Members babablowfish Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Last night I played at the open-mic night, as I do every week. Three of us regulars recently started an acoustic group - a lead guitar, me on rhythm and an upright bass. We all take turns on lead vocals and all do harmonies. We did "I Still Miss Someone," "Desperados Waiting For A Train," "Across the Great Divide" and "The Weight." It was a thrill. This was the second time we have performed and the crowd seemed to really enjoy our music. We are working on expanding our set list and hope to be performing professionally. Just wanted to share. Also last night I had the opportunity to observe some stuff that addresses some of the raging controversies about strings, guitars and performers. There is a "kid" (seems to be about 20 or so) who was a regular at the open-mic nite doing blues on electric. He was popular and people enjoyed his playing. About 6 months ago he came in with an acoustic guitar and a few of us were all effusive about how he was going to perform acoustically. Well, he just stood up and walked out and didn't come back. Apparently he was freaked out by the attention. Last night he came back. He had an Alvarez that he said he picked up for $200.00. He said the strings were a year old! He let me play his git and it seemed to sound very nice -not "great" mind you, but decent. Then he got up on stage and performed with that $200.00 guitar, his year old strings and a really bad microphone and sound system. He was astounding!He played acoustic blues like he had 50 years of hard living under his belt. That cheap guitar and old strings could not have sounded better. The audience, which included a lot of seasoned musicians, were absolutely stunned by what they heard. As of last night I am a believer that the musician is so far and away the most important part of the equation that worrying about the make or model of the guitar or the strings is just fun, but not really all that important.
Members Queequeg Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 s'what I been tryin to tell ya
Members JasmineTea Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Yeah, I guess it's pointless to buy a nice sounding guitar.
Members ziganaut Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 yeah, or change the strings for that matter. Seriously, if that guy was playing a Martin with some fresh strings he would have sounded that much better.
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 I'll bet that just before the show he had been down at the Crossroads makin' that deal.....
Members Stackabones Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by babablowfish As of last night I am a believer that the musician is so far and away the most important part of the equation that worrying about the make or model of the guitar or the strings is just fun, but not really all that important. You've finally seen the light! People are more important than things. There's hope for you yet.Cool story. Thanks for posting.By the way, I'm stunned that you've found an upright player. Those guys are like unicorns.
Members Queequeg Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by JasmineTea Yeah, I guess it's pointless to buy a nice sounding guitar. a complete and utter waste.an absurdity, if ever there was one.
Members JasmineTea Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Stackabones Those guys are like unicorns. I found one, been working with him for about a year. Old farm-boy from Iowa, does'nt think about music the way younger musicians do, cut from a different bolt of clothe. He's got a million stories too.
Members Stackabones Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by JasmineTea Yeah, I guess it's pointless to buy a nice sounding guitar. A good player can make any guitar sound nice.You guys and your upright players! I refuse to believe they exist. Such tall tales!!!
Members Rickkkk Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Congrats, Baba. Sounds like you're having fun. My band played on Saturday night - we also do "The Weight" (I sing that one too, and I'm on keyboard). I concur with your "the-musician-matters-not-the-gear" conclusion. I can't see myself ever spending more that $500 on an acoustic guitar (boy I hope this doesn't come back and hit me down the line ... ).Cheers !
Members Cldplytkmn Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Rickkkk I concur with your "the-musician-matters-not-the-gear" conclusion. I can't see myself ever spending more that $500 on an acoustic guitar (boy I hope this doesn't come back and hit me down the line ... ). now that you've vocalized that, you're screwed
Members Rickkkk Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Cldplytkmn now that you've vocalized that, you're screwed ..lol:cool: .... I get your drift. I was actually thinking more along the lines of the possibility of myself caving in in a few years, shelling out major bucks on some guitar and regretting my own words ...BUT ... if it's a debate here, I'm up for it !
Members Cldplytkmn Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 well i'm just pointing out that now that you've made the statement, you're definitely going to break it... whereas had you not thought about it, you'd be perfectly fine not doing it...
Members Rickkkk Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Cldplytkmn well i'm just pointing out that now that you've made the statement, you're definitely going to break it... whereas had you not thought about it, you'd be perfectly fine not doing it... ... Fair enough ! I can take being wrong ... We have a saying here in French: ... Seulement les fous ne changent jamais d'id
Members Cldplytkmn Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Rickkkk I guess worse things could happen. Still though, partly in the interest of not completely thread-jacking this post ... I still think that the quality of the musician is more important that the quality of the instrument.Cheers ! more important to the performance, absolutely.
Members babablowfish Posted August 21, 2006 Author Members Posted August 21, 2006 Thanks Rickkk for your kind words. It was fun. I have been performing solo for a long time and the sound that comes from 3 people and instruments is just so much greater than the sum of the parts - and it is so cool to be a part of that. As for the other thing. Could the kid have sounded better if he had a $10,000.00 custom-built Martin, and/or new strings and/or a better sound system? I suppose so. But if I had gotten up there with that Martin,etc. I still could not have wowed that audience the way the kid did. What shone that night was a musician playing so well and with so much feeling that every other consideration paled in comparison.
Members JasmineTea Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Somehow I've missed the point of these discussions, asthough the real issue is yet to be spoken. Otherwise why does it keep coming up? I could'nt agree more with the idea that the musician is more important than the instrument. But, as an accomplished guitarist, one who can play darn near anything I want to, I gotta say, I sure appreciate the sound of a good instrument and I would'nt want to go back to playing beaters. An easy playing, responsive guitar allows me to express myself with less effort, and tonaly articulates my musical ideas more clearly, dynamically.
Members Stackabones Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by JasmineTea I could'nt agree more with the idea that the musician is more important than the instrument. But, as an accomplished guitarist, one who can play darn near anything I want to, I gotta say, I sure appreciate the sound of a good instrument and I would'nt want to go back to playing beaters. An easy playing, responsive guitar allows me to express myself with less effort, and tonaly articulates my musical ideas more clearly, dynamically. Well, yeah, then there's that ... but it's just so expensive sometimes!
Members Cldplytkmn Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 "professional" guitars are cheap compared to other instruments... try buying a high end piano for $5000... or violin... the list goes on.
Members JasmineTea Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Cldplytkmn "professional" guitars are cheap compared to other instruments... try buying a high end piano for $5000... or violin... the list goes on. True. I think I'd go $3000 tops for a git...if I could.
Members Rickkkk Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 JT .. Also very well put. I'd bet you'd sound impressive on a beater, anyway, though ...
Members JasmineTea Posted August 21, 2006 Members Posted August 21, 2006 Originally posted by Rickkkk JT .. Also very well put. I'd bet you'd sound impressive on a beater, anyway, though ... Hey, it's all a line of bull{censored}. Since I've been here at HC I've managed to convince a few people that I know a thing or two. Jokes on them...
Members babablowfish Posted August 22, 2006 Author Members Posted August 22, 2006 Jasmine Tea said:Somehow I've missed the point of these discussions, asthough the real issue is yet to be spoken. Otherwise why does it keep coming up?I could'nt agree more with the idea that the musician is more important than the instrument. But, as an accomplished guitarist, one who can play darn near anything I want to, I gotta say, I sure appreciate the sound of a good instrument and I would'nt want to go back to playing beaters. An easy playing, responsive guitar allows me to express myself with less effort, and tonaly articulates my musical ideas more clearly, dynamically. I am certainly not arguing for everyone to go find a $50.00 Stella and play that exclusively. I enjoy the aesthetics of a good guitar including its tone, feel and looks and have had to work hard to conrol my GAS. What I am saying is that if I took half the time I spend looking at, thinking about, bidding on and discussing guitars and spent it on practicing, then my performances would be much better. When I perform on the beach I use my beater. It is not a "good" guitar by any stretch of the imagination. But folks always come over and tell me how much they enjoy my playing and singing. When I perform at the open-mic nite, I use a guitar that cost many times what the beater cost me. But I don't think the audience knows or cares. I think all they care about is the performance.
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