Frontier VS

[Siri]

Hi there,

I am wondering what is the difference between the original Frontiers with the rope and cactus pickguard which I see on the web are extremely expensive, and my guitar, which I bought 14 years ago for 250 bux, which a guy in a shop just told me was a reissue of that style?

 

many thanks,

siri

[el capitan]

Hi there,

I am wondering what is the difference between the original Frontiers with the rope and cactus pickguard which I see on the web are extremely expensive, and my guitar, which I bought 14 years ago for 250 bux, which a guy in a shop just told me was a reissue of that style?

 

many thanks,

siri

The re-issues were Korean.The back & sides are laminates,the pickguard is painted,but not engraved,& the headstock is oversized(Excellente size).

[Siri]

The re-issues were Korean.The back & sides are laminates,the pickguard is painted,but not engraved,& the headstock is oversized(Excellente size).

 

 

Aha. Thank you. 14 years after getting the guitar -- I'm starting to play...in the interim listened to my kids for years on their instruments. Must've honed my ears as this guitar no longer sounds as good to me as it did in the shop. It sounds pretty good, but not fantastic. Is this because the wood is laminate? The guy in our local shop said I'd have to pay quite a bit to replace it with something better. How much does a person reasonably have to expect to pay to get something which sounds really, really nice? I'm thinking of giving myself a "prize" for practicing after eight months, just the way I used to do for my kids...

[el capitan]

As the top is solid it should improve with age & playing.It's never going to sound fantastic.

I bought one mail order & was very disappointed-traded it in on a Guild,which I still have.

The reward idea is good,but what sounds good is what sounds good to you.

Canadian guitars sound good & are good value,but a bit Plain Jane.Blue Ridge have really taken off.

Pre-Fender Guilds are mostly excellent without the Martin/Gibson price tag.

[Siri]

As the top is solid it should improve with age & playing.It's never going to sound fantastic.

I bought one mail order & was very disappointed-traded it in on a Guild,which I still have.

The reward idea is good,but what sounds good is what sounds good to you.

Canadian guitars sound good & are good value,but a bit Plain Jane.Blue Ridge have really taken off.

Pre-Fender Guilds are mostly excellent without the Martin/Gibson price tag.

 

Thanks for the tips -- I will look into those guitars once I've qualified for my prize! The "frontier" sounds good enough for now and is very nice to look at so it will keep me going while I improve. Cheers, Siri

[cunningham26]

any time you're ready to get rid of it let me know, i'm happy to take it off your hands!

[dhanners623]

Although the guy in your local shop told you you'd have to pay "quite a bit" to get a good-sounding guitar, I'd like to know what his definition of "quite a bit" is. You can get some fine-sounding instruments these days for not a lot of money. If you don't mind where it was built, that is. (I know that is a concern for some people.)

 

Since this is an Epiphone forum, I'll say I've heard some nice Masterbilts and there have been folks where who swear by them. (As an odd aside, I was watching NBC's Thursday night comedies a couple of weeks or so ago and characters in two shows -- "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" -- both played Epiphone Masterbilts. Go figure.) They do seem to be good values for the money.

 

As for other manufacturers, I've heard some nice Blueridges, Recording Kings and Seagulls. There are even some "affordably priced" Martins these days.

 

In the opinion of this humble scribe, the laminated back and sides of your guitar may not be the real big sound killers. Yeah, it is nice to have all solid woods -- and, as a general rule, solid woods sound better -- but I'm thinking that given the era of your guitar, the big tone killer is probably the polyurethane finish which I'm assuming it has. And perhaps the construction. I could be entirely wrong about this (and am ready to be corrected by more knowledgeable people) but that's been my experience.

 

One thing I would do before giving up on your guitar is take it to a reputable repairman and investigate the possibility of some "tweaks." I don't know if the saddle and nut are bone, but if they're not, check into getting some. Same deal with bridge pins. There are plenty of bridge pin options (ebony, Tusq, bone, etc.) that are big improvements over plastic pins and can improve the sound. You can improve the tuning action by upgrading to new and better tuners. Also, make sure the action is where it should be and the neck is straight and the frets are in good condition. And make sure the guitar is properly humidified.

 

Individually, these are all small changes, but they can add up. But be realistic. It's not a vintage Frontier so it's probably never going to sound like one. That doesn't mean your guitar is a lost cause, though. Maybe it just isn't living up to its potential.

 

That said, if your heart is set on getting a new guitar (and rewarding yourself is as good a reason as any) then you should do it. I think once you start looking you'll be pleasantly surprised by the options out there.

[Siri]

any time you're ready to get rid of it let me know, i'm happy to take it off your hands!

well hopefully i will be a good student and practice enough to get my prize -- then i will check in with you!

thanks!

 

i'm treating myself exactly the way i treated my kids -- stickers on the calendar and prizes. it's fun!

[Siri]

Although the guy in your local shop told you you'd have to pay "quite a bit" to get a good-sounding guitar, I'd like to know what his definition of "quite a bit" is. You can get some fine-sounding instruments these days for not a lot of money. If you don't mind where it was built, that is. (I know that is a concern for some people.)

 

Since this is an Epiphone forum, I'll say I've heard some nice Masterbilts and there have been folks where who swear by them. (As an odd aside, I was watching NBC's Thursday night comedies a couple of weeks or so ago and characters in two shows -- "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" -- both played Epiphone Masterbilts. Go figure.) They do seem to be good values for the money.

 

As for other manufacturers, I've heard some nice Blueridges, Recording Kings and Seagulls. There are even some "affordably priced" Martins these days.

 

In the opinion of this humble scribe, the laminated back and sides of your guitar may not be the real big sound killers. Yeah, it is nice to have all solid woods -- and, as a general rule, solid woods sound better -- but I'm thinking that given the era of your guitar, the big tone killer is probably the polyurethane finish which I'm assuming it has. And perhaps the construction. I could be entirely wrong about this (and am ready to be corrected by more knowledgeable people) but that's been my experience.

 

One thing I would do before giving up on your guitar is take it to a reputable repairman and investigate the possibility of some "tweaks." I don't know if the saddle and nut are bone, but if they're not, check into getting some. Same deal with bridge pins. There are plenty of bridge pin options (ebony, Tusq, bone, etc.) that are big improvements over plastic pins and can improve the sound. You can improve the tuning action by upgrading to new and better tuners. Also, make sure the action is where it should be and the neck is straight and the frets are in good condition. And make sure the guitar is properly humidified.

 

Individually, these are all small changes, but they can add up. But be realistic. It's not a vintage Frontier so it's probably never going to sound like one. That doesn't mean your guitar is a lost cause, though. Maybe it just isn't living up to its potential.

 

That said, if your heart is set on getting a new guitar (and rewarding yourself is as good a reason as any) then you should do it. I think once you start looking you'll be pleasantly surprised by the options out there.

thank you so much for your post -- it's very helpful. i don't really know what the shop guy had in mind about price. i got my kids quite good instruments after about 4 years of serious practice but i don't know if i can be that patient myself! six months might be more like it! on the other hand, i can't see myself spending thousands of bux on a guitar for myself whereas i did spend 2900 bux for my son's piano. but it's a beautiful 1946 steinway -- i couldn't resist. i think my husband would have a heart attack if i spent that much money on a guitar so i'm going to look into the brands you suggest.

 

i went to your website and couldnt figure out how to listen to your songs but i did google them and found some to listen to -- neat! very cool stories.

 

i find coordinating singing and strumming very difficult. i did some classical singing about a million years ago and it's very hard to do two things at the same time! hopefully with time.

 

cheers,

siri

[el capitan]

Siri,

If someone wants to buy your Frontier,I'd seriously consider it.It's a guitar that sells on looks & worth more than you paid for it.

Singing & strumming...hmmmmmmmmm.

When I first touched a guitar,someone brought one to school.The next day someone else brought another.

The big thing then was Skiffle music & the king was Lonnie Donegan.He had recorded Leadbelly's " Midnight Special"with a guitar part that was all downstrokes 1234,1234 like that-no rhythm or syncopation-so that was the first thing we learned.

"Jambalaya"is easy,too-key of D -just D&A all the way,with a quick G to resolve it in the repeat at the finish.

Good luck-keep pickin'n'grinnin'

[dhanners623]

thank you so much for your post -- it's very helpful. i don't really know what the shop guy had in mind about price. i got my kids quite good instruments after about 4 years of serious practice but i don't know if i can be that patient myself! six months might be more like it! on the other hand, i can't see myself spending thousands of bux on a guitar for myself whereas i did spend 2900 bux for my son's piano. but it's a beautiful 1946 steinway -- i couldn't resist. i think my husband would have a heart attack if i spent that much money on a guitar so i'm going to look into the brands you suggest.

 

i went to your website and couldnt figure out how to listen to your songs but i did google them and found some to listen to -- neat! very cool stories.

 

i find coordinating singing and strumming very difficult. i did some classical singing about a million years ago and it's very hard to do two things at the same time! hopefully with time.

 

cheers,

siri

 

 

Siri--

These days, you can get into a very good guitar for well under $1,000. Head over to Elderly's website http://elderly.com/new_instruments/cats/20N.htm and check out the Blueridges and Recording Kings. At least that'll give you an idea of what you want to go try. Still, keep in mind that guitars are very individual things, and what sounds "good" to the person writing the online blurb may not be your cup of tea, and vice versa. (I should add that I think Elderly handles Gibsons and Epiphones but Gibson won't let them advertise the new guitars online, for some reason. Taylor used to have that rule but dropped it.)

 

Guitar pricing is very strange, if you ask me, and I think it has something to do with our perceptions of size, not craftsmanship. As you mentioned, we generally don't think twice about spending $2,900 for a piano. They're big so we think that price makes sense. But I can tell you that if you're playing guitar in the bluegrass world, $2,900 for a guitar might be the starting point. And you look at a guitar and a piano and wonder how that can be. I've never seen a comparison of how many worker hours go into the average piano versus the average handmade guitar, but that's a consideration. (That said, one of the reasons Blueridge guitars have become a big thing is that they've made some very affordable and very good-sounding dreadnaught guitars that bluegrass players have snapped up.)

 

As far as singing while you're playing, all I can say is that it takes practice, but don't over-think it and make it harder than it really is. Singing is a pretty natural thing, and you're just adding guitar to it. It's just a matter of getting the guitar rhythm and the cadence of the lyrics in synch. You'll definitely be working both sides of your brain, so just keep in mind it takes awhile for the two hemispheres to learn to work together and cut yourself some slack. It'll come in time. Start out simple, though. And keep in mind Guy Clark's approach to the guitar: "Less is more."

 

Thanks for the kind words about the tunes. I'm no rocket scientist when it comes to songwriting, but it is usually just a matter of figuring out how to tell a story and that, like singing, is something that most everybody can do. I do have a YouTube channel with some of my tunes: http://www.youtube.com/user/dhanners23?feature=mhum

[milod]

I think singing and playing together is something that may be quite easy for some people and more difficult for others. I was brought up in a singing family. I played a bit of piano as a young child and hated every minute; then played trumpet through high school and a year or two of college as I added guitar playing and it quickly took priority. (Broken-out front teeth helped that along, too.)

 

Anyway, a "boom-shush" pattern may also help. I started doing it with thumb and a "clamp" with my first three fingers rather than a flatpick, but either way may help on simple songs. There are a thousand variations on this rhythm that may or may not include hitting a bass string or strings first, then all the strings. If you're using a flat pick, I wouldn't worry about hitting more than one "bass" string in the "boom-shush" rhythm.

 

I'm convinced that playing "folk songs" that are simple and almost everyone knows is the best way to start combining vocals and picking guitar. The rhythms tend to fit better, too.

 

Probably one thing to think about is not to worry so much about the guitar as the vocals; let the strumming follow the singing and if you miss a strum or two at first, so what? No big deal.

 

But that's just my own two cents worth.

 

m

[ozigor]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I was looking at the BLUE RIDGE line and they talk about short scale and " large lower bout of 16""......

I understand the short scale but can someone explain what they are talking about when referring to the lower bout please??

ozigor

[milod]

Oz...

 

It's the width of the body across the top (more or less) at the bottom "wide" part of a guitar.

 

m

[ozigor]

thank you

i suspected as much.

[TommyK]

Since she has been in the closet lo these many years, I'd suggest cleaning her up. Then rehydrate, as she is likely dry. I've had success by laying the guitar on it's back, placing a container of hot water, not boiling, inside the sound hole, then covering the sound hole to keep the moisture in. Replace the water every day for three days. I did it to my FT145SB and she sounded and smelled the better for it. This is a delicate procedure as you do not, obviously, want to spill any inside. I taped plastic over the label as it is most vulnerable.

 

Then a new set of strings.

 

After you've done all this, make your assessment on tone. If it is still not to your liking, trade her in for something else. If not, you've saved yourself a bundle.