Addicted to good vibrations - string-aholic; What other stringed instruments do you like playing?

[michelew]

On Saturday evening I was feeling miserable because my concrete floor won the battle between it and my iPad... But, that's another story and in the past.

Anyway, to cheer myself up, I started looking at guitar-porn; pictures of gorgeous guitars that are so beautifully made that they promise to make the angels cry with joy. And I was trawling EBay. Well I came across something very interesting, a cavaquinho; which is a Brazilian four-stringed instrument about the size of a ukulele, with steel strings and generally tuned in D-G-B-D. Brazilian music uses the cavaquinho a lot and it's generally picked. I think I'll start listening to some.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 0989150442

Apparently, the cavaquino is the instrument the Portuguese took to Hawaii that inspired the ukulele. Cavaquinhos are often tuning in different tunings, including the standard soprano-tenor ukulele tuning. However, using steel strings, they have a fuller sound apparently. Well that definitely sparked my interest.

Here's a wikipedia link if you want to learn more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavaquinho

So enough for the history lesson, or the little bits I'm learning.

I have a classical guitar, a steel string guitar, an acoustic bass and a six-string ukulele (Sue has my 4-string uke). (I've been forbidden from getting a ukulele bass (by a bass player) as it is too ridiculous apparently But they're soooo cute! ). Anyway, I play and enjoy them all for their different sounds and uses. One day I expect I'll expand this family yet again and buy another instrument from the string family. Maybe it will be a cavaquinho or a banjo or a mandolin. Who knows perhaps over time I'll acquire them all, and learn how to play them too.

So my questions to you TG-ers are these:

- Have you ever played a cavaquinho? What do you think of them, especially their sound?
- What other stringed instruments do you have and play (besides the acoustic guitar of course)?
- What would you like to get your hands on and why?

Just curious. B)

Shel

[daryl]

- Never heard of a cavaquinho.

- As you know I have a Les Paul, and a Hofner look-a-like violin bass, as well as my Martin and Ovation acoustic guitars. I play them all.

- What do I want? Perhaps someday I'll break down and buy a high-end Martin or Taylor. I have no interest in a banjo or mandolin or resonator as they always sound too tinny for my liking.

[neverfoundthetime]

Well, I cannot leave this earth without having gotten my hands on that BSG 27D F Rosewood which lies pining for me in the play-room of Die Gitarre in Winterthur, you have been already introduced. I visited her this weekend and paid my respects and promised not to leave her there for too much longer. We both shed a tear as I left the shop. These days I can hardly bring myself to touch another... although Die Gitarre is full of absolute beauties and I did pick up a Gibson, Lakewood and Taylor and have to say they all have their attractions... but nothing sings to me like that BSG!

I was actually on my way to buy my daughter Alessandra her first guitar, I found a Seagull S6 on the net in Winterthur. We had tried some guitars out the day before and we both liked the Seagull and found it really good value and sound for money. So finding a used one in good condition for half the price was lucky. The Seagull is nicely made and those Canadian woods sure look, feel and sound good. So maybe I have started Miss Ale on her stringed addiction, we'll see how things develop. Any way she has had her first real lesson with her Dad and is well into Horse with No Name and If I could Read Your Mind by now (why mess around?!!) and is loving it so far. Only took 15 years to get to step 1!

PS: I know Neil does not recommend a Dreadnought for a beginner but the Seagull is slightly more rounded at the top end of the body making it more accessible and Ale has no problem with it... she likes the large sound... and she can lend it to her Dad now and then .

[dtaylor]

That's a tasteful-looking guitar, the headstock reminds me of a Turner, always a favourite as I'm a big Lindsey Buckingham fan.
Btw Chris, I can hear that BSG pining for you...

[tovo]

Chris, Ale's fingers look remarkably like those of a certain woman I know who resides in the Habour Town (Sydney). Looooong. I'm very jealous. Good luck to her with her playing, she has a good teacher in her Dad.

Shel my fascination revolves more around your fascination for instruments of all types. I think it's cool, but I don't have it myself. Although, when I started I vowed I wasn't into electric at all and would only play acoustic, but now I play them both at least equally, if anything perhaps I play electric more, so never say never I guess. I always think the opening riff of 'losing my religion' sounds awesome.

Look forward to seeing your growing collection of stringed instruments!

[neverfoundthetime]

What other stringed instrument? Uhm.....a real acoustic piano????! :laugh:

Well I'd like a new slide-guitar (or lapsteel-guitar, whatever you call it, my old one is kinda falling apart :S ), a mandoline, a banjo, a dulcimer would be fun too, a cello, a violin, uhm.......I'm sure I missed a few!

I've heard of the cavaquinho, but never played one. Anyway, another ukelele would be nice too, with a low G, or a six-stringed one like yours, and......and......hahaha! :laugh: :laugh:

Ness

[dennisg]

How do you know when a banjo player is at the door? He can't find the key, his knocking keeps getting louder, and he doesn't know when to come in.

That joke was brought to you by a mandolin player at guitar camp.

To me, everything I do musically that doesn't involve my primary instrument feels like big distraction from the thing I really want to get good at: the guitar.

Yeah, I think about getting a uke, but I just can't bring myself to pull the trigger on it. I know if I bought a banjo or a mando, I'd learn to play them, then say to myself, Okay, now what?

[michelew]

Good luck to all of you in your string yearning.

Daryl - I'd particularly like to try your Hofner and Les Paul, but they all sound good.

Chris - when do you think your BSG dreams will be coming true? I'd love to hear you playing it. It sounds like a gorgeous instrument. And Ale's Dreadnought actually doesn't look that big. Are my eyes just deceiving me, is she taller that I think she is, or is it a smaller dread? BTW - you're a great dad for passing on your music passion and teaching her how.

Tony - Maybe I have Bower bird syndrome and am just excited by the next shiny thing. I've seen so many extremely cool musicians playing a multitude of instruments. I guess I just want to be like my heros and they all sound so cool and look like fun to play. The riff, yep awesome.

Nessa - Acoustic piano - good one. Gee if I can make a big noise with a djembe imagine the headaches I could give Sue and the neighbours with a real piano. So, cello, violin, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, more ukes (you really can't stop at one), laps steel. What about a nice harpsichord and a harp and a lute, cavaquinho, viola, .... Ooow! A double bass!!!! Or a sitar! Ohhhh there are so many that would be fun to explore. well I'm betting you'll get a few of these under your fingers and be making amazing music with them sometime in the next 70 years.

Dennis - yes you're right of course. The more instruments I try to play the less I'm focussing on getting good at one of them. But, they are all fun in their own ways. And I have found that they translate to each other a little. So why doesn't Mr Taylor make a ukulele? and would you buy one if he did?

Doesn't Neil play the lute too, so cool. I wonder what other exotic instruments he's fallen in love with.

M.

[thereshopeyet]

Michelle Wrote:

Doesn't Neil play the lute too, so cool. I wonder what other exotic instruments he's fallen in love with.

Neil discusses and shows his lute at the beginning of his Bourree lesson (Preview).