[bert]

Slightly late in reading this post.

tadol, if you have the chance to try an Eastman El Rey4, it might be worth your time. I’ve had mine for 10wks and it is working out great and, much like your description.  It’s a hybrid, fits somewhere between an archtop and thinline hollowbody. Designed by Otto D’Ambrosio, Kent Armstrong PAF pickup, excellent acoustic tone with the mahog/spruce body. Even though I don’t play jazz, I’ve owned archtops for years, love the acous tone.

Eastman builds some great archtops, I’ve owned four, this is the only one for me.

https://www.eastmanguitars.com/electric_signature_archtop

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by bert.

[bert]

Bob Taylor gave one of the eulogies at Bill Collings funeral, says it all to me.

There are a large number of SCGC players (like me) who also own Collings. A great guitar is a great guitar. Richard Hoover, Dana Bourgeois, Bill Collings, and others are a brotherhood of fine luthiery.. not Ford vs Chevy.

indexless, thank you, it never crossed my mind that anyone here would feel differently. This is a great place to hang and we should attract more Collings owners to this site is what I’m layin down.

all good things here.. amen.

[bert]

Bigshoe, welcome to the forum.  I joined earlier this year and can say you’ll find some of the most friendly and knowledgeable folks around here.  best regards, bert

[bert]

Good to hear zorro.

Sometime in early 2004, I called SCGC and asked what tuner do they recommend. Don’t remember who I spoke with but was told they use Peterson. This began my relationship with strobe tuning. I started with the Virtual Strobe II, my SCGC Tony Rice was in tune for the first time ever. I finally got to hear what a well tuned guitar was all about.  I was a member of a mostly amateur songwriters group in those days and tuning was driving me nuts. I was so self conscience of my inaccurate tuning that it had a negative impact on what I was doing.

The VSII was a miracle, then came the StroboClip and now the Polytune.

Using strobe for the past 14yrs has trained my un-trained ear to easily recognize bad tuning but, as most of us, I will never have perfect pitch.

[bert]

Dana Bourgeois has been known to build with pao rosewood, which he calls a lighter shade of braz rosewood. The top of my 2013 00 is redwood. Don’t know if SCGC has ever built with these woods but… beautiful tone and balance works as a good description:

[bert]

zorro, I do remember Susanna’s line to Guy Clark about the Easter Eggs. Otherwise, CRS is in full effect where I trod.

I know a number of performing musicians who use the Polytune2 pedal on their effects board with the 9v LED illumination for visibility. Speed is the reason I use the Polytune clip-on.  Tap the frets… instant feedback. Strum all the strings open, it auto shifts to chromatic and shows which strings need attention, then auto shifts back to the strobe for fine tuning… all happens in mil-seconds, nano-fast is my reason to own one.

now, where did I put my car keys?

[bert]

Zorro, didn’t CRS write ‘Proud Mary’? I have all their records but, Tina’s version is still my favorite.

Sorry, I don’t recall C.R.S., probably left it somewhere with my lost shaker of salt.

Some people have perfect pitch, not in my lifetime. Without harmonics I can’t tell if the note is 1-2c flat or sharp, but I know it’s out. Tapping the 5th, 7th, & 12th frets using the ultra fast Polytune tells the tale. When all six are singing together, with no warble, ready for freddie.
bert

[bert]

zorro, I use a strobe tuner by TC Electronic called a ‘polytune’, fast is the word. My Peterson has been in it’s can since I got the polytune a few years ago, highly recommend.

I’ve seen the JT tuning video, he tunes that way to allow for his capo.. not for everyone and cents (+/-) don’t matter if guitar is tuned to it’s harmonics.

After tuning to EADGBE, this video by Justin Guitar taught me how to fine tune, been using it for a good while now. Guitar never sounds right when the harmonics are fighting. I use harmonic tuning on everything with strings… bass, reso, archtop, flattop, etc.

[bert]

I’ve owned 3.

My first was a 2003 Tony Rice, was my main guitar for 6yrs. After I retired I had much more time for playing and my playing style evolved. I felt I needed a tad less bass and more brightness in the mids and moved to mostly mahogany.

Second was a 2006 VS, what ever reason I just never bonded and traded it with a friend.

Currently I have a 2001 VJ, best sounding/playing D18 type guitar I’ve ever given a go. While the VJ is not ‘vintage’, it is played-in. New guitars are great fun but played-in works best for me at 72. The 2001 has 1 3/4″ nut, full scale and I’m using EJ24’s True Meds.  Love this guitar.

[bert]

Oh boy, 42 years. I was living on Seaview Ave at that time and still remember going to Richard’s early shop to tweak my D18, memories. Had no idea what the future held for SCGC, one happy day in 2003 I found a SCGC Tony Rice, been a SCGC player since.

Best wishes to a very special man, Richard Hoover, and all the great vibes he has brought to each of us.
bert

 

[bert]

SCGC VJ (K&K mini) —> LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI —> TC Elecs Hall of Fame2 reverb.

Little this, little that, just right.  bert

[bert]

Newbs, welcome to the forum. Being lefty, as you know, works as a disadvantage in finding guitars to try. Maybe just have to listen to right handed models being played?

Not at all to bash Taylor, I own a 2007 GA5 mahog/cedar… by choice, no cutaway & no electronics, fully open upper bout. Your 522ce is all mahog(?), with basically no upper bout, cutaway on one side and the electronics pcb taking up the other side. Sound/tone is being generated by the lower bout. Playing plugged-in is the primary design for this type guitar.

With acoustic tone as your goal, a full upper bout makes a diff.   K&K mini is a good option for my VJ and a couple others with no cutaway. Can’t recommend a model, that’s up to you, but SCGC mahog is excellent.

best wishes on your journey, bert

[bert]

A good way to recruit new members to this forum is through SCGC dealers. Put a flier in the new guitar case candy that points here. The SCGC dealers would probably get behind this as it spreads the word.

Sitting around here talking to each other ain’t going nowhere. bert

[bert]

So good to be a part of this forum, thanks to you guys. I have never, and never will join the AGF or Facecrook. I lived in Santa Cruz for a few years and have played SCGC guitars for 15yrs. Getting a new forum like this rolling is a labor of love.

imo….
No fences is the right approach to the best forums, within ethics. I am a member of the Collings (armdog), Martin, and Eastman forums. The demographics of guitar forums are different, that’s the nature and essence. Huge vs small membership is mostly based on the number of players who own the brand.

I love great guitars, no matter the brand. The days of Ford vs Chevy (Martin vs Gibson) are for inside the box thinking. (how’m I doing)  I own a baked top Eastman E20OM-TC and AR805ce archtop. Here goes….

I wish for this forum to be a great success and will help any way I can within reason, having cataract surgery next week, hopefully will turn 72 later this year.

I invited Tim Shaw (Phoenix), who started the Eastman Guitar Fan forum, to visit this forum. He loves SCGC OMs but is raising a sizeable young family with eyes on a SC guitar down the road. Don’t shoot, just a suggestion to visit the EGF, 9mos old and off to a great start.  bert
https://www.eastmanguitarfans.com/

 

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by bert.

[bert]

Very special Father’s Day, welcome and congratulations.  I have a strong liking for SCGC mahogany guitars.  bert

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