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An 1898 Gibson??? Holy smokes, I'll bet that is one sweet player!! I've been playing off and on for 'bout fifteen years. (mostly off key HAH) I run a mrtn D28, An Epi Dove and a Gold tone Paul beard sig. I never play a mando in my life and thought Ya ain't getting any younger. If you like it, try it. After much negotiation consisting of me whining my CFO finely consented. (I have to clean the litter box for a month) I bought a Kentucky KM 675. No, it's not gib Monroe sig, but I don't have $25,00 in cash or talent. I've been told it's a good starter mando. Got to get it to my luthier for proper set up though. The best thing about being locked up for winter is we have sunday afternoon jams up at the local tavern. Alot of folks from across the border in Mi. come over. I got to sit in the "circle" last year. It was incredible. I hang back with my "light" pick and try to stay out of their way. Comes my time to pick a song and.......Brain freeze. Stage fright? When you're sitting in with IMHO some VERY talented musicians it can get pretty intimidating. I'll usually pull off a I'll fly away or something simple like that. I'll sing the harmony and the mando player pulls the melody. That's as great as it gets. I think I'll stick to the six string this year as I have a LONG way to go in learning the mandolin. As in the first post, that's what snowy evenings are for. Put on some Rickky Scaggs....and start to cry. chuckle, chuckle now. Everybody starts somewhere. Kinda off the track, my grandfolks had a place on lake Michigan just south of Port Washington. Many an afternoon eating fresh smoked chubs on the beach.
take care. chris
I'm with you Russ. Being on the back side of forty, winter isn't as fun as it was when we were ten. My wife and I live up here on the little 'ol Peshtigo river and had our first killing frost of the year. Bye, Bye garden and hello pellet stove. Winter for me is a time for introspection. Watch the snow fall on the river and pull a little E,A7th, B7th blues prog. I recently bought a (Don't shoot) mandolin. WOW, can you pull a crying jag off of this thing! It's funny how your (my) music mood changes as the seasons change. That said, winter in wisconsin is a beautiful time. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Take care and stay warm.
chris
Just like badeye, i use "cool" picks. they have some kind of rubber coating at the ends that really resist sweat and grime...and alcohol. They clean up nice with soap and water. Not cheap. 'bout a buck a pick. Why does the pick disappear in an eye-blink but you look like a dolt holding your guitar upside down looking up into the sound hole shaking like a mad man trying to get it out!?
rndthefire
I've read both schools of thought on humidifiers. I'm firmly in the "do" camp as the temp and humidity can swing alot here in north central wisconsin. The trouble I've heard of is that a lot of people soak it down and hope to get a week out of it. That's where the mold comes from. As frankster found out, distilled water only because tap water has a bunch of minerals in it. It should be just "damp" and checked every three days at the most. All and all, it's kind of a guessing game as to the percent of moisture. I still think some is WAY better then none. This is a piece of wood remember.
rndthefire
just sitting here reading all the responses. As my wife and i have less then some but more then many, I consider mystelf a lucky man. I have a bueatiful daughter that just gave me another healthy grandson and a wonderful wife that is in remission. (round two) Two guitars that stay intune and a full tank of propane. It's four below outside. I'm have to go with bonedaddy on this one. world peace under my tree.
peace to all. rndthefire
Awhile ago, I took bootlegger's advice and purchased a B-Band A2.2 pickup for my epi Dove. I just put it in yesterday. I am by NO means a tech. Change strings, a little polish and that's about it. After reading the instructions and going to their website for support, I thought I might be able to handle this. The system is straight forward and there's no soldering. Just simple plugs. With some patients and careful fitting, you can save some money and do it yourself. oh, it sounds GREAT.
I just had my epi dove set up buy a local luthier. Had a bone saddle and some nut work done. he compensated the saddle right away. i was running martin sp's and changing them about once a month. a friend of mine has been using elixr nano-webs. i had heard about coated strings for awhile but their a little pricey. o.k. so i'm cheap! i put them on anyway and although they don't sound as "bright" as standard wound, they don't "flatten" out either. two months and they sound as good as the day i put them on. they also make a poly-web but i got a bunch of salesman double speak when he explained the difference. i'll stick with the nano. they were pioneered by the gore company of gore-tex fame. they don't seem to absorb the grime and sweat like a wound. try 'em out.
rndthefire
I have a guitar that i just don't play anymore. (I hear all the groaning out there.) fact is i have three others that fit me better. there seems to be two schools of thought on long term storage. one is keep tension on the strings so the truss rod doesn't warp the neck. hmmm. makes sense. two is detune to take stress off the bridge and body. that way you won't... you got it, warp the neck. they both make sense although the second idea is more logical. i don't want to damage it as someday my grandson might pick it up. both sides insist they're right. i'm sooo confused! and by the way, i'm still in love with my epiphone dove. sounding better everyday.
rndthefire
hello everyone. chris here from north-east wisconsin. been playing 30 plus years and STILL don't have it down. the frustration factor is still up at times but thanks to all the good people here, the "i give up" factor is down to zero. still glad i have a day job. any other "cheese heads" out there into acoustic folk, put up a post.
hey james. thats a highly relateable tune. we all have a few of those now and then. as far as curbing your tongue from "long and bitter", remember: life is what your government makes it and things are darkest right before...things go totally black! chuckle,chuckle now.
hey bootlegger. got your reply and scooted over to the website. nice. they look pretty simple to install and the A2.2 has everything i would need. thanks for the heads-up.
I've FINALLY got the epi that i ordered. it's been an nightmare and a comedy of errors. damaged,wrong style,wrong shipping address, ect. but it's here. out of the box, it was set up very well but i took it in to a tech and "dialed" it in some more. folks, the dove is a masterpiece of playability. the fit and finish is incredible. it has a voice that is very "Gibson". it beats my tac all to heck. it will never be a gibson but, for $300, it is most impressive. it fits in extremely well with my martin d 28. if you're looking for your first guitar or your twenty first, you would do well to give the epi dove a look. bends, hmdwns and pull offs are a breeze. and sustain! whoa. the only down side is it's so good that i might have to find a cheaper guitar as this one is definitely NOT a beater. i might even put a baggs under the bridge. hmmmm. p.s. welcome back chordie. had me ascared for a bit and i ain't ascared of nothing. except for my wife and her two cats. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">
hi folks. I've been gunning for an epi. dove for awhile. The wife finally gave me the green light. She wasn't out of the room and my fat little fingers were flying across the key board placing my order. It shipped to work via u.p.s. It came in thursday. I didn't sign for it though. I got it back into the shop and hmmmm. Whats this? A hole in the outer box. hmmmm. what's this? A hole in the inner box. Grrrrrrr!!! A hole in the top of the guitar! I've got another one enroute but I was sooo close. I won't know how the epi stacks up against the tak till later. Oh yeah, the case was on back order and shipped a day later. It came through without a scratch! So here I sit at twenty below and blowing snow.
hi folks. thanks for the replys. to southpaw: i've had the action reset professionally twice and it's still a tough nut. i like the sound for some stuff and am looking for that sound in a lighter action guitar. epip maybe? bootleger is on it as it need not be high end as we play alot outdoors. most of the time rndthefire....get it? chuckle,chuckle now. anywho, i am looking for someone with the dove (or other models) to feel out the action and sound. again, i know it's an import so you get what you pay for. i've handled some gibsons and they do have a narrower sound then the martin. would love to buy one but alas, i'm married and am not good enough to play on the street corner for donations. which is were i'd be. nobody up here handles epip, so i haven't been able to get my hands on one to play. thanks again.
hi folks. i have a tak eg 330 that i've been banging away on for years. i like the sound for certain styles but she's a cold piece of wood. i'm thinking about selling it and picking up an epiphone dove. it's just something that i can take out side and if i ding it or spill some beer on it, i won't fall on my sword. i know it's a cheap import, but thats o.k. i have a martin d28 that i protect with my life. i was just looking for a beater with a different sound then the martin. my tastes are farliy eclectic as is my style. i was wondering if anybody owns one and if the "gibson" sound is different then the martin. i play in the company of some pretty high end guitars but have found that sometimes the tonal shaping of a cheaper guitar flat picking harmony in the back ground really pulls the song together. i've played some high end gibsons and the action beats the heck out of the tak. i know i would have to have the epip. reset but was wondering about the playability and the "gibson" sound.
try looking for a song with a steady timeing. something in a 4/4. it would help if it has a heavy bass drum signiture in it. don't mix an up stroke with your down stroke as you'll get a back beat mixed in and will really throw you off. the stroke should start at the "thump". the biggest thing is relax,relax,relax! if your all tightened up, it will sound choppy and you'll miss the next stroke down. also try a light pick as it doesn't have any prefrence of attack on the strings. always follow through and remember, the chord change appears at the top of the bass beat.
hope this helps. don't ever give up.
now thats inspiration! as my wife and i work stupid shifts, we can't have dogs anymore but.....we do have cats. might be able to work something up on the martin that will placate them..maybe.
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