Any guitar players out there?

[trev]

Serious questions...

Is a nylon strung guitar quieter than steel strung and are cheapish left handed versions easily found?

Yes and yes. How much do you want to spend?

 

[djw]

Thanks for the reply

Is say around £100 too much or too little?

 

[trev]

http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&a.../redwood-cg-144l-left-handed-classical-guitar

That would probably be ok for learning the rudiments on but you would grow out of it after a bit and need a better one.

 

[djw]

Thanks for that Trev - better to learn from someone with playing experience Must be time for a beer soon...:yes:

 

[Marvo]

When I was younger I was traveling in the US for a while. I missed not having a guitar so I went to a large music factory type shop in Atlanta and I spent most of the day playing just about every guitar they had. Eventually I found a second hand Yamaha which was very basic and entry level plus it was one of the cheapest guitars they had but it sounded very nice, looked well made and it had surprisingly decent tone.

I bought it and I carried it around strapped to my back-pack for about a year. It was thrown on and off buses planes and trains and it spent a lot of time in direct sun and also getting rained on. I still have that guitar and I think it's actually the best sounding guitar I own. The condition of the guitar is well worn, there's a couple of chips and scratches and I managed to break one of the tuning knobs on my travels but the tone and general sound is nothing short of astonishing.

If I ever pick up a guitar that Yamaha is the one I go for every time even though I've got guitars that cost 30 times the price and are sought after makes and models made from woods that are no longer available. You don't need to spend a fortune to get a decent sounding classical guitar and I'd recommend an entry level Yamaha to anyone.

 

[trev]

I've got 2 Yams and they're both cracking guitars. I'd have another in a heartbeat if I found the right one.

 

[Marvo]

I've always found that with any recognised brand name mass produced guitars you'll find a nice one if you try enough of them. I'd never get one online for that reason, I'd rather go the shops and play several dozen of them and pick the best sounding one. Yamaha's are great guitars and even the entry level student versions are pretty decent, I can't walk past one without picking it up and at least playing a few 'Smoke On The Water' chords just to p15s everybody off

 

[shanky887614]

I've always found that with any mass produced guitars you'll find a nice one if you try enough of them. I'd never get one online for that reason, I'd rather go the shops and play several dozen of them and pick the best sounding one. Yamaha's are great guitars and even the entry level student versions are pretty decent, I can't walk past one without picking it up and at least playing a few 'Smoke On The Water' chords just to p15s everybody off

I was the same with my last flute, I was there a while and tried and compared everyone in the shop.

finally picked out one and its tge best ive ever handled so much better tham last

 

[Darkwood]

I can do the Metallica intro to 'Nothing Else Matters' already although its simple picking ..well till it gets tricky and fast :uhoh2:lol ...

 

[djw]

@ Marvo - for the more experienced guys I guess it's Stairway to Heaven or Sultans of Swing then

 

[Marvo]

That's exactly the way to do it. I spent a few years learning the formal route and it wasn't fun. If I was in your position now I'd learn to play using songs and music I enjoy.

Here's another little piece you can practice with.

Samantha Wells performs "Is there anybody out there?" (instr.) by Pink Floyd. - YouTube

I taught my kids to play it using an Aminor open chord shape but with you middle and ring fingers swapped places and sliding the top (ring) finger up one fret at a time. Easy peasy lemon squeezy......

**edit**
here's a link where he uses the easier method I described.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2PApK77dnA

I don't know what guitar she's using in the first link but you can hear it's a great quality sound and better resonant spacial tones compared to the very average instrument he's playing in the second link. Probably also helps that she's got playing technique the other guy could only dream about.

 

[trev]

@ Marvo - for the more experienced guys I guess it's Stairway to Heaven or Sultans of Swing then

There used to be a sign up in JG Windows in Newcastle, big black letters "DO NOT PLAY STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN OR SMOKE ON THE WATER!"

 

[moospark]

Get a "Shadows" best of book, fun to play, and you'll nail your scales.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I can do the Metallica intro to 'Nothing Else Matters' already although its simple picking ..well till it gets tricky and fast :uhoh2:lol ...

I can do the intro to Pretty Vacant!
Taught myself the opening sequence of Wish You Here a long time ago, took me days.

 

[Marvo]

@ Marvo - for the more experienced guys I guess it's Stairway to Heaven or Sultans of Swing then

Yeah, all music shops are notoriously anti Smoke on the water, can't imagine why .

 

[Darkwood]

My old man just dropped of my late Uncles Fender 310-12 thought there might be a few quid in it value wise as its only gathering dust for years just noticed its been dropped and has a split in the head thats been glue back on .... might as well wait till bonfire night then ..although Ive just acquired a nice tough Hiscox case

 

[trev]

If you're going to do that to it I can find it a good home

 

[Darkwood]

Cheers trev going to speak to local landlord first he makes and repairs guitars .. was just figure of speech on y part Im sure it can be rescued.

 

[trev]

In the right hands it can definitely be restored mate, there's a guy round our way called Les Tones (pretty appropriate) who builds and repairs guitars, if there's ever any major problem that I can't handle with any of mine they go to him.
He's built for a lot of people, if he's good enough for Lenny Kravitz he's good enough for me.

 

[Knobhead]

Slightly off topic, anyone heard from Classical Guitarist recently? As I recall a damn good electrician as well as a music teacher.

Not looked in the members list yet, suppose that should be my next port of call.

 

[High Tower]

The music shop I use bans "sweet child of mine"!! As for sultans of swing, hard hard song to master !!

 

[Marvo]

He was very on the ball but hasn't been around since the end of March.

 

[Darkwood]

Collared this comedy sketch clip earlier and takes a little to get going but I can sympathise 100% with the Lawyers point.... nice cameo appearances from several renowned guitar players https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSnYE_CeqTM

 

[Geordie Spark]

Retired Rock 'n' Roller with:

1x 1962 Burns Nu Sonic (in bits)

1x Early '70's Telecaster - Ivory finish, customised with Ibanez Super 80 Humbucker at neck end & Di Marzio Pre BS Tele at the bridge. (looks good against a background of black leather jacket with t-shirt underneath)

1x Burns LJ24 customised by chucking the Mach 2 pickups away and fitting a pair of Burns Nu Sonics.

Amp is 1x Selmer Constellation 20 - with a burned out mains transformer.

 

[tidyboiler]

A friend of mine is Chief Resuscitation Officer at a large hospital in Wales and he plays in a band which includes consultants, doctors and surgeons called....... The Gastric Band. :laugh:

 

[Darkwood]

My mate was jobless and skint and he joined a band singing for beer call 'Piston Broke'

The best name out there I still think goes to Test Icicles .... top name although there are some very good one out there.

http://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/quotes/funnyband.html

Check the link out

 

[Besoeker]

A friend of mine is Chief Resuscitation Officer at a large hospital in Wales and he plays in a band which includes consultants, doctors and surgeons called....... The Gastric Band. :laugh:

Bit of a stretch that one.......