16:02 GMT
I recently came across Matthew’s photos of the octave mandolin. he has recently completed. I am very lucky to have three of his guitars. This is one that he built for me in 2013. OM Adirondack top Ziricote back and sides Rosewood rosette Ebony fretboard Ebony bridge Zebrawood surround to body Arm bevel Shamrock soundport 44mm at nut This is probably the most responsive guitar I have ever played, and has a fabulous sustain. I’m not sure why this is, as I have played, and owned, far larger bodied guitars that have been pretty quiet in comparison. From the construction point of view, an interesting feature is the use of carbon fibre rods which connect to the top, back and neck. I am sure this is a large factor in the sound that it produces. Definitely one of my all time favourites – I feel very fortunate to own it.
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Post by fretter on Feb 4, 2020 13:45:13 GMT
''Maybe that's the price you paid for the chains that you refused'' Richard Thompson / Beeswing
''I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet'' Joni Mitchell / case of You
''We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year'' Pink Floyd / Wish You Were here
''I dreamed your dreams for you, now your dreams are real, how can you look me as if I was just another one of your deals'' Dire Straits / R and J
Can't separate them!
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Post by fretter on Dec 3, 2019 13:32:44 GMT
An interesting piece of news, and one I may quote as some type of justification. On the other hand, you would be unlikely to order one if you thought you may not last long enough to collect it.
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Post by fretter on May 14, 2019 8:15:03 GMT
Thanks so much for all the replies and suggestions. We did a lot of listening through different setups. Andertons were very helpful and we had some great advice from them. The speakers we really liked were the Yamaha DBR 10s. We don't play large venues, and the volume we could get from them was perfectly adequate. The sound is very crisp and clear. In addition, they are light and therefore easy to cart around , and store! For the first time in years, I have a pair of speakers that I can easily mount on the tripod without help, as well as carry to and from the car with ease. The mixer we chose was the Studiomaster 12 channel. During listening tests, we couldn't really differentiate between it, and more expensive options, so it was a good choice, as it also helped the budget. It is simple and intuitive to use and we have been perfectly happy eith it, both during practices, and during our only gig with it so far. We already had a pair of Studiomaster wedges, which do the job, so we have retained them. While we were at it, we upgraded two of the three mikes - in for a penny, in for a pound! After testing, I opted for the Sennheiser 845, and our female singer chose the Shure 58. To help protect the speakers during transport, we also picked up a pair of suitable covers for £20 from Ebay. All in all we are really happy. In comparison, the new set up is a massive improvement over the old system. It always had background hum, whereas the new system is very quiet. The sound - and portability - is a great step up. Thanks again for the help and advice. There is only one thing needed to complete the setup -a flight case for the mixer. I will put a post on classifieds if anyone knows of one for sale.
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Post by fretter on Apr 26, 2019 15:32:58 GMT
Thanks for the responses to date. Interesting. Funnily enough, there is a Bose system (used) over in Guildford. We do have reservations about secondhand though.
The Stagepas is a good thought, but it doesn't have enough channels for our setup. We are now committed, as the old PA has just been sold. Next gig is in about three weeks, so we'd better get shifting!
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Post by fretter on Apr 25, 2019 20:39:12 GMT
Could anyone offer some advice on PA for my four piece band? We are four piece, consisting of acoustic guitars / mandolin / banjo / concertina plus vocals.
We have used an old Peavey powered mixer, but are thinking of getting a mixer and active speaker set up. What would anyone on here recommend? My local music in Guildford carries a wide range of equipment. Speakers that are frequently mentioned are:
Mackie SRM 350 Mackie 12A Thump Alto TS310 Wharfedale Titan 12D
If anyone has experience of any of the above (or any others) I would be interested to hear. We don't play big venues, but sound quality, portability and reliability are paramount.
Likewise mixers. Eight channel would be the minimum required.
Thanks.
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Post by fretter on Mar 3, 2019 15:19:23 GMT
I am fortunate to have a very good friend who makes lovely guitars as a hobby. Over several years, he has made me three. They all have different woods for the back and sides- BR, ziricote and ebony. I freely admit that the appearance of the woods hugely influenced the choice. I had seen both a ziricote and ebony guitar at TAMCO and thought they were stunning. The chance of having guitars made in those woods was too good to turn down. Sound wise, they do sound slightly different from each other, but no doubt other factors - such as body size - come into play. Of the three, the one I play the most is the ziricote.
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Post by fretter on Feb 3, 2019 20:53:12 GMT
I went into Guitar Village yesterday, and it seemed to be carrying a great stock of guitars , catering for all tastes and budgets - from beginner to once in a lifteime fasntasy purchase. I played a couple of Furch guitars, which I have been wondering about for a while. Derek was very welcoming and I was left to play them with no pressure. Definitely on the possible list!
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Post by fretter on Jan 24, 2019 8:41:40 GMT
There is an organisation on Orkney that is building up a 'library' of instruments. The aim is to lend them to people - particularly youngsters - who want to try out learnining an instrument without the expense of purchasing in the first instance. They are very keen to both promote and continue the strong Orcadian musical tradition www.reellifefoundation.com/
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Post by fretter on Jun 12, 2018 11:33:23 GMT
Not that close to Falmouth, but The Cadgwith Inn - on The Lizard - is a great place. There is a very friendly folk club there on Tuesday evenings from around 9.00pm. On a Friday night at around 10.00pm The Cadgwith Singers sing in the bar. They do a variety of songs, including many traditional Cornish songs.
I have played at the folk club a few times, when in the area, and went to the Friday night session last Friday for the first time. it was brilliant.
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Post by fretter on Jan 9, 2018 18:50:28 GMT
From new, they are great. I I have had a few over the years, and most have broken, due to the shearing of one of the three plastic lugs on the the back of the tuner head.
Recently I have bought a couple of cheap tuners off Ebay, and they have been fine.
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Post by fretter on Dec 30, 2017 10:39:39 GMT
It is a difficult balance between giving a customer the space and time to assess a guitar, and allowing someone you don't know loose on a few thousand pounds worth of guitars unsupervised!
Whenever I play a guitar, I know very quickly if I don't like it, but the decision as to whether you actually want to hand over the cash is much more subtle.
Presumably, if you have a shortlist, you have already done the homework on woods / construction etc, so it is more a matter of whether you like it enough to buy it. A good salesperson would have a good knowledge of alternatives to your shortlist, possibly things you may not have thought of.
For what it is worth, I recently visited a local guitar shop.I have been going there for a long while, and they know that I am a) careful and b) perfectly capable of making an impulse purchase! I had heard good things about Furch guitars and played an OM 24 SR back to back with much (much much) more expensive Collings / Taylor guitars. I thought it was the best guitar I played that day by a country mile, and would buy one in a heartbeat, if I were actively looking to buy at the moment.
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