Early Lunch Report - Monday April 2nd

[astutzmann]

There sure have been some wonderful lunch reports the last while, wow.

Its been over a year since I first did the lunch report, tempus fugit!

I'm trying to think of stuff that hasn't come up before. We'll see.

Since I still have 25 pounds to lose, today's lunch will be a salad, I'm told (from the one who shall be obeyed!).

My name is Alf and I'm 55 years old. I have been playing guitar for 5 years, taking lessons every 2 weeks from a wonderful instructor. He has his master's degree in music, specializing in classical guitar. He's been playing for 25 years and can play anything. I'm blown away every time I take a lesson.

I retired early in 2004 to take a break and to take care of my ageing parents (both gone now). In 2008 I went back to work but was laid off from 2 different companies due to the recession.

In january I started a consulting gig back with my old company and its been terrific. I don't have to work too hard (about 30 hours a week so far) and I get to use whatever grey hairs I have left to help customers out with their IT organizations. I go in and do a skills and gap analysis on their networking practice, from a roles and technical perspective and I give them ideas for improvement, gap elimination and a training plan.

I don't know about you, but I am really feeling that we are well on our way out of this recession. I am seeing positive signs everywhere. Are you feeling the same?

G&L Question

Being completely left sided and doing everything with my left (except golf for some crazy reason, no wonder I stink), I bought my first guitar as a lefty.

After playing a year, I decided to buy a new guitar and since there aren't many lefties around and I was too embarrassed to try them out in a store anyway, I ordered a G&L. This was after a recommendation from my guitar teacher. He doesnt own a G&L but would like to. He's pissed because he can't play mine, lol

So, here's what i ordered (12 week wait for it), without knowing anything about guitars:



bluesboy (2008), gun oil neck, spanish copper metallic, black pickguard, locking tuners

I got it home, loved it, so many different sounds. There was a lot of string buzzing and I had to take it in to my luthier a couple of times to have it setup but its been terrific for years now.

Then as always, I got to tinkering. Here's what it looks like now (sorry Louis),



Changes? Pickguard (brown Tortice), bone nut, graphtec string tree

So, question is, do you always want to tinker with your guitars after you get them? Can you never leave well enough alone?

As I said, this one is great, plays great and has had no issues for years now, amazing guitar! I keep thinking maybe should have just ordered an asat classic, but can't complain about the bluesboy!

Non G&L Question

As I have said, I have been playing 5 years. I would consider my self a low level intermediate. I play about an hour or so a day, 5- 6 days a week.

I feel that my left hand (picking hand) needs so much work, can't fingerpick worth beans and my right hand does ok, but needs to be faster, in getting to notes and especially getting to barre chords.

Are there any techniques etc that really took you to the next level? Other than practice more, ha, is there any advice you would have for someone like me to get a move on and really progress?

Thanks,

Alf

[darwinohm]

Alf, great looking Bluesboy. I have changed pickguards on some of my guitars to my preference. The Spanish Copper is a very nice color. Some of my G&Ls have the Graphtech string tree but the recent years have the metal ones. I do a lot of tinkering with my guitars but normally don't mod. I have to admit that my Bluesboy was the biggest mod job I have ever done when I installed a F-Bigsby.



I do believe the economy is into recovery but it may years and we may never see the robust economy that we had before the recession. I believe that we are going to see lifestyle changes as a result of all this.

I took a break from guitar playing for 35 years and it was a relearning process. I will admit that at my age it was much easier to focus on guitar than when I was young. Last week a 13 year old nephew of mine from Alaska was here. I was amazed at some of the guitar licks he was doing. I also found that there were simple chord changes that he could not do quickly. He will master that. Diligent practice will solve all those issues. I had a gig last weekend and I can't tell you how much fun it is with my daughter being part of the band. We had a 2 1/2 hour drive each way and that was great time to visit.

Thanks for driving the bus this week Alf!--Darwin

[gitman001]

Hey alf, great bluesboy. I had a student away and made a quick little video on my iPhone about picking and pick control for you - I just can't upload it til I get home. Be sure to check back later tonight!
Scott.

[astutzmann]

Scott:

Awesome, thanks.

Darwin:

I always love to see that bluesboy with the bigsby, cool.

We were at an outdoor music festival this past friday and a 3 piece band came out. Guitar player is the son of a professional musician, 19, bass was a lefty and he looked like Justin Bieber, I'm assuming 19 but looked younger. Drummer had such a baby face.

They were incredible. Absolutely amazing, a lot of The Who, Hendricks, etc etc. I just kept saying, holy cow, 19, when did he start?????

Only comment was he was playing an ibanez with a floyd rose................heavy!

[sickbutnottired]

Alf,

That Bluesboy is a beautiful first guitar, I mean it's beautiful--period. Spanish Copper is one of my favorite current colors.

I quite playing guitar for about 10 years. When i restarted, playing scales and working against a metronome helped my playing a lot. I started with just the pentatonic, and then added the whole major once I got that back.

I also find that doing some on the neck hand strength exercises help me with my fretting hand. I try and do them consistently.

Picking hand work I find hard to work on, and it's really important. The thing that helps me the most is really focusing on it, and recording what I do so I can go back and hear it. For example, I was working a real basic rhythm part, but I only wanted to slightly palm mute the 3 beat. It sounds easy, and maybe it is for some, but it is still killing me! But I think it adds a lot to the song if I do it right.

[willross]

Nice collection. Does that black tele have a chocolate maple neck? I'm looking at an Anderson short-t w/ a choco neck... I also know what you mean about trying before buying. It can be a bit grating listening to blues licks slapped together with harmonic minor shred scales. You know, the usual music store loiterers. Arg! Savor the music, don't just swallow it whole!

As for tinkering, I've been fortunate not to have to modify what I buy. A pickguard, tuner & string tree at the most. Oh, and two refins(one spray can, one pro job). Technique? I used to just carefully watch and imitate...sort of. Also, a good teacher can't be beat.


Cheers,

Will

[blargfromouterspace]

Semi-hollow Spanish copper Bluesboy with a tort guard? Me too!

[louis cyfer]

darwin, have you tried the duesenberg trmolla bigsbies? they look very well made.

alf, i think practicing better vs longer makes a bigger difference. remember practice only makes permanent. perfect practice makes perfect. play slow enough to play perfect, otherwise you are just practicing mistakes.

[gitman001]

Finally got to upload the video. Boy it is ever weird talking to an iPhone on a music stand!

[youtube]IMIa2Y1bwrU[/youtube]

I hope that i explained everything okay, i know that i played for a long time with poor pickt hand technique. Don't hesitate to ask if there are any questions

Scott

[darwinohm]

Louis, I have never seen a Duesenberg in person but took a look on e-bay. They are very similar to a Bigsby but have a round handle like the G&L. That may work good. I bump the Bigsby with my palm. Thanks for the tip on the Duesenberg. I have only seen them in pictures but would love to play one. Now you have given me another idea . Think I'll run it by Ginny.

Scott, I looked at you video and that is how I pick. Good video. It seems natural to me but what would I know. I could use an instructor on some other things!-- Darwin

[louis cyfer]

i tried using the pic like that, but bending the first joint created some control issues for me. i like to have the same position, but with the first joint of the i finger extended straight down. that allows me to use more subtle movement in the picking, just coming from the finger, instead of just from the wrist. also with the fingers bent at this angle, using the other fingers for hybrid picking forces an upward picking (snapping), not the classical sideways motion i am used to. with the straight first joint the fingers are slightly more relaxed and fall into the natural classical finger picking position.

[astutzmann]

thanks for the replies everyone, great advice.

Will, the black tele has a walnut neck, Its ok, 9.5 radius, no complaints with it. In fact, its the only guitar that I have that didn't need the neck adjusted.

As far as the Tom Anderson burnt maple neck goes, I tried it at jerry's in sarasota, beautiful!!

My duesenberg has the bigsby, I hear the new trem is very very nice but was not introduced on a lefty until 2009. Mine's a 2007, hence the bigsby.