Hi Gang,
Larry, our official TotallyGuitars video guy, asked everybody who attended the International Guitar Camp to shoot their own short video review. Here is one from Bob Schembre in Anaheim, CA
IGC Video Report by Bob Schembre
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thereshopeyet
- Posts: 131
- Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:19 pm
- Status: Offline
Hi Bob
Brilliant video.
Loved your take on the IGC and what you took from it.
Your guitars look and sound great and very playable.
You sure know how to tweak a guitar to your liking.
I'd like to be able to do that, very motivating.
Maybe you'd share a video or two on TG setting up and renovating one of your guitars !
That would be so cool B), probably a bit much to ask when your here to play.
Loved your play out and the sunshine :dry: (Here Comes The Sun) you brought to the forum on your first note.
Great of your to share.
Dermot
Brilliant video.
Loved your take on the IGC and what you took from it.
Your guitars look and sound great and very playable.
You sure know how to tweak a guitar to your liking.
I'd like to be able to do that, very motivating.
Maybe you'd share a video or two on TG setting up and renovating one of your guitars !
That would be so cool B), probably a bit much to ask when your here to play.
Loved your play out and the sunshine :dry: (Here Comes The Sun) you brought to the forum on your first note.
Great of your to share.
Dermot
BOB BRAVO SIR !!!!!
Got a real kick out of your video. Don't worry about working on the accent, It still there. Best wishes on the trip back.
Can't tell you how nice it would be to see a lot more from you here on the Forum. Great playing.
Kevin
Got a real kick out of your video. Don't worry about working on the accent, It still there. Best wishes on the trip back.
Can't tell you how nice it would be to see a lot more from you here on the Forum. Great playing.
Kevin
Hi all - thanks for the kind words and feedback. I'm really terrible at using TG's social features, so I apologize if my response is a long time coming. After Camp, I promised myself I'd get better at participating. Saturday mornings are usually my "new song" time; hence my TG time - I'll try to check in at least on Saturdays!
Dermot - I thought there was something on TG about guitar setup, but if not, I'd love to answer questions ... and supply pics or links where possible. If you're unsure, or don't want to experiment on an expensive guitar, get yourself a cheaper model you're not afraid to experiment with, but one that's of the quality to respond nicely to a proper setup ... like an Epiphone or most Fenders. It's like working on a car - you want to drop the engine on your rusted '65 Rambler a few times before you do the BMW or Caddy!
Kevin - an overload of Brooklyn pizza and Spumoni only made the accent age like a fine wine -
Dermot - I thought there was something on TG about guitar setup, but if not, I'd love to answer questions ... and supply pics or links where possible. If you're unsure, or don't want to experiment on an expensive guitar, get yourself a cheaper model you're not afraid to experiment with, but one that's of the quality to respond nicely to a proper setup ... like an Epiphone or most Fenders. It's like working on a car - you want to drop the engine on your rusted '65 Rambler a few times before you do the BMW or Caddy!
Kevin - an overload of Brooklyn pizza and Spumoni only made the accent age like a fine wine -
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thereshopeyet
- Posts: 131
- Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:19 pm
- Status: Offline
Hello Bob
Good to hear from you on "New Song" day
So what's the new song you've chosen?
There have been other discussions on the forum but it's always interesting hear from others.
Your guitars look great with respect to playability, sound and appearance.
With respect to setup I was speaking generally and wondered what are your chosen strings and how you go about a setup and what you have found works to get the best results with respect to sound and playability from an acoustic guitar. That said I wouldn't want to impose on you and your free time either.
I look forward to your future forum posts and guitar playing videos.
Dermot
Good to hear from you on "New Song" day
So what's the new song you've chosen?
There have been other discussions on the forum but it's always interesting hear from others.
Your guitars look great with respect to playability, sound and appearance.
With respect to setup I was speaking generally and wondered what are your chosen strings and how you go about a setup and what you have found works to get the best results with respect to sound and playability from an acoustic guitar. That said I wouldn't want to impose on you and your free time either.
I look forward to your future forum posts and guitar playing videos.
Dermot
Dermot - I thought there was something on TG about guitar setup, but if not, I'd love to answer questions ... and supply pics or links where possible. If you're unsure, or don't want to experiment on an expensive guitar, get yourself a cheaper model you're not afraid to experiment with, but one that's of the quality to respond nicely to a proper setup ... like an Epiphone or most Fenders. It's like working on a car - you want to drop the engine on your rusted '65 Rambler a few times before you do the BMW or Caddy!
Hey Dermot,
"You've Got a Friend" is this week's choice. "Fire & Rain" and "Classical Gas" have been on my bucket list for too long as well. Sometimes I juts want to concentrate on bettering my guitar playing, but then I wind-up time sharing with repairs, Harmonica, recording techniques ... I use to play classical piano into my twenties, and I always promise myself to get back into that too ... I really need to retire early and pursue my life as it was when I was 21! (LOL)
Setup: I like Phosphor Bronze 12 gauge - I usually go with D'Addario, but I'm not married to them. I love the thumpy warm sound sound of my Gibson J-50 (think James Taylor's 1971 BBC concert), so I shoot for that type of tone in my guitars. I rarely play with a pick, so I usually set my action a little lower then usual because I don't have to worry about fret buss from an aggressive strum (3/32 @ the 12th tops). I tend to like Tusq saddles, only because I use undersaddle pickups and tusq transfers and distributes the sound more evenly than bone - otherwise bone is fine. IMHO there's nothing more beautiful than an unbleached bone nut! One key to good tone is having good downward pressure on your saddle with the strings - that helps get maximum sound transfer into your guitar. So if you have to shave your saddle down too much, you'll be effecting the tone ... of course this means you're neck angle has to be right, so there are compromises depending on the age and condition of your guitar. Here's a youtube guy who does a decent job at explaining his setups ... checkout his channel, he has some good info, but you have to look for it: My favorite wood combo is a Cedar top w/ Rosewood back & sides ... you really need to baby cedar though, if you're into keeping your guitar in pristine condition (which I'm not), cedar will drive you nuts - being a softer wood dings gravitate to it.
Back at ya - what are you working on, what do you play (gear), etc ...
Bob
"You've Got a Friend" is this week's choice. "Fire & Rain" and "Classical Gas" have been on my bucket list for too long as well. Sometimes I juts want to concentrate on bettering my guitar playing, but then I wind-up time sharing with repairs, Harmonica, recording techniques ... I use to play classical piano into my twenties, and I always promise myself to get back into that too ... I really need to retire early and pursue my life as it was when I was 21! (LOL)
Setup: I like Phosphor Bronze 12 gauge - I usually go with D'Addario, but I'm not married to them. I love the thumpy warm sound sound of my Gibson J-50 (think James Taylor's 1971 BBC concert), so I shoot for that type of tone in my guitars. I rarely play with a pick, so I usually set my action a little lower then usual because I don't have to worry about fret buss from an aggressive strum (3/32 @ the 12th tops). I tend to like Tusq saddles, only because I use undersaddle pickups and tusq transfers and distributes the sound more evenly than bone - otherwise bone is fine. IMHO there's nothing more beautiful than an unbleached bone nut! One key to good tone is having good downward pressure on your saddle with the strings - that helps get maximum sound transfer into your guitar. So if you have to shave your saddle down too much, you'll be effecting the tone ... of course this means you're neck angle has to be right, so there are compromises depending on the age and condition of your guitar. Here's a youtube guy who does a decent job at explaining his setups ... checkout his channel, he has some good info, but you have to look for it: My favorite wood combo is a Cedar top w/ Rosewood back & sides ... you really need to baby cedar though, if you're into keeping your guitar in pristine condition (which I'm not), cedar will drive you nuts - being a softer wood dings gravitate to it.
Back at ya - what are you working on, what do you play (gear), etc ...
Bob
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thereshopeyet
- Posts: 131
- Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:19 pm
- Status: Offline
Hello Bob
I like your song choices, you'll be busy for sure.
Thanks for explaining your guitar choices and setup likes.
Your link didn't seem to work.
I have two budget guitars, an Ashton and a Tanglewood.
When I feel I can play more confidently I'll reward myself with something nice.
When i go to guitar stores, I try a few guitars but I can't play them properly so feel
I can't make a good choice. I know I could spend and get a good guitar, but I'd like to
come home with a good feel about a more expensive choice.
I experimented a little on the setups and although I achieved a reasonably low action
with no buzzes I thought the sound a little dull in some fret nodes.
I've been practicing Freight Train, Windy and Warm, Ivory Salamander for finger picking.
Strumming Down by the Water, Tequila Sunrise, Annan Water.
I've also been working on Neils reading notation series.
I probably jump about too much rather than sticking one thing out. Spoilt for choice here at TG.
Progress is slow but it's progress.
Dermot
I like your song choices, you'll be busy for sure.
Thanks for explaining your guitar choices and setup likes.
Your link didn't seem to work.
I have two budget guitars, an Ashton and a Tanglewood.
When I feel I can play more confidently I'll reward myself with something nice.
When i go to guitar stores, I try a few guitars but I can't play them properly so feel
I can't make a good choice. I know I could spend and get a good guitar, but I'd like to
come home with a good feel about a more expensive choice.
I experimented a little on the setups and although I achieved a reasonably low action
with no buzzes I thought the sound a little dull in some fret nodes.
I've been practicing Freight Train, Windy and Warm, Ivory Salamander for finger picking.
Strumming Down by the Water, Tequila Sunrise, Annan Water.
I've also been working on Neils reading notation series.
I probably jump about too much rather than sticking one thing out. Spoilt for choice here at TG.
Progress is slow but it's progress.
Dermot
Sorry about the link. If you go to YouTube and search on "hot strings setup", you'll see a user named "macdige" ... should be the first result.
Depending on the store you go to ... not to pick on a specific chain, but store that rhythm with Guitar Center & Sam Ash do a horrible job setting up mid-range guitars for the general public to play. The higher end ones (the ones they lock up) are usually setup OK from the factory, but after shipping they sometimes need a little tweak and these places don't seem to care. Basically, if you walk into a guitar shop and the sales people are standing around and the guitars on the wall have dust on them - they don't care. I was put off Martin Guitars for a long time for this reason, until I found one setup right, and it all made sense after that. There are exceptions; like the GC in LA - because actual struggling musicians work there, they seem to keep the guitars in good working order. 5-Star dealers also keep their stock in good condition. Anyway, it's humble to think you're not good enough for a guitar, but when you look at one that runs a few grand more than the one you have at home, you should feel the difference - and you're right to walk away because you don't - but it's the shop's fault, not your skills.
Your Guitars: I'm a little familiar with Tanglewood, though I can't say I've played one, but never heard of an Ashton. Regarding the dull sound: If you haven't already done so, check your saddle - if it's plastic, or something softer than bone or tusq, it'll absorb some of the sound and not pass all the frequencies to the guitar body. Replacing a saddle is relatively cheap and pays the highest dividends in sound. Here's a simple test: drop your saddle on your garage floor - if it has a dud sound, so will your guitar. When you drop a tusq saddle it sounds like glass hitting the floor. Same with bone, but bone has different densities, and not all bone passes my "drop" test. Also check that someone didn't put soft shim material under the saddle - and that saddle needs to make full contact (as flat as possible) with the wood or element under it.
Yes, I use to belong to several site for getting music, but now Neil is my one-stop shopping! I learn something from Neil even when he teaches a song I've been playing since I was a teen!
Well, time to practice!
Depending on the store you go to ... not to pick on a specific chain, but store that rhythm with Guitar Center & Sam Ash do a horrible job setting up mid-range guitars for the general public to play. The higher end ones (the ones they lock up) are usually setup OK from the factory, but after shipping they sometimes need a little tweak and these places don't seem to care. Basically, if you walk into a guitar shop and the sales people are standing around and the guitars on the wall have dust on them - they don't care. I was put off Martin Guitars for a long time for this reason, until I found one setup right, and it all made sense after that. There are exceptions; like the GC in LA - because actual struggling musicians work there, they seem to keep the guitars in good working order. 5-Star dealers also keep their stock in good condition. Anyway, it's humble to think you're not good enough for a guitar, but when you look at one that runs a few grand more than the one you have at home, you should feel the difference - and you're right to walk away because you don't - but it's the shop's fault, not your skills.
Your Guitars: I'm a little familiar with Tanglewood, though I can't say I've played one, but never heard of an Ashton. Regarding the dull sound: If you haven't already done so, check your saddle - if it's plastic, or something softer than bone or tusq, it'll absorb some of the sound and not pass all the frequencies to the guitar body. Replacing a saddle is relatively cheap and pays the highest dividends in sound. Here's a simple test: drop your saddle on your garage floor - if it has a dud sound, so will your guitar. When you drop a tusq saddle it sounds like glass hitting the floor. Same with bone, but bone has different densities, and not all bone passes my "drop" test. Also check that someone didn't put soft shim material under the saddle - and that saddle needs to make full contact (as flat as possible) with the wood or element under it.
Yes, I use to belong to several site for getting music, but now Neil is my one-stop shopping! I learn something from Neil even when he teaches a song I've been playing since I was a teen!
Well, time to practice!