dhanners623

I’m curious — Why that particular year and those particular specs? There are lots of great guitars out there just looking for good homes….

Excellent job! Just the right amount of pathos. And that axe sings….

Thanks for posting that. Rowan is a national treasure. If I am recalling correctly (always a dicey proposition at my age…) he is also the source for one of my favorite quotes about the mandolin: “You’ll never get it in tune and you’ll never make any money off it.”

Thanks. I’m actually in the midst of reading Blanche’s book, “My Life With Bonnie & Clyde.” Interesting read. She was pretty normal, but loved Buck (who she called, “Daddy”) deeply and would stay with him no matter what he did. I could add another verse or two, but I’m trying to keep the song relatively short.

Thanks. And, yeah, I’ve been quite pleased with my OT-22. It’s a very lively guitar. Fun to play.

Most guitar shops carry them. If you can’t find any near you, StewMac has an assortment, including some classy ones. Here is Frank Ford’s tutorial for installing one. As always, DRILL A PILOT HOLE FIRST. http://frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/GenSetup/StrapButton/strapbutton1.html

Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. It is nice to get feedback, of any sort.

I may have posted a video of an earlier draft of this tune, but I think this is the final one, mainly because I’m tired of screwing around with it. I think it finally says what I want it to say. The song is about Blanche Barrow and written from her perspective. She was the only member of the Barrow-Parker gang who wasn’t a psychopath. Not coincidentally, she’s also the only one who wasn’t shot to death by the law. She lived to old age, dying in Dallas in 1988 at the age of 77. I’m playing it on the Farida OT-22, strung with DR Sunbeams.

Are partial refunds even a thing? Did you take the tape off to see what it is securing/concealing? The possibility it is a replacement back is disconcerting. If the seller knew and didn’t reveal it, that’s deceptive. Then again, perhaps the seller didn’t know. Last year, I bought a guitar on Reverb and the seller (a dealer in Kentucky, as I recall) said it was in “very good” condition and had great action. As I was abroad, I had the guitar sent to St. Paul Guitar Repair because I knew I’d want to replace the tuners and maybe the bridge. Kevin Schwab, who has worked on every guitar I’ve owned since 1994, assessed it and told me the bridge was the least of my worries. He rattled off a lengthy list of issues and said the repair costs would quickly outstrip the value of the guitar. In the ultimate repairman insult, he said, “It wouldn’t even make a good wall hanging.” I had him send the guitar back. The seller disputed Kevin’s assessment but gave me a refund. It led me to question what “very good” condition actually means.

It is a 2010. If your intent is to sell it, an appraisal from a reputable shop would be worthwhile.

I get the need to write; it is what writers do. And I gave up the profit motive when it comes to music long ago. But I’m tired of being a tree falling in an unpopulated forest. When I did my most recent full-length record in 2013, I only had 250 copies made. I still have some, and most of the ones that are out there in the world are the ones I gave away. I stick songs on YouTube and nobody listens. My most-listened-to song on YouTube, with 5.3K views, is a cover of Ray Hubbard’s “Dallas After Midnight.” I posted a link to a song here (“The Viking”) and the counter thingie says 87 people clicked on the post; the video itself has a grand total of four views, and a couple of those are mine. So…. A reasonable person has to wonder if my problem is a) a failure to find my niche and market or, b) accept the inescapable fact people aren’t listening because I lack talent and I’m not offering them anything with any substance. (You could shorten that sentence to, “I either haven’t found my audience, or I suck.”) I am increasingly coming to the conclusion I suck. The stuff I write is crap. I may enjoy playing for people, but they don’t enjoy listening. So why do I still write and try to perform? I have no earthly idea. It’s not like I wasn’t warned. When I released a CD in 2010 and sent it out for review, the critic at the Duluth (MN) News Tribune (I played gigs in the city now and then) reviewed it. The headline said the record was, “rough, awkward and not that good.” The reviewer piled on from there, saying my CD was “perhaps the worst” record he’d listened to in the past five years. And I don’t mean to sound whiny. One of the things that comes with age is coming to accept your many limitations.

Still writing and still trying to figure out why. Just read Mary Gautier’s excellent book, “Saved By a Song,” and realizing I have zero childhood trauma to turn into songs. I grew up in a small town in the corn and soybean fields of East Central Illinois. It was Mayberry and I had normal, responsible and sober parents. My only childhood trauma was being lousy in Pony League. I think I had one hit in my entire career, and it was probably scored as an error. I probably got on by walks a couple of times. Otherwise, the basepaths might as well have been the lunar surface as far as I was concerned. We’ve now settled in Manchester, UK, and I’m trying to hit some open mics and figure out what’s what and who’s who in the local music scene. In the past seven years, we’ve lived in Kuwait, Cyprus, England, Illinois and now England again. That means as soon as I get somewhere and figure where to gig, who I need to know, who to avoid, etc., it’s time to move on. Plus, Kuwait and Cyprus weren’t really hip to Americana music, although I had an easier time of it in Kuwait despite the institutional roadblocks to gigging. (For example, EVERY musical performance requires a government permit.) Cyprus was rich with music — if you played Greek folk songs or did Ed Sheeran covers. Otherwise, they had little interest in hearing you. At one coffeehouse I played — and filled — I went up to the owner afterwards and said I’d be in touch about booking a follow-up gig. He said not to bother because he considered the night a “one-off” show. Did I mention I filled the place with paying customers? At least there’s a healthy Americana and folk scene in Manchester and the UK. I just need to figure out how to break into it.

Granted, Gibson bridges are asymmetrical in height so, yeah, that might be an issue. As far as bracing goes, I’m not sure that would present any structural issues if the strings were switched around. If there is any sonic difference, I’d posit that only a small number of guitarists would notice it. I was merely presenting a possibility. If the OP (or others) don’t mind waiting 18 months for a guitar, then more power to him. There are very few guitars (ok, NONE) I’d wait a year and a half for. Maybe that attitude stems from my advanced age.

Some songs just need the right guitar to finish them…. My J-35 finally arrived from the U.S. this week, safe and sound. Still haggling with Her Majesty’s revenue folks over the VAT; apparently, I failed to fill out the right form on a guitar I’ve owned since 2016. Anyway, I’d written “The Viking” awhile back and it always felt unfinished. It is a true story about a coal mine explosion in West Terre Haute, IN, in 1961. I worked on it again this week and made a little headway, then the J-35 arrived. I pulled it out of the case and it took one look at the song and said, “Here, let me have a go at it….” and the next thing I knew, this is what came out:

Don’t know that I was criticizing the OP. Just said I would have pangs of guilt. That said, a prospective buyer at the yard sale could pull out their smartphone, go to Reverb.com, type “LG-1” into the search bar and see what the ballpark prices are. The OP knew he was getting a steal of some sort; he just didn’t know how big. Of course the argument could be made the seller could’ve done that, too, but she didn’t sound guitar-savvy.

Well, that was quite a find. Were it me, though, I’d have a few pangs of guilt knowing I’d gotten something for a fraction of its value from a seller who was unaware of what it might be worth. Even on “American Pickers,” Mike and Frank will tell a would-be seller that the price they put on an item is too low….

Great-looking guitar but, yeah, you should have a qualified repair person examine it to see if there are any issues that need to be addressed. Not to be nosy, but what did this yard-sale find set you back?

Well, it’s always somethin’…. Got a text this morning saying, “Hey, this is FedEx. We’re ready to ship the guitar to you from our Memphis hub, but first you have to pay the import duty and £340 VAT.” What?? Why do I have to pay VAT on a guitar I’ve owned since 2016? I called FedEx and after the first guy was completely unhelpful, I finally got a supervisor who told me I needed to fill out a “Transfer of Residence” form with Her Majesty’s Government, listing the guitar as my property. Once I do that and it is approved, they waive the VAT. She directed me to the form online. Filled it out and submitted it and the accompanying documentation, so now I wait. The form says it can take up to 15 business days, but the FedEx rep said they usually hear something in 24 to 48 hours. Learn something new every day.

Beautiful job! And those harmonies…. Sublime. A great legacy. If there was a guitar I’d really, really, really love to own, it would be a Roy Smeck Radio Grande. Yours sounds wonderful.

I have a buddy back in Illinois who has one of those harmonizer gizmos and I got to mess around with it one day this spring. It really does take some coordination, so my hat is off to you for mastering it. I have enough trouble coordinating my hands, let alone throwing a big foot into the mix.

The last time St. Paul Guitar Repair shipped a guitar to me, from St. Paul to Springfield, IL, they used StewMac’s inflatable shipping cradles, but stuck the whole thing in a Martin box. Those cradles really keep the case secure. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/guitar-shipping/acoustic-guitar-shipping-system/ Of course the issue (particularly with a Gibson…) is making sure the headstock is immobilized from suffering an inertia break. They packed the headstock — it was my Farida OT-22 — pretty securely, so I have faith they’ll do it again. They do this on a routine basis. Just checked the shipping website and the J-35 reached the Memphis hub. I hope it doesn’t decide to tour Graceland or grab some barbecue at The Rendezvous….

Excellent job! And, yeah, the footwork would befuddle me….

If you keep the originals, Frank Ford has a tutorial about cleaning your gears: http://frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/GenMaint/Gears/GearTune/geartune1.html

An update…. The fine folks at St. Paul Guitar Repair packed my guitar today and NEX Shipping (actually, a FedEx driver) came and picked it up and the guitar is now “in transit.” I’m supposed to get it here in Manchester next Thursday. The shipping/insurance was relatively reasonable (more than USPS but about one-fourth of what UPS was going to charge) and I was able to fill out all the forms and pay online so it was more or less sans hassle. When it arrives, I’ll report on whether it made it in one piece….

Gotta admit those look sharp….