Amish Guitar

Well, the Yamaha turned out to be a lemon. I was right in thinking that there was a significant problem with the neck and the luthier said that it fix it correctly it would need a reset. At three times what I paid for it at the silent auction. So he and I talked a bit about my choices. He said that he can still do a decent set up, tweak the truss rod a bit and file down the nut slots and saddle, but it would really only be noticeable at the top of the fretboard near the nut. The frets down the length would still have a significant high action. Well, this sounded ok to me since I don't really know how to do anything past the fifth fret anyway. He did say that he'd be able to salvage the nut and not have to fabricate a new one (again, a significant cost). So, I told him to go ahead with the setup.

I'm planning on putting some silk and steel strings and letting the kids mess around with it. The little bit I was able to play it, it does have a decent sound for fingerpicking. I'll write a bit more once I have it back from the luthier.

I just picked up my third guitar. Why do I need a third guitar? I have absolutely no idea.

I won the guitar in a silent auction at a local thrift shop that supports my denomination's relief, development and peace agency, the Mennonite Central Committee. I was secretly hoping that I'd be outbid because I bid without looking the instrument over very well or checking its reputation online. And I'm a cheap bastard. But, I didn't pay an exorbitant amount and the cash does support something I find worthwhile.

It's a Yamaha FG-331 and is in relatively good condition. I think. I didn't notice just how high the action is and am a bit worried as the saddle seems to have already been lowered at some point in its life. I suppose I'll take it home, clean it up and put on new strings and see what it is really like. If we can ever find our digital camera, I'll post pics and a quick first impressions soon.

The library was closed today so that staff could have an in-service session. One of my colleagues brought a guitar as part of his presentation. I thought that was pretty cool. Until he played it. It sounded awful. I asked him why it sounded so tinny, when did he last change the strings?

OMG.

He's had this Epiphone for 4 years and has never changed the strings. In fact, he bought the guitar used so he has no idea how old they are.

Why change them when they stay in tune?, he asks.

Well, for one thing, they didn't stay in tune. Every chord was a banshee shriek of agony. Second, playing in tune isn't the only thing that makes a guitar sound good. You have to produce good tone--that pleasing guitar sound that one can recognize as a guitar. As in, what's that sound?--oh, it's a pleasing guitar. Your goal should not be: what's that sound?--oh a female yak in heat...whoops, not a yak, just a cheap bastard with a guitar.

People! If others are telling you that your guitar sounds like a rutting, cattle-like mammal, change your strings!

Sadly, he is not the person mentioned in Guitar Lesson #8.

Honestly, though his skill was good, I had to leave because it was just on that last nerve, ya know?