What are you reading - nonfootball?

[ozzie]

I am lovin' that Gretsch!!
I wish we lived closer Jolly. I'm in the same type of situation, 5 guitars (nowhere near as nice as yours), 2 amps and not enough talent to justify them!
Would love to get together and jam (or at least try). I feel we're at about the same level.
Would love to find someone to play with locally just for fun, but meantime I'll just keep plugging away in the spare bedroom and have fun making my noise.
Keep strumming boys.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

The Gretsch was my first purchase. Being a gun nut and building my own rifles, I fell in love with wood. For guns, that maple is called "Fiddleback", but in guitars, it's called "flame". When I saw it, I started researching Gretsch guitars and discovered things I never knew, like the number of players who use them. In particular, Brian Setzar, Billy Duffy, etc. My thought was, "well, I want an acoustic guitar, but also electric - a two-for-one". It can be used that way. But it's not like a typical acoustic. Hence, I then bought a real acoustic

Jazz and Blues players prefer Gretsch in most cases, but rockers also use them. Here's Billy Duffey (The Cult) playing his whit Gretsch (of course, he's using a ton of effects (mostly Boss), but it's unique). He is playing all the music except for the bass, so it makes a lot of noise

And B.B. King

And Brian Setzer

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I would love to be able to jam with someone like you, Ozzie. Especially if we're at the same level. That would be so much fun, and we could learn from each other...not to mention, talk Giants football in between, LOL. I got pretty good at playing "Seven Nation Army" and told my daughter to come over and hear me play it. I butchered it. She said, "I'll come back in a couple of weeks and see if you got it". I guess I get nervous when on display. Hopefully, that will change, and I'm sure it will, as I have no problem playing piano for people, but not the guitar yet

Just so you know, up until this morning, I had never bought a new guitar and I certainly didn't need another when I jumped on that Les Paul this morning. My Gretsch is 20 years old (although, it wasn't much cheaper than brand new). And few guitars are made these days that have an ebony fretboard, due to the diminishing trees; hence, the reason Obama almost put Gibson out of business. And the ebony really set the maple flame off, and even had an ebony headstock. The picture doesn't do it justice, as the gloss is outstanding and it looks new. My Takamine is also used, but my luthier had to shorten the action and make some adjustments, bringing the price up to almost new...and the Fender is 10 years old, but the guy never played it so it's like new, but half the price. So, I'm cheap when I can be

I don't if I'll ever get another guitar with an ebony fretboard, so the Gretsch is still my favorite. But who knows, maybe the Les Paul will change all that

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Two corrections from my previous posts
1) the Les Paul I just bought is "used", not new, but in "mint" condition. So all of my guitars were bought used.
2) the example of BB King is not playing a Gretsch. It's a hollow body Gibson that he designed himself and called it "Lucille". Better examples would have been Bono, or Eddie Cochran playing "Peter Gunn". Note: stars have the money to typically design their own guitars from their preferred brand and are unafraid to drop 40-50k on a guitar (or more)

Takamine (pronounced Tak-ah-meanie) is the preferred acoustic guitar of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Bruno Mars, Nancy Wilson, etc. List is endless https://www.takamine.com/artists ...and most prefer the dreadnought with a cutaway. Here's Nancy giving a tutorial on how to play "Crazy on You", which I am trying to learn. She's very good with an acoustic playing rock

[Philosophers]

I decided at 62, I want to finally learn to play electric guitar.  I have my eye on buying a Fender Telecaster Special Edition FMT HH.  I have small hands and from what I've researched, the sound is great but more importantly it has some great design to help with players with smaller hands.  Things like C neck design, larger frets, angle of strings so less difficult to oress strings down.  Anyone here know this guitar?  I prefer it over the Squire Mustang 90 because of the sound.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I decided at 62, I want to finally learn to play electric guitar.  I have my eye on buying a Fender Telecaster Special Edition FMT HH.  I have small hands and from what I've researched, the sound is great but more importantly it has some great design to help with players with smaller hands.  Things like C neck design, larger frets, angle of strings so less difficult to oress strings down.  Anyone here know this guitar?  I prefer it over the Squire Mustang 90 because of the sound.

Sorry to hijack your reading thread Joe, but feel a little less bad seeing you jump in the "book thread turned guitar thread". So, to answer your question, I have a stratocaster with C neck design, but I've never picked up a telecaster. Of my three guitars (four, as of tomorrow if the USP truck makes it), the strat is the easiest for me to play. Of course, electric is far easier (to me anyway) than an acoustic. Electricity can cover a multitude of sins when it comes to playing guitar. Acoustics are unforgiving IMO; hence the reason I like Nancy Wilson so much. She is one of the few rockers who can rock with an acoustic

I have big fat hands, so that's a problem in itself (like playing the simple "A" chord), but I've learned to squeeze my pinky finger alongside my ring and middle finger to play the three notes. I complain all the time wondering why God gave me fat/short fingers, instead of long thin fingers. Trying to reach two fret lengths with my little finger just doesn't work for me. Then I look at videos of different players and there are experts with fat fingers, short fingers, long fingers, huge hands, small hands (most women have small hands) and they all play like masters. It bugs me to watch a 5 or 6 year old kid play guitar like a master when their hands are tiny. There is no way they can play a true "B" or "F' chord, but they get around it somehow. I see that the guitar you are eyeing is an HH, which is my favorite. That means you have Humbuckers on both the bridge and neck pickups. My son uses a Squire strat and the first thing he did (besides a custom paint job) was to have it fitted with humbuckers.

Anyway, glad to hear you are picking up playing. As you get older and have more time on your hands, it's a great way to spend time. If all you ever do is pick up an acoustic and strum a few chords (they call it "Cowboy Chording"), it's worth it. Becoming the next Eddie Van Halen will be a challenge...lol

And age is a non-factor

Nor is hand size

This 11 yr old girl rocks it, but to be fair, she is probably using an "MXR Phase 2" effects pedal in order to play the part without picks

Just something worth watching. This is Heart (Ann Wilson singing, Nancy playing) "Stairway to Heaven" at the Kennedy Center. It made Robert Plant tear up. It's an amazing performance as little by little, they bring in extra guitars, then violins, full orchestra, and finally a full choir. I could watch this video over and over. Plant and Jimmy Page didn't get along, so it's interesting to watch their actions. Page starts counting like a metronome as he listens to the guy play his famous finale...and it's not as good as when Page played it. BTW, Ann has been very sick the last year or so, so they haven't played since

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I had a classmate that came from a rich family. They had a music room filled with all kinds of instruments. I always envied him...and he rarely even went in there. Anyway, here's three sisters - ages 8, 11, and 14 with one of those rooms. The little one is playing a telecaster bass ($1500), the middle sister is playing drums ($2000-5000), the older one has a Les Paul ($3000), and the big Orange amp is thousands of dollars, not to mention the mike setup. Lucky kids. At least they use it like it was meant to be. Money well spent by the parents, but they need another kid and a keyboard...lol

[Philosophers]

Sorry to hijack your reading thread Joe, but feel a little less bad seeing you jump in the "book thread turned guitar thread". So, to answer your question, I have a stratocaster with C neck design, but I've never picked up a telecaster. Of my three guitars (four, as of tomorrow if the USP truck makes it), the strat is the easiest for me to play. Of course, electric is far easier (to me anyway) than an acoustic. Electricity can cover a multitude of sins when it comes to playing guitar. Acoustics are unforgiving IMO; hence the reason I like Nancy Wilson so much. She is one of the few rockers who can rock with an acoustic

I have big fat hands, so that's a problem in itself (like playing the simple "A" chord), but I've learned to squeeze my pinky finger alongside my ring and middle finger to play the three notes. I complain all the time wondering why God gave me fat/short fingers, instead of long thin fingers. Trying to reach two fret lengths with my little finger just doesn't work for me. Then I look at videos of different players and there are experts with fat fingers, short fingers, long fingers, huge hands, small hands (most women have small hands) and they all play like masters. It bugs me to watch a 5 or 6 year old kid play guitar like a master when their hands are tiny. There is no way they can play a true "B" or "F' chord, but they get around it somehow. I see that the guitar you are eyeing is an HH, which is my favorite. That means you have Humbuckers on both the bridge and neck pickups. My son uses a Squire strat and the first thing he did (besides a custom paint job) was to have it fitted with humbuckers.

Anyway, glad to hear you are picking up playing. As you get older and have more time on your hands, it's a great way to spend time. If all you ever do is pick up an acoustic and strum a few chords (they call it "Cowboy Chording"), it's worth it. Becoming the next Eddie Van Halen will be a challenge...lol

And age is a non-factor

Nor is hand size

This 11 yr old girl rocks it, but to be fair, she is probably using an "MXR Phase 2" effects pedal in order to play the part without picks

Just something worth watching. This is Heart (Ann Wilson singing, Nancy playing) "Stairway to Heaven" at the Kennedy Center. It made Robert Plant tear up. It's an amazing performance as little by little, they bring in extra guitars, then violins, full orchestra, and finally a full choir. I could watch this video over and over. Plant and Jimmy Page didn't get along, so it's interesting to watch their actions. Page starts counting like a metronome as he listens to the guy play his famous finale...and it's not as good as when Page played it. BTW, Ann has been very sick the last year or so, so they haven't played since

Ric - i probably watch that Wilson rendition of STH, 6 times per year since they first played it.  Love it.

Thanks for all your thoughts.  Time is one thing I will have a lot of so no excuse to practice.

Maybe in another life, we'll get a different pair of hands.  I am determined to get past this.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Ric - i probably watch that Wilson rendition of STH, 6 times per year since they first played it.  Love it.

Thanks for all your thoughts.  Time is one thing I will have a lot of so no excuse to practice.

Maybe in another life, we'll get a different pair of hands.  I am determined to get past this.

Glad to hear you sticking with it Joe. I think the size of one's hands or fingers is the least issue to overcome. For me, I keep finger picking because I can't seem to clip the right string with a pick even though my left hand is on the correct frets. Really frustrates me...so I just keep doing exercises until it becomes natural, I guess. That's not the only issue I have to overcome, but I'm going to keep plugging along. Someday it'll all come together

I thought I was going to get my new guitar today, and I'm over the moon excited. Now I got a message that it will be Thursday before I can unwrap my Les Paul 

[Philosophers]

Glad to hear you sticking with it Joe. I think the size of one's hands or fingers is the least issue to overcome. For me, I keep finger picking because I can't seem to clip the right string with a pick even though my left hand is on the correct frets. Really frustrates me...so I just keep doing exercises until it becomes natural, I guess. That's not the only issue I have to overcome, but I'm going to keep plugging along. Someday it'll all come together

I thought I was going to get my new guitar today, and I'm over the moon excited. Now I got a message that it will be Thursday before I can unwrap my Les Paul 

Ha Ha, Christmas comes early for you.  I feel your excitement.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Ha Ha, Christmas comes early for you.  I feel your excitement.

Joe, it reminds me of Christmas when I was a little kid. Well, Christmas came early, and I got the guitar a couple of hours ago - a day early. Took a half hour just to unwrap everything, and I have boxes that now fill my living room. Anyway, it's beautiful and doesn't look exactly like the stock photo shown on the web. It has more figure in the light colored area, and it's across the whole face of the guitar. Nicer than the picture - really stunning. Been playing it for the last hour and it plays sweet!

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Newest addition to my family

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I love this video for two reasons...one, Eddie Cochran is playing a Gresch, and two...the old film on TV where the older guys look disfavorably on the new style music...perfect rendition of my father. Although, my father's face was probably scrunched up more like, "this isn't music"...LOL