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Post by earwighoney on Aug 11, 2024 16:33:30 GMT
I like Tanglewoods. I've been playing mine this morning. Both are fine guitars. They're not as deep or as rich sounding as the Furch, but that is only apparent when played side by side. In isolation, or after a few minutes playing them on their own, they sound fine. I have a TW60 and a TW40 and either would, and probably will, see me out.
I don't think I've ever played a Tanglewood, but they seem to be incredibly popular guitars. They must be getting something right.
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The more I have spent over the years on nice guitars, the more I came to appreciate I do not always pick up my best sounding guitar, but the ones I tend to favour for writing songs on, they tend to be some of my cheaper guitars, often tonally inferior to my more expensive counterparts. They aren't stinkers by any stretch of the imagination, my cheapish 12 fret Recording King for example doesn't have much sustain or bass, but it works well for playing slide, also with brass fingerpicks. I've got a few other guitars in comparison which are much better made but I find them to be 'a bit too much' (if that makes sense) when I use with fingerpicks.
I think I was sidelined by spending too much time/money to find the 'best' sounding guitar on spec opposed to finding the 'right' guitar. I think it can depends about what kind of playing style you have, and what works for you. Ben aka jackorion, fantastic player, and there are a lot of videos of him playing some great guitars, but he has something special when he plays his OM28V.
Rob aka forestdweller, the videos do him some justice, but seeing him close up playing a few Brooks, they seemed to fit his playing style remarkably.
The tricky thing can be finding that 'right' guitar though and it can take some time to appreciate it. I find it takes me more than a few days/weeks/months to find my way around a new guitar. I wish I could be one of those players who can find their way around a new guitar perfectly within moments, but it's not me, I think I'm quite a slow learner when it comes to these things. So even though I've bought a fair few new instruments over the years I keep on finding my way back to a few that I have put the most time and effort to playing.
I think I'm slowly coming to appreciate it's better off to stick to something I know well and learn to get the very best out of that opposed to constantly chopping and changing. Especially for someone like myself who dabbles in a few different variants of the guitar, acoustic 6 and 12, electric too. For the latter, if you throw in amps and effects, things can add up.
I still enjoy having a few different guitars and amps/effects, but I have to occasionally remind myself to focus more on the playing and less on the gear. It's the playing which I find to be the really special part of the picture, but as ever YMMV.
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Aug 11, 2024 16:39:19 GMT
I like Tanglewoods. I've been playing mine this morning. Both are fine guitars. They're not as deep or as rich sounding as the Furch, but that is only apparent when played side by side. In isolation, or after a few minutes playing them on their own, they sound fine. I have a TW60 and a TW40 and either would, and probably will, see me out. Yea the TW40 is a bit of a classic
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Post by delb0y on Aug 11, 2024 17:57:06 GMT
It's the playing which I find to be the really special part of the picture, but as ever YMMV.
Yep, I'd agree with you on this. And I can't help but wonder how much that playing would improve if I took all the time I spend looking at guitars on the web and used it for practicing instead!
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cesspit
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Post by cesspit on Aug 13, 2024 14:06:47 GMT
Small point that applies to me. Am I good enough to notice the difference between a handmade boutique guitar and say a normal Martin. I certainly know I'll never be able to exploit the difference. But it sure nice to dream.
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Post by delb0y on Aug 13, 2024 16:15:14 GMT
Small point that applies to me. Am I good enough to notice the difference between a handmade boutique guitar and say a normal Martin. I have this debate with myself all the time. As a fellow motorcyclist I see it like this. If Valentino Rossi rode my bike he'd very quickly find the limit and want a lot more. If I rode his bike... I'd be just as slow, probably slower, than I am on mine. And I know I'll never get close to the limit on mine, low that that limit is. As you say, nice to dream though. Of course, I may find a bike that's smoother, cooler, looks better, goes further on a tankful etc etc. But the limiting factor, performance-wise will always be me.
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Post by earwighoney on Aug 13, 2024 17:45:24 GMT
Small point that applies to me. Am I good enough to notice the difference between a handmade boutique guitar and say a normal Martin. I have this debate with myself all the time. As a fellow motorcyclist I see it like this. If Valentino Rossi rode my bike he'd very quickly find the limit and want a lot more. If I rode his bike... I'd be just as slow, probably slower, than I am on mine. And I know I'll never get close to the limit on mine, low that that limit is. As you say, nice to dream though. Of course, I may find a bike that's smoother, cooler, looks better, goes further on a tankful etc etc. But the limiting factor, performance-wise will always be me.
IMO if you can afford a guitar (however expensive it might be), it doesn't matter how well you can you play it, just enjoy owning it.
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Post by delb0y on Aug 13, 2024 18:37:26 GMT
IMO if you can afford a guitar (however expensive it might be), it doesn't matter how well you can you play it, just enjoy owning it. I don't disagree. I currently have a stable of the best guitars that I was able to afford at the point I bought them. Then, when I retired, two years ago, I decided that for the first time in my life I was going to buy the guitar that I really wanted, not one that was an affordable compromise. For various "life" reasons my first year of retirement was taken up with other stuff, but for the last year I've really been able to focus on guitar playing, and also looking on the web and dreaming. Right now, around the country, there are a half dozen guitars available any of which would be great (and they're not particularly expensive, just in a different league to what I'm used to). My better half is constantly nagging me to buy one of them. She knows how much playing means to me, how many hours I put in, and, as she says, you only live once. Alas, I find myself using the idea of buying this special guitar as a lever and a reward for achieving certain goals that I've set myself. It's stupid, but it's the way I am. I want to be better, and I'm working hard at it, and all being well I shall achieve my goals and then allow myself that reward. And if doesn't happen? Well, when I put one of my guitars up for sale recently (it didn't sell) I was amazed at the number of people who think that £100 is a lot for a guitar and £300 is just ridiculous. So I shall simply be happy to have a decent stable of guitars that all sorts of people would happily aspire to. Derek
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Post by earwighoney on Aug 13, 2024 20:26:58 GMT
Right now, around the country, there are a half dozen guitars available any of which would be great (and they're not particularly expensive, just in a different league to what I'm used to). My better half is constantly nagging me to buy one of them.
I can understand your motivations, they make perfect sense. I'd be intrigued in finding out what your particular dream guitar is, send me a PM if you can.
I'm largely GAS free, but there are a few things over the years I regret not making more of an effort to acquire. At the top of the list, being a Fahey fan like yourself, I regret not getting a Ark New Era when it was possible, but it was more than I had to spend at the time (now still).
I'm out of the market for new guitars right now. I've run out of space, and I could sell a few things to make more room but I find the selling process to be frustrating at the best of times, but I should make a bit more effort. The guitar cases in my bedroom are stacking up!
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Aug 13, 2024 20:48:21 GMT
Just remember. You're making an inanimate object sing
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cesspit
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Post by cesspit on Aug 14, 2024 5:59:52 GMT
Small point that applies to me. Am I good enough to notice the difference between a handmade boutique guitar and say a normal Martin. I have this debate with myself all the time. As a fellow motorcyclist I see it like this. If Valentino Rossi rode my bike he'd very quickly find the limit and want a lot more. If I rode his bike... I'd be just as slow, probably slower, than I am on mine. And I know I'll never get close to the limit on mine, low that that limit is. As you say, nice to dream though. Of course, I may find a bike that's smoother, cooler, looks better, goes further on a tankful etc etc. But the limiting factor, performance-wise will always be me.
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cesspit
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Post by cesspit on Aug 14, 2024 6:09:50 GMT
delb0y yup, I am the part of the equation that holds back my bike, guitar and just about everything else in my life. I have got used to, and I'm happy with average or mediocre with these things. I have my limits. Dreaming is fine and the fact I can actually play is a miracle in my book but I don't think I could justify the expense of a £3K plus guitar to myself. I admire those who can push their limits and exploit the benefits of such instruments but that is not me. To play my road series Martin is a bonus to me, however I play.
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 14, 2024 15:29:40 GMT
delb0y yup, I am the part of the equation that holds back my bike, guitar and just about everything else in my life. I have got used to, and I'm happy with average or mediocre with these things. I have my limits. Dreaming is fine and the fact I can actually play is a miracle in my book but I don't think I could justify the expense of a £3K plus guitar to myself. I admire those who can push their limits and exploit the benefits of such instruments but that is not me. To play my road series Martin is a bonus to me, however I play. I understand where your coming from. I had picked up a cheap used guitar again after 15 years of not having one (a Stagg), and got back into playing. Then, after about 4 years I saw a Tanglewood which was very inexpensive at about £200 an ex-display on ebay, bought it and the enjoyment from it's better tone was increased, making me more enthusiastic about learning more. After a handful of years playing that I saw lots of Lowden youtube videos and thought 'I really like that sound', so bought a £4k 32se, and immediately after it arrived I loved it. The sound was so much better to my ears than anything before I had owned (previously I had Ovations, Takamines, Epiphones, Fenders, any anything else I had previously owned. Now, sound and tone is a purely personal thing, and subjective to the listener. There is no better or worse sounding guitar, only one which YOU prefer the sound of. Now I am 15 years back into playing again, I am seriously considering an almost £11k Lowden F50c. I am not a rich man, I had to buy my current Lowden on credit, paid over 3 years. It was a massive outlay for me, but looking back it has been worth every penny, because I could not have had the same passion for learning as I have now, with any of my old guitars. So will an £11k guitar sound any better ? To others probably not, but to me, I just yearn for the sound of a sinker redwood top, with african blackwood back and sides, in a guitar with a super rigid 5 piece neck (one of the things I love about my 32se, I can use many different tunings and it always sounds fantastic to my ears, and the playing action never changes no matter what tuning. If you can afford to, then why not get something YOU really want. Personally, £11k is a hell of a lot of money, but considering what I would spend on alcohol if I did drink over the years (I don't drink), what I would spend on cigarettes (I don't smoke), and what I would spend on holidays abroad (I don't go on expensive holidays), then value for money it is well worth it. Spread £11k over 20 years and it's nothing, but all the drink, fags, and holidays would cost me much more, and would I get the same long lasting enjoyment ?
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Post by Vinny on Aug 14, 2024 16:05:31 GMT
… considering what I would spend on alcohol if I did drink over the years (I don't drink), what I would spend on cigarettes (I don't smoke), and what I would spend on holidays abroad (I don't go on expensive holidays), then value for money it is well worth it. Spread £11k over 20 years and it's nothing, but all the drink, fags, and holidays would cost me much more, and would I get the same long lasting enjoyment ? This, almost verbatim, is my default argument for convincing mainly myself, but also my wife, that I need a new guitar. I usually throw in, “I don’t play golf, either,” in case you want to use that.
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juliant
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Post by juliant on Aug 14, 2024 16:23:45 GMT
I've found (but of course, it could just be me) that a really good and well setup instrument helps me play better, especially in the early stages of learning. That was so true in my ultimately fruitless attempt to learn the sax, where I could play things on my teacher's Selmer MK6 (with expensive mouthpiece) that I just couldn't do on my student grade instrument.
That's why I decided to blow a lot of savings on a Lowden in the early 80s; it was a lot of money then, but the outlay has been more than repaid by the pleasure it's given me over the years. In the end I suppose it's what's valuable to you - I know folks who don't blink at spending several thousand on a family holiday, but who would think that £300 is too much to spend on a guitar (and don't even get me started about wine!)
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Post by delb0y on Aug 14, 2024 16:40:15 GMT
... and what I would spend on holidays abroad (I don't go on expensive holidays) This is where I go wrong :-) Never really went on expensive holidays until recently, but since retiring (and since the episode where my heart stopped and gave me a different perspective on life) we've had a few "Lowden" holidays - New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Route 66... At some point I guess the money will run out. I just need to get my metronome out and improve my timing to the point where I've bought that guitar before this happens! Derek
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