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The VT Musicians Thread


GarethRDR

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Moonie, didn't you recently buy your nipper a mandolin?

how much did you pay for it? how difficult would you say it is to learn?

I've always fancied getting one but I have always assumed they would be pretty difficult.

 

p.s. I am just enquiring I'm not planning on buying one at the moment

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Moonie, didn't you recently buy your nipper a mandolin?

how much did you pay for it? how difficult would you say it is to learn?

I've always fancied getting one but I have always assumed they would be pretty difficult.

 

p.s. I am just enquiring I'm not planning on buying one at the moment

 

Yeah, got her one of these (plus a hard case for another thirty quid): 

 

preview.jpg

 

Ibanez M520 F-Style 

 

Hundred and eighty notes. 

 

Received wisdom is that A-style (teardrop-shaped) mandos are better value for money than the F-style (as above), where you're paying for the fancy shape - but she's a bluegrass fan, and that's what Chris Thile (Nickel Creek) plays. We all know the three things to look for in a guitar - (1) looks (2) looks, and (3) looks. Same goes for a mandolin.  :) 

 

As for difficulty, it's relative. They're tuned like a violin (which she had some experience of), and the chords are simple enough. Tricky for me, as I have wide fingertips, and there's not much fretroom on that little neck, but she's coming along well with it. Sounds great in combo with a guitar. 

 

 

 
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Blimey an Ibanez !! In the 60's that make were sold in 'Grattan' or 'Janet Fraser' catalogues and would come with a sticker saying "Definitely not a Toy" !!! - in other words nobody would be seen dead with one. Then in the 70's they reinvented themselves and, I gather , are pretty damn good now.

A bit like Pearl Drums, summat I know a bit more about. There was a kit in the window of a large music shop in Broad Street called George Clays - possibly most on here are too young to remember that shop. Anyway they were tripe - but then reinvented themselves and , with the use of clever marketing (Rat Scabies used them) came back as world-class quality.

Incidentally, George Clay himself was a massive Villa fan and followed them all over Europe.

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The only 'pointy' guitar I'd ever buy is this one

 

14626-gpa611hfmrtb_super.jpg

 

Yamaha Pacifica 611HFM

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIaAtO6OABE

 

Of course, this dawg has chops and makes it sound beautiful, but listen to the depth of that sound. I need a guitar with a P90 next I think. 

 

Ibanez are too pointy for me, I'm afraid. 

Edited by PompeyVillan
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The Jem is a Steve Vai designed super Strat. Purely for playing, and not for its material value I'd take the Jem over just about any Strat.

 

The Artist is their Gibson copy and mostly quite traditional looking.

 

vyt9qe.jpg

 

One of my employers had one of these, really heavy thing, fantastic sustain.

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As for difficulty, it's relative. They're tuned like a violin (which she had some experience of), and the chords are simple enough. Tricky for me, as I have wide fingertips, and there's not much fretroom on that little neck, but she's coming along well with it. Sounds great in combo with a guitar. 

 

 

Indeed. Very fun and easy instrument to play, simple chords... if you don't have big flat fingertips from years of playing guitar! I do detest having to tune 8 strings though.

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Been meaning to post some pics on here for a while.

 

DSCN0021_zpsf96a6f38.jpg?t=1388337434

'68 Reissue MIJ Strat.

 

I'm not normally too fond of Strats but that is really smart. What year is it? Also, while on MIJ stuff here's my mid-80s Squier Tele:

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure of the exact year but I know it's 06-08. I should have put CIJ instead of MIJ, as the CIJ ones are newer, oops! That's a very nice tele you have there. Always wanted an old Squier, as they're becoming quite the collectors item now.

 

In reply to what turnbull said, I got back yesterday from a 10 day European busking trip with my uni/band mates. We managed to play our way through Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Paris with guitars and not much else, essentially busking for food and accommodation as part of an experiment. It was an absolutely fantastic experience and I'd definitely recommend for anybody to take their guitar away with them if they're heading abroad (if you trust airlines/travel companies, that is! We used trains so we managed to keep hold of our gear). It seems that people over in mainland Europe really appreciate hearing music, more so than I've found in the U.K. Prague in particular is a great place to play. We had a rather large crowd gather and we were playing your standard pop/rock repertoire with a few originals, and you can make a pretty decent amount of cash.

Edited by JoshVilla
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Yeah, depends on your tuning. I'm working with open G and open E at the moment, which is fine for straightforward Elmore James-type blues. 

 

The more esoteric tunings will no doubt present different challenges. 

 

My lap steel hero BTW is David Lindley, particularly his work on the early Jackson Browne albums. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9rFm_mX0JU 

Edited by mjmooney
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Anyone got any experience in refretting acoustic guitars?

My old tanglewood could do with a couple of new frets on it where they have worn down, I called fair deal music and was quoted £150 for the lot or £75 for a couple, I wasn't expecting it to be that expensive

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