A word about guitars

[ericcoleman]

Ok, I just felt in the mood for this ... for the first time in ages all my guitars are home ... my arsenal of guitars is such ...

A Martin DM - my main guitar, it has a sweet low growl to it. He dosn't travel much anymore, I'e been mean enough to him

A Takamine EG531SC - My workhorse guitar. It has a wonderful preamp and sounds pretty darn good all by itself. The guitar that you are most likely to see me with

A Stella Harmony 3/4 size - Indeterminate year, but it's kinda sweet. It has a certain 60s cheap guitar cheese that I dearly love. She will be travelling with me more often once I get a gig bag for her.

A very old Harmony archtop - Very very very beat up, probably beyond repair. I havent had it out in ages. It makes me sad.

A Greco electric 12 string - Another guitar that I havent played in too long. It will get pulled out and restrung this week. The guy who I bought it from wants it back and I need to make up my mind. With the money he is offering (what I paid for it) I could probably buy a cheap mandolin or banjo. Something to start with. Any opinions ???

There are two other instruments, a Montana 3/4 size and a Dean 1/2 size guitar that are abused by other folks in my house.

I don't have nearly enough guitars.

Comments

[chirosinger.livejournal.com]

Listing all your guitars, eh? Don't let chasophonic see this! He doesn't have enough time to write them all down, we have a gig tomorrow!



Gibson J-200: the big black one with the rose. Her name is Rosa. I play her mostly at local coffeehouses where we can use guitar mics. She has the richest sound of almost any guitar I've ever played.

Gibson L-200: The cute maple one. She doesn't have a name yet but this is the guitar I play most of the time. It's a smaller version of a J-200.

Martin OO-18: with a train inlay. Her name is Libba. She has a wonderfully sweet sound. I've been going back and forth about keeping her or selling her for a couple of years. I love her but she just doesn't have the deep voice of the Gibsons. For the time being though, I'm keeping her.

Taylor 714CE: My first really nice guitar. Cedar top with rosewood sides and back. Fishman pick-up system. She has a nice bright sound. Since getting the Gibsons, she's not been played much. I'm looking at selling her.

12-string Harmony: spruce and walnut. Given to me by an ex-boyfriend of my mother's. Really high action. Not played much.

Art & Lutherie Ami: my black parlour sized camping and canoing guitar. I wrote "Fathers and Daughters" on this guitar.

Lute guitar: on order. Will arrive in August.



Oscar Schmidt Autoharps: 3 of them, each one better than the next! Great story on how I got the first one. I started playing autoharp again after seeing "A Mighty Wind" and becoming obsessed with Mitch and Mickie. I still want to learn "Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" and "When You're Next to Me".

Kazoos: LOTS of them. Thanks Chas and Bonnie! I especially love the Shrek one (the bodice kazoo) and the teak wood one.

Hammer Dulcimer: Custom built for me by one of my patients. He used purple heart ont he sides! There's even a picture of Pooh Bear inside.

Mountain Dulcimer: All walnut. From the heart of the Ozarks.

Baritone Uke: all walnut. My first "guitar". Used until I figured out it didn't have enough strings.

Fylde Cittern: mighty fine instrument from England! Cedar top with a nice loud and full sound. I'm finding that I just don't play it anymore, at all. Am looking to sell this one too.

Kentucky Mandolin: beginner's instrument. Action is still a bit too high. I got this so that Riverfolk could have a mandolin in the group. Instead lf learning to play it well, we found Andy and got a violinist to boot! I haven't been playing it much the past couple of years and was considering offering to sell it to you Eric, but I just tried it out again and a funny thing happened. It was still fairly in tune, I remembered a few chords and I started to play it. Out came the chorus to a song I didn't know I was writing. A cute upbeat love song! (I don't write those. Quite the contrary.) So I'm keeping the mandolin!

Keyboard: given to me by my brother during college. What an extravagant present! Nothing fancy, but functional.

Violin-Uke: very interesting, old instrument. It's played with a bow and with strumming, at the same time.

Recorders, flute, clarinet, penny whistle, xaphoon: none played often.

Accordian: I don't play, but it was my grandmother's.

Various percussive things: used to percuss.

Hey, this was fun!

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

Did you get rid of the Rainsong?

Violin-Uke: very interesting, old instrument. It's played with a bow and with strumming, at the same time.

Now you've piqued my curiosity, I shall have to wheedle you into bringing it to somewhere we'll both be so I can see it.

[chirosinger.livejournal.com]

Yes, I sold the Rainsong. My landlord plays in a goth rock band and fell in love with it the first time he saw it. He's used it in the band's latest recording project and finally decided that he wanted to actually own it. I really haven't played it much the past couple of years and decided to finance the purchase of the soon-to-be-arriving lute guitar with it. I'll be using the new guitar at Renn Fest.

You may have to come up to Minneapolis sometime to see the violin-uke. I'd love to show you this very cool instrument. Just give me some notice so that I can tune it up and learn a song or two. Maybe for Minicon or ConVergence nest year.....

[ericcoleman]

I have got to come hang out at your house ... wait ... I probably am ...

I love Martin OO-18s ... I played one of these at a show I did with Sue Urban a couple of years ago ... a real sweet voice ... VERY different from the DM though ... have you seen my DM ... he's pretty darn amazing ...

I wanna see your Cittern too ... more fun toys (me being me that translated as "Hey babe, wanna show me your cittern?")

Art & Lutherie Ami - cool ... a friend has one of these for sale in his shop ... it's got a natural finish ... but is very very sweet ...

I've seen both Gibsons now I think ... I love the sound of Jumbos but am never quite comfortable playing them ... I could probably get to be so pretty fast though ...

My mom (who is flying in tomorrow) had two Autoharps ... both of which she gave away a couple of weeks before I thought to ask about them ... grumble ...

I wanna see the Violin-Uke ...

The manager has made me promise that I won't buy another major instrument till I can pay for it with money I have made playing the other instruments .... sometimes management is just plain bad

[ericcoleman]

Oh ... and Chas is officially banned from commenting on this thread ... not that that will stop him if he decides to ...

I wanna hang out at his house too ...

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

A Greco electric 12 string - Another guitar that I havent played in too long. It will get pulled out and restrung this week. The guy who I bought it from wants it back and I need to make up my mind. With the money he is offering (what I paid for it) I could probably buy a cheap mandolin or banjo. Something to start with. Any opinions ???

I don't bond with my instruments the way some people do, but I'd still be uncomfortable selling one. If you're going to feel bad about it afterwards, don't do it. Find other money if you want the mando or banjo.

If you do keep it, could you consider dragging it along to some con where we'll both be? It would amuse me to play with it (not that I expect anyone else would want to listen -- I have so close to zero experience with electrics that you need scientific notation to measure it).

[ericcoleman]

I haven't played it in several years ... since I stopped playing with an amp ...

If I still have it around Windy I'll bring it along ... it needs an amp though to be effective ... and sounds pretty good then ...

I can probably afford a cheapo banjo or mando ... but I'm waiting till all the cons are paid for this year before I make up my mind ... the OVFF/Windycon trips are going to be expensive ...

[beige-alert.livejournal.com]

You all have Too Many Instruments (TM).

My girlfriend has three guitars. A Yamaha 12-string she bought on E-bay that sounds nice but has unpleasant action and probably needs a neck reset. A really cheap old 12-string with holes cut in it for some sort of pickup that is no longer present. No one has been able to identify the maker. It doesn't sound as nice as the Yamaha, but you can play the F chord successfully on it. A Yamaha classical.

I have only the Yamaha LS-400 that many of you have seen me with. It is my first guitar and I bought it having, naturally, no clue, but fortunately I've been happy with it. It cost a bit more than I was planning on spending at the time, but I do play it a lot so it was worth it. Its body is a bit on the smaller side, which works well for me because my body is a bit on the smaller side, too.

I have an Armstrong 104 student flute, purchased used back when I was first learning to play flute, as a child. I've been playing it quite a bit these days. It's not a great instrument, but it is fully functional. I've never actually played anything nicer, which might be a good thing due to the risk of then deciding that I really want an expensive instrument.

I also have a number of noisemakers and a didgeridoo that I made out of PVC drain pipe which I haven't played in ages.

[ericcoleman]

I like that Yahama you play ... and I usually don't like yahamas ...

as for too many instruments ... not yet ... but I will ...