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(@noteboat)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Just got home from the summer NAMM show in Indianapolis, where new products are displayed for the music industry. Here are some of the things that struck me over the last couple of days:

- The Fender booth was giving away The Grip Pick. I thought this was really cool when I saw it... but when I actually played with it a little later, it was disorienting - it places the tip of the pick under your thumb instead of between thumb and fingers. I'll bet it'll be more comfortable after a few days use.

- The PikCard, a credit card sized piece of plastic with die-cut guitar picks in it. Keep it in your wallet, snap one out when you need it - and you can snap them back into the card by placing it on a hard flat surface. Different gauges, sizes, and graphics available.

Besides those two nifties, I got to play on many, many new guitars. Some seemed nice, like the Cort Larry Coryell signature, but didn't feel right to me - others felt right, but didn't really grab my ears. My three favorites of the show:

3. Giannini Nylon string Craviola This caught my eye because of the unique body shape. I picked it up and it was terribly out of tune... a real drag at a show like that. Once I tuned it, though, it had a decent sound and a great feel. It's around $1500 list, but the salesman told me they also have a model for around $700. He says Jimmy Page played a 12-string Giannini for a while in the 70s.

2. Jeff Babicz Identity Series. This one stood out because of the fanned out end pins. The guitar also has another neat twist - mounted on the back of the peghead is an Allen wrench; there's an Allen slot in the back of the heel block. Turning the wrench moves the entire neck within a track - instant action adjustment! This guitar played like a dream, and the sound was comparable to a Taylor I'd played minutes before at the Elixir booth. The one I played was the rosewood backed dreadnaught with cutaway, list around $1200 - take about $100 off for mahogany back & sides.

1. The absolute best of the show was the Taylor T-5 Thinline. I remember when I was a young player, with the best gear I could afford (as in playable, but not great)... and getting my first chance to play a great guitar. The difference in touch and tone jumps right out at you. Well, at this show, having sampled some of the best guitars of some of the finest makers for two days straight... I picked up the T-5. And I had that experience again! This guitar did everything I asked of it, and loved doing it for me. I sampled more expensive guitars at the show - as I recall, the particular Taylor I played is around $3700 - but I didn't find any better instruments than this.

After I sort through the 60 pounds or so of literature that my son and I hauled away from the show, I'll put up more. There were some pretty cool new things, and I got to see a number of really fine players.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@rockerman)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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hey boat, my teacher was at the namm show, he jammed at a couple of booths there, maybe you might have met him there, his name is toshi iseda? 8)


   
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(@gnease)
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Taylor T-5 Thinline. I remember when I was a young player, with the best gear I could afford (as in playable, but not great)... and getting my first chance to play a great guitar. The difference in touch and tone jumps right out at you. Well, at this show, having sampled some of the best guitars of some of the finest makers for two days straight... I picked up the T-5. And I had that experience again! This guitar did everything I asked of it, and loved doing it for me. I sampled more expensive guitars at the show - as I recall, the particular Taylor I played is around $3700 - but I didn't find any better instruments than this.

After I sort through the 60 pounds or so of literature that my son and I hauled away from the show, I'll put up more. There were some pretty cool new things, and I got to see a number of really fine players.

Noteboat: I played a T-5 last weekend before heading out to Asia for the week. These are great guitars -- I'm sold. The only decision on this is whether to go with the spruce or maple top for a mellower or brighter tone, respectively. To me the T-5 is much better player than an ES-335, sonically great, and gorgeous as well. Going to do some more playing this weekend. I'd say chances are 75% I'll have one by Sunday.

-Greg

-=tension & release=-


   
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 Taso
(@taso)
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That pick card thing is pretty cool. A friend of mine has it. My only gripe (and its a big one) is that it's only good for normal picks. I've been using soley Dunlop Jazz III picks for a while, they should make a card for different kinds of picks.

http://taso.dmusic.com/music/


   
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(@audioslaveaddict)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 169
 

That pick card thing is pretty cool. A friend of mine has it. My only gripe (and its a big one) is that it's only good for normal picks. I've been using soley Dunlop Jazz III picks for a while, they should make a card for different kinds of picks.

I use Jazz III picks also. What I do is just drop right around 5 picks in one of the photo flaps in my wallet. Works for me!

Gun control is using both hands!!!


   
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(@kingpatzer)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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That pick card thing is pretty cool. A friend of mine has it. My only gripe (and its a big one) is that it's only good for normal picks. I've been using soley Dunlop Jazz III picks for a while, they should make a card for different kinds of picks.

I use Jazz III picks also. What I do is just drop right around 5 picks in one of the photo flaps in my wallet. Works for me!

Those are definitely my favorite easy to find picks, and I do the same thing -- just keep a few in the wallet.

But lately I've been totally sold on Wegen's Trimus 250. Yeah, they're really expensive. But they are the nicest pick I've ever used.

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST


   
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(@noteboat)
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Sorry, Rockerman.... I didn't meet your teacher. I did meet dozens of other players (and jammed at more than a couple booths myself!), but it's hard to meet everyone - I think there were something like 50,000 badges for the show. I did meet Nicole Solis though - she's David Hodge's magazine editor :)

Cool folks I saw: Jamming in the PRS booth was a guy named Timmy something - I didn't catch his last name. One of the folks I took to the show was Cher's old drummer, and he and Timmy knew each other. Anyway, Timmy cooked - chicken pickin and grinning like mad.

I caught the show of (and got to meet) David Paul, who plays a lot like Chet Atkins. He had great technique, but I was a little disappointed in the show overall - he took the stage almost an hour late, which kept me from seeing other folks I wanted to... his show was the same night as the Guitar All-Stars jam, and I would've loved to have seen Seymour Duncan play.

Playing with David was a guy from Hawaii named Chris Bouvard. Really nice blues chops, fast and fluid. Sitting next to me at the concert was a guy named Dennis who owned a music store in Honolulu - Chris used to be one of his teachers, so of course Chris joined Dennis for a chat after the show.

Caught a fun smaller act at a hotel lounge: the Dan Holmes Group from New Orleans. Funk/rock type stuff, reminded me a bit of Leon Russell at times. The group's a quartet - Dan on piano, with bass, drums, and sax.

Saw a country rock band - I think it's named Tampico or something like that. They were tight, but not great. Unusual in that two of their three guitarists were left handed, and the keyboard player (who was the best musician of them all) doubled on harmonica.

After being blown away by the skill of some of the players, I'm moping around feeling like I'm just not nearly as good as I should be after 30 or so years as a guitarist. Then I wander by one booth, and there's a guy jamming away on bass. He's missing his right hand - has a prosthetic hook. A second guy is supporting the neck of the bass so he can play it without it sliding around - and he's really REALLY cooking on that bass! Tapping, sliding, double stops, funk grooves. I walked away TOTALLY inspired. I've been playing pretty much nonstop since I got home.

Gonna go play some more now :)

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@rockerman)
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thats cool note, reason i asked is he and i are both originnaly from chi-town and thought that maybe you knew him, do you go to all the namm shows, i'm hoping to go to the next one , i think its in december.


   
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(@noteboat)
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It's in January in Anaheim CA - I'm not sure if I'm going to that one yet. The next summer show is in Austin TX, and I'll probably do that one.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@noteboat)
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To me the T-5 is much better player than an ES-335, sonically great, and gorgeous as well.

I completely agree - and the ES335 was the first 'great' guitar I played way back when :)

There were only two things I didn't care for on the T-5 - the controls are positioned in an odd place (top left of the face) for rapid tweaking while you play, and thinline acoustics always felt odd to me - I'm so used to reaching over a big body if I'm picking bluegrass or something. I'm sure I'd get used to both in short order, though.

But the way it plays... man, it was like the strings were butter and my fingers were hot knives. I was really blown away by how well it handled - I did some fingerpicking, some jazzy stuff, some rock, some blues - it felt great on all of it. It's also got the best 'off the rack' acoustic sound of any electric-acoustic that I've ever played. Their demonstrator was playing through three different amps with a 4-way footswitch and a pod out in front of the booth, so I made sure to play the one I tried 'bare' - no effects at all. Still sounded kick-butt.

I actually went to the show looking for a guitar to buy, and had it in mind that I'd get a nice 12-string. There were some great 12s there, especially one at the Martin booth... but the T-5 sure has me rethinking my wish list.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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 Taso
(@taso)
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it was like the strings were butter and my fingers were hot knives.

Oh boy. Did they make you pay for all the strings you ruined? :wink:

http://taso.dmusic.com/music/


   
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 Taso
(@taso)
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Patzer, is that 20 dollars for one?

http://taso.dmusic.com/music/


   
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(@kingpatzer)
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Yup, it's a $20 guitar pick.

And no, I'm not insane. Play with one and you'll be saving up for more :)

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST


   
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 Taso
(@taso)
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Yeah, I'd love to try one actually. Money is tight though.

http://taso.dmusic.com/music/


   
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(@gnease)
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Bought a maple-topped custom yesterday ...

-=tension & release=-


   
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