Musical Instruments

[JCM 9,168]

Anyone on RS who plays and or collects any type of instrument. Possibly played one years ago and for one reason or another does not anymore. Would like to hear from you. Pictures are always appreciated. FYI , do not consider myself a musician but have played around with guitars for 32 years. Have taken lessons at a Community College nights back in the early 90s and finger picking lessons for 2 years around the same time frame. Enjoy Blues, classic rock and country. My latest kick is learning some Roy Orbison. A few pictures here. The acoustic is a 1991 Martin Shenandoah HD 2832 that I bought used in 1991 with a hardshell case and the electric is a 1952 Fender Telecaster reissue new that was a birthday gift many years ago.Have a pending deal on a 1978 Martin D-35 that I have been looking for since the early 90s as well. Also a few others hanging around. They are as addictive as WH tractors unfortunately.

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

Yeah... I've got a few in storage that I can't play any longer due to Arthritis... and I seem to have lost my muse.  Played 5-string banjer for about 40 years or so.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,889]

I can play a mean Kohler…

 

 

[JCM 9,168]

Hey @Pullstart can you play Folsom Prison Blues on a Kohler for me sometime. Another favorite of mine, Johnny Cash and Kohlers.

[Pullstart 62,889]

46 minutes ago, JCM said:

Hey @Pullstart can you play Folsom Prison Blues on a Kohler for me sometime. Another favorite of mine, Johnny Cash and Kohlers.

I might be better at the Orange Blossom Special, but I’ll see if I can get Putt Putt in tune for ya!

[Ed Kennell 38,178]

Here's my Martin DX1K.      A gift from my son for helping drywalling one of his house flips.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,561]

Trumpet in grade and high school… that was before photography was invented… 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

4 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

grade and high school

 

Gosh... how could I forget that clarinet I played then?

 

It's actually in a case right here at my feet!

 

 

I'm not allowed to (attempt to) play it. 

 

And this is the very first banjo I got.  I think around 1972 or so. It's now a 'wall hanger' for decoration purposes only.  It is NOT a good instrument! LOL!

That's my friend. the late great  J.D. Crowe in the photo

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Snoopy11 5,714]

7 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Played 5-string banjer for about 40 years or so

Man, I'd love to have heard you play...

 

Don

[formariz 11,987]

Gibson Les Paul Standard and Fender Stratocaster.

 

 

[JCM 9,168]

Second from the left looks like a young Ricky Scaggs ? @Jeff-C175

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

1 hour ago, JCM said:

Second from the left looks like a young Ricky Scaggs ? @Jeff-C175

 

Skaggs, yep, that's him!  Good eye!

 

That was 1975.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Beap52 811]

Some good looking instruments posted here.  Bought a 5 string banjo in 1975. Still have the price sticker of $350.00 that I paid for it. Took lessons for about 1 1/2 years. Sitting, waiting for my turn for a lesson, someone was doing a really great time on their banjo.  Lesson over, out of the room came a little fellow about the same height as his banjo.  I asked  my teacher "How many lessons had that boy had?"  He replied "It's his first."  I replied "This is my last." --and it was.  Well i dug the banjo out a few years ago and from time to time make noise on it.  Our autistic grandson does not care what kind of noise I make he just bounces along with it.  Dupuytrens hands have made playing it even more difficult.  I have made two hammered dulcimers and a couple of mountain dulcimers.  They worked out ok but store bought play better. 

 

[davem1111 2,030]

I always feel a bit embarrassed talking about what I "have" versus what I "do" with it/them.  

 

I've been playing (or at least, making noise with) guitars since about 1970.  I only took a few lessons back then, and just switched to being "self-taught" after that (until recently - more on that later).   

 

Back in those days, if not taking lessons, the options were:  buy guitar music books (which were rather expensive), or try to learn songs/riffs by ear. I did some of both - still have  about 10 inches of books here on my shelf. Some songs I learned back in the 70's I still know by heart, more or less. The list seems to be shrinking as the brain gets older.

 

Today (and for at least the last several years), I have been using the Ultimate Guitar Tabs website and App, and have started taking intermediate/advanced lessons on Udemy,  SuperSimpleGuitar, and Guitar Mastery Method.  I think I'd do better to *not* spread myself as thin as I am and just focus on one of these, but they all have their pros and cons. I have "lifetime" access to all those mentioned except GMM, which is pricey and I'll probably cancel until next winter. 

 

I like mostly Classic Rock, Southern Rock, and some Blues. Strumming chords is easy for me if it's basic stuff (major/minor/7th chords) - I haven't memorized all the Sus4Dim6#bm7 crap, nor do I know music theory. But I'm trying to learn scales and notes on the fretboard, and learn some lead riffs. I have most of the techniques down pretty well, like slides, hammer on/off, bends, etc.  I've started learning some Pink Floyd David Gilmour solos like the ones in "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Comfortably Numb".   Probably should pick something easier first... 

 

So, what do I have?

1. Ovation 6 string, about 45-50 years old

2. Taylor 12 string, maybe 15? with built-in tuner & pickup

3. Fender Squier Strat

4. Fender Squier Bass

5. Epiphone Special II (Les Paul style)

6. Cordoba Ukulele with built-in pickup

7. Roland Boss GT-1 floor pedal with effects, looper, USB connection and software

8. Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 digital interface with MIDI, Pro Tools First multi-track recording software.

9. Tascam TS-80 Microphone

10. Shure PG58 Microphone

11. Roland RH-5 Monitor headphones

12. Old Casio LK-100 keyboard for MIDI control

 

I also have a cheap Fender "starter" acoustic guitar that my wife bought before we met that she gave up on. I have taken that camping, in a bag tied to my kayak - won't try that with my "good" gear. 

I was practicing/learning more back in the winter. Now that the weather is nice, I want to be outside.  I think it would be good to schedule some guitar time or I'll get frustrated.

 

I'll post some pictures when I get a chance. I've been on a tech support call with Dell the whole time I was writing this and we're not done yet.  

 

[davem1111 2,030]

[JCM 9,168]

Nice info there @davem1111 .  I also spend as much if not more time on Ultimate-Guitar than I do on Red Square. Have picked up a tremendous amount of quality info on that site. Usually I will pick a song and then go on You Tube and follow the amazing musicians from the lexington Lab Band and try to play along the guitar rhythm parts. They are serious professionals and great cover band. A large amount of 70's music in there. If you have time check it out, you won't be disappointed. 

[davem1111 2,030]

53 minutes ago, JCM said:

Nice info there @davem1111 .  I also spend as much if not more time on Ultimate-Guitar than I do on Red Square. Have picked up a tremendous amount of quality info on that site. Usually I will pick a song and then go on You Tube and follow the amazing musicians from the lexington Lab Band and try to play along the guitar rhythm parts. They are serious professionals and great cover band. A large amount of 70's music in there. If you have time check it out, you won't be disappointed. 

 

Already a big fan of LLB!!   Following them on YouTube and just noticed they've put up some new videos. They do some awesome covers of Steeley Dan, Eagles, Pink Floyd, Foreigner, Heart, Chicago... everything they do that I've heard is amazing, and the videos are well done too.

 

Dang, I wish I was that good.  But as my wife says, unless you're some naturally endowed virtuoso, you've got to put in the learning and practice time if that's your goal, but also that she is glad I'm not obsessed with it. Life has too many other things to offer.  So, I try to find some balance, and vary my activities.  I'm almost 64, wife is 11 years younger, and we still have a son just finishing his Sophomore year in high school, so needless to say there's a lot going on. 

[JCM 9,168]

Check out some Lynyrd Skynyrd songs they do on there also. Ton of songs that are ALL good . Looks like you and I are the same age. I too fall into the same category, frustrated guitarist. Most important is just to never stop playing and practicing.  @davem1111  Unless the arthritis kicks your butt like mine does at times.

[davem1111 2,030]

Just now, JCM said:

Check out some Lynyrd Skynyrd songs they do on there also. Ton of songs that are ALL good . Looks like you and I are the same age. I too fall into the same category, frustrated guitarist. Most important is just to never stop playing and practicing.  @davem1111  Unless the arthritis kicks your butt like mine does at times.

 

Ah, sorry about the arthritis.  One problem I do *not* have <yet>.  My younger brother does, but he doesn't play any musical instruments...  My biggest problem is smashing or cutting a finger or spraining my wrist while working on tractors 

[JCM 9,168]

A 1978 Martin D-35 found a new home yesterday. Have been searching for almost 30 years for an older one with a nice yellowish binding/ edging used look to it. Cleaning and some new strings should help and take it from there. Looks nice on the wall next to the 1991 Martin Shenandoah HD 2832. Time to strum a little Pink Floyd Wish you Were Here.   @stevasaurus

[Reddart 207]

I have too much gear I think, you can only play one at a time, right? Like you only really need one tractor…

 

Let’s see, 2003 R9 Les Paul, JTM 45 Offset clone half stack, 1992 EBMM EVH with companion Superlead reissue (rewired to 68-ish specs), 1989 Custom (my first electric guitar), my latest Tele build and older strat partocaster, with 1971 Quad Reverb and SuperSix Reverb amps, 1974 Musicmaster bass, my most practical amp: a heavily reworked 10W Univox U45-B, and a recent acquisition, a most impractical 1964 Leslie 125. 
 

I’m sure I’m probably missing something. 🤔

[davem1111 2,030]

On 1/31/2024 at 7:18 PM, Reddart said:

... too much gear ...

 

Just like "too many tractors" and "honest politicians", there is no such thing. 

 

I had forgotten about this thread.  Scrolling back through it, just like @JCM I recognized the young Ricky Scaggs on that album cover photo.  Big fan of Ricky. 

 

So, since my earlier post back in May 2022, I bought a brand new Epiphone Les Paul Starburst from Sweetwater when I got an unexpected bonus from work, and I was told that it has the "real" Gibson Les Paul pickups.  Love the guitar. I've been working on the lead for several songs, mostly either Pink Floyd or The Allman Brothers. I'm also working through more lessons on Udemy and getting better with the Pentatonic scales, and have noticed that Duane and Dickey followed these scales pretty closely in the songs I'm working on (Blue Sky, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Jessica...).  The biggest challenge for me is that I didn't realize that what I thought was one guitar in the lead at least in some of these was actually Duane and Dickey swapping back and forth with lead and harmony, and I want to just play the lead riffs I'm used to hearing. Difficult to follow on UltimateGuitar.com tabs because they have each one separate and I'm flipping from one to the other. 

 

Oh, and by the way, I've found some really awesome backing tracks on karaoke-version.com that you can customize which tracks you want to include or not, even change the key, and they're pretty cheap.

 

here's the guitar:

 

[Reddart 207]

Here’s one I forgot, an Epi Joe Pass II Emperor, which I had just done a fret polish and a pickup swap to a filtertron. The dental floss tied to the pots was to facilitate the pickup swap wiring.  I never want to change a hollow body guitar’s wiring again!  What a PITA that was.  

[Maz91 202]

The guitarists have taken over the musical instruments thread 

 

i love seeing how many people are playing just to enjoy it no matter where we’re all at in our experience and abilities. That’s what it’s all about!

 

i have a 2000 Gibson Les Paul Classic and an 07 Mexican Fender Telecaster that I really love. I also have a cool double humbucker Jazzmaster that’s easy for my big dumb hands. 
 

i built a 50w Marshall JCM800 clone that turned out awesome and also have a Peavey 5150 (Van Halen signature) I play those through an Orange 2x12 cabinet at gigs. Lots of fancy gear for an average guitar player!!!! Been in bands for years 

[JCM 9,168]

Very, Very nice @Maz91 and Thank you for your input on this thread.