Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Post by Andy P on Mar 3, 2024 17:38:01 GMT
Fear not, you and Martin are not alone… Nice looking banjo. Good luck with clawhammer. Hey we are a band of brothers! Thanks Brian.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Mar 3, 2024 17:33:51 GMT
Glad to hear you’ve stuck with it Andy, and thanks for introducing me to the lovely Ruth. Hadn’t heard of her before but she’s very good 😊 Martin the lovely Ruth is one third of the lovely Wailin' Jennys. As for the clawhammer I'm struggling to maintain a steady volume with my striking finger. Fortunately there are countless instruction vids on YouTube so I'll keep banging on :-)
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Mar 2, 2024 21:52:48 GMT
This should be of interest to Martin, and quite possibly no-one else. After stuttering progress with three finger style on the Gold Tone short neck banjo that said Martin let me have at a very nice price a few years back, I've decided to dedicate myself to trying to master clawhammer. To encourage me I've slightly upgraded to this Deering Americana. It's vey nice. And loud, which pleases Helen no end... Progress is again rather slow - the muscle memory isn't what it was when I were a lad - but I'm persevering. Here's my clawhammer muse:
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 23, 2024 22:02:56 GMT
Incidentally they brought their own mic with them - one of these really cool retro Ear Trumpet condenser mics (the 'Edwina'), also produced in Oregon. No pick-ups, no pedal-boards, just the purest of natural sounds.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 23, 2024 20:42:21 GMT
Another wonderful recent gig at Kirkcaldy Acoustic Music Club featuring Rain of Animals who played the first half then joined Stereo Naked for the rest of the show. Rain of Animals comprise Australian Pepi Emmerichs on vocals, mandolin and fiddle and Scotsman Theodore Barnard on vocal and guitar. They play a very distinctive and tight blend of " bluegrass, oldtime, swing, tunes and songs". She's probably the best mando player I've ever seen live. Stereo Naked are based in Cologne, which apparently has a small but thriving bluegrass scene (who knew?). They feature Julia Zech (vocals and clawhammer banjo to die for) and New Zealander Pierce Black (vocals and double bass). Making the ensemble up to a fivepiece was a German friend called Bjorn on fiddle and mandolin. The end result was a very enjoyable and highly original mix of songs. Here are the five of them playing The Wrong Chord. I'll insert a video below of Stereo Naked which highlights Julia's banjo-playing.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 23, 2024 19:55:10 GMT
Cracking gig (the last of their tour) by this duo last night at a packed Kirkcaldy Acoustic Music Club: Gabrielle Macrae (vocals, fiddle, banjo, guitar) a native of Oregon USA and Barry Southern (vocals, banjo and guitar) a born and bred Scouser, now also resident in Astoria, Oregon. Old time, Appalachian, bluegrass, country - in my dotage I'm finding that I enjoy this stuff more than anything else, especially when performed by such superb players as these two.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Jan 1, 2024 18:55:17 GMT
Enough said...
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Dec 17, 2023 14:53:23 GMT
I think I might know what's going on with the pickup. It's angled to only pick up the bass string(s) so he can run that signal through an octaver pedal and get that "missing bass player" thing sometimes - can lift a tune nicely when applied sparingly. A lot of folkies do that - Jonny Dyer has one fitted that way (of the awesome Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer), for example. Since Boss brought out the OC-3, which allows you to set a frequency range to apply the octaves to, such pickup gymnastics may not be so necessary. That's really interesting as he (David Howley) is credited as "creating a style which is really unique within the world of roots music with an uncommon ability to play both rhythm and bass lines congruently". Thanks
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Dec 17, 2023 14:48:53 GMT
Thanks for identifying the guitar folks. I didn't recognise the logo as Collings is one of the brands I keep well away from when I'm browsing in GuitarGuitar. To do otherwise could end up being disastrous for the bank account
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Dec 15, 2023 20:59:37 GMT
Hi all. Who can identify the guitar played by David Howley of the phenomenal (currently resting, possibly permanently ) We Banjo 3? And why is his Fishman pick-up fitted sideways? Never seen that before. What's the banjo Martin? If you need cheering up, I highly recommend watching the entire set, or least check out the most blistering version of Daddy Fox you'll ever hear from 46.24.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Aug 8, 2023 13:01:21 GMT
Andy P is a big fan - can you help at all Andy? Keith The sound of squealing brakes announces my late arrival at this thread! Yes, I've been a huge BC fan since the mid 70's when I first heard Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws (already mentioned above). It was given to me by a friend who had been living in Toronto, BC's home city. It's one of those rare albums where every song is right up there. Apart from anything else, rhythmically it's a delight. He's a phenomenal guitarist and wonderful songwriter, a poet in fact. Many of his songs are pretty cryptic - he's a very spiritual man. He's also a great humanitarian and has travelled widely, observing, commenting and composing about human rights abuses, civil wars, far right administrations, etc. Breakfast in Los Angeles, Dinner in Timbuktu is probably my favourite album. The Charity of Night is also a magnificent piece of work, full of dark imagery and haunting tunes, but perhaps not one to listen to if you need cheering up! If you like his music, I can heartily recommend his autobiography Rumours of Glory.Funnily enough I only finally got to see him three years ago, in Edinburgh. What a special night that was. I'm always surprised that he's not better known in this country - he's a national treasure in Canada. Here's a wee taster, showcasing his powerful song-writing, that voice and his superb guitar-playing. By the way, he plays Manzer guitars. And here's Pacing the Cage, one of my absolute BC faves.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Jun 13, 2023 11:42:49 GMT
GuitarGuitar are offering up to 40% off. Cole Clark acoustics . All I know about them is that they're Australian and are widely regarded as having astoundingly good electronics. Has anyone here played one, or even own one?
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on May 25, 2023 19:45:51 GMT
I don't know the answer. But my guitars can sound great one day, then just so and so another day, I think it may have something to do with my hearing, or maybe just the mood I'm in. I think that's a very valid theory...
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 2, 2023 18:06:44 GMT
Good review Surfguy, you made a jolly good choice IMHO Looks so cool too! I'm also a fan of the One-8 Fantastic amp with plenty of input options Hi surfguy13 and otis1960 how do you usually set the amp's EQ for a guitar when using it at a gig? I tend to set treble and bass pretty low with no mids at all, though whacking them up gives a volume boost which can be very useful.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 2, 2023 17:52:15 GMT
Thanks for all the comments about my new Taylor, all very interesting and I enjoyed reading them. Yes juliant if we all had exactly the same tastes there would only be one brand of guitar and that would be very dull. A couple of mentions above of the neck profile and it's just right for me. I'm finding the guitar perfect for finger-picking and it's also in no way overwhelmed by light strumming. Like a quality larger-bodied guitar the strings all blend together beautifully to produce what sounds to my ears not like a collection of six notes but one multi-faceted one. That probably sounds like boll nonsense but I know what I mean. My heavy thrashing days are well over so I don't need it to cope with that kind of abuse. I'm liking the Expression system through my Acus One8 and the EQ controls are nice and responsive. andrewjw I didn't know Santa Cruz strings were a thing. I can only find them at Thomann and Amazon US and they're certainly not cheap. I see their strap line is "Gauge means nothing, Tension means everything" and they accordingly don't tell us what the gauges are! Is there a UK dealer?
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