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Heavy handed friends


theflyingturtle

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This is just for fun. I had a friend come over for a jam session yesterday and he used as pick on a guitar without a pickguard and as you can imagine it looks like SRV took a turn at it! It isn't all the way to bare wood but those scratches are there forever. It is NOT a Gibson but a pac rim guitar. My feeling is that it is an honest mistake and that the play wear could even be covered up with a pickguard. In fact it's just honest playing wear. I knew from the beginning that having friends come over and playing leads to scratches. It can't really be helped in our imperfect world, it's inevitable. My buddy felt really bad and I am pretty sure he won't do that again. On a positive note we had an incredible jam session! I just finished writing out the chord chart for California Dreaming by The Mamas and the Papas. I took the lead vocals and he sang back up. That song is killer! So, what would you have done in my place and What would have been your take?

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My Alvarez (a pretty nice and quite playable '78 DY79) has it's share of tales to tell) was one of the acoustics used in a band I was in sometime ago. On some tunes, if I wasn't using it, one of the singers would use it, and he, like your friend, had a pretty heavy picking hand, and in fact, he wasn't really that great of a guitar player, he got by.. but he did have a good voice.

 

however my Alvarez still bears the scars from me letting him use it. I don't mind on that guitar but if it was my Taylor GS or J200 Standard, I think I'd be pretty upset.

 

I guess if you don't mind, then what's the diff. but, I think if it were me.. given my exp, I'd make sure he brought his own guitar if he can't play with out going cray-cray with a pick. his axe so who gives a f---- if he doesn't have a guit he can bring, I'd find someone else to jam with,, us guitar players are pretty close to a dime a dozen! :)

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Jamming can be dangerous, as usually two or more are just strummers trying to get heard over the din, often on guitars with limited volume. I guess general use cheaper guitars are OK for that but if someone ever picked up one of my vintage gems and wailed so hard that they were scraping the top I'd strangle them with an A string. It's the sign of a hack...or a drunken hack, as there is really no reason to stroke the top with your pick, even when 'wailing'. If you loaned someone your car and they floored it to go and jammed on the brake to stop, you'd take the keys. The best sound comes from a knowledge of any guitar's range and capability.

 

Three of my old guitars have no guard and there's not a scratch. Two of them needed top refinishing to remove the flat picking gouges which were beyond the guard border. I bought the Martin from an idiot down in NC who sent me a vid clip of him 'playing' it like it was he was beating his dog or his kid. I almost drove down there just to dope-slap him. Unless you're Willie Nelson you shouldn't be allowed to dig a ditch like that. Idiots!

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Hmmmm....

 

 

I have to remind myself that most people play with a pick, but it depends what guitar of mine they get to play - I mean if they play the old Gibson L-0, how would you know where the pick marks were? [flapper]

 

But what are those huge triangular picks that are made out of metal? And why would you think that was ok to use on a vintage guitar?

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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It's an ongoing source of frustration to have 'borrowers' in the crowd. My history is the worst with guys who use metal fingerpicks. If they play a guitar sans pickguard, they'll often scratch clear down to the wood. Townes, rest his soul, was one of those. Even if you have a guard, some of them have an attack that digs in the 'pickguard crack' area between the guard's top and the soundhole. I always figure that a few scratches come with the territory when a guitar sees honest play, but accelerating an otherwise gradual process doesn't.

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I know I am probably in the minority... I suppose I dont care too much. I have too many guitars, and I like them played. That said, I would take care with another's borrow.

 

I played with my buddy at a place called the Hibernian in Breezy Point NY this past Saturday. Mike told me he had a few buddies he had not seen in ages stopping by, so I brought my HD28 for me and my Gibson knockoff as a spare. Well both wanted to come on and play with their old buddy, my partner Mike. One took my Martin and one took the Farida knockoff. It was so joyful for me to watch this reunion, and see how happy they were, and the patrons.

 

The Farida is scratched up, and lost a string and an end pin. The Martin got some nice mementos as well. It was worth it.

 

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I know I am probably in the minority... I suppose I dont care too much. I have too many guitars, and I like them played. That said, I would take care with another's borrow.

 

I played with my buddy at a place called the Hibernian in Breezy Point NY this past Saturday. Mike told me he had a few buddies he had not seen in ages stopping by, so I brought my HD28 for me and my Gibson knockoff as a spare. Well both wanted to come on and play with their old buddy, my partner Mike. One took my Martin and one took the Farida knockoff. It was so joyful for me to watch this reunion, and see how happy they were, and the patrons.

 

The Farida is scratched up, and lost a string and an end pin. The Martin got some nice mementos as well. It was worth it.

 

 

you have more tolerance than I Sal.. I would not be cool with this. It IS (like jedzep says) a tell tale sign of a "hack"... but,, hey,, if your happy, who the hell am I to argue... not the way I would drive my clown bus, but so be it bud...

 

Moral of this story for me:

Bring your own guitar or sit down and listen to those who did.

 

end of the saga........

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yep i know i am in the minority.

 

I still am not bothered, but my J50 stays at home for stuff like this. The same will be said for my custom coming in October. Why am I ok with it on my Martin HD28? I dont know. I like that its seen notes and tone I couldnt coax from it. It makes it a more special guitar for me. FYI one of these guys played with Marshall Tucker, and another with Levon.

 

I hear ya Ray. But I still smile as I stare now at my HD28 on the wall.

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Comes down to a matter of character: one should always show respect for the property of others, no matter the situation nor the property involved. Being a lefty, there has not been once that anyone asked to play/borrow/abuse one of my instruments..........a southpaw advantage, I suppose.

 

(ps.........the guys did a pretty nice job with that tune regardless!)

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My wife asked me why I don't put the pickguard on my guitar and I simply told her that I don't need it. Even if I'm picking hard, fast or whatever, I have control enough not to go off the strings onto the body. I have to see how someone plays their guitar before they even touch mine.

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