Lars68

Ah, this is so sweet and relaxed. Sounding great, Sal! Lars

David, I really like this. Can you post the lyrics? I always find it easier to ”get” a song if I can read along. As far as writing and playing styles, having a personal style is a strength, as long as the listener is not put off by repetitiveness among songs. For your songs, David, the story is what draws me in, and I haven't really given much thought to similarities in playing style. I can appreciate both a poetic style, as well as storytelling one. However, any song with lyrics that are lost on me has a massive disadvantage in my book. What is the point of writing lyrics if no one can understand what you are trying to say? That doesn't mean everything has to be spelled out, but I need to be in the right ballpark, playing the appropriate sport at least as a listener. Lars

My guess is that what affects tone the most between these two variants is the amount of vibration created in the lower bout. The more flexible this area is, the better would be my guess. Wouldn't a belly-up bridge create more free area in the lower bout for vibrations, given the pin holes are in the same spot for both variants? Also, a Gibson with a straight bridge and one with a belly-up bridge sound very much the same. So any difference in bridge construction is probably small enough to drown among any other natural variants among guitars made out of wood. Lars

Happy New Year to all of you!

The Gatling Gun of guitars 😀 The guy looks like a Swede, sounds like a Swede, and has a Swedish name. If indeed a fellow country man, I can assure you we don't all have crazy ideas like that. I like his determination, though! Lars

The more I hear this song and think about it, the more it bothers me that the original demo wasn't just cleaned up using modern technology and released unaltered, as a JOHN LENNON song. This whole “new” and “last” Beatles thing just doesn't feel right to me. With that said, I do like the new recording, if I see it in isolation only as a new piece of music. Lars

Of course a song does not have to be recorded. If you play it out in the world that is great and all that matters. For me, since I don't feel I have the skills to play my songs live, it's like a songs doesn't exist unless I record it to the best of my ability. Hence, I spend a lot of time polishing and changing my recordings as a learn new skills. Lars

Good music is good music, no matter how it was created. In this case, I'm tankfull for modern technology and think it has been used beautifully. Great song and production. Lars By the way, I have no idea on the mystery Gibbby.

EA, long time no see! Hope your are doing well. I keep working on my songs, singing, etc. Progress is slow but at least steady, with vocal hiccups taking place from time to time 😂 I still enjoy the journey as much as ever. What about your musical journey of late? I remember you posting an original song as a work in progress a few years back. Did you finish it? As for my song and Nick Cave, no I have actually listened very little to him over the years. So any resemblance is more of a coincidence. With that said, I have always been aware of him and thought of his music as very likely fitting my tastes, but never really given it enough listening. Lars

The 45 wins this battle for me, but to be fair, I think the Martin keeps up very well, even though it's more at home finger picked. Lars

Simply wonderful! Lars By the way, I watched the fairly recent movie “Blaze” a few months ago. He was quite a character and had a rough life.

There is an interesting discussion in the video below about the very topic of this thread starting at the 36:30 minute mark and reappearing several times in the video from that point on. By the way, Johnny Marr, who might not be as known in the U.S. as in Europe, is all about melody and serving the song. I love his approach and his unique and inspirational style and he is my favorite guitar player. If you care to hear his style, check out the second clip. Lars

I come to the guitar hobby from all angles. I love music as a listener, especially when played on guitar. I love guitars as material objects and as pieces of art. I love them as songwriting tools. I wish I was a good enough musician to be able to make a guitar do what I want it to do. I'm not, so instead my approach is to search the fretboard for something that I think sounds good and could be part of a new song. Most of my small riffs and licks have come when I sit watching TV with a guitar in my lap just trying new things, aimlessly looking for something new. So for me the guitar is a safe with a great treasure inside, to which only a tiny part of the lock number combination is known. Lars

If you are referring to the lyrics, they are from personal experience. There is a lot between the lines not spelled out, in the hope a listener can fill in the blanks based on their personal experiences. At least that's what I was aiming for… MP, that is really cool that you have songs of your own from forty years ago. You have a true soundtrack of your life in your music. I hope you document them for your loved ones. Lars

I've kept going through all my original songs since I first started this thread back in August. I've added new elements and revised old ones, as well as changing things as far as mixing. I can't quite remember all things I've reworked, but I've learned a lot. Here is one song I feel benefited a little more than some of the other ones. I hope you like it… BLACK VELVET BLANKET A long black velvet blanket was hanging over me A long black velvet blanket as far as I could see It kept me from harm and tears but alone with my doubts and fears Can you see me now, can you see me? Can you see me now, can you see me? Can you see me now? Can you see me now? A long black velvet blanket My comfort and my curse A long black velvet blanket Never better but forever worse With courage stabbed and pierced So far from your arms for years Can you hear me now, can you hear me? Can you hear me now, can you hear me? Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now? My long black velvet blanket You tore it asunder My long black velvet blanket You brought me out from down under And your love is my saving grace My beacon for cloudless days And you see me now, and you hear me And you see me now, and you hear me And you see me now And you hear me now

I agree with this. My first higher end guitar was a D-28 Standard non-scalloped. I never bonded with it and just could not understand what the fuzz was all about, unitil I tried the scalloped HD-28V version. I love to play palm-muted, rumbling, Neil Young style, minor chords on my scalloped D-28. This is a sound I can't find in Gibsons. The Martin, on the other hand, can't do that dry as a dessert thump of a J-45. Lars

Unfortunately, I have no experience with maple guitars, but out of the other two choices, I prefer rosewood on a Martin and mahogany on a Gibson. A sucker for tradition, I guess. Lars

Sorry for being late to the party. That was wonderful! Lars

Baked top?

I'm a fan of everything except the price. My 1942 J-45 cost less (purchase price + minor repairs + shipping/customs/sales tax). However, I still think they will sell. Lars

Thank you, MP! This exercise of revisiting older songs definitely teaches me that songs are never finished and that time tends to reveal previous shortcomings. Lars

Glad to hear it went well! Would have loved to see it. A few years back I went to watch U.S. country singer Sam Outlaw (!) and was more impressed by the opening act, Nashville singer-songwriter Molly Parden. I would not have been surprised if I had preferred the opener at your gig too. Lars

Oh, man that was a lot of notes 😀 Incredible skill level. Personally, I prefer the slowed down and more somber style of the Path Metheny song. Wonderful stuff! Lars

Thanks so much, Anne. I really appreciate the listen and the support! Lars