How about guitars?

[AnotherJohnson]

We know Roberto plays, and also appears to collect. I hope he responds.

But are there others too?

I’ve loved guitars for about 65 years, and I’ve tried to play them for 56 years, but with mixed success. I’ve owned 60+ of them, as an active and avid trader. Sometimes I’ve had as many as 20 at one time. I say 65 years because some of the first recordings I really loved were 78 rpm shellacs of Swedish gospel folk singers who used guitars on their recordings in my grandparents collections (which came to me as an inheritance).

I have been down to just two for a while, but this changed this week when I added three more.

The two long term residents are a Gibson Custom Shop replica of the 1951 Blond L5 with cutaway and a pair of P90 pickups. I play that through a Rivera Jazz Suprema 115 amp. It sports a custom set of LaBella Flatwounds.

The other is a 1995 Collings OM3 acoustic in Brazilian rosewood.

I’ve had a lot of amps here over the years, and the second amp that remains is a VVT (Vintage Vacuum Tube) Lindey Fralin Jack Pearson Signature Edition.

The acoustic style guitars really aggravate my shoulder arthritis (getting old is not for sissies).

So this week I’ve picked three new solid body electrics. One is a fairly serious Fender Eric Johnson Signature Thinline Stratocaster. It’s a beauty with quarter sawn maple neck, and a body cavity, so both light and thin.

The other two are toylike 3/4 size Squiers. One is a knockoff of the Jazzmaster, with a pair of humbuckers. The other is a knockoff of the Strat with three single coils.

The scale on the minis is 22.75”, so easy to span with arthritic hands.

Both minis have fixed bridges, but each saddle is adjustable for both height and intonation. I’m having a ball with these because they don’t hurt my shoulders nearly as much as the thick acoustic bodies of the L5 and OM3.

My guitar odyssey began with a Stella around 1962. That had proverbial “cheese slicer” action. I moved on to a Gibson LG0 and lessons in 1964.

As an adult with some discretionary income in the 90’s, I started collecting. I’ve owned quite a few interesting guitars, including 1930s L5s, many Martins including a D45, many Collings. Some more Gibsons, a few Taylor’s, Epiphones, Alvarez Yairis, and other brands.

In recent years my interest has been in Jazz.

I’m not a particularly good guitarist compared to my professional friends, but I’ve always admired their incredible skills.

Playing is not as painless as listening. It is easier to play a turntable than it is to play a guitar. I can beat all of my guitar heroes when it comes to setting up a turntable. And I’m a pretty decent repair and setup oriented luthier.

Anyone else like to join me in a trip down memory lane with their guitars?

[admin]

It's funny because I love music and have tried to learn guitar but I am completely inept. I'm not talking about "not very good." More like I can't strum a cord despite taking lessons and everything. I really wish I could play some instrument but it simply does not come to me. Some of us simply were born without any musical playing ability. I have to be content with just listening.

[AnotherJohnson]

I’ve actually thought about the idea that some of us who love music may have a specific learning disability when it comes to implementing the language of music.

I am plagued by a lack of hand mind coordination. The best guitarist learn to play without thinking.

My lessons with Jack Pearson improved my play dramatically, but did not catapult me into the ability to play sessions. That was at one time a long term goal for me. I’ve realized that it’s not in the cards.

[AnotherJohnson]

A big part of my improvement was that Jack helped me release my “death grip” on both pick and neck. Now I hang on loosely, but still hang on for dear life.

[roberto]

Hola Chicos,

Of course I have more than one guitar, but electric only one Strat vintage. Also I have a Yamaha Silent with 52mm neck width. These are to only electric guitar. I have two electric basses, one 5 string SX Custom made modified with Yamaha pick ups. The others are Classical Spanish guitars. I have one the belong to my dad. This one has a label inside with the signature of the luthier, and says 1927!!!. Still is very good shape. It was my first guitar...and I love it. Mr Manual Prada was a Costa Rican luthier, and in the British Encyclopaedia, said that the only Luthier in America, Mr Prada was the responsible to fixed and repair a Stradivarius violin.

I have a Yamaha concert series, a copy of a Ramirez by Enorez, with outstanding woods, great tune and timbre too. And also I have a concert guitar made here with world woods, made by Corrales Lutier on the year 1987. The others are not important.

I did not learn how to play with a pick...is use my fingers of course. Even the bass or the electric guitar, I use my fingers. I do not know why I can't. My teacher was a direct pupil of Agustin Barrios Mangore, a Paraguayan composer and classical guitar player. His technique was very impressive. My dear friend Carlos Barboza-Lima, his teacher was a direct pupil of Mangore too. You can see his technique playing Sambolero, a composition by Luis Bonfa: the sound of maracas are done with the index and middle fingers...crazy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1aBFwegNsU

Here is another song by Carlos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvVUk_jn09w

Happy listening!

[AnotherJohnson]

My classical training was with Jim McCutcheon at the University of Dayton. My Alvarez Yairi guitars were classical. I managed to resist buying a high level Ramirez, but I knew I would never play classical at a level commensurate with such an instrument. This was a good call because classical guitars are hard to sell in the US.

The Thinline Stratocaster that arrived this week is the sweetest feeling, playing, sounding guitar I’ve ever held ... far beyond it’s cost or my expectations. I haven’t had this much fun playing in a long time.

[AnotherJohnson]

Here’s a bit about Jim McCutcheon. He’s another undiscovered undercompensated, very talented musician.

Whatever I can do well with my guitars, I owe to Jim McCutcheon and Jack Pearson. They’re as different as oil and water, but both are incredibly gifted, exceptionally good hearted men.

https://udayton.edu/directory/artsscien ... on_jim.php

[roberto]

Wow AJ,

You were lucky too having all these wonderful guitar teacher and players. And now, the Strat. You are right when say that the Strat has a signature sound and I say as Conrad Johnson in audio. What a beauty.

I was lucky too, to find my vintage Strat with Lace gold pickups. Also has a Floyd. You tune the strings at the bridge, not at the neck. It's a the Ventures sound.

I can sense on you the passion for the guitars and to play too. We are lucky persons, owning all these fantastic guitars. We are lucky with the marvellous sound of Conrad Johnson, to know about the electronic components and the quality design that Jeff is using.

I love harmony and the chords, not to good to improvise, but of course I have been into the pentatonic scales.

Here is a song that I recorded with my friends, it's composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Once I Love:
https://soundcloud.com/roberto47/once-i-love-099

Happy listening!

[AnotherJohnson]

Carlos is certainly an excellent classical player.
And you always have a wonderful sound too!

Maybe I will make some YouTube videos, but so far I have been reluctant to host anything to link to myself. I have some sound files and some image files, but haven’t a clue how to upload them.

Last night I picked up the L5 and the OM3. I love the exquisite sound that can be coaxed from either ... but 5 minutes of playing either, and both shoulders are in full rebellion. With their much thinner bodies, I can play the Fenders for an hour or more without pain.

It is raining today. I am on the back porch with the mini Jazzmaster and a Costa Rican cigar, working on some theories. It’s a nice way to spend the afternoon. If I were holding the L5 or OM3, I’d have already quit for the day.

Historically I’ve not cared for solid bodies. My previous Strats and Teles have all been lower level from the middle level. Two of the three new ones are lower level from the lower level. One is upper level middle level. I like these better.

The vintage Strats can bring good money, especially from the 50’s and 60’s, and those with provenance are even more valuable. But the collector market has been flat or in decline this past decade.

The Eric Johnson Thinline Strat has many characteristics that were included in vintage models, and I think that may be why I like it so well. The neck is perhaps my favorite neck ... although for about 25 years I’ve been less focused on neck profiles.

In any event, I think I’m starting to make one last run at playing without thinking about it. Nashville is a Mecca for skilled players. I am in awe of what many have accomplished.

[roberto]

I might have a kind of advice for you. I can played hours and my lefthand fingers are not sore. My teacher told me to play next to the fret. This way, you do not need to press the string against the fret. If you play away the fret 1/4 inch or more, you do need to press the string harder to have a clean sound. So, just next to the fret, you just put the finger to the string with a very little pressure, and you have a clean sound, not a dirty musical note.
Here is an exercise for you. Left hand index finger is NO1, middle finger is NO2, ring finger is NO3 and little finger is NO4. At the sixth string start with an F very near the fret, with the finger NO1. Leaving the finger NO1 to the F, now put finger NO2 next to the fret at the F#, leaving both fingers, not put the finger NO3 next to the fret a the G, then now the little finger next to the fret to the G. Having all four finger at the 6th string, play the A note, 5th string. You must still have the four fingers at the 6th. Now just moving the finger no1 to A#, and leaving the other 3 fingers at the 6th string. Leaving the A# finger NO1 at the 5th string, move only the finger NO2 to the B note, Remember all the finger must be exerting some pressure to the frets, and still next to them. Now move the finger NO3 to C note leaving the middle finger at the fourth fret 6string. and now move the finger NO4 to C# next to the fret...remember, the clue is to have little pressure next to the frets and all the fingers must remain at the musical note that they are always. Do this very slow. This exercise has variations too. The goal is to have a mechanical memory to put always the fingers next to the frets.

Happy listening!

[AnotherJohnson]

Has he got an exercise for the shoulders.

I have no problems with fretting. Actually, I have an extremely light touch to go with my set ups.

[AnotherJohnson]

This is a friend playing in the style to which I wish I were accustomed . I cannot keep up with him. His mind races in overdrive, and his hands do his bidding seemingly without thought. I’ve wanted to be there for decades. But I am convinced that the seriously gifted players are, in fact, seriously gifted... and the gift seems to be present in childhood.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYFlSqwy5ME

[AnotherJohnson]

Another friend I wish I could keep up with.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dNgfULu6TVQ

[roberto]

AJ,
I do know what do you mean...here is another friend, Luis, who is from Argentina, and each time he comes to Costa Rica, we get together and have some fun. Watch his technique...he is very good too. He does not use a pick,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb8TbLGBlU0

[AnotherJohnson]

Very nice.

Wes Montgomery didn’t use a pick because his wife kept telling him he was playing too loud when he was teaching himself to play the guitar in his kitchen in the middle of the night.

I use a pick because for a couple of years I did not and I just got tired of the nail care.

In classical play, the tone is significantly affected by the condition of the nails. The geometry and surface finish are factors. I prefer the consistency of picks, and the variations that can reliably be obtained by switching pick geometry and material.

Still, the guitar is fascinating because there are so many possibilities.

[AnotherJohnson]

A really cool concept in modern guitar design was the Fender Virtual Guitar project with Roland based on the Stratocaster. In 2007 Fender released the VG Stratocaster which included Roland’s modeling technology with a US built Strat.

In 2012 they came out with the G5, the next generation, but it was built on Mexico built Strats.

As of now, it looks like they’ve discontinued the project, if not the collaboration.

https://www.roland.com/us/products/g-5/

These guitars were basically middle level Strats that could be plugged in and played like any normal SSS configuration Strat. But they included a modeling pickup between the bridge and the bridge single coil.

You could put these guitars into modeling mode, and the output might mimic an acoustic, or a Les Paul, or a 12 string, or a sitar. You could go into tuning mode, and your normal EADGBE tuning would be transformed to any one of several popular alternatives, like drop D, DADGAD, open G, etc.

These were supposed to fill a niche for the small venue player who did not want to bring four or five guitars to a gig, or possibly to appeal to studio players or experimenters who just wanted to mess around with sounds.

Apparently the idea was not successful in the marketplace, but the guitars are really cool anyway.

[roberto]

That's exactly the why I got a Yamaha Silent Guitar. The model that I own is the Classical finger board with a size of 52mm. It is a nylon string with ebony finger board. If you want to hear what you are doing at night, playing or studying, just plug a pair of earphones and you are done. It is an electroacoustic. Very fun to play. Lee Ritenour use one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK3Kr7iI9Ko

[AnotherJohnson]

I’d forgotten those. I remember them now that you’ve mentioned it. Great for travel!

Yamaha is a fascinating company. I’ve owned at least five of their motorcycles, but I think musical instruments are their passion. Their logo is based on the tuning fork.

[AnotherJohnson]

Note Lee’s nails. Obsessively shaped for performance tone.

It is probably THE travel guitar. Very nice.

I can’t remember why I didn’t buy one when they came out. I think it was at a time when my inventory was up high and I didn’t have time to play all the ones I already had. It would be fun to try one now. Thanks for pointing it out.

[roberto]

Now I want a Hoffner Beatle violin bass, with ebony finger board. I have a Cavern model, and it is fun to play. Now I just want a better one. I have my eye at EBAY, and sometimes good things are a bargain prices. The problem is, that you must see what you are buying...I have bought in the past bad things.
Enjoy your guitars!!!'