1,226 Reply by Doug_Smith

(4 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

It's not all "jumping the Shark"... or maybe it is.  I can easily see a label pushing to widen the fan base in effort to wring every dollar out of a band recently signed (before they screw up and get too wasted to work or kill themselves).

The only way to keep your favorite band "true to their music" is to listen to all the tracks (or samples of) before you invest in an album that you wouldn't normally waste money on.  Eventually the producers will get the message when they aren't flying off the racks in stores.

Doug

Go to forum: Bands and artists

1,227 Reply by Doug_Smith

(8 replies, posted in Electric)

I'm surprised justinguitar doesn't have them available?  His online stuff is about as good as it gets, and highly recommended by many here on Chordie.

Doug

Go to forum: Electric

1,228 Reply by Doug_Smith

(48 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Not really trying to bump this or anything... but I just got an e-mail flyer from musicians friend with the Snark under $20 with free shipping.  Sorry to our offshore friends though, it seems they only ship US and Canada presently.

Doug

Go to forum: Guitars and accessories

1,229 Reply by Doug_Smith

(14 replies, posted in About Chordie)

Donovan,

Things should work the same as usual for you in sync..... but, I'm a little nervous about having all my eggs in one basket too.  Backup things you never want to lose to some sort of durable media before trying anything that you've not done successfully before.  A careful man seldom gets injured.

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: About Chordie

1,230 Reply by Doug_Smith

(17 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Brother Zurf,  Know what you mean by hands of clay!  Amazing what your hands refuse to do that they used to do easily as a teen.  keep it up and don't let that "Demon Clickmaster" kick your butt!  Look forward to reading about your successes.

Usky;  Welcome to Chordie my friend.  Power-tab is a good one which I have used, and it works.  Thanks for the recommendation on TuxGuitar as well, I'm running Ubuntu on my laptop and it might be handy to have a good application for that too.  I'm converting my sheet music to PDF and sticking it in the thing so it can go along to jam sessions.  A lot easier to carry than 450 pages of paper, won't blow away in a breeze, just gotta figure out how to work a mouse with my toes.

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Acoustic

1,231 Reply by Doug_Smith

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Sounds kinda like tendonitis.....  I agree to the recommendations to ease up a bit.  NSAIDS like Ibuprofen or Naproxen, and sometimes an elastic wrap just below the elbow will relieve the discomfort while healing.  Meanwhile try to figure out what you are doing that may be contributing to the condition.  When I had it, it was primarily caused by playing with the neck too low and having to apply too much pressure to get my barre chords sounding clean.  A change of setup on the guitar and adjusting the strap to get it higher seems to have solved that, especially on acoustic.

Take Care & heal up soon;
Doug

Go to forum: Acoustic

1,232 Reply by Doug_Smith

(12 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Hi Guys,

I've made a few mostly for friends and from exotic woods. There are folks out there that sell them for big $$$ (up to 80-90) and I can easily see where they can come up with those kinds of prices, wood being pricey and veneers sometimes only available in large sheets.

I feed mine through a surface sander to get down to thickness (breaks your heart to turn Bubinga or Rosewood into dust).  Direct application to something like an acoustic, works well at around .035", but for "suspended" guards like on semihollows, I bond the wood to .040" polycarbonate before cutting etc..  That way it has the strength to avoid breakage once it is bolted and screwed to it's attachment points.

Fun to do and the results are nice.... but very time consuming.

Doug

Go to forum: Guitars and accessories

1,233 Reply by Doug_Smith

(12 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Well the folks back in the Midwest got all our good days it seems.  Supposed to be the hottest part of the year for us here in Oregon, and it's barely getting into the mid 80s (F)....  can't complain though, we finally managed to string four rainless days together!

Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,234 Reply by Doug_Smith

(6 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Okay, that's gutsy....  But I have to wonder how you would list that on your Resume? 

"I was a Dog Chew Toy."?

Suppose you get a mutt that hasn't got his Masters Degree in "Selective Mayhem" yet?  A torn Carotid or Femoral Artery will pump you dry in less than a minute flat!  EMTs on premises please and my blood type is.... heck just let me put a few pints in your fridge in case I need it.  Thanks.

Take Care, and good luck with that new Hobby... Guitar playing only raises a few blisters now and then Y'know...
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,235 Reply by Doug_Smith

(1 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Howdy,

If there is music you would like to see here on chordie, and you have the links, you can ask that they be indexed.  There is information about how to do that on the homepage under the resources tab.

The absence of Cavaquinho music on the site presently is likely that the instrument does not have as large a following in Europe and the rest of us are not as familiar with it as you might be living on the Southern Continent.  Chances are that if the music was able to be indexed here, you could allow the software used to format music here on chordie, transpose and adjust the tunings for your Uke so you could print copies for your own studies.

Take Care, and Welcome to Chordie!!
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,236 Reply by Doug_Smith

(22 replies, posted in Music theory)

Well if C7 resolves to F, then A7 should resolve to D......  it's a counting thing.

Nice to see you're posting! Welcome to Chordie.
Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Music theory

1,237 Reply by Doug_Smith

(11 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Hey Y'all,

Next time you spill something into your keyboard or ??  Turn the thing off, rinse the works out with distilled water and blow it out with compressed air to get the water out.  after a few days drying in a warm place, it will likely come back to life.  Done this many times and can say that coffee, water etc. is not that corrosive if dealt with promptly.  Soft drinks..... not so much.  Full of acids and sugars that really do a number on things pretty quickly.

Take Care, and no your CD tray is not to be confused with a drink holder.
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,238 Reply by Doug_Smith

(7 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Hi Bianca and Welcome to Chordie!

If you wish to add songs to the index, please refer to a sticky in the About Chordie section.  There is also additional information in the resources tab on the home page.  Each catagory in the forum has a section at the top of the posts highlighted, which are called sticky because they will always stick to the top of the section.  They contain helpful hints that may assist you in getting the most out of your Chordie Experience.

Have fun, jump in and Welcome Aboard.
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,239 Reply by Doug_Smith

(33 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Screaming/Crying children are annoying with a purpose.... it's genetically "hardwired" into us so we cannot ignore them.  I'm sure Hannah and Amy can identify with that....

Most things I can tune out, it's an age thing, and maybe artillery damage catching up with me.  Unusual noises, even fairly quiet ones will wake me right up though.  Heaven forbid a transformer explode down the road though.... you'll have to "winch me" from under the bed!  PTSD anyone?

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,240 Reply by Doug_Smith

(7 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

OK it is my "consideration" that Seagull, Cort, and Silver Creek are all quite good guitars.....  at least as best as my memory serves (having laid hands on examples of all three).  Not to say anything bad about Martin, but knowing that there are some "dyed in the wool" fans out there, I wasn't all that impressed.  Not that it's a poor quality, just not a "good fit" for me, the neck just doesn't feel right.

For me, money falls out of the equation, if it doesn't sound or feel right.... it's staying in the store.  Like Gerome hints, a $10,000 guitar isn't gonna make me a better player..... only practice will do that, and it's economical.

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,241 Reply by Doug_Smith

(7 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Missed the old girl, her kind words and humour....  Wishing all the best and look forward to hearing from her again as soon as she finds opportunity.

Take Care;
Doug

PS sorry about the "old" reference.... I may have mis-spoken, I think I've a couple of years on her, which makes me a right "geezer" eh.

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,242 Reply by Doug_Smith

(1 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Hi Tom and Welcome to Chordie!!

Were you able to find a version here on the Chordie directory?  If so you should be able to modify the instrument and tuning for Uke over on the right hand side of the page.  With a little fiddling, you should be able to come up with a printable version that you can play along with.

Look for the "sticky"s in each section and you should find tips and general guides to help you get the most out of your Chordie experience.  You can also search topics within the forum in case your question has been asked earlier, for another way to find answers and stuff.

Hang around, visit often and don't be shy about jumping right in to any discussions that interest you.  Lots of kind, friendly folks wandering through the pages, many of whom you will get to know quickly.

Again Welcome Aboard,
Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,243 Reply by Doug_Smith

(5 replies, posted in Recording)

That doesn't surprise me Gerome, line level feeds are very dry without some processing.  Guess that's why I really like my Behringer mixer, allows effects processing en-route to the recorder so you can tweak the sound before it gets there.  Condenser mics are fantastic for gathering all the ambiance of the room which gives that fuller tone... early echos etc.  You might want to check out the Shure website for guides on mic placement for setting up your 58.  Usually a more directional mic is used (like a 57), but it should do nicely.  They have some good documentation available however, so surely worth a read.

Looking forward to hearing your comparison samples.  Thanks for sharing.
Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Recording

1,244 Reply by Doug_Smith

(141 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Y'all have a great time!

Those of us too far away are envious for sure.  Always looking for a good excuse to get out for a little campfire smoke, good company and making music..... if the fishing's good that's a bonus!

Have Fun & Be Safe on the water;
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,245 Reply by Doug_Smith

(4 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Looks like a nice instrument.  You can always tell your mates at the Pub that it immigrated in search of a good Ale!

Take Care & enjoy!
Doug

Go to forum: Guitars and accessories

1,246 Reply by Doug_Smith

(9 replies, posted in Music theory)

Not to confuse the issue any more than that, but it seems to me that I have also seen "all strings open" annotated as A13.... But you know, I've never bothered to try to figure out why..... I only got ten fingers and usually stop at X9, beyond that my old gnarled fingers can't fret them anyway.

Always learning something around here!

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Music theory

1,247 Reply by Doug_Smith

(2 replies, posted in About Chordie)

Howdy neighbor!  And I mean neighbor.... just down the road from you here in Corvallis.  The hot-key for full page is F11, and depressing it again reverts to standard page view.  Or at least it does on my Firefox version running Windows 7.

You might give that a try, and it is nice to have another Oregonian here on Chordie.

Take Care;
Doug

Edited to change F12 To F11.... Oops, my typo error, DS

Go to forum: About Chordie

1,248 Reply by Doug_Smith

(34 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

Very good points made there Beth (and Welcome Back by the way!).  There is good music out there to please every taste in Genre.... it's not all "Made In America" though.  You have to go looking hard for it, and sometimes in unlikely places.  Even an old Geezer like myself appreciates the talents of bands such as Opeth.... although not as regular fare.

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Bands and artists

1,249 Reply by Doug_Smith

(45 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

tandm3 wrote:

In case he does call back, I believe Topdown had the best advice on a similar subject from a couple of years ago.  He said,

" I tell my wife "You spend more at the hairdresser in a year than this guitar costs, now go make me a sammich".

I'm still laughing about that one.

Didn't I hear that Top got remarried a couple months back???

It was just a rumour....

Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

1,250 Reply by Doug_Smith

(2 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

X bracing allows the top to vibrate more freely (theoretically because there is less of it).  But ladder is the older technology and I'm sure there are bunches of "classic" instruments built in that manner that still sound sweet and clear.  The tonal quality of the wood I think has more to dictate than the bracing pattern.  The availability of tight tonewoods or lack thereof, has driven changes in the luthier's art.  Somewhere in that evolution is "A" pattern bracing as well, and it all has the same purpose to stabilize the top and prevent warpage without locking everything down so tight that it won't project.

No opinion on the Harmony brand though, as in my book it is the sound, not the label that makes the guitar what it is.  GAS or not, if it sings to you, you should own it!

Take Care;
Doug

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner