7 Tips for Older Beginners

Why So Many Guitars? Acoustic Edition: The Taylor 814ce

Why So Many Guitars? Acoustic Edition: The Lowden F-22

How many times have I heard the joke - "Why do you have so many guitars? You can only play one at a time."?  Too many to count.  Maybe this series will help explain.

Why So Many Guitars? Acoustic Edition: #1 The Gibson Dove

Recent Session - Deepwater Horizon, composer Steve Jablonsky

I played a Fender Jazz Bass, Fender American Standard Stratocaster guitar, a Martin D-35 acoustic and Gretsch Resonator guitar on the very ending credits on the film Deepwater Horizon.  You have to stay to the bitter end to hear it or you can just listen below...

Also used...

Elixir Strings - acoustic and electric sets.
Wegen Picks.
Golden Gate slide guitar convertor.  Convert any acoustic guitar or round neck dobro into a raised action square-neck type dobro.

High-Strung Song No. 1

I wrote this to kind of high light the intrinsic beauty of the tuning. Mostly played on the top four strings in 6/8 time. The pattern is a very simple up and down sweep of 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, but often sounds more complex. Notice the frequency of unisons ringing out against each other, something that would be difficult to accomplish on any instrument. Tight piano-like clusters abound as well.

I used my Larivee Parlor guitar with the high set of an Elixir 12-string set (use the remaining strings for a normally tuned guitar) and a Wegen Pick. 

©2013 by Tom Strahle, BMI

The "Free Range Groove"

A groove using 16th notes but with accents of three.

The chords in the progression are...

E5 - x79900
C#m7 - x46600
Bsus - x24400
A2 - x02200

Lowden F22 Guitar

Elixir Acoustic Guitar Strings - Light
http://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Strings-Acoustic-POLYWEB-Coating/dp/B0002E1NNM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1338763632&sr=8-6

Dunlop Nylon 1mm Pick
http://www.amazon.com/Dunlop-Nylon-Standard-Picks-Black/dp/B0002D0CHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338763743&sr=8-1

What's In My Emergency Gig Kit?

Just taking a look at what emergencies I have prepared for. Just the basics...

Elixir Electric Strings

Elixir Acoustic Strings

Dunlop Derlin Purple Picks - 1.5mm

Dunlop Nylon Black 1.0mm

Groove Tubes EL84 Tubes

Groove Tubes 12ax7 Tubes

Finger Nail Kit

Finger Tip Bandaids

9 volt Batteries

String Winder

Basic Black Guitar Strap

The NAMM Show

"What is the NAMM show?"

NAMM stands for National Association of Music Merchants.  It was first held in 1901(!).  It's generally where for four days buyers from music stores and chains go to see and order merchandise for the coming year from major and minor manfuacturers.  Guitars, basses, amps, pedal, recording gear, keyboards, pianos, lighting systems, karaoke machines, everything and anything that has to do with music and music production.  Most every industry has a similar trade show.  CES is the consumer electronics trade show.  E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo.  There are trade shows for plumbing suppliers, clothing retailers, home builders, for just about anything.  Many are open to the public.  However, NAMM, historically has not been open to the public.*

Generally Winter NAMM is in Anaheim in January every year.  Summer NAMM is in Nashville or Austin in July.

You might ask me... "As an aspiring musician why should I go to the NAMM show?

1. See amazing new gear
2. See amazing musicians
3. Meet amazing manufacturers
4. Meet amazing musicians

I've been going now for years, at least twenty, and it's most fun the first couple of times you go and more than a little overwhelming.  I mainly go now to bond with my sons.  I've seen a lot of famous musicians over the years; Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Wonder, Bootsy Collins to name but a few.  And seen some amazing players at booths like the guy who invented the e-bow, he's got that thing down!  Amazing 10 year old shredders that will make you want to sell your gear.  Country shredders like Johnny Hiland and John Jorgenson and Jerry Donahue from the Hellecasters.  Old school jazzers.  Bass slappers.  And all sorts of unknown players like you killin' it in the booths while trying out gear.

And that's the main reason to go to the NAMM show.  The gear and those that build it.  I've seen and heard some amazing guitars, amps and pedals in Anaheim before the general public even heard about them.  And the inventors/builders, who often risk everything they own to bring their products to market, are inspiring.  I've made many "love connections" and gotten some great gear for cost or even free in return for my endorsement and/or evaluation.

"OK, Tom you sold me. How do I get a badge to get in?"

That's the tough part.  But doable.  Do you have a store that you frequent?  Do you have a store that you spend a lot of money at?  OK, let me be more blunt, is there a store who's owner is depending on you to put his kids through college.  If they are a member of NAMM they can get you a badge even if they aren't planning on going.  Ask.

Or do you know a manufacturer?  Someone who is going to have a booth there?  They can get a badge for you.  I've gotten most of my badges from this source.  Martin Guitars, Taylor Guitars, Elixir Strings, Marshall Electronics, Roland, all companies that I had some connection with through the years.  If you know someone who works for a manufacturer, ask him.

Do you know someone who works for a trade magazine?  They also have access to badges.

Every year I hear that they are going to crack down on unauthorized people getting into the show.  Use to be you could use anyone's badge to get in, but true to their promise they have been checking and matching ID to badge for the last couple of years now.  One year I was "Bruce Kulick".  I got a lot of double takes that year.

*This year, 2011, NAMM opened Sunday to the public.  Not sure what it cost but I'm sure it was insane.  I tend to go only on Thursday and Friday as is it's mildly less swarmed.


Heet Sound Plus EBow Electric Bow for Guitar with 2 Batteries Included

Johnny Hiland -
Johnny Hiland
Johnny Hiland: Chicken Pickin' Guitar

The Hellecasters -
Return of the Hellecasters
Escape from Hollywood
New Axes to Grind

Why I use Elixir Strings.

PLEASE NOTE: I endorse Elixir strings.  They didn't come to me though, I went to them because I really like their product.

There is, or at least was, a bit of a debate about coated strings.  Which I completely understand on two levels, first, coated strings, especially early on were not as bright as non-coated strings.  And second, one method of advertising is to disparage your competition. That quieted down significantly when many other manufacturers offered up their own versions of a coated, long lasting string.

So why do I use them?

1.  I have acidic hand sweat.  You should see up close some of the hardware on my guitars.  Particularly the gold ones.  Not pretty.  You know the alien blood from the movie Alien?  Now you know what I'm taking about.  Prior to Elixirs I used Ernie Ball strings on electric, and within and hour of playing time they became tetanus wires.  I was always changing strings.  At a few bucks a set it wasn't that big of a deal, just the time it took to change them, but time is money and once I switched to Elixirs I found that I could keep strings on my main electrics for weeks instead of days.

2.  They don't corrode in storage.  I have a lot of guitars.  Many are rarely played.  But the last thing I want to do is restring my Rickenbacker 12-string the night before a session. Especially if, despite being told to bring it, I never actually use it.  But with it strung up with Elixirs I know I can confidently grab it on my way out the door and if needed it will be ready to track.  I always keep extra sets in every case just in case.  Pun not intended.

3. The immediate vintage tone.  Truth be told, as nice as brand new strings feel, they can sound a little brittle or bright.  Normal strings sound better once worked in.  For me that may only take an hour, for others a week.  Even still I change strings on my acoustic(s) the night before a session so they have time to settle in.  With Elixirs they immediately have that worn in sound and I like that.  Many players don't and that's why they came out with the nano-web versions to provide that closer to non-coated experience.  To me both the electrics and acoustic sets are ready for the red light (to record) as soon as they are on the guitar.

4.  They tune up fast.  You know how when you string up a guitar you have to tug the strings and tune them a bunch of times until they settle?  Maybe between every song for a set?  Not with Elixirs.  Tune, tug, tune, play, tune... and that's pretty much it from my experience.  This is important when you have several guitars out for a session and you are going from one to the other twenty times in an hour.

5.  They are quieter.  When I'm in the studio recording acoustic instruments, ie. acoustic 6 or 12 string, nylon/classical guitar, mandolin, etc., I am often playing before a very sensitive condenser mic or maybe two.  They pick up everything: heavy breathing, toe tapping, chair squeaking, humming, counting aloud,  a hole in your septum (that's another story for later) or SQUEAKING STRINGS.  Well Elixirs can't help with any of those except those pesky squeaks one creates when one slides fingers up and down the fretboard.  There are ways to reduce that noise; mic placement, lightness of touch, swiftness of hand movement.  But another tools to reduce this unwanted noise is to string up your instrument with coated strings.  I prefer the polyweb (classic) over the nanoweb for this reason.

6.  They are easier on the finger tips.  There are days where I have a guitar in my hands for 14 hours and Elixir strings really allow me to play longer without pain or discomfort.  Often I'll pick up someone else's guitar and within minutes be feeling the deep ridges of a non-coated set of string.  Ouch.  OK, I'm a baby.  This is also a reason why I prefer polyweb over nanoweb.

Do I have something, anything bad to say about Elixirs?  Hmmm, the packaging hurts my eyes.  Oh yeah, and that they discontinued the classical guitar sets.  They are well aware of my objections.

Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings, 6-String, Light NANOWEB Coating

Elixir Strings Acoustic Guitar Strings, 6 String, Light POLYWEB Coating

Elixir Strings Mandolin Strings, 8 String, Light, Acoustic NANOWEB Coating

Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings, 12-String Light

The high-strung/Nashville tuned guitar

Go to page 10 of this pdf to read an article I wrote for Taylor Guitar's Wood and Steel magazine about high-strung guitars.

Here's a Larrivee Parlor guitar - Larrivee P-03 Parlor - Used

This string set you can break up into two sets, one normal, one high strung -
Elixir Strings Acoustic Guitar Strings, 12-String, Light NANOWEB Coating
or
Elixir 11150 Elixir Poly Acous 12-Stg Lite

Sound Better for Free (or next to nothing) - Tip #1

There are many ways of improving your sound. Not the least of which is buying all new gear. But before you rush out to "Gear R Us" and max out all you creditcards, including the gas card, I'd like to touch on some ways to do it for free or for pocket change.

Increase Your String Gauge
The next time you're going to music store to buy a set of strings, buy a heavier set.  Heavier strings sound better.  They provide more mass or more tone and they tend to ring longer.  If you're playing your electric with 8's or 9's try bumping up to 9's or 10's.

Stevie Ray Vaughn sometimes used heavy-gauged strings as thick as .013-.060.  You'd be hard pressed to argue than SRV wasn't a tone king.  Now to be fare I have to tell you he did detune his guitar a half-step to Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb, making minor 3rd bends almost doable.

Now if after years of playing with 9's that set of 10's just feels way too heavy, then try a set of 9.5's.  You can find them if you look.  You could use that as a transition set.  Or you could use a "light top heavy bottom" set to transition.  One trick I did recently was when I ordered my last guitar, I had it strung up with heavier strings then I normally would've used, but now I've only known that guitar to feel that way.  In essence I fooled myself.  I play that guitar all the time and it sounds great.

For some reason like Starbucks' "tall", "grande", "venti", nomenclature for string manufacturers is "extra light" means light, "light" means medium, and "medium" means heavy.

Acoustic players could switch from "extra lights" to "lights" or from "lights" to "mediums".  There is an even more dramatic metamorphosis with acoustic guitars when you increase the string gauge.  With both acoustic and electrics it's a workout at first but later pays in "tonal dividends".

Acoustic strings -
Elixir Strings Acoustic Guitar Strings, 6 String, Light POLYWEB Coating
Elixir Strings Acoustic Guitar Strings, 6-String, Medium NANOWEB Coating
Ernie Ball 2003 Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Acoustic String Set, Medium Light (12 - 54)
Ernie Ball 2004 Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Acoustic String Set, Light (11 - 52)

Electric strings -
Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings, 6-String, Light NANOWEB Coating
Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings, 6-String, Medium NANOWEB Coating
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky String Set (10 - 46)
Ernie Ball 2627 Ernie Ball, Beefy Slinky String Set (11 - 54)