Hello from Boulder, Colorado

[jeffb]

Though I joined Target in May, I figure I should finally get around to this, as I have an ulterior motive: I want to meet some folks to play with in my neck of the woods! If you live near Boulder and are interested in plunking with a relatively new, but enthusiastic, player please drop me a PM.

I'm 40 years old, and just started playing in Dec of 2008, so I'm clearly a beginner. However, while I'm a newbie on the guitar, I'm not entirely new to music: I played piano for about 5+ years as a sub-teenager, and then the mandolin / octave-mandolin for about 2 years off and on about 7 years ago, give or take. After spending a few weeks in Grand Canyon jammin' with friends around the campfire, I was inspired to pick music back up and I feel like I've finally found the instrument that excites me: guitar (duh...). I really enjoy studying the theory of music in addition to learning songs I can sing to. When I think about keys, chords, theory, etc, I still visualize the piano keyboard -- I've yet to really solidly transfer that to the fretboard, but I'm trying. I seem to be learning mostly fingerpicking style songs, but I'm working on using the pick as well. I'm a huge fan of folks like James Taylor, Martin Sexton, Greg Brown, and Jorma -- but I like most anything really, except rap.

My avatar shows my 4 stringed instruments: a mandolin (not really visible, in front of my main guitar), my beautiful Weber octave mando, my Baby Taylor travel guitar, and my main guitar: a Larrivee OM-03R.

I'm a computer engineer by day (and, unfortunately, sometimes night), but what I really like to do is study languages, rock climb, kayak, and play guitar.

Cheers, and thanks to all the folks who make this such a fun place on the web.

[Music Junkie]

Glad you took the time to formally introduce yourself! Great collection of instruments! How do you like your Baby Taylor? I have one that I bought for camping trips, and I love it! Great sound for such a small guitar. Boulder area sounds nice. I almost took a job in Steamboat Springs about ten years ago, but opted to stay in CA.

The knowledge you bring from the piano should be very helpful. You'll get it transferred over to guitar before you know it.

MJ

:laugh:

[neverfoundthetime]

Great to hear from you Boulder! Beautiful instruments! Welcome and I look froward to hearing from you on the forums.... and hope you find those jamming mates.

[neverfoundthetime]

Music Junkie wrote:

Glad you took the time to formally introduce yourself! Great collection of instruments! How do you like your Baby Taylor? I have one that I bought for camping trips, and I love it! Great sound for such a small guitar. Boulder area sounds nice. I almost took a job in Steamboat Springs about ten years ago, but opted to stay in CA.

The knowledge you bring from the piano should be very helpful. You'll get it transferred over to guitar before you know it.

MJ

:laugh:

Thanks for the welcome, MJ.

I like the Baby Taylor ok so far -- I just bought it used about a week and a half ago. I confess I'm not really all that psyched on it just yet, but I think I'll get there. It has very light gauge strings on it, and I think that's contributing to some intonation problems. I find that when I first pick it up, and my Larrivee is still ringing in my ears, it doesn't sound so great to me. After I've just been playing it for a while, I like it alot more. Funny how that works... :unsure: I shouldn't expect it to sound like a full-size, but my ear has to adjust I guess. My wife and I are planning quite a bit of travel next year, so I expect I'll have some quality one-on-one time with it to do just that. Glad to hear that you like yours, I'm sure with time and some normal strings it'll settle in soon.

[neverfoundthetime]

neverfoundthetime wrote:

Great to hear from you Boulder! Beautiful instruments! Welcome and I look froward to hearing from you on the forums.... and hope you find those jamming mates.

Thanks. Spending some time here today as I -- ahem -- clean up around the house between Target videos.

[wrench]

Thanks for the intro, but buckle up. Since you're not brand new, you already know they're really hard on engineers around here.

wrench

[BigBear]

Hey, welcome to the program! Usually I have to ask people to introduce themselves but yours is the best intro I've seen so far. Great job!

You and I are the only Larrivee owners I've seen so far on this site. I play an L-10e with the Robin Hood headstock (check out my photos under my profile). It's really a beautiful guitar and way too good for my level of playing but what the hell, you can't spend all your money on the wife and kids!!

I also have two Taylors and really like them as well. I've played a Baby Taylor once and it sounded pretty good for what it was, a true campfire guitar, but I don't have a clue what gauge strings Taylor recommends. With that little body and light strings and plywood sides and back I doubt you are getting much sound out of it.

Are you a U of C Buffalo fan? If you are, you have a fellow sufferer here in Bill (haoli).

Anyway, thanks again for jumping in and hope you get as much out of this program as we are!!

Cheers! :cheer:

Rick

[sandysue]

Thanks, Big Bear, for the hearty welcome -- much appreciated.

I love my Larrivee as well, and its certainly way more guitar than I deserve at this point. But, my wife is nothing if not very generous, and she went big when she gave it to me for my 40th. It certainly inspires me to play more, and I don't feel too out of place because it has very simple appointments. Though, wow, I've got to say yours is breathtaking. Really, amazing -- I had no idea Larrivee made such gorgeous instruments. That must be joy to play! (Your other guitars look pretty nice as well, to say the least). As to the Baby Taylor: I think you're right, its great for what it is. I'm going to take it to my local luthier and see what they think re: string and intonation. I'll probably end up spending the difference on the money I saved buying one used on set-up and strings. :dry:

I've lived in Colorado more or less my whole life, so though I'm not huge football fan I always do feel happy when the Buffs or the Broncos win -- though, I confess I don't lose any sleep if they lose. More of an individual sports guy, I guess.

Do you prefer to play on a Taylor or the Larrivee? Or, if they're "just different", how would you characterize their different sounds? I'm still learning to hear the differences in tone, sustain, etc -- tough still for me...

[BigBear]

fjvdb wrote:

Do you prefer to play on a Taylor or the Larrivee? Or, if they're "just different", how would you characterize their different sounds? I'm still learning to hear the differences in tone, sustain, etc -- tough still for me...

The Taylor 314ce is my everyday guitar. I actually bought it as my camping guitar and then I decided it was waaaay too nice for that! I even put it in a wetbag and took it on a rafting/ fly fishing trip down the Rogue River! That was really dumb but at least I didn't damage it!

My Larrivee is my fingerstyle guitar. I ordered it from Larrivee with a 12 string neck so it's a little wider and gives my big, fat fingers a little more room to work. It has Indian Rosewood sides and back and an Englemann spruce top.

Comparing sounds is interesting. The Taylor is very bright and forward, great for strumming and playing lead. The Larrivee is much fuller and richer and not as bright. Maybe better balance would be a good way to describe it. It just sounds great but nothing in particular jumps out at you.

The Taylor 12 string you saw is pure Taylor! It's a jumbo (855) and has that wonderful huge, bright, jangly sound that 12 strings are known for. Truth be told it may be favorite guitar just because of the complex sound.

Taylor and Larrivee have very similar necks. I'm guessing that's because Bob Taylor and Jean Larrivee are close friends and Taylor was one of the first to go to CNC neck carving. Then Jean picked up on that as they started producing more guitars.

My Larrivee is in the shop right now getting a K&K pickup put in it. The factory pickup crapped out on me. I'm really excited to see how the new pickup sounds!

You are very lucky to have a wife that supports your guitar playing. My wife thinks my guitars should be made into kindling then used to start fires! When I told her what they are now worth new she changed her tune a little!! She always says "why does anyone need 4 guitars? You can only play one at a time!" It is going to take an amazing event to get another guitar!! Probably more diamonds!! lol!

Anyway, have fun with this program and let us know if you ever get frustrated and need some advice or moral support!! We're all learning together! :cheer:

[rcsnydley]

Welcome to the program fjvdb. Once you get settled in be sure to check out the groups and other great features on this site.

Ric