Oscar,
I saw on one of our posts where you like guitars. I have three guitars, 1959 Tennessean Gretsch hollow body, I'm color blind but I think it's some kind of burnt orange. With the original case, my Dad bought this guitar for me when I was 16, it came with a tube type Gibson amp. I also have have two acoustic guitars, both are Takamines. I have the acoustic amp SWR strawberry blond, and I also have a Laney amp that is both a acoustic, and a lead electric amp. All you have to do is flip a switch. I also have an electric Mandolin, and several harmonicas.
I mostly play gospel, and country.
How many guitars do you have?
Regards
Mark
Guitars
Show me pics of your '59 Gretsch! I'd kill for a guitar like that (well, not really but you get the idea!!
) That Gretsch is worth a small fortune. Your Takamines should work really well with that SWR - they're good guitars and good amps.I have the following gear:
-A 1996 Gibson Les Paul Gem Series with P90's (my fav)
-A new Hägstrom Super Swede (a very good guitar, bought it last year)
-An Epiphone EJ300S Jumbo acoustic. No pickup, pure acoustic. I bought it for a steal and it is an awesome sounding guitar. People scoff at Epi's, until I start to play this one. Ha!
-A Baby Taylor travel acoustic
-An Ibanez bass guitar
-A pair of Roland Cube30 amplifiers. I split my signal with a Boss Line Selector pedal and feed both amps at once. They're great amps for most situations: compact, loud, punchy and indestructible.
-A Boss 12-channel digital recorder with built-in CD burner, computer interface and COSM modelling
-A Kurzweil digital stage piano (my wife plays it)
Don't have pics of my Les Paul handy right now.
I play lots of styles: blues, funk, some jazz, some fingerstyle, rock, pop, etc. Write my own music too, both vocal and instrumental. I also write as a free-lance journalist for a guitar magazine (I write gear reviews - I know a lot more about music gear than I do about Fordson tractors
).No hurry, Mark, no hurry at all. I'll be offline until noon tomorrow, European time.
Man, a '59 Gretsch....
(Yes folks, '59 was not only a great year for blue tractors but it is also the holy grail year for guitars - some '59 guitars fetch enough $ to buy a very nice house and/or a bunch of '59 Fordsons!!! I've never even played a fifties guitar or been in the same room as one.... and Mark owns one.... awesome!)
What happened to your vintage Gibson amp, by the way?
Cheers!
Oscar
Man, a '59 Gretsch....
(Yes folks, '59 was not only a great year for blue tractors but it is also the holy grail year for guitars - some '59 guitars fetch enough $ to buy a very nice house and/or a bunch of '59 Fordsons!!! I've never even played a fifties guitar or been in the same room as one.... and Mark owns one.... awesome!)
What happened to your vintage Gibson amp, by the way?
Cheers!
Oscar
Oscar,
I still have the vintage amp that came with the guitar as well. It was a great amp back in the day, but now with all the better technology, I just get it out every now and then.
I like Epiphone guitars, I have a buddy that has a 12 string and I used to play it a lot.
I'll send some pictures soon.
Regards
Mark
I still have the vintage amp that came with the guitar as well. It was a great amp back in the day, but now with all the better technology, I just get it out every now and then.
I like Epiphone guitars, I have a buddy that has a 12 string and I used to play it a lot.
I'll send some pictures soon.
Regards
Mark
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Oscar,
Here's some pictures I hope, I've never done this before, but it's past time I learned.
Here's my newest Takemine it has the built in turner. A really great guitar to play. I looked at a Taylor before I bought this one, but liked it better.
This is a Takemine I bought new in 1990, I played it a lot in a country band. I wish I had turned my light off, it's making some blurrs.
Here's all three of my babies, the one in the middle is the one you want to see Oscar. There's a story about why the pick guard is broken, back when I was 19 me and a few of my friends were playing some rock&roll, and I had just a little to much to drink. I was really having some fun acting like a big rock star when "opps" I broke my pick guard. I've regretted that ever since. I haven't been able to find one either. I also need a knob for the upper left switch, and one for the strap to hang to on the top. I'm going to get busy and try and find these. I really had some fun with this guitar and it shows, I wish I knew more what I had and maybe I would have taken better care of it.
I read on the internet that the color is a rare color for a 1959 model. I don't think I could trade this one in on a house or several 1959 Dexta's, it's not worth as much as you think. I found one on a web site that was in better shape than mine, and they were asking 3,800 pounds sterling, I think that's a little over $8,000.00. I hope you are right about what you said though about worth a lot of Dexta's.
Here's the original case. She's frayed around the edges a little, but all the locks work good, and the inside is still in great shape, but for a 49 year old case it's not in to bad a shape.
Here's the back.
Here's the front, I don't think this picture made it to the forum.
Here's some pictures I hope, I've never done this before, but it's past time I learned.
Here's my newest Takemine it has the built in turner. A really great guitar to play. I looked at a Taylor before I bought this one, but liked it better.
This is a Takemine I bought new in 1990, I played it a lot in a country band. I wish I had turned my light off, it's making some blurrs.
Here's all three of my babies, the one in the middle is the one you want to see Oscar. There's a story about why the pick guard is broken, back when I was 19 me and a few of my friends were playing some rock&roll, and I had just a little to much to drink. I was really having some fun acting like a big rock star when "opps" I broke my pick guard. I've regretted that ever since. I haven't been able to find one either. I also need a knob for the upper left switch, and one for the strap to hang to on the top. I'm going to get busy and try and find these. I really had some fun with this guitar and it shows, I wish I knew more what I had and maybe I would have taken better care of it.
I read on the internet that the color is a rare color for a 1959 model. I don't think I could trade this one in on a house or several 1959 Dexta's, it's not worth as much as you think. I found one on a web site that was in better shape than mine, and they were asking 3,800 pounds sterling, I think that's a little over $8,000.00. I hope you are right about what you said though about worth a lot of Dexta's.
Here's the original case. She's frayed around the edges a little, but all the locks work good, and the inside is still in great shape, but for a 49 year old case it's not in to bad a shape.
Here's the back.
Here's the front, I don't think this picture made it to the forum.
Last edited by Mark on Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
The way you put the capos on the headstocks of those Takamines and the way you put your pick between the strings is exactly the way I always do it!!
That Gretsch is just awesome
. An absolute dream guitar, really. It's got just one pickup, but it is a wonderful pickup and they mounted it in exactly the right place. With that one pickup, you can cover a gazillion styles of music just fine. I love the way your thumb wore some of the finish off of the back of neck. This guitar was built to be played, and you've played it a-plenty!
If you can't find an original fifties pickguard, then a good guitar tech can make you one just like it. You can also check with Dan Erlewine, he can do anything.
As you know, some '59 Fender and Gibson guitars fetch incredible prices. A '59 sunburst Les Paul Standard in original condition will fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars and some of them are even creeping up to the million. You'll never find those on Ebay - they're all tucked away in a safe somewhere, and where bought strictly as investments by folks who don't really care about guitars.
Vintage Gretsches rarely fetch that much, but some of them (such as THIS ONE) are quite pricey (though nowhere near a hundred grand). I suspect this particular one will be very, very steep though.
Your '59 probably has an arched, hand-carved, solid-wood top and back. That's the secret to great tone. Cheaper guitars have pressed and/or laminated tops and backs.
There's a guitar just like yours for sale in the UK for 4,000 pounds (which comes to roughly 8,000 US dollars right now). You can find details here.
What a beauty you have, Mark.
That Gretsch is just awesome
. An absolute dream guitar, really. It's got just one pickup, but it is a wonderful pickup and they mounted it in exactly the right place. With that one pickup, you can cover a gazillion styles of music just fine. I love the way your thumb wore some of the finish off of the back of neck. This guitar was built to be played, and you've played it a-plenty!If you can't find an original fifties pickguard, then a good guitar tech can make you one just like it. You can also check with Dan Erlewine, he can do anything.
As you know, some '59 Fender and Gibson guitars fetch incredible prices. A '59 sunburst Les Paul Standard in original condition will fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars and some of them are even creeping up to the million. You'll never find those on Ebay - they're all tucked away in a safe somewhere, and where bought strictly as investments by folks who don't really care about guitars.
Vintage Gretsches rarely fetch that much, but some of them (such as THIS ONE) are quite pricey (though nowhere near a hundred grand). I suspect this particular one will be very, very steep though.
Your '59 probably has an arched, hand-carved, solid-wood top and back. That's the secret to great tone. Cheaper guitars have pressed and/or laminated tops and backs.
There's a guitar just like yours for sale in the UK for 4,000 pounds (which comes to roughly 8,000 US dollars right now). You can find details here.
What a beauty you have, Mark.
Hi guys
As you may be aware I don't have a musical bone in my body and couldn’t play an instrument if I tried, but I do appreciate a beautiful instrument and I could watch an fine artist play all day if I like the music.
Just thought I would attach this link( that Rick was kind enough to help me out with), for an Aussie invention that you guys may like to look at. It was featured on a TV program called The New Inventors.
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2225388.htm
Kind Regards.............Dom
As you may be aware I don't have a musical bone in my body and couldn’t play an instrument if I tried, but I do appreciate a beautiful instrument and I could watch an fine artist play all day if I like the music.
Just thought I would attach this link( that Rick was kind enough to help me out with), for an Aussie invention that you guys may like to look at. It was featured on a TV program called The New Inventors.
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2225388.htm
Kind Regards.............Dom
Hey! I've got myself a new one!
I went to a big (and very professional) guitar store yesterday to get some advice on my current acoustic, because I'm considering to get some work done on it. While in the shop, the guy pointed out an acoustic of a brand I'd never heard of before: Ayers. It's an Australian company that designs the guitars and selects the tonewoods. Instead of building them by hand in Oz (which would make the guitars expensive), they opened up a workshop in Vietnam and over a period of time taught a handful of select Vietnamese luthiers to build their designs - by hand, from scratch. The Dutch store owner had seen these guitars during the 2008 NAMM show in LA, was suitably impressed and had contacted the European distributor. It turned out the distributor wanted off the contract with Ayers for whatever reason. So the store bought the entire stock and is the only shop in Holland (perhaps even Europe) that sells them. When I walked in yesterday, there were only 5 left, one of which was a stunning little parlour guitar. I played them all and fell for them - head over heels, I might add. This morning I went back to see if I'd still be as excited after a good night's sleep. I was. The choice was very difficult, but in the end I bought this guitar:
It's a stunning instrument with an incredible bang for the buck ratio: a wonderfully cut bone nut, ditto bridge, genuine mother of pearl inlays that add a touch of class without turning the thing into a brothel, excellent electronics (a Fishman system), fretwork that beats pretty much every stock guitar out there apart from mega-$ custom shop work and incredible playability. No 2 of them are the same - they're 100% handmade and so there are subtle differences between them. What attracted me a lot is the fact that the neck width at the nut is larger than usual. In short, the neck is wide and flat and plays like a dream. I've always liked that (the neck on my Hagström electric is similar). Acoustically, this guitar is awesome. The sound is very, very happening. I've not had much chance to play with it when plugged in, so more on that later.
For exact specs (woods etc) click here.
It's slightly under a thousand euros, street. That suggests around 1,300 US-$ street on that side of the pond. For that kind of mony, I don't think I've ever seen/played/heard a better acoustic.
For the record, I pitted this thing against similarly prized guitars from Taylor, L'Arrivée, Garrison and Washburn. Those were much more basic in terms of looks (difference #1). In terms of sound, only the Taylor could hang with it while the others fell short (difference #2) in terms of richness, balance, depth and compression. In terms of playability, you can't really compare it because the neck of the Ayers is much wider and flatter and that's a very personal thing. Taylor is a benchmark for acoustic playability and I've yet to see a Taylor that doesn't play like a dream. I prefer the neck of the Ayers, though, because of its extra width.
I also pitted it against guitars that cost twice (or more) as much, just to see what the extra money buys you. For this, I used a 7,000 euro (!!) R. Taylor masterpiece (not to be confused with ordinary Taylors - that "R." in front makes all the difference), a 3,900 euro Gibson Jumbo and a 4,500 euro Breedlove. In all honesty, the Gibson was a joke. My Epiphone Jumbo sounds better. It was pretty sad. The R. Taylor was stunning in every aspect. It plays better than my Ayers, it sounds better and it looks better. It also costs 7 times as much but performs roughly 1.5 times better. The Breedlove is ugly with its pointed headstock (at least I think so) but otherwise it is darn near perfect. Like the R. Taylor, you have to pay multiples of the price for fractional improvements. I was not at all bummed that I could not take that R. Taylor home. That Ayers really jazzed me.
I went to a big (and very professional) guitar store yesterday to get some advice on my current acoustic, because I'm considering to get some work done on it. While in the shop, the guy pointed out an acoustic of a brand I'd never heard of before: Ayers. It's an Australian company that designs the guitars and selects the tonewoods. Instead of building them by hand in Oz (which would make the guitars expensive), they opened up a workshop in Vietnam and over a period of time taught a handful of select Vietnamese luthiers to build their designs - by hand, from scratch. The Dutch store owner had seen these guitars during the 2008 NAMM show in LA, was suitably impressed and had contacted the European distributor. It turned out the distributor wanted off the contract with Ayers for whatever reason. So the store bought the entire stock and is the only shop in Holland (perhaps even Europe) that sells them. When I walked in yesterday, there were only 5 left, one of which was a stunning little parlour guitar. I played them all and fell for them - head over heels, I might add. This morning I went back to see if I'd still be as excited after a good night's sleep. I was. The choice was very difficult, but in the end I bought this guitar:
It's a stunning instrument with an incredible bang for the buck ratio: a wonderfully cut bone nut, ditto bridge, genuine mother of pearl inlays that add a touch of class without turning the thing into a brothel, excellent electronics (a Fishman system), fretwork that beats pretty much every stock guitar out there apart from mega-$ custom shop work and incredible playability. No 2 of them are the same - they're 100% handmade and so there are subtle differences between them. What attracted me a lot is the fact that the neck width at the nut is larger than usual. In short, the neck is wide and flat and plays like a dream. I've always liked that (the neck on my Hagström electric is similar). Acoustically, this guitar is awesome. The sound is very, very happening. I've not had much chance to play with it when plugged in, so more on that later.
For exact specs (woods etc) click here.
It's slightly under a thousand euros, street. That suggests around 1,300 US-$ street on that side of the pond. For that kind of mony, I don't think I've ever seen/played/heard a better acoustic.
For the record, I pitted this thing against similarly prized guitars from Taylor, L'Arrivée, Garrison and Washburn. Those were much more basic in terms of looks (difference #1). In terms of sound, only the Taylor could hang with it while the others fell short (difference #2) in terms of richness, balance, depth and compression. In terms of playability, you can't really compare it because the neck of the Ayers is much wider and flatter and that's a very personal thing. Taylor is a benchmark for acoustic playability and I've yet to see a Taylor that doesn't play like a dream. I prefer the neck of the Ayers, though, because of its extra width.
I also pitted it against guitars that cost twice (or more) as much, just to see what the extra money buys you. For this, I used a 7,000 euro (!!) R. Taylor masterpiece (not to be confused with ordinary Taylors - that "R." in front makes all the difference), a 3,900 euro Gibson Jumbo and a 4,500 euro Breedlove. In all honesty, the Gibson was a joke. My Epiphone Jumbo sounds better. It was pretty sad. The R. Taylor was stunning in every aspect. It plays better than my Ayers, it sounds better and it looks better. It also costs 7 times as much but performs roughly 1.5 times better. The Breedlove is ugly with its pointed headstock (at least I think so) but otherwise it is darn near perfect. Like the R. Taylor, you have to pay multiples of the price for fractional improvements. I was not at all bummed that I could not take that R. Taylor home. That Ayers really jazzed me.
Oh, and for those who know who he is: last week I sat down for an hour with no other than Tommy Emmanuel, backstage before his concert in Holland. Just the two of us, guitars in hand. I consider him to be the best guitarist alive today, in any genre. What he does is incredible. I'll tell more about this adventure later and will post some photos too.
Oscar,
I'm very, very, jealous now. Beautiful guitar, great looking wood and design. Love it, Love it, Love it. You most likely have a one of a kind guitar, with only that many being made. Take good care of it, and keep it original and it will be worth a lot more one day. I have a guitar strap just like the one you have on it, great.
I was jamming with some friends two weeks ago, and I wish you could have been there. They have Les Pauls, Taylors, Fenders, with the Marshall amps. Next time we play I'll have to take my camera with me.
Can't wait to here the story and see the pictures with Tommy Emmauel!!!
I'm very, very, jealous now. Beautiful guitar, great looking wood and design. Love it, Love it, Love it. You most likely have a one of a kind guitar, with only that many being made. Take good care of it, and keep it original and it will be worth a lot more one day. I have a guitar strap just like the one you have on it, great.
I was jamming with some friends two weeks ago, and I wish you could have been there. They have Les Pauls, Taylors, Fenders, with the Marshall amps. Next time we play I'll have to take my camera with me.
Can't wait to here the story and see the pictures with Tommy Emmauel!!!
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Tommy Emmanuel's tours never end. He's never really off the road. But last Wednesday's's gig was the last one before he takes 2 weeks off and heads back to Nashville. He'd done a string of dates in Italy, Eastern Europe and Germany and this was the only Dutch gig. Quite some time ago I subscribed to the email newsletter that's sent out by his manager periodically and in one of those newsletters it was described how people can play with TE..... if they so desire. I've been brooding on that option for over a year. The thing is, I suck and TE doesn't (to put it mildly). So what would be the point of doing it? I discussed the idea with some friends and family and they all said I should give it a go. So eventually, I did.
So yesterday afternoon I drove off to the venue, which turned out to be a wonderful amphi-theatre kind of setting on the coast.
TE was doing his soundcheck, sitting in the sun. The atmosphere was totally relaxed. He was just playing his various guitars, checking the monitors, playing some tunes. Occasionally he'd ask for a bit more of frequency x and a bit less of frequency y. In the mean time, all sorts of animals paid us a visit. A huge heron swooped over and proceeded to explore the stage. Frogs would squawk in the pond and crickets made their presence known as well.
I filmed a little bit of the soundcheck. If you'd like to see it then PM me for the link. I'm not throwing the link out here for all to see because I was a guest there and it doesn't seem right to just put it all on the web.
Anyway, after soundcheck was completed TE walked over to me and for the rest of the night he treated me like royalty. The guy makes you feel as if you're an old friend. He looks you in the eye, he really listens to what you say (and remembers it later on) and is genuinely interested. He took me backstage to his dressing room and created privacy for the two of us. I'd prepared a short list of questions I'd wanted to ask him, but I never got around to it beause I was busy all the time answering his. He played my guitar for a while and we talked about gear and such. Finally the moment came where I had to show what I was worth. Quite a few players who come up to him play TE songs for him, but that doesn't feel right to me. So I played two of my own pieces that I'd written for a solo acoustic guitar setting. The first one is a very melodic, slow, sensitive piece I wrote for my daughter. I was incredibly nervous but surprisingly I played this piece really, really well. Much more surprisingly, TE loved it. To be exact (and I'll probably remember this forever), he said the piece was very well written, with a really beautiful melody, and that I'd played it perfectly. He said that only a father can play like this for his daughter and insisted that I record the piece one day. At first my mind went into dismissal mode and I thought that he'd just say such things out of courtesy. But he didn't - he meant it. Why am I so sure? Because I totally botched my second tune and he acknowledged it. That's an up-tempo piece and quite difficult to play. By then my hands had become a little bit sweaty and that killed me. If your hands are dry or completely wet, they're smooth and you can play fast stuff. In the in-between point, they become sticky. I messed it up and while he did make positive comments about certain parts while I was playing, he had the honesty of not making any compliments once I was through. We chatted a bit more and I'd brought a little gift from me and the missus and he was touched. Then finally his crew brought his 3 guitars in and he said he needed to re-string them for the show. I left my guitar in the dressing room and went off to get something to eat. There were long queues before the gates when I came back but the attendants recognized me and let me through. I secured a front-row seat and thoroughly enjoyed the show. The setlist reflected a certain desire by TE to shy away a bit from the over the top, jaw-to-the-floor, chops-of-doom stuff. He emphasized the songwriting side of his playing and also did a beautiful, haunting version of jazz stuff like Moon River. That was a highlight for me. He also invited the support act back on stage (The Blue House, two ladies who can sing exceptionally well and have a ton of humor - they're good) to sing Walls, a beautiful vocal tune off his latest album. They sang the piece in 3-part harmony and it was stunning. You could hear a pin drop.
After the show I made my backstage again and immediately he came over, slapped me on the back and said I shouldn't forget my guitar. We chatted briefly and it was clear that he'd remembered several little things I'd mentioned during our earlier conversation many hours before. He sent me off with a hug. What a guy.
I intend to do this again about 2 years down the line. In the mean time, my mission is to put a CD together that people might actually want to listen to and to play some minor gigs. When I see him again, I intend to be able to show that I heeded his advice.
So yesterday afternoon I drove off to the venue, which turned out to be a wonderful amphi-theatre kind of setting on the coast.
TE was doing his soundcheck, sitting in the sun. The atmosphere was totally relaxed. He was just playing his various guitars, checking the monitors, playing some tunes. Occasionally he'd ask for a bit more of frequency x and a bit less of frequency y. In the mean time, all sorts of animals paid us a visit. A huge heron swooped over and proceeded to explore the stage. Frogs would squawk in the pond and crickets made their presence known as well.
I filmed a little bit of the soundcheck. If you'd like to see it then PM me for the link. I'm not throwing the link out here for all to see because I was a guest there and it doesn't seem right to just put it all on the web.
Anyway, after soundcheck was completed TE walked over to me and for the rest of the night he treated me like royalty. The guy makes you feel as if you're an old friend. He looks you in the eye, he really listens to what you say (and remembers it later on) and is genuinely interested. He took me backstage to his dressing room and created privacy for the two of us. I'd prepared a short list of questions I'd wanted to ask him, but I never got around to it beause I was busy all the time answering his. He played my guitar for a while and we talked about gear and such. Finally the moment came where I had to show what I was worth. Quite a few players who come up to him play TE songs for him, but that doesn't feel right to me. So I played two of my own pieces that I'd written for a solo acoustic guitar setting. The first one is a very melodic, slow, sensitive piece I wrote for my daughter. I was incredibly nervous but surprisingly I played this piece really, really well. Much more surprisingly, TE loved it. To be exact (and I'll probably remember this forever), he said the piece was very well written, with a really beautiful melody, and that I'd played it perfectly. He said that only a father can play like this for his daughter and insisted that I record the piece one day. At first my mind went into dismissal mode and I thought that he'd just say such things out of courtesy. But he didn't - he meant it. Why am I so sure? Because I totally botched my second tune and he acknowledged it. That's an up-tempo piece and quite difficult to play. By then my hands had become a little bit sweaty and that killed me. If your hands are dry or completely wet, they're smooth and you can play fast stuff. In the in-between point, they become sticky. I messed it up and while he did make positive comments about certain parts while I was playing, he had the honesty of not making any compliments once I was through. We chatted a bit more and I'd brought a little gift from me and the missus and he was touched. Then finally his crew brought his 3 guitars in and he said he needed to re-string them for the show. I left my guitar in the dressing room and went off to get something to eat. There were long queues before the gates when I came back but the attendants recognized me and let me through. I secured a front-row seat and thoroughly enjoyed the show. The setlist reflected a certain desire by TE to shy away a bit from the over the top, jaw-to-the-floor, chops-of-doom stuff. He emphasized the songwriting side of his playing and also did a beautiful, haunting version of jazz stuff like Moon River. That was a highlight for me. He also invited the support act back on stage (The Blue House, two ladies who can sing exceptionally well and have a ton of humor - they're good) to sing Walls, a beautiful vocal tune off his latest album. They sang the piece in 3-part harmony and it was stunning. You could hear a pin drop.
After the show I made my backstage again and immediately he came over, slapped me on the back and said I shouldn't forget my guitar. We chatted briefly and it was clear that he'd remembered several little things I'd mentioned during our earlier conversation many hours before. He sent me off with a hug. What a guy.
I intend to do this again about 2 years down the line. In the mean time, my mission is to put a CD together that people might actually want to listen to and to play some minor gigs. When I see him again, I intend to be able to show that I heeded his advice.
Oscar,
You never let a great opportunity pass you by, and I'm proud of you. I most likely would have played terrible. I can relate to the sticky fingers, and how hard they are to play with. Sometimes I use a little help from a aerosol bottle, called "Finger ease" it works great, and I have found myself in a situation like you were in and I rubbed the ends of my fingers on my forehead to pick up a little body oil, because most times when I play I sweat a lot.
It sounds like TE was a down to earth man, and that's what it takes to be good at what you do. Just look at his Martin guitar, he's broken it in right, kind of looks like Willy Nelson's. I'll bet it sounds great, you can't beat a good Martin guitar, a lot of my friends have at least one.
I talked to Larry Cordell today, he's a singer songwriter that lives in Nashville. He's written a lot of songs for the Bluegrass circuit. He's also written a lot of #1 hits, the first one that comes to my mind is "Highway forty blues" that Ricky Scaggs cut back in the 80's and it went to #1 on the billboard charts, and the country charts, as well as the Bluegrass charts. He's a down to earth man as well.
I wish you would send me the sound check, you can get my email address from my profile. And if you do make a CD I'd like one.
You never let a great opportunity pass you by, and I'm proud of you. I most likely would have played terrible. I can relate to the sticky fingers, and how hard they are to play with. Sometimes I use a little help from a aerosol bottle, called "Finger ease" it works great, and I have found myself in a situation like you were in and I rubbed the ends of my fingers on my forehead to pick up a little body oil, because most times when I play I sweat a lot.
It sounds like TE was a down to earth man, and that's what it takes to be good at what you do. Just look at his Martin guitar, he's broken it in right, kind of looks like Willy Nelson's. I'll bet it sounds great, you can't beat a good Martin guitar, a lot of my friends have at least one.
I talked to Larry Cordell today, he's a singer songwriter that lives in Nashville. He's written a lot of songs for the Bluegrass circuit. He's also written a lot of #1 hits, the first one that comes to my mind is "Highway forty blues" that Ricky Scaggs cut back in the 80's and it went to #1 on the billboard charts, and the country charts, as well as the Bluegrass charts. He's a down to earth man as well.
I wish you would send me the sound check, you can get my email address from my profile. And if you do make a CD I'd like one.
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
It looks a bit like a Martin, but it isn't. Tommy plays Maton guitars (http://www.maton.com.au). Maton is an Australian company that makes outstanding guitars.Mark wrote:Just look at his Martin guitar, he's broken it in right, kind of looks like Willy Nelson's. I'll bet it sounds great, you can't beat a good Martin guitar, a lot of my friends have at least one.
Mark, I will send you a private message regarding the soundcheck footage.
Regards,
Oscar
Oscar,
I wasn't that familiar with TE's music, so I googled him, and WOW! I listened to him on you tube for 2 hours. This man is sooo talented. I see now why his guitar has the worn spots on it. He's a one man band. I would love to see him in person.
And your right about it not being a Martin I couldn't"t make it out until I watched some of his videos
I wasn't that familiar with TE's music, so I googled him, and WOW! I listened to him on you tube for 2 hours. This man is sooo talented. I see now why his guitar has the worn spots on it. He's a one man band. I would love to see him in person.
And your right about it not being a Martin I couldn't"t make it out until I watched some of his videos
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
I'll tell you, Mark, how I once discovered Tommy. It was about 6 years ago, maybe 7. A colleague of mine, who knew I played guitar, said I had to come with him to a gig to see some hotshot acoustic guitarist. Well, I had the flu at that time and didn't feel like going at all. In addition, I'd been playing electric guitar for about 2 decades by then and I thought I'd seen and heard it all (boy, was I wrong). But he never stopped harassing me and finally I relented. So here I was at some tiny, smoke-filled hellhole, crammed together, with a huge headache and the snot running out of my nose and a nice fever to boot. I wasn't happy, and that's an understatement.
Then Tommy walks on, cracks a few jokes and launches into the first song. By the second chorus, my jaw was on the floor. I'd forgotten all about my flu by the time he'd played 3 songs. I left the venue as a fan. Since then, I've seen him 5 or 6 times more.
Even though I became a massive Tommy fan, it wasn't until late 2007 that I finally bought myself an acoustic. The reason is that I knew I had to do mountains of work in order to get anything decent out of it, while on electric I had become halfway decent by then. I didn't feel like starting over again, but in the end there was no stopping it and now the acoustic is my primary guitar. I still play my electric a lot, because I practice on them when the kids are sleeping
. Unplugged, they hardly make any sound so I can practice for hours without disturbing anyone.
I first met Tommy in early 2007 after a gig. We briefly chatted. The second time was in early 2008 and my wife was with me then. That was a very memorable occasion too, because my wife (though a music lover and a decent piano player) does not like guitar music at all. But I dragged her to a Tommy show and she loved it. The third time was last week.
Now, I've tried to analyze why Tommy's music moves me so much, It's a combination of 3 things:
First, his unparalleled command of the instrument. Tommy has mastered every aspect of the guitar. He is a better flatpicker than anyone else I know (want proof? click here to see a clip of him playing with his brother Phil, who is also a stunning guitarist). He has also mastered the pick-and-fingers approach. Finally, (and this is what he is best known for), he's a magician with a thumbpick and fingers. Any guitar style except pure classical music and flamenco, Tommy can play. Be it blues, jazz, swing, pop, rock, gypsy swing, bebob, bluegrass..... Incredible.
Second, the way he uses his technique to play truly moving, beautiful music. He doesn't just mindlessly burn up and down the fretboard.
Third, he is a very charismatic person and a fantastic performer on-stage. It is very rare that someone combines all these qualities.
I humbly suggest you buy this:
On this DVD, you can watch him play a dozen beautiful songs up-close. After playing each song, he carefully explains the various parts. The sound quality is stellar, as are the visuals. Expect to be bewildered after the first track
. If you see what he does up-close, it will blow your mind. Some of the moves he makes are almost biologically impossible, and he makes it seem easy.
Then Tommy walks on, cracks a few jokes and launches into the first song. By the second chorus, my jaw was on the floor. I'd forgotten all about my flu by the time he'd played 3 songs. I left the venue as a fan. Since then, I've seen him 5 or 6 times more.
Even though I became a massive Tommy fan, it wasn't until late 2007 that I finally bought myself an acoustic. The reason is that I knew I had to do mountains of work in order to get anything decent out of it, while on electric I had become halfway decent by then. I didn't feel like starting over again, but in the end there was no stopping it and now the acoustic is my primary guitar. I still play my electric a lot, because I practice on them when the kids are sleeping
. Unplugged, they hardly make any sound so I can practice for hours without disturbing anyone.I first met Tommy in early 2007 after a gig. We briefly chatted. The second time was in early 2008 and my wife was with me then. That was a very memorable occasion too, because my wife (though a music lover and a decent piano player) does not like guitar music at all. But I dragged her to a Tommy show and she loved it. The third time was last week.
Now, I've tried to analyze why Tommy's music moves me so much, It's a combination of 3 things:
First, his unparalleled command of the instrument. Tommy has mastered every aspect of the guitar. He is a better flatpicker than anyone else I know (want proof? click here to see a clip of him playing with his brother Phil, who is also a stunning guitarist). He has also mastered the pick-and-fingers approach. Finally, (and this is what he is best known for), he's a magician with a thumbpick and fingers. Any guitar style except pure classical music and flamenco, Tommy can play. Be it blues, jazz, swing, pop, rock, gypsy swing, bebob, bluegrass..... Incredible.
Second, the way he uses his technique to play truly moving, beautiful music. He doesn't just mindlessly burn up and down the fretboard.
Third, he is a very charismatic person and a fantastic performer on-stage. It is very rare that someone combines all these qualities.
I humbly suggest you buy this:
On this DVD, you can watch him play a dozen beautiful songs up-close. After playing each song, he carefully explains the various parts. The sound quality is stellar, as are the visuals. Expect to be bewildered after the first track
. If you see what he does up-close, it will blow your mind. Some of the moves he makes are almost biologically impossible, and he makes it seem easy.Oscar,
To think that I shook hands with Jimi Hendrix and you, both on the same hand!! I am never going to wash again!!!
Send me the link too please.
Congratulations I really am proud to know you.
Dexta Day Minus two!!
To think that I shook hands with Jimi Hendrix and you, both on the same hand!! I am never going to wash again!!!
Send me the link too please.
Congratulations I really am proud to know you.
Dexta Day Minus two!!
Fordson Tractor Pages, now officially linked to: Fordson Tractor Club of Australia, Ford and Fordson Association and Blue Force.
Brian
Brian
Oscar,
I went to you tube and listened to his brother, and you are right again, he is a stunning guitar player, but he lacks the compassion and love of the instrument. Tommy is in love with his guitar and his music, this may seem like a silly statement, but his charisma is way, way beyond his brothers, and it comes out for everybody to see in the way he plays his guitar. I'm now a fan, I told a friend today to google him up and have a listen.
Thanks for sharing your truly amazing story, and opening up TE's music to me. Do you know right of hand where I can purchase this DVD of his? I'll try to google it and see if I can find it. I will buy it.
I went to you tube and listened to his brother, and you are right again, he is a stunning guitar player, but he lacks the compassion and love of the instrument. Tommy is in love with his guitar and his music, this may seem like a silly statement, but his charisma is way, way beyond his brothers, and it comes out for everybody to see in the way he plays his guitar. I'm now a fan, I told a friend today to google him up and have a listen.
Thanks for sharing your truly amazing story, and opening up TE's music to me. Do you know right of hand where I can purchase this DVD of his? I'll try to google it and see if I can find it. I will buy it.
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer