Buc McMaster

For you buskers and open mic-ers out there, where do you keep your set list? When I worked with a band we kept multiple sets on paper on the floor of the stage......everyone had a copy and knew what's next without prompting.........worked well. Performing solo is different though and I've found this solution: the back-of-the-headstock setlist. Listed in no order other than by capo position, in my case O (open) through the 6th. How do you cats keep a setlist handy?

A 2019 guitar is likely to be tight sounding, some more than others, but it is true that time played sweetens the wood. I play a 2016 J-45 Vintage that has darkened tonally from when it was new, but every guitar is an individual. If you otherwise like the guitar I'd certainly give it time to settle into itself. I would say that finger style doesn't drive the top like attacking it with a pick so if there is some change in timbre it may be slow to appear. Don't know how a Vintage differs from a '42 Banner, if at all other than name.

Indeed! A fellow forum member made that for me and it's really grown on me. Quite unique, yes? Again.....indeed! For the 1-2 hours I plan to work up to (stamina is underrated!) I'm not much concerned for the guitar. Wood absorbing humidity is a slow process. The warmth of direct sun is likely to require an initial retuning but not much of an issue. I am anticipating the UV rays yellowing the nitro, turning this blue guitar to a shade of turquoise.........should be interesting!

Ain't it though? Didn't need to tweak it at all.......just spot on at the 6th. Thanks for listening, guys. I just tried this capo thing this morning and I suspect the vocal will improve with reps. So yeah, I think this will make it to the "back-of-the-headstock-setlist". Now all I need is for Galveston to open the beaches.

Terrapin Guitars. The tiger stripe on my 45 is their standard shape and cut, no mods required.

I really, really like this tune and am not ready to give up on it just yet. Choke the Hummingbird off at the 6th and let 'er rip! Very happy that the intonation holds up very well with the capo so far up the neck, but still not completely convinced this passes the smell test. (I make note again of the G7 Heritage capo. I tried an Elliot and a Kat Eyz at this high position and the Heritage most definitely delivers a better tone from the guitar.) Texas Blue; Gibson 80/20 half step down, G7 capo 6th; Blue Chip pick; iPad to Garageband.

Done this many times and you'll get many suggestions of the best method....... A little heat from a blow drier.......just enough to warm things a bit, don't make it hot. Catch an edge with a fingernail and begin lifting gently, keeping the warmth on it. Always has come up clean for me this way. The adhesive residue is cleaned up with lighter fluid........voila! A naked top.

Knew right away who Blanche was before you spoke a word, Dave. This is conversational, lyrically speaking, and well written. When it ended my first thought was "but there's more to the story"........but not if the tale is about Blanche was the second thought. Nicely done, sir.

Thanks, friends, but the vocal here is pretty weak..........very weak, in fact, and a good example of singing from the throat, which I am often guilty of when first learning a tune. Lots of things going on in the learning process and until there's been sufficient reps some aspects don't get full attention. As the instrumental part becomes more ingrained and automatic the vocal starts getting more attention and improves (at least to the point where no further improvement can be had!). After another couple dozen reps yesterday the vocal is much improved and I do think this one will work out okay. This take? I'm with Nick: the instrumental arrangement is good......the vocal is not even close. But it's coming around! Thanks for listening!

Once the restrictions are lifted (safely I add) it is my intent to spend some time busking on the Galveston seawall...........find a nice bench in the shade of a palm and knock out a few tunes for tips. Being retired now I'll certainly have the time.........question is, do I have the hutzpah. 😶 Given that plan, I've been trying to build the repertoire a bit and I started wrecking this Steely Dan tune yesterday. It's come along somewhat but as this video demonstrates, it still has a ways to go if it's to survive the cut. It's quite difficult to sing and that may, in the end, be the factor that gets this one nixed. Secondly, I question is this song belongs in a buskers quiver............is this a tune you would take notice of if you were strolling the beachfront? Here we go, warts and all................ Big Blue Texas; Gibson 80/20 lights, half step down; JB pick; raw audio from iPad (no additional EQ or processing)

And this matters because......? It's a guitar, a tool for making music. Does it sound right.......play right.......feel right? That's all that really matters, isn't it? Someone will think so, buy the guitar and be happy as a clam about it, cosmetics be damned. Tradition sometimes stands in the way of progress, yes?

This is one you've got to call on your own...........guitar tone/feel are so personal. I'll only say that I agree that, relative to a 45, the J-35 does sound brash. (In a good, Gibson-y way of course.)

Nice nice nice, Sal! Love that drop D tuning! The way you grab the G chord is interesting......thumb over top......cool! 👍

Yes sir. Four years old now and just a really nice example of the model. I changed the stock guard for this one some time ago. Thanks for listening!

Started wrestling with this one a couple days ago........still maybe hunting for the best key. Very good tune with a beaucoup of words to remember and I did choke the phrasing in a spot that seem to stumble on frequently. Took awhile to get the scrubbing kind of strumming down as well.................overall a tough one I'm still warring with........... I must say the G7 Heritage capo indeed delivers a much better tone than any of the other yoke styles. J45, Gibson 80/20 half step down, capo 1 (key of D), JB pick, iPad to Garageband

Well done on all fronts, sir! Two fine instruments on display there............ An on-line open mic? What a concept! Was it a live streaming kind of thing with interaction between players?

I did try the D'Addario NB some time ago and while I cannot recall the specifics, I do know I was unimpressed. Of course, this may have everything to do with the fact that the NBs were a detour from the Martin Retros I had been using regularly at the time. I can tell you that, as the name of both of your suggested sets imply, these are nickel plated wound strings, brass being pretty much 80/20 and bronze being phosphor bronze. Martin's Retros are a pure nickel winding and not a plated alloy. If you're looking to test your guitars' tone with nickel, I'd recommend the Retros for the full effect. As an aside, after playing Retros for a couple years on my J45, I have recently gone back to phosphor bronze.........but the set of Gibson 80/20 on there now are quite nice.

Everyone ages. Enthusiasm waxes and wanes. He's already made it. Everything and everyone changes.......the only absolute truth in this universe.

Heck, Sal, we're all guilty of this one! Though I have tamed my "guitar gadget" addiction, I have yet to do the same for fishing gear..........seems there's always something I figure will work better, most often not the case. Good work! McCartney has some tough pipes to follow, huh.

The label says it's a limited edition Big Sky Hummingbird. Among the four Hummingbirds the store had in stock this one sounded obviously much better than any of the rest and though blue is not my fav color on an acoustic guitar, it was really no contest tonally. It originally had a black & white Hummingbird etched pick guard that was just butt ugly. Our own Dave F stepped up with a few suggestions for replacement and we settled on this one...............single-layer solid white with a Texas cutout. (Thanks, Dave!)

This is quite powerful. This is why Dylan was, is and always will be relevant. There may never be another like him.........ever.

Thanks, G! I think I understand what you mean by "powdery" here, and I believe it is produced by a particular angle of attack with the pick that has become habit. Sometimes I like it but I do strive to overcome it as habit as it doesn't always work well. Galveston? Oh yeah - love living on the island! Thanks for listening, folks! Please stay safe out there..........we're all riders on the storm these days.

Things a bit slow these days, huh. Just hangin' at the house, fighting off boredom........ Texas Blue Hummingbird, 80/20 Gibson lights down 1/2 step, capo 3, JB pick, iPad video run through Garageband for EQ..............good enough?

….this doesn't fit so well on the acoustic forum, but I wanted to bring these folks to your attention. A collection of some very, very fine players from the Ukraine covering some very, very amazing music. Aside from the obvious talent displayed here, listening to this makes me appreciate what Chicago did so many years ago. Bear in mind that this is a live performance in studio, no over-dubbing whatsoever. Every player is dead-nuts on...………..knocks me out.

Agreed. Plek is an automated leveling of the the frets and does nothing to address string height in the nut nor the saddle. It takes a skilled eye to complete a proper setup. Personally I'd not be concerned with getting a guitar plekked but rather see that it gets adjusted by a good luthier to your liking. If fret leveling is necessary the setup guy/gal can take care of that. If you like the looks and sound of the instrument take it to a good shop and get it playing better.