Lars68

By the way, here is a video that does a good job of explaining why slotting can be a good idea. Lars

With slotted pins the ball end of the string rests sort of halfway on the bridge plate and halfway inside the slot in the pin. Hence, it tends to push the pin up. Also, it tends to chew away at the wood on the edge of the pin hole, making the hole larger as time goes by, making the string creep yet further up, and so on… With solid pins and slots (cut only as wide as the string, no more), the ball end rest more firmly on the bridge plate. It will not push the pin up. The pin is only there to keep the string from sideways moving out of it’s slot. The upward force is much less. Lars

I do this too, slottted and ramped bridges with solid pins. Makes changing strings easier while also protecting the bridge plate. Lars

Thanks! Yes, vocals are becoming more natural, but I’m not fully satisfied with this take. There are still weak vocal spots, but it will have to do for now. Overall I’m very happy that inspiration and songs keep on coming. Working on songs is by far my favorite part of the hobby, and I never tire of trying to improve. Lars

Here is a new song I wrote about two weeks ago. I made a recording at the time, but I wasn't happy with it. Since then I have been fighting a terrible cold that kept me in bed for days. I now feel better again and want to get the song right. I tried a couple of takes and this is this best one I could do. My voice is kind of nasal and still suffering from the cold, and I had to change the key compared to my original attempts. It's a simple song about enjoying the simple things in life. As usual with my songs, I will try to improve on it by eventually doing a multitrack recording with hopefully better vocals and some other instruments added. How do you think this works, as a sort of “demo”? Lars NOTES ON THE FRIDGE The migrant birds are heading South as the first leaves are falling On my back porch I'll be waiting winter long Once I reached for endless skies Now all I want is a cup of coffee and a favorite Bob Dylan song No mountains to climb searching for richess Only “Masters of War” as I do yesterday's dishes There's a long and winding road over the hills and past the horizon It brought you home to me Bring the blanket, put your arm around me A quiet life with the biggest bang and there is no place I'd rather be There's no buried treasure beyond the ridge Only “Blowing in the Wind” as I read the notes on the fridge

I would try to put double sided tape strips underneath the black striped portions of the guard only, and leave the transparent bits unglued. This should still give plenty of adhesion, but if it starts to lift in a few years, you can just do it again. You can also use tiny drops of soft kids glue under black sections in strategic areas, such as the tip and around the edges. Another suggestion is to paint the back of the guard matching the color of your guitar, before applying the double sided tape. Here you won't of course see the wood grain, but apart from that it will look very natural. I have done this by using acrylic paint mixed to create a crude burst pattern going from light to dark. Here is a firestripe guard I painted. The guard is of a different kind but the problem with the adhesive showing through the guard was the same.

Thanks a bunch! Lars

I’m looking to add some atmosphere and variety to my singer-songwriter type acoustic recordings using an electric guitar and an E-bow. I’m thinking that I could play single string root notes to follow the chords of the song. I want to use this as a background sound to songs with acoustic guitar and vocals. No solos or fancy stuff. How difficult would this be to learn? I’ve never tried an E-bow… Here is what it can sound like with someone who knows what they are doing. I like the sound. Lars

Keeping my fingers crossed that you'll celebrate the safe arrival of the J-35 with a new song and a video from Blighty. Lars

A few years back I bought some guitars from the U.S. and had them shipped by USPS to Sweden. It was much cheaper than UPS, and I did not have any problems. One good thing to know, which at least was true at the time, is that the tracking via the USPS site only reaches the customs of the country you are shipping to. From that point on, tracking has to be switched to the site of the local carrier, which in the UK most likely would be Royal Mail, but you could check that in advance. Lars

I realize this is a much smaller patch, but the picture shows what can be done by grain matching. This repair was done by Willi Henkes of Antique Acoustics in Germany on my old Banner J-45, which had an old jack hole in the lower bout. We both agreed that the right approach here was to make an “honest repair” and to remove as little extra wood as possible and not necessarily try to hide the work. You can see that the circular scratch mark from the old jack outside the patch is still there. It could have been removed by making the patch bigger, but that would have been “wrong”, at least to me. Battle scars are part of the charm of old guitars. Lars

Beautiful, Buc! Lars

Very nice! great job. Jusding by your hallway, you could be an incredibly cool hotel manager 😀 Lars

That's how it's done! Wonderful, Keith. I'm glad you're posting songs again. Lars

Thanks a bunch, Sal and Murph! It means a lot coming from you, who know what my songs used to sound like. There is still lots to learn, but getting to this point has been a long time coming 😜 Lars

Super vibe there, Murph! Welcome back! Lars

Encouraged by the positive feedback for my song, I have tried to develop it some more. Here is what I have done in a new version below. - Merging of the best bits from a couple of takes into one, reducing the vocal pitch issues. - Starting in the second verse, I added percussion and a Nashville tuned second guitar (a cool oldie 😀 a 1938 Kalamazoo 3/4 Sport) - Added a new bridge between second and third verse - Starting in the new bridge, I added an organ I tried to keep the additions subtle, as not to interfere with the acoustic nature of the song. Feel free to have a second listen, and tell me if you think the additions work… Lars

No hat this time around, David. Major image change! 😀 Very good song. I like the steady, smooth rhythm and the lyrics. Lars

Wonderful, John. Really wonderful. Thanks for your efforts! Lars

Thanks so much, MP. You have been very supportive of my efforts ever since my very first song post here on the forum a few years back. I really appreciate it. Lars

Thanks for commenting! I’ll never be a natural, that’s for sure, but I do see some slow progress and that’s all I can ask for. English is my second language, but I was quite satisfied with the lyrics this time around. I write what means something to me, hoping that maybe anyone listening might relate, if not, well maybe next time… Lars

Thanks for listening! I don’t see my stuff as worthy of copying, at least not if making money is the objective, but I’ll gladly see someone out there prove me wrong 🤪 Lars

Thanks for the comments and support, guys! Voice is shakey but I'm hoping to improve on that when eventually doing a multitrack version. One-takes are not my strong suit. I need the help of being able to cut and paste vocal lines from many takes into one. Lars

Here is a song I just wrote and recorded. It's a one-take effort and the one with the least mistakes out of about ten attempts. As always, I'm looking for constructive feedback in order to improve. What do you think? Lars LONG TIME COMING It's Saturday night by the river Where the lights of my home shine from the far banks I'm holding your hand gently in mine Here's where I belong for this moment I am giving thanks I see it, I feel it It's here with me now I see it, I feel it It's been a long time coming When we first met I was lost at sea Like driftwood never floating to the shore But you salvaged me and we built a home A fortress strong as one I'd never seen before I see it, I feel it It's here with me now I see it, I feel it It's been a long time coming We are cosmic dust by Darwinian law No God of the gaps but tonight is a revelation As autumn leafs fall along our path We walk with peace here at our destination I see it, I feel it It's here with me now I see it, I feel it It's been a long time coming

Very nice! I really like the song and its melancholy vibe. Unfortunately the recording don't do you justice. The guitar, although very sweet, drowns out the vocal melody a little too much. Maybe try a higher placement of the phone/mic? Lars