1,751

(19 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

If you can take an experienced guitarist with you, a pawn shop may have a nice guitar really cheap.
Go for playability over looks.

1,752

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

Smoked 45 years. Quit in 2001 after a five way heart bypass. People with heart disease who smoke are idiots. So nice to be free.
Always had a problem with a too smooth singing voice. My solution is to sing hard for a couple of hours the day before a gig. Being a tad hoarse is good for me.That roughs me up fine for unlimited nights in a row. A week off or more necessitates burning it in again.

1,753

(4 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Met a couple with their cat from Siberia living on a wooden boat. They called the wood in their boat, "pine". These trees were cut from the icy cliffs overlooking the Bering Sea.
They did not paint the bottom. They nailed copper sheathing over for antifouling. After 20 years, the Siberian "pine" looked to be in good shape.
A far cry from that soft, mushy pine we know in the Southern U.S.

1,754

(10 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Hi ryangordon 1986,
My path followed tibernius. I played a hundred guitars in pawn shops. I would ask for a guitar that looked bad and played good. Often the clerk would have one stashed somewhere that was more interesting than most. I bought a mid - 70's Yamaha dreadnought acoustic that plays and sounds just right. I glued a pickup beneath the bridge that sounded good until I took that guitar sailing too many times. The pickup died but the Yamaha has such a big sound I don't need an electric guitar until the crowd numbers more than twenty (twelve if they're drinking). I paid $200. The Yamaha may be worth $300 but the big sound and low action are priceless to me.
Bought a 1960 Gibson 330 archtop electric in 1968 from a band mate. It had a short neck for rhythm and the old single wound, mellow Gibson pickups. It's been my electric axe ever since.
My wife watched a Antiques Roadshow about old guitars. She was pleased to tell me my 330 may be worth between $2,000 and $12,000 depending on the sound. It sounds great!

1,755

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

Hi all,
I am 67. Started on tuba at age 13, added trumpet at age 16 and trombone in my 20's. I love guitar and at age 24 - when I started bringing mine to gigs, my bandmates would hide it at first, but I persisted. I'm a decent strummer but in short - handed bar bands I would grab a trumpet or slide bone to solo.
I bought my first tuba (Soviet Army Issue) in Siberia when I was 50. I got a job playing tuba in a beach music trio (tuba, guitar, harmonica) five years later. www.johnreno.com/. We toured Music City (Linden) ,Texas, Branson, Missouri, and Bourbon St. in New Orleans last year. The guitarist, John Reno and I are booked to fly out to Seattle for a series of concerts for Parrothead Clubs September 3rd through the 6th.
I am surprised to be having this much fun at my age. I love it and my bandmates are a hoot. John lets me play guitar and sing my silly songs when he needs to hit the head. We rarely take breaks.
Dennis Gray
tubatooter1940
http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnrenohfc

1,756

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

A guitarist near here has a black box that records a rhythm line he lays down. When he reaches the end of his chord progression, he steps on a foot pedal that loops it and repeats the progression over and over while he plays lead along with it.
So cool! Gotsta get me one.

1,757

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

1941 - Stardust - Artie Shaw
          String of pearls - Glen Miller
          God bless the child - Billie Holiday

I guess I should be dead but I'm having fun playing tuba in a beach music trio.
Toots
www.johnreno.com/