The neglected 6 string...

[RSKYBSNS]

Later yesterday evening as I'm doing some cleaning, I moved my guitar I haven't touched in probably a year or so to sweep behind it....
I've been a "learner" for going on 5 or 6 years now.
It's a Taylor Academy 12E, that when I picked it up new I just knew it was "the one for me"
Why in the world is it my brain can make sense of how every electrical connection and mechanical operation in a car works, why it works etc... can use weaponized maths in long distance shooting, tedious reloading stuffs you get the jist... but when it comes to this whole playin geetar thing it just doesn't "click" like other things. How do I "switch on", that part of my brain or am I just doomed forever to look at this acoustic wondering if/when I ever pick it up again and put the time in like I used to if I'll ever be decent enough to play a full dang song without popping a blood vessel in my forehead trying to remember everything and complete it!! I wanna have fun with it man!
This dude I work with is an AMAZING musician, he's going on tour in Europe at the end of this month with his band. Whenever we talk the musics I alway say "I epically suck and just wish I was better and could actually do it" yadda yadda... he seems to recognize a lot more potential in me than I do, and always says that I actually am "doing it" but my standards are too high and I'm just super hard on myself. I just feel like I have absolutely no idea how to put it all together
Over the years, there's been a few times I listed it for sale.. got low ball offers and ultimately withdrew the ad every time. Then end up picking it up again, playing it for months and telling myself "man I'm glad I didn't get this gone" Here lately the selling it thing has been popping in my head more and more frequently with the only thing stopping me from doing it is remembrance of times before that I didn't.
Obviously its 4am and it's one of these wierd sleepiness night thoughts that turned into a bit of a rant on here.... I'll just chock it up to my night shift job abnormality😅🤣

 

[fieldgrade]

Couple of random thoughts. Kind of in a similar place, although over the years I would consider myself more of an intermediate to advanced picker. I can hit some difficult licks, but not consistent enough to perform, and can’t sing. And I sort of hit a wall in recent years in my progression over fifty years.

One thing I found helpful is to have the instrument sitting on a stand close to wherever my parked carcass resides most of the day (I’m retired), which makes it easier to just pick up and play without having to walk to another room, pick up the case, put the case down on the bed, open it, get the gitbox out, then repeat when I’m done.

Then we started keeping our toddler grand most every day, and she’s a little female version of Barney and Betty Rubble’s little boy, Bam Bam. I just didn't
want her tackling an expensive guitar, so I sold it because I too, was not playing it much, at all.

Over the years my interests were typically learning to play catchy acoustic intros, or whole songs, that I particularly liked if I thought it wasn’t beyond my ability. And for every song like that today there are dozens of youtube videos showing us how to play that intro, or that song. Before the internet, I used tablature, and before that I used to just figure it out on my own, which was a lot harder.

Try to keep some fairly fresh strings on that guitar, and get an electronic tuner. When an instrument sounds good, and is in tune, it will sound better (of course) to your ear, and is more pleasing to try to get it to make the particular melodies that you want.

If I am learning a song that has some difficult pull-offs, triplets, or some other difficult maneuvers to execute, I try to improvise around it, or just satisfy myself that I’m not planning to play “out”, i.e performing for others, and satisfy myself with what I have been able to learn.

 

[NKD]

Been a struggle for me later in life.
Played a lot in my 20’s. In a basic band.
Now I’m 54, still have like 7 guitars, and almost never pick them up.
Certainly 1-2 would be plenty. Meh.
My interests continually change and move on. Always has.

 

[fieldgrade]

My interests continually change and move on. Always has.

This is definitely a thing. I sort of get focused on one, maybe two hobbies, to the exclusion of others.

 

[Red Marley]

Playing guitar is something I’d really like to do, but I never got past three or four chords. I don’t aspire to be Doc Watson, but I would like to play some John Prine tunes and stuff like that. But it’s a struggle to wrap my short stubby fingers around the neck and reach the strings. I tried to do it for a while, even took a few lessons, but it always ended in frustration. Short of a miracle happening, I guess at age 74 I will have to hope I’m better equipped for it next time around. I watch people that I know are no smarter than me just play naturally and I can’t understand how they do it. But I envy them.

 

[Snal~]

My interests continually change and move on. Always has.

Same here, I tend to collect hobbies, and I move on as well, but tend to "move back", so I can't bring myself to
part with anything. I have guitars/amps, banjos, Native American flutes, even a Yamaha Stagepas 600BT PA system.
Not to mention firearms, reloading, HAM Radios, blacksmith tools, leather craft tools, flute making tools, hunting, fishing, ect. As I said....good or bad, I have ONE hobby....and that's collecting hobbies.....LOL!

 

[Gator]

This is definitely a thing. I sort of get focused on one, maybe two hobbies, to the exclusion of others.

That is me, exactly. I narrow my focus to one, usually.

.

 

[df0101]

Ever since I bought a Cubebaby, it was much easier to pick up the guitar and play. The whole setup is right in front of the couch. I can send YouTube backing tracks to the Cubebaby through Bluetooth, and hear everything through the plugged in headphones. I still suck but it's lot of fun.

 

[fieldgrade]

Playing guitar is something I’d really like to do, but I never got past three or four chords. I don’t aspire to be Doc Watson, but I would like to play some John Prine tunes and stuff like that. But it’s a struggle to wrap my short stubby fingers around the neck and reach the strings. I tried to do it for a while, even took a few lessons, but it always ended in frustration. Short of a miracle happening, I guess at age 74 I will have to hope I’m better equipped for it next time around. I watch people that I know are no smarter than me just play naturally and I can’t understand how they do it. But I envy them.

I would recommend a 3/4 sized guitar, with a good neck. I have owned two Taylors that I really liked, the necks especially. Bought them both at Harry's 20 years apart.

They make a “Baby Taylor” that is 3/4 size. Go to Harry's Guitar Shop on Pylon Dr near Gregory Poole Equipment, not far from the state fairgrounds. Go late one weekday morning when they aren’t busy and see how this thing fits you. And you can’t beat the price for a Taylor.

Taylor Baby Spruce -BT1

Taylor Baby Taylor - Spruce BT1 for sale at Harrys Guitar Shop, Raleigh NC

harrysguitarshop.com

 

[Red Marley]

… Go to Harry's Guitar Shop

Taylor Baby Spruce -BT1

Taylor Baby Taylor - Spruce BT1 for sale at Harrys Guitar Shop, Raleigh NC

harrysguitarshop.com

Oh dear. I fear this will stir up yet another disappointment — not in the guitar, but in myself — but I may have to make it over to Harry’s to see if it makes a difference. This dog may be gettin’ too old to learn new tricks, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[hp468]

I never learned guitar, my folks didn’t want me having one when I was younger. Always wanted to learn to pick a banjo though.

Meanwhile, my dad still has a Gibson Eh100 floating around somewhere. He bought off a guy for $15 or $20 who needed gas money back sometime in the 70s.

He’s never played guitar either. 😂

 

[fieldgrade]

I never learned guitar, my folks didn’t want me having one when I was younger. Always wanted to learn to pick a banjo though.

Meanwhile, my dad still has a Gibson Eh100 floating around somewhere. He bought off a guy for $15 or $20 who needed gas money back sometime in the 70s.

He’s never played guitar either. 😂

I sorta forgot about this posting. https://carolinafirearmsforum.com/i...-banjo-bg150f-cary-apex-nc.31890/#post-546704

ETA: I think it’s currently at one of my son’s houses, but they both play guitar and treat my instruments well. Plus it’s no longer in The Containment area if it comes back to my house. Further south, near Fuquay Gun..

 

[Chdamn]

Oh dear. I fear this will stir up yet another disappointment — not in the guitar, but in myself — but I may have to make it over to Harry’s to see if it makes a difference. This dog may be gettin’ too old to learn new tricks, but thanks for the suggestion.

Never too old.

You won’t regret the things you did but the things you didn’t do.

 

[fieldgrade]

Oh dear. I fear this will stir up yet another disappointment — not in the guitar, but in myself — but I may have to make it over to Harry’s to see if it makes a difference. This dog may be gettin’ too old to learn new tricks, but thanks for the suggestion.

I’m bound and determined to help you spend your money.

Another consideration for you might be a 12 fret (versus 14), short scale guitar.

The Breedlove I sold fit that description, although generally speaking, guitars of that description are much fewer and farther between. And really only suited for finger style playing because there is less tension on the strings and they’ll tend to buzz if you strum or pick with a plectrum (aka guitar pick)

 

[NKD]

Ever since I bought a Cubebaby, it was much easier to pick up the guitar and play. The whole setup is right in front of the couch. I can send YouTube backing tracks to the Cubebaby through Bluetooth, and hear everything through the plugged in headphones. I still suck but it's lot of fun.

View attachment 656886

That duo-sonic is so sweet. Have wanted one since they did the hum version.

 

[Red Marley]

I would recommend a 3/4 sized guitar, with a good neck. I have owned two Taylors that I really liked, the necks especially. Bought them both at Harry's 20 years apart.

They make a “Baby Taylor” that is 3/4 size. Go to Harry's Guitar Shop on Pylon Dr near Gregory Poole Equipment, not far from the state fairgrounds. Go late one weekday morning when they aren’t busy and see how this thing fits you. And you can’t beat the price for a Taylor.

Taylor Baby Spruce -BT1

Taylor Baby Taylor - Spruce BT1 for sale at Harrys Guitar Shop, Raleigh NC

harrysguitarshop.com

OK, suppose, hypothetically, that someone was going to have a look at a 3/4 guitar... would he like the Baby Taylor twice as much as the 3/4 Yamaha? And why?

 

[fieldgrade]

OK, suppose, hypothetically, that someone was going to have a look at a 3/4 guitar... would he like the Baby Taylor twice as much as the 3/4 Yamaha? And why?

I played a Yamaha flat top from 1974 till around 2000. The neck on a Taylor is exponentially easier to play. I mean dramatically so.

I’d handle both of them if they have them in the store.

ETA: I expect the Taylor to sound better as well.

 

[Red Marley]

I played a Yamaha flat top from 1974 till around 2000. The neck on a Taylor is exponentially easier to play. I mean dramatically so.

That’s what I needed to know 👍

 

[HawgBonz]

After the better part of a lifetime I'm finally down to that one old beat up acoustic that collects dust on the stand.
There's pics of me when I was 5 or 6 holding a plastic guitar. I air-guitared it to my mother's old ZZ Top and Black Sabbath 8 tracks on the console stereo in the living room until they bought me off with a real Sears Les Paul copy and a Radio Shack "Mini-amp" then shuffled me off to my room.
I prolly really started it in earnest when I was a teenager cause I thought it might help get me laid. 🤣
And just in the last year sold off the last custom Jackson Dinky and the G-Dec that kept me piddlin with it. Like a lot of y'all, my interest innit kinda came-n-went but the last several years it just "went". I'd start it back up and get to where I was kinda/sorta gettin my lil groove rollin and I'd think "to what end?" Trying to get 4 or 5 guys together with conflicting schedules and other "personal issues" was daunting when we were younger and more "tolerant". I can't imagine what it would be like with a buncha us curmudgeons tryin the same.. 👴🤪🤣

Been in a coupla bands, played a few gigs, been to some stoopendous parties..
Still have the $15 I made playin a bar one night with "The Back Alley Band" up in the NoVa area. In the early 90's. 🙀
It was all swell, but the swellin finally went down.. I'll pick it up sometimes when I walk past just to run thru a coupla scales I like and remember so my fingers don't completely atrophy. 🥴

To the OP and a coupla others, I swear I've seen guys play and sing all night with a knowledge of only about 7 or 8 chords.
I've played with "porch bands" up in the mountains at Utt's Campground on a Friday or Saturday night in warmer weather.
You could bout G/C/D yer way thru the whole evening. Plus meet some really nice folks..
If it's somethin ya really wanna do then why not give it a decent shot.
I know I kick myself in the ass on the regular for some of those missed opportunities.

 

[fieldgrade]

That’s what I needed to know 👍

It is possible that Yamaha altered that neck profile since the 70’s. But I don’t know. I handled a much nicer, but similar vintage Yamaha not too long ago that belongs to a friend on here, and it had the very same neck profile as mine. I was disappointed.

It might feel better to you than it does to me.