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Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
 Posted - 03/29/2004 : 11:51:14 AM
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Hi Duke,
I see you're already playing a Takamine. I met Bobby Moderow of Maunalua a few weeks ago. He loves the natural series which has a cedar top. EAN10C or the EN10C. I think Makana plays one of these too.
The newer ones feature a CT4B preamp that has a nifty built in tuner. I thought that'd really come in handy if playing on stage or even while jamming with a group. Should make tuning or retuning a breeze. |
Andy |
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cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2004 : 12:57:33 PM
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National Style O, slacked 2 whole steps.
B E B E G# B
Just to be different, monster strings. 16-60's
Does the Hula Growllll !! |
my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
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cdyas
Akahai
67 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2004 : 4:01:18 PM
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I have a seagull spruce mahogagany (should have gotten the cedar but I didn't know better at the time). I also have a taylor maple spruce which I just love. I played it a few times and had to have it. I have considered trading it in for a koa guitar, but have not found one in my price range that sounds as good. There are alot of good builders out there and each guitar is different. Somtimes price makes a difference and sometimes it doesn't.
Take your time, play lots of guitars and wait until you find the one that sings to you. |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2004 : 10:22:23 PM
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Yah... Shure... Cmdr. Piffle-animous doughs shure are honkin' streengs.
I play a Custom Taylor Flame Koa with Cedar top and much thinner gauge strings with a 1-7/8" neck.
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
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dukemelody
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2004 : 12:28:05 AM
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Aloha and Mahalo everybody for their feed back. After taking the advice of everybody I sat down at Guitar Center, H&H musin, Evans Music, Rockin Robin. It was between 4 guitars a taylor I think it was a 500 series, a Martin HD 28, another Martin d 15, and a Takamine I don't kow which one I took the advice of someone and just grabbed a guitar and de tuned them all to Taro patch. I ended getting a Martin D15 today. For the price and there was something about the eay the plain and simple look made me think "old school" it's nothing fancy until you play it. I didn't want a HD28 although I had the money to buy it I didn't want to be a poser with a nice guitar and have no idea what i'm doing. I liked the bass of the martin a little better than the rest of the guitars. So thank you everyody for helping me out and trying to help me.
Aloha a hui hou,
braddah duke |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2004 : 4:22:02 PM
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Duke
You got a good guitar, good for you, and I am sure you will enjoy it for life. But, i would like to address one point you made in case other aspiring guitarists might take it the wrong way. You said that although you had the money for a more expensive guitar, you did not want to be a "poser". I must admit I had that same idea in my head for years......more like " I am not good enough, or can't play well enough to have a good guitar". I have found that to be not only erroneous, but possibly damaging to a serious guitar player. Although the best players can coax a great sound and do great pyrotechnics on almost any guitar, we less experienced players, and beginners especially, will be able to play better, sound better, feel better about our playing, and be more likely to stick with it if we play a better quality guitar. It does not automatically make you better, and even buying a signature model doesn;t make you sound like the famous player who endorsed it, but there is something about the ease of playing, the playability, the way a good guitar feels, sounds, and is often more ergonomically sound,that just makes you feel better about playing it.
That does NOT mean that more expensive is more better (mo betta?), because I have played lots of guitars in music stores where the $3000 model was outshined by that Seagull or Tacoma for $950!
So, anyone who is starting out, or maybe stuck in a rut as I was for 15 years, who thinks they don;t play well enough to have a good guitar, think again, and get the best you can afford after you play all the guitars you can get your hands on.
Karl
Frozen North (minus 41 just west of us today.......jeesh, what happened to March "going out like a lamb"?) |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Dana
Akahai
USA
61 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2004 : 7:01:52 PM
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Hi Duke,
I think that you got a good guitar also, I bought a D15 couple years ago to learn to play slack key on. I didn't have alot of money, but wanted a good guitar. I tried playing plenty other instruments at Guitar Center, and I thought that the d15 sounded the best and played great.....and I liked its plain look too...so I bought it! Never been disappointed!
Dana |
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Darin
Lokahi
USA
294 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2004 : 7:21:08 PM
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Hi Duke,
Congrats on the purchase! That's very exciting. I'm glad you found something you liked!
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Darin
http://www.hawaiiguitar.com/ |
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OHIO-HAOLE
Akahai
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2004 : 11:55:06 AM
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| Yeah Duke!...Aloha and congrats also!...If I had some cash..(which I don't..my daughter just got married!)..I would have gone the Martin route. A friend of mine has the D-15...NICE!..Heck I have a Guild G37BLD I got in 75' that got sweeter with age..but I prefer to play Ki Ho'alu on my classical nylon Ibanez GA6CE...and that's under $400.00! To each his own, but I agree..when shopping it is good to have not only time to play the guitar but time to have someone else do it so you can get a GOOD LISTEN. Take good care of that baby and remember...HUMIDIFY! |
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Stringbreaker
Akahai
USA
62 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2004 : 3:24:05 PM
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| Congratulations! One point, if a repetition of much of what has been said here. During my first 7 or 8 years playing I struggled and fussed with an old Guild. I finally discovered during an "awake" mooment that it didn't matter how long I practiced, it sounded bad anyway. That was what put me on the search for a real guitar. After findng the real one, I quickly learned I knew nothing, but if I was ready to listen, the guitar could teach me a lot. A good guitar is the best teacher you can have. You won't regret the purchase. Incidentally, it was my guitar that insisted I learn slack key tunings, I was convinced that standard was the only correct method. What a fool I was! I've learned a little better now... |
Crazy Man Tuning |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2004 : 3:33:19 PM
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| Duke, congratulations on the new Martin. Now get to playing it |
Dusty |
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bonniej
Aloha
2 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2004 : 6:57:06 PM
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Aloha! (I think it's okay to use that even if your're not Hawaiian. Which I am not. It's kind of like saying Shalom. Although, I'm not Jewish either)
Anyway, I'm new here. But thought I would jump in on this question.
I have a "classic" style Ovation, now 30 years old. She's sweet and I love to tune her to anything. I have a Gretsch Crimson Flyer (acoustic/electric)that is great for Taro Patch.
I also have a Tacoma 12 string, but I'm still working on getting anything there. 12 strings strumming, not too hard. Picking melody lines. . . another story. God Bless Ozzie Kotani and Cyril Pahinui.
(Not to mention Leo Kottke)
I've played for over 30 years, but took up slack just a year or so ago. I absolutely love the music. Saw Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, Patrick Landeza, and "The Slack Key Lady" Cindy Combs in Chicago in February. God bless them for coming to the states in the dead of winter! They were incredible!!! I saw both shows. Wish there had been more.
But, I digress.
Bonniej
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JimC
Lokahi
USA
135 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2004 : 12:15:04 PM
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First of all Duke, congratulations on your new guitar. I do agree with Karl and the others, a good guitar can make a big difference.
I went shopping for a new guitar a few months ago with a budget of $700. I decided I was going to do a blind taste test ( I played about 15 different guitars in the room without looking at the price tag, narrowed the selection down to 6 ( everything from an entry level composit martin to a all koa tacoma )I left the store and came back a few days later started with the 6 and after about 2 hours narrowed it down to a martin dm and the tacoma pkk40. The martin was in my price range and had a nice sound but I loved the sound of the koa. I decided I was not worthy of the tacoma at the level I am playing at so I bought the martin dm. I had been playing it for a few days and was very happy with may decission but at night I was having dreams about the koa guitar. I told my wife about the dreams and she said go back and get that guitar. I decided I would get the koa and save it unitl I was a better player. I went back to the shop and the tacoma had been marked down ( she's mine )
So now I've got 2 guitars and a lot of guilt. The interesting part is if I'm trying to play a new tune on the martin and having a difficult time with it, I'll reach over and grab the koa that I was "saving" and the music will flow out of her. It's just made for certain songs and it has improved my playing. I now play both guitars equally and enjoy them both |
Jim
http://www.ohanahulasupply.com
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2004 : 12:28:36 PM
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| The guilt makes you play more...don't knock it! |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
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m4k4n4
Aloha
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2004 : 5:40:46 PM
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| personally i like the ovations, nice sound being emitted from the guitar it is a steel string and i normally use elixir strings, martins and taylors are good too |
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