MissouriPicker

WOW! Killer song, Anne. Gentle and poignant. The deep and mellow sound of the J100 really fits this song. I really like this kind of song. I believe a lot of people can identify with it……..Glad you’re writing again.

Today my wife was going through some old stuff in a storage area above our garage. She found a cardboard box with a load of things I wrote back in the 70’s and 80’s when I was writing a lot of poems and just starting to write songs. I hadn’t seen this stuff since before we’d built this house (32 years ago) and thought it had been lost during our big move. Some of it is kind of “Mary had a little lamb and the doctor fainted” quality, but most of it (regardless of its quality) is in the nostalgic theme that I almost always write from. I’ve found numerous old poems that I can pirate phrases and ideas from and a few that I may simply rewrite from my current perspective as an older-no-longer 25-year-old-dude.. This is really lighting a fire under my songwriting and fingerpicking ideas. Hell, I’m even playing scales above the 7th fret and understanding what I’m doing.

When I first heard “Don’t Think Twice” I liked it. Didn’t fully understand the lyrics, but as I learned the song I saw the magic in them. This guy was saying a lot more than “I want to hold your hand.” This man is a prodigious writer and his songwriting set the standard for millions. Happy Birthday, Sir Bob!

If your woman won’t talk to you for several days at a time, don’t let it bother you. Remember, women like that are hard to find.

Another good look at human beings and their history. Even the minor players have a history to tell. ….. Another good one, David!

Our folk duo was “Not Quite Dead Yet.”

Guys, before you get serious with a woman, take her to her favorite club and see how many guys know her…….and if the bouncer hugs her, LEAVE!

I do have some arthritis in my hands (fingers and wrists). They seem to bother me when I’m not playing guitar. Don’t notice it while I play. Doesn’t seem to affect my fingerpicking much, but how would I know if I wasn’t playing well…..lolololol……Anyway, I get a tiny bit of swelling and stiffness on both ring fingers. I use Voltaire’s and it helps. In all sincerity, “I’ve got to play,” so I’ll push through it so long as I can move my fingers. It’s not bad, but it’s there now, and it wasn’t a few years ago.

My coffeehouse gigs are free! All you have to do is supply your own ear plugs.

This cowboy shows-up at The Pearly Gates and St. Peter asks, “Have you done anything of merit that qualifies you to enter heaven?” The cowboys says, “Well, one time I saw this biker gang taking all this stuff out of a convenience store and not paying for it. The store clerk was terrified. So, I jumped off of my horse, grabbed the biggest biker, slapped him and yelled that if they didn’t stop I’d beat the crap out of all of them.” St. Peter says, “OMG! That is amazing. When did this happen?” The cowboy says, “Just a couple minutes ago.”

Keep it going!

Still doing my long time weekly Gusto coffeehouse gig (over 11 years now). I love the place. I’ll also start playing at their new location this summer when it opens. Also, got an email on Wednesday from Top Hat Winery. They want to start-up their “open mic” again on the first Friday in June. They’re thinking of doing it every week or twice a month. Before the pandemic crap I did Caribou Coffee every Friday afternoon, but they still don’t know what they’re going to do. There are several coffeehouses within around 10 miles of me and i’ve thought about getting another gig, but sometimes I’m too lazy………. I just enjoy playing. I like the people and the atmosphere. I see people that know me from Gusto’s at Costco’s and Sam’s and shopping centers. . Everyone is so damn friendly (and the college girls are gorgeous). I’ve got a great wife and family, sweet guitars, good friends, sweet dogs, and I’m having a lot of fun for a soon-to-be 3/4 century old dude.

I like the “offbeat” and homemade instruments. Most are pretty easy to play (even I can play some of them) and they have they’re own unique sound.

Pretty sweet song, Lars! I looked for things I’d do differently, but this song is “your” personal look at life and I don’t see much I’d want to do different if I were writing it. You draw a really nice picture of things you and I (and many others) value. Your writing and performing are truly better than ever before and you are using your voice. Just keep doing what you’re doing.. I think we write from the same place inside of ourselves. You’re a folksinger. Enjoy it, my friend.

Okay, I see lots of “women” talk in this thread and even some politics. So, before anyone is labeled as a misogynist, I just want to lead the discussion back to guitars by saying guitars are like women. You can’t have too many.

Damn! I bet he can play Chop Sticks too!………. If the mushroom clouds start rising, at least it will be caused by a man with culture. ……. Don’t give-up hope. Maybe The UN will form a committee to investigate Putin and chastise him severely.

Same problem here. Doesn’t seem to be any way to remove them. Hopefully, one of the mods will see this thread.

Yep! If for example you want a D35 or a Hummingbird and you find one you like, buy it and don’t compare it to every D35 or Bird that you read about. Just enjoy “your” guitar.

I wonder what “old time” music was to folks in The Dark Ages. Maybe some Viking war chant or Hunnish dirge.

We snooze, we lose………Guitars are kind of life fish: there’s always the one that got away.

Yeah, a pawn shop guitar that has real “mojo.” Looks superb!….. I’ve shopped at pawn shops before, but never found any Gibsons or Martins. Lots of Corts, Fenders, etc. at inflated prices. I understand all the interest and curiosity regarding guitars and how they measure-up to each other. My problem is that I don’t know the differences between a 1950’s J45 and a 2022 J45, aside from their age. I don’t know the difference from Hide Glue and Elmer’s, aside from what I hear from the knowledgeable folks in here. I don’t know why one style of bracing provides more volume than another. I just know “the sound” when I hear it.. I want a guitar that is comfortable to hold and easy to play and feels like an extension of who I am as a person. For what it’s worth (lol), after I sold my J45 Standard, I bought my J45TV. Don’t know the actual differences in the structure of the two guitars, but I like the J45TV because it sounds a little more mellow. Maybe it’s not, but I think it might be. Anyway, it’s kind of like me and doesn’t clash with my personality. I play all my Gibsons, simply because I like them.

Very nice! Really enjoyed it. …..You preserved a real “slice of life.”

We are who we are and we’re here because of who we are…….

I use a Roland XP Cube 50 {watts) for all my coffeehouse and most winery gigs and a Yamaha Stage Pas (100 Watts) for bigger outdoor stuff. I can carry all my gear (bag with accessories, mic/music stands, amp, guitar) in 2-3 trips and set-up/tear-down in ten minutes. All my coffeehouse equipment is pretty lightweight. The heaviest piece is the Roland at 16 lbs. It’s fast and easy and I’m lazy, so it’s a good match.

Yep! Exactly the way I feel about it too.>……….Now, if I could just get a nickel for every time I’ve heard Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” on TV and then figure-out how to post pictures on here, I’d have it made.