northcntryblues

After more than a decade of bare finger playing, I recently spent some time learning to hybrid pick. I found that I prefer nylon flatpicks, just the regular grey Dunlop ones, .73mm. Then I noticed that Black Mountain thumbpicks are nylon, so I got one. They look like flatpick with a spring loaded thumb band attached. I've been using it exclusively for a while now. Can easily go from fingerpicking to strumming to flatpicking. These are the only thumb picks I’ve found that sound good strummed. And while hybrid picking is good, having the index finger freed up is even better. Gotta say - picks are possibly underrated in their impact on tone and feel. https://blackmountainpicks.com/

That is... interesting...but not to my taste.

A mahogany/spruce L-00 is my only guitar. Sure I play blues on it. But I also play folk, acoustic rock, jazz, and classical pieces on it. It's very versatile. Though I don't have enough $ to buy another guitar, I doubt I would anyway. I love my L-00.

Same here. I don't participate in any other guitar forums anymore, and would have been really bummed had this place gone.

Very happy the forum is back - thank you Gibson, and glad to see all of you again!

The big issue for me was activating the ring finger. As a bare fingers player, I was a thumb-index-middle player. For hybrid, it's pick-middle-ring. My speed is not quite there yet, but it's staring to feel quite comfortable. Was able to pick up alternating bass with the pick fairly quickly, though I'm not quite as accurate with the pick yet as I am with the thumb.

After many many years as a bare fingers only player, I started using a flatpick a little in the past 18 months or so. This has led me to explore hybrid picking. I've begun learning a bunch of stuff that I would otherwise play bare fingers - folk style Travis picking ala Paul Simon or John Prine, alternate bass blues (eg. John hurt style), monochromatic bass/Delta Blues style, jazz standards, even classical pieces - using hybrid picking. I'm quite enjoying it, and loving the versatility for playing campfire classic songs like 'Stairway' or 'Here Comes the Sun'. Anyone else a hybrid picker?

Living in Canada with four full seasons and all the humidity changes that go with them, I've always found the best way to keep my guitars stable is to keep them in the case when not playing. As soon as the furnace goes on in fall, in goes the Oasis humidifier. When the furnace goes off in the spring, out it comes. My guitar's action hasn't changed in the ten years I've had it. Mind you, I prefer a fairly "guitar-friendly" setup - custom light strings tuned down half a step.

I have an L-00, and even though I use lighter gauge strings than the ones you mention, I don't tune it to open A. I usually just tune it to open G and Capo on 2nd fret. Open A is really hard on guitars imo. Many people believe this is how Robert Johnson played Open A. The famous "photo booth" shot of him shows his Kalamazoo L-00 guitar with Capo 2.

Agreed. I loved Neil's performance on that track, and that whole gig. He was so free, loose and alive with both his vocals and playing. The greatest garage rocker of all time. It's ironic hearing George and Eric snickered at Young that night because they were the most boring and stodgy people on that stage.

I'm a fan of both of these guys, but this is just....not good. Essentially, a barrel full of cliches both in the lyrics and the images in the video, and a pale imitation of their true songwriting abilities.

Different sound, yes, but also the L-00 is also about maybe a different style of playing. I mostly fingerpick my L-00 with bare fingers, though of late I have been incorporating some hybrid picking. Mine is hog back and sides and it resonates forever. Guitar feels alive. You might become addicted to the smaller body size. It's my only guitar and has been since 2011 so its really all I know now, but when I pick up a dred or a jumbo in a music shop these days, the just feel MASSIVE.

I'm with Jackson B. I'm loving these old Elixirs on my L-00.

Casion Boogie, from 'Exile'. It's Charlie in a nutshell. Great style. RIP Mr. Watts.

This will be a really nice touch at a wedding - nice vocal arrangement, as usual, Sal!

I have a collection of lyrics on my phone. I'm not great at remembering them, so it's good to have them there. Sometimes I'll add in the chord changes for a section of a song that I have trouble remembering the changes. Usually though, lyrics are all I need.

I've been arranging some stuff for a campfire singalong in a couple weeks. And yes, I'll be playing my Gibson - it's my only guitar. These are my buddies from high school, and we've been doing this once a summer for over 30 years now (except last summer!). So, its a lot of stuff we grew up with as Canadians in the 80's and 90's, some stuff that many people here probably haven't heard much of such as The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, and 54-40. There will also be some Springsteen, Smiths, Bowie, Beatles, Oasis, New Order, U2, Tom Petty, etc. I noticed 'Red Hill Mining Town' - that's a new one in my setlist, actually. Otherwise, a lot of these songs I only ever play once a year, because otherwise I'm working on fingerpicking stuff. This spring I decided to have a go at hybrid picking, so I've been arranging a lot of these songs with a new style. It's actually been a lot of fun. So these are the ones I've really enjoyed working on recently: 1. A medley of 'Grace, Too', 'Thugs', and 'Eldorado' - The Tragically Hip 2. 'Ceremony' - New Order 3. 'A medley of 'Live Forever' and 'Wonderwall' by Oasis 4. 'A Sort of Homecoming' by U2 5. 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time' Bruce Cockburn, as covered by Barenaked Ladies

Absolutely lovely. 👍

Massey Hall in Toronto has been undergoing a massive restoration and renovation project for the last few years. I would dearly love to see Neil be among the first to play there when it reopens. I do have a feeling that Gordon Lightfoot will get the first gig, if he is up to it. Now, somehow getting tickets to those gigs will be a whole other issue.....!

This is really fantastic, Sal - very soulful, my friend. And I love your solo! Thank you for posting it, and all the best this holiday season!

My thoughts go out to you, Jinder. I must say you are facing your challenges with admirable grace and strength. May this holiday season bring you cheer!

Me too, Nick! Sal, your performance of 'In My Room' is the best part of this whole thread - thanks a lot man!

Rickenbacker Mapleglo 12 string.

This is cool. I never knew there was anything Canadian about Texas!