BoSoxBiker

I'm very quick to say that I agree with just about everything that's been written in this thread so far. The one book on song writing I've read(Hodge/Casey Songwriting for Idiots) reiterated over and over again something along the lines of, 'if it sounds right, it is right'. Doesn't get much more liberating that that. So this happened to me yesterday. I've been practicing "Tangled Up in Blue" due to the KT Tunstal version that was posted here a couple weeks back. Something inspired a Dylan-esque set of lyrics for a song whose subject I had already written(poorly) and recorded(even more poorly) maybe 5 years ago. Only problem, is that this new song, as it stands, would be a total rip on Bob Dylan. I had his song's melody and rhythm going through my mind. New lyrics to "Tangled Up in Blue" rhythm and melody do not make for a new song. I wrote it all down anyhow, and hope one day I will do enough noodling with chords, riffs and lead to come up with something that will fit without having to change the phrases in a manner that takes away the goodness. This was hours after finishing a first mix-down of an old school adolescent Rocker that I wrote after coming up with a basic riff during a noodling session. After getting a basic idea for the subject matter, I proceeded to write the song with the Traveling Wilbury's "She's My Baby" in mind as the type of sound. Vocally, I had a bit of irreverence and vocal styleings of Frank Zappa hit me. Alas, I was unable to pull that part off. This one, however, was not a rip . I was able to remove any rhythm and melody from my sound reference song. I think the only reason for that is because I started the song on the guitar instead of legal pad. And just like that, a new idea or approach to a song just hit me on a song I've been trying to write for years. When the muse visits me, it does so like a rambling, stumbling drunkard who sticks around for a few weeks before moving on.

I removed the UST this past weekend on my SJ-200. My strings were making a racket afterwards. Then I remembered a different and the now somewhat controversial school of thought a while back on neck relief measurement being to fret 15th, capo 1st and measure 7th or 8th to .012". Being quite fond of the tried an proven technique of capo-1, fret 15th and measure to .006", I was skeptical to say the least. I decided to try it, nonetheless, and am glad I did. With the height of the saddle greatly reduced and relief set to .012", my string height was almost where I started. Instead of 4/64th and 6/64th, I am sitting at 3.5/64th and almost 6/64th. Both ever-so-slightly less than I was before the UST removal and subsequent 1/4-ish truss rod loosening. The important result is that the guitar plays and sounds better than ever. The notes ring out better when using a capo. I feel like the strings are also less "squeazy", though I am unsure how this could be in open chord playing when the saddle to bridge string angle is what changed - not the angle close to where I was playing. I guess it all matters. Another common topic at this time is weather change. Time will tell if a weather induced shift of .001" - .002" neck relief will effect things as much at .012" relief as it did at .006" with the higher saddle. (notes on above - I do have .003" to take out of my low-E string nut slot. Also, I will sand a new saddle to match this one, minus UST thickness, to allow the same setup to work with the UST in place. )

I have one guitar I alternate saddles on starting last year. The others are fine so far. I rotate the 3 acoustics. One of the three is on a stand at any given time while the others are in their cases. If the week was particularly humid, I soft clip a couple sillica gel paks to the strings when it goes back into the case. I can tell by how it's playing. Kind of starts about now and goes through October down here. Last year was a record rain year for us and the first time i ever had to do that. Hopefully that's done with.

I'd never been inspired enough to learn this tune until you posted this video last week. Good fun! Thanks for posting.

The 200 vs 'bird is such a panic attack question if it were real. The Martin was tough, but for a different reason. I've played a 28 a few times and a 35 only once, but I think I liked the 35 better.

Nice as always, Sal. Is that the famous TV that switched hands here on the forum right around the time I got here? Whatever it is, I would be missing it, too.

That was awesome, Murph!!! I agree with Sal. Very clever writing, very nice playing, vocals and well put together. Nice!!!! I just started a rocker, though the lead playing will not be anything like yours. <sigh>

I've heard and read about a not-so-great reputation regarding Gibson acoustics of the 1970's. Is this strict to the calendar, or is it something that began, for example, in 1973 and went on until 1985. And the why do you ask answer - I was perusing Reverb and saw a 1970 Dove. Being a sucker for Maple ....... Why I Ask

That was very nice, Lars. So, too, was the single take/tracking method from before. Both of them flow nicely. Lots of good to say about each. It seems to me like you mke a year's worth of improvements with your vocals over a 2-month span and I am quite envious. One thing I mentioned in another thread is your ability to write songs about normal life that come out well. How many of us have heard songs by other folks on this subject matter and not been able to listen to the whole thing? It's not easy. My efforts are uninteresting at best. Again, well done!!!!

Congrats on your new Taylor, BK. Yes, it's amazing how much money one can divert away from smokes. I did that some time ago and then decided driving an old POS meant those car payments could go into music funds. Well, some of it, anyhow. OK, MOST of it. I do dig the even playing nature of the V-Series and bet it would be great in the studio. I've played a few, but not that one. Sadly, the 614 did nothing to talk me out of my 2015 model. I'll have to give the 717 a ride next trip across town.

It certainly does. I found the tone to be very nice. Well played and sung, too.

That is one fine looking guitar. Nothing like a Maple, too. Congrats!!!

It was on that rough take I did. I couldn't find a way to close it out. Not a good one, anyhow.

It's quite a thing to find out the normal is not normal. It's like an opposite of that line in "Sugar Mountain" by Neil Young.

Thanks for listening, billroy.

That was where I was heading with the "What is it Pa wont say?" verse we discussed off-line. Except not for the ending. The ending I wanted the sense of the community being alone kind of thing. Despair en-mass? I am beginning to think that line might work better than the finger of God line for the middle of the song.

It was in the scene when they invited themselves to eat at Helen Hunt's character's Aunt's house. Thanks again for the tips and thoughts. First thoughts are involuntary. re "droll" and "dirge" - Yeah, that whole Killing Floor Blues style is challenging for a listener at times. I expanded from that style quite a bit, but it was still that style at heart. My first effort at the style was a Rocked out version, similar to "Bridge of Sighs". It did not go over well after about 2 minutes, and it was over 6 minutes long. doh! I was never in a big tornado. One Hurricane and a bunch of close calls with little tornadoes, a couple of water-spouts and a down-burst wind thing. Saw 2 tornadoes that I was not close to. I still dream about them every few months. I've been trying to write a song about the one I was "in" more than the others, but have gotten nowhere.

Thanks for the thoughtful observations. You touched on some things I've wrestled with, with some I still do. You had a lot of good thoughts. Using your #'s for structure: 1: Good observation. I wanted the name to be generic, in a way, as to not make our neighbor's down-east seem self-centered. Then again, this is about their plights. Maybe I worried too much about offending or leaving out others. Simplicity hit me this morning - "Hurricane Blues". But then again, 4 day hurricanes moving at the speed of snot are not ordinary. Still some thought needed on this one. This had "Flo's Blues" as a title, briefly. #2: I can play some slide, but doubt I can carry the song with one. I liked where the dble drop D brought me as it evolved in the song, but not the intro and first verse, I was planning on revisiting with slide with some prominence early. Then having it compliment from the 3rd verse on to the end. Maybe a lead role in the instrumental bit. #3: In my mind, my song's story teller is describing the scene at the beach as the pending Hurricane's outer bands are just now getting there. Suffice to say I missed. Perhaps if it's clear from the title? I had "storm-winds blow" for a while. Anyhow, good call. There is better to be had. #4: This one bums me out. Noone's gotten this one yet. I omitted a more powerful verse for this one. The term, "the Finger of God" is a term I've heard to describe a badass tornado. Was even in the movie "Twister". We didn't have that, but that hateful bi**h of a storm left us with a parting gift of a few that morning as it left our state. One was close by. But back to words, it morphed from "....come down.." to "....touched down...". I was trying to avoid "...twist down....". I might have to omit entirely. #5 and #6: Multiple rivers in play. "Creek" was a word I used because I thought it sounded more "Americana". "River's on the rise" might have been "Rivers' on the rise " on paper. Doesn't matter when listening. I also toyed with starting the ocean storm surge and ending with creek taking it all, as they are often tied in a linear fashion. (surge hits, rivers back up, no place for creek to go....." Thanks again for all the thoughts on this. No doubt they help me a great deal. Also gives me a chance to expound on some thoughts. Talking out loud about it, such as it is, helps too. Adjustments down the pike. They have a way of sorting themselves out while working on the next song.

Thanks for listening, duluthdan. I like that - "Angst to the nth degree." Sounds like you understood the song, at least. Thanks again for your time.

This is a song I wrote near the end of Hurricane Florence as the counties to the South and East of us got flooded, which only got worse within the week. A couple spots got 30 inches of rain of the storm. Poor folks. OK, so musically, this is a double-drop D tuned el-cheapo beater guitar I got as a Stupid Deal of the Day like 6-8-ish years ago. Stereo-miked with the Myrtle and a Shure 87A Beta. It is musically inspired by Neil Young's D-Modal version of "Old Laughing Lady" and Caitlin Canty's acoustic version of her song, "Wore Your Ring". I guess the Killing Floor Blues style is ultimately what I started out doing, but I found banging on it for a little instrumental bit was therapuetic. You try living with multiple Migraines per day. I digress. Here's the song. Rain Blues Oh - all apologies for the outro line. I couldn't resist the opportunity to resolve a vocal to a Low-D. (Probably explains why I can't sing nuttin else.) Oh yeah, while I'm at it, all apologies for singing - period. And in good form of Lars68 and dhanners623, the lyrics. [VERSE 1] I hear the winds blow I hear the winds blow Here we go again. Here we go again. [VERSE 2] Then the rain come down. Then the rain come down. [VERSE 3] The finger of God touched down. The finger of God touched down. Blew the town away. (Blew it all down) [VERSE 4] River's on the rise. River's on the rise. Comin' for us again. [short Bridge] Lord we need a friend Lord we need a friend Lord we need a friend [VERSE 5] Creek took all we had to-day. Creek took all we had to-day. Took everything we had [OUTRO] We need us a friend. We need us a friend.

Good point. Never thought of that. The SJ is a late November build, and the 'Bird is winter.

There is one little thing that I've wondered about regarding the action spec and the inspection sheet they give us. I got an SJ-200 and a 'bird this year. Both had these little inspection sheets. Both have string height of 5/64th on the low-e and even less on the high-E written on them. Both of my guitars were almost 8/64th. The high end, but easier to take off that add. I'm cool with that. Not a defect. However, I do get the feeling that both of these sheets were more or less some type of rubber-stamp act. I find that kind of thing counter-productive to instilling good vibes to the customer. That aside, I'm very happy with my good Gibsons. Even if the overall quality numbers are as bad as haters say, well, whatever. Sorry? I guess a few dozen of us here got lucky.

I think, somehow, the embedded link is the only thing that was disabled. If one copy and pastes the URL, it's viewable on Youtube.

Agreed. (edit - There was a fret down around 15th that he showed that did appear to have a bit of an unfinished edge on the top of the bevel.)

I wonder if you could speed the aging process - Overnight in some sort of brine or whatever else might not be great for brass?