[bert]

Those were the days my friend, thought they would never end.   so true

thanks Rich/Tad…

[bert]

Hank, thanks for the wisdom, ‘Horses for courses’ is so true.

Afraid I got caught up in the ‘one size fits all’ kinda thing. Each year I stock up on strings during the holiday sales season, with the must use those first mentality. duhh

I mostly use light gauge strings for ‘bending them guitar strings’, blues but not country blues. The SCGCj Norms bend much better than trad .13 meds for me.  There’s real results in the balance tension technology is my thinking, thanks Mr. Hoover.

The SCGC Low Tension go on the VJ very soon for sure. Old dog new tricks, makes the world go round.  bert

[bert]

Taming of the Shrew

 

SCGC Parabolic (Norms) have tamed my Collings CJmhA, so glad to report.  The harmonics have been fighting like cats/dogs on that guitar for as long as I can remember.  Wish I had taken the leap of faith before now.   bert

[bert]

Congratulations goody, that would probably be a lifetime guitar for me.

Your first OM, as an old dread player, which I had to abandon because of shoulder problems….

take time to know her as the old tune goes. OMs are so very versatile and as time goes along you will appreciate these things is my educated guess. best regards, bert

[bert]

Tip

I don’t currently own a slothead but have owned several along the way.  Get one of the battery powered string winders, makes it much easier.  While you hold the string in position on the post with one hand, the winder makes the rest of the job a breeze.  bert

[bert]

Sweet guitar, great sound.  best wishes, bert

[bert]

Thanks Tad and Rich for doing such an excellent job.  Mr. Hoover is truly the salt of the earth.

 

We are so very fortunate to be SCGC players.  bert

[bert]

This is a good example of quarter sawn (post #5) vs stumpwood (post #8). Post #9 by Buck says it all… It’s ‘what’s available today’. Top of the wood pile luthiers post on this thread and many other Log Cabin braz threads.

This is a deep topic but I hope this helps.

With the restrictions on braz, in 1989-90 CFM (as a company) switched from Braz to East Indian Rosewood. Some pre1990 Martins are worth their weight these days.

https://umgf.com/stump-wood-t175334.html#p174991

[bert]

I do believe that the issue of braz rosewood cracking happens over time with slab cut (flat sawn, stump wood)…. quarter sawn along the grain lines stays good for the longest time.   Slab sawn is marketed for the visual attraction.  The guy being quoted said the same thing but using his description.  Any slab sawn wood can crack over time is my experience.  bert

[bert]

Hmmmm, sounds like it has been shipped by the US Postal Service.   hee

[bert]

Congratulations Tad, that appears to be a mahog jewel.  I love some SCGC mahogany.  my best, bert

[bert]

Both are slope shoulders, the primary diff is the VJ – fullscale and the VS – short-scale. I have a 20yr old (2001) VJ, some things have changed over the years. Mine has some of the most perfect honduran mahogany and sitka that I have ever seen, I don’t really play rhythm but arpeggio off chordial patterns. Some (or most) of the new models might have red spruce (adi) tops.

Not the same, but along the same lines.. I have a 2008 Collings CJ short scale with red spruce top. The Collings is more of the cannon because of the red spruce. Can’t say for sure but that would likely hold true for the VJ or VS would be my thought (vs sitka). I don’t see any likeness to the Gibson AJ, I disliked one for a while back when. shut up Bert

[bert]

For whatever reason, my pic did not post,…try agsin.

[bert]

Hank, can commiserate.

You probably remember Hurricane Delta in early Oct. It came thru ATL with fury and huge rains. So much so that my next door neighbor and I had to have a new Storm Water drain system installed. The crews were so backed up that it was ~Nov 5 when finally finished. My car was happy to be back in the rear of the house.

All is well again aside from the 10K that got washed down the creek. uhhh, maybe a new guitar next year. bert

[bert]

Rich, that is about as perfect a writing as an imperfect world will allow. Thank you Mr Hoover for sharing your thoughts. My first SCGC guitar was a Tony Rice model, my main guitar for many years. I can’t play a lick of bluegrass but Tony’s work with David Grisman during the mid-late 70s (while I was living in Santa Cruz) was an eye opener. Rice-Grisman was like a completely new genre of music, still very unique. KFAT radio station out in Gilroy played their music 24/7, Sister Tiny was the DJ, what a kick.. seems like yesterday.

You guys make me very happy to own my VJ, I always treat it like it’s the one.

best regards, bert

 

[Author]

Posts