Fort Worth-Arlington,Tx workshop

[metatex]

Some of us in the Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas area met this week for a guitar playing workshop. We were all at that "early intermediate" skill level. We worked on improving our fingerpicking, using a few lessons from well-known instruction books. It was rewarding. While we certainly enjoyed ourselves, our emphasis was definitely on improving our playing skills, and not a social gathering. We're thinking about a weekly or bi-monthly meeting. Would anyone like to join us?

[A1rh0pper]

Any chance that could migrate to Dallas? Or at least be held in Dallas?

[jeffrey]

I'd be down for attending something like that, I might even be able to contribute some. :)

We should try and do something the weekend of the Arlington Guitar Show as it would coincide with probably a fair amount of people being in Arlington (me and Wade here for two). ;)

[Thin Crust]

I'd be interested!

[gteague]

i'd be interested also. but it would depend on how far away it is--i detest the dallas traffic and get out in it as little as possible.

/guy

[metatex]

I can see I need to provide a few more details about the workshop. In the immediate future, we're going to meet on Tuesday evenings after work for a couple of hours in the Fort Worth-Arlington area. We are planning to work on our fingerstyle skills using instructional books like those by Kenny Sultan, Mark Hansen, Stefan Grossman,etc. We want the workshops to be fun, but we want them to be more instructional than social. Feel free to email me at:
metatex_guitar@yahoo.com.

[ozrufus]

Sounds pretty neat. I don't know if I will be able to attend, but I'd definitely like to stay informed... :)

[jhm-614]

That sounds great and Tuesday nights on this side of the "metro-mess" works for me. Count me in.

I've been planning on ordering the Hansen books anyway, so no problem there. What are the names of the Kenny Sultan and Stefan Grossman books that you are planning on using?

thanks-

jas.

[metatex]

That sounds great and Tuesday nights on this side of the "metro-mess" works for me. Count me in.

I've been planning on ordering the Hansen books anyway, so no problem there. What are the names of the Kenny Sultan and Stefan Grossman books that you are planning on using?

thanks-

jas.
We've just started with "Intro. to Acoustic Blues" by Sultan. When we're ready, maybe we can use his follow-up book "Acoustic Blues Guitar (Intermediate)". If we want to use them, I've also got "Guitar Solos and Techniques" by Stefan Grossman. I've also his books on Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, and his "Delta Blues" collection. I think determining and acquiring materials appropriate to the group's playing abilities will require an ongoing group effort.

[jhm-614]

Thought I would bump this up and issue a humidity warning -- it's almost time to start humidifing in this neck of the woods. The humidity in my office has been dropping daily over the last couple of weeks and even with the rain last night, my hydrometer reads 45 tonight.

[taygull]

detest the dallas traffic and get out in it as little as possible.

/guy

....and the mid city traffic is "better"? PLEASE! It is horrible from Forney to Weatherford! :)

[sc morris]

Thought I would bump this up and issue a humidity warning -- it's almost time to start humidifing in this neck of the woods. The humidity in my office has been dropping daily over the last couple of weeks and even with the rain last night, my hydrometer reads 45 tonight.
I have never understood humidity and guitars. I've been playing for years and have never owned a humidifier. AAMOF, I don't even know anyone who owns a humidifer and I know tons of guitar players. I'm in Ft. Worth, BTW. Do I needone? What do you recommend.

:confused:

[taygull]

I have never understood humidity and guitars. I've been playing for years and have never owned a humidifier. AAMOF, I don't even know anyone who owns a humidifer and I know tons of guitar players. I'm in Ft. Worth, BTW. Do I needone? What do you recommend.

:confused:

My JDCM split where the two top pieces meet last year. I sent it back to Taylor. They fixed it so perfect that you cannot tell!

It cracked because the guitar dryed out setting in the house without the humidifier. In Texas you need to keep the guitar moist during the winter. Central heat and air pulls all the moisture out of the air.

I won't make the same mistake this year!

[sc morris]

My JDCM split where the two top pieces meet last year. I sent it back to Taylor. They fixed it so perfect that you cannot tell!

It cracked because the guitar dryed out setting in the house without the humidifier. In Texas you need to keep the guitar moist during the winter. Central heat and air pulls all the moisture out of the air.

I won't make the same mistake this year!
Ok, so what do I need to get? My Larrivee is my first good guitar and I want it to last for a lifetime. CAn you give me a link to a product that I can pick up locally? Thanks...

[taygull]

Ok, so what do I need to get? My Larrivee is my first good guitar and I want it to last for a lifetime. CAn you give me a link to a product that I can pick up locally? Thanks...

There are a bunch of different ones.

What a great excuse to go to the music store! I bought some little stones that absorb water 3 for $10 while I was in Nashville. I'm gonna try those. The first thing you need to by is the hydrometer (I think that is what it is called) from Radio Shack. I bought one that shows temp and humidity. I have left it out in the house and check on it every week or so. Since April the humidity has been between 45% and 55% in the house so I was not worried.

I've got a humidifier that clips on to the strings as well, you just inject water into it every week or two.

The big thing to do is get distilled water from the grocery store, this will help prevent a fungus.

I don't have a link but GC or any music store will have several different ones!

[jhm-614]

I've been using the Planet Waves

http://www.planetwaves.com/Pcaredetails.aspx?ID=2

It slips between the strings -- two drawbacks, it bends the strings slightly (hasn't hurt anything yet) and you have to lay the case flat to prevent drips.

[sc morris]

I still don't understand the need for one. I can buy a hydrometer, but the numbers on there will be like reading Greek to me. This is all very confusing and the main reason I've never bothered with it. I don't understand why my $200 Takamine can just sit on a stand for the last 12 years and be as straight as an arrow, but I need to "feed" my solid wood Larrivee? I understand laminates and solids, but it just seems ridiculous to have to worry over this stuff. If I go to GC, I seriously doubt anyone in there will have a clue about these issues or how to explain them. Guess I'll just take my chances without a humidifier.

[metatex]

I use a Planet Wave humidifier too. Why you ask? Taylor told me to.

[taygull]

I still don't understand the need for one. I can buy a hydrometer, but the numbers on there will be like reading Greek to me. This is all very confusing and the main reason I've never bothered with it. I don't understand why my $200 Takamine can just sit on a stand for the last 12 years and be as straight as an arrow, but I need to "feed" my solid wood Larrivee? I understand laminates and solids, but it just seems ridiculous to have to worry over this stuff. If I go to GC, I seriously doubt anyone in there will have a clue about these issues or how to explain them. Guess I'll just take my chances without a humidifier.

With all due respect.....Good grief!

Why would you say "I'll take my chances without a humidifier" when I made it clear my Taylor cracked?

How do you know you can't read a hydrometer? Have you ever looked at one? Like I suggested get a digital one from Radio Shack. Here is what it will say;

Temp 72 Hum 50%

I don't think you'll have a problem reading this!

If you still don't understand it go to Taylor's website and read the tech sheet. A solid Wood guitar is more likely to have damage due to contracting and expanding. Laminates have more margin of error and are not as likely to warp, crack, expand, and contract to the point of damage.

With respect to GC I think I recommended going there to buy one. If you still don't understand call Larrive or Taylor or Gibson or Martin or any quality guitar maker. They all can answer your questions!

I promise! It's not that tough!

[sc morris]

With all due respect.....Good grief!

Why would you say "I'll take my chances without a humidifier" when I made it clear my Taylor cracked?

How do you know you can't read a hydrometer? Have you ever looked at one? Like I suggested get a digital one from Radio Shack. Here is what it will say;

Temp 72 Hum 50%

I don't think you'll have a problem reading this!

If you still don't understand it go to Taylor's website and read the tech sheet. A solid Wood guitar is more likely to have damage due to contracting and expanding. Laminates have more margin of error and are not as likely to warp, crack, expand, and contract to the point of damage.

With respect to GC I think I recommended going there to buy one. If you still don't understand call Larrive or Taylor or Gibson or Martin or any quality guitar maker. They all can answer your questions!

I promise! It's not that tough!

It's just never made sense to me and it still doesn't...that's all. Sure I would be able to tell if there's lots of humidity in my house....but I have no clue if that's a good or bad thing for my guitar, since I have no clue what the correct amount should be. Follow me? I have no idea how to tell if it's "too dry" or "too wet" in my house for my guitar. I just don't get it.

I totally understand the nature of lams and solids, how one will move and one will likely not.

How do you know you can't read a hydrometer? Have you ever looked at one? Like I suggested get a digital one from Radio Shack. Here is what it will say;

Temp 72 Hum 50%
Sure, I could read that, but I'd have absolutely no clue if it's a good or bad thing for my guitar. I think that's the part you're not understanding here. It could say 500% humidity and I wouldn't know if it's a good or bad thing. I obviously know that if it's too hot in the house, that's a bad thing. But my house would never get as hot as the trunk of a car or something.

Still don't get it...

[jhm-614]

SC-

I know what you mean -- Here's a link to Taylor's Humidity info :

http://www.taylorguitars.com/global/pdfs/greatest_hits.pdf

http://www.taylorguitars.com/global/pdfs/seasonal_changes.pdf

and even more stuff here :

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/reference/techsheets.html

I couldn't find anything on Larrivee's site, but their warranty info does state they don't cover damage due to humidity : http://www.larrivee.com/data/warranty/warranty.html

[sc morris]

SC-

I know what you mean -- Here's a link to Taylor's Humidity info :

http://www.taylorguitars.com/global/pdfs/greatest_hits.pdf

http://www.taylorguitars.com/global/pdfs/seasonal_changes.pdf

and even more stuff here :

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/reference/techsheets.html

I couldn't find anything on Larrivee's site, but their warranty info does state they don't cover damage due to humidity : http://www.larrivee.com/data/warranty/warranty.html
Thanks, that's really helpful. I'm going to really study that first link in order to understand it. There must really be something to all of this if Taylor's going to all the trouble to inform people.

[taygull]

Thanks, that's really helpful. I'm going to really study that first link in order to understand it. There must really be something to all of this if Taylor's going to all the trouble to inform people.

Keep the guitar between 45% and 55%....it's that simple! below 45% is too dry & above 55% is too wet!