#31
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How Lucky Are You?
I think it's important to step back occasionally to think about how lucky I am. I live in the USA, and I live in the state of Minnesota, which is even better, and I live in Minneapolis, and have access to many outlets where guitars and other instruments are sold. Willie's Guitars, Hoffman Guitars, Twin Town Guitars, Olson Guitars, Groth Music, The Podium, several Guitar Centers, and many smaller "boutique" shops...all within a short drive.
By some stroke of luck (or fate), I have done ok (compared to many others) and can afford to spend a little money on several nice guitars. I retired early (age 47) due to medical issues related to stress, but with all that behind me now, I am now enjoying life. I have 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren, and love every minute I spend with them. I'll be 65 on Sunday, and I think there is a surprise party in the works because that is what my kids do...they love to surprise me and shower me with gifts! They won't be giving me a guitar (they think I own too many), so I've taken it upon myself to do that!!! NGD on Saturday! I'll keep you posted. Glen
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Yamaha FG-375S Jumbo Martin DXME/D-35E/DC Aura/000-14 Custom/D-16E Custom/ 000C Nylon/0000-28HE/Concept IV Jumbo/00-16C/D-4132SE Gibson LP Deluxe/ES-347 TD/Chet Atkins CE Fender MIA Deluxe Strat Art & Lutherie 12-string Bellucci Concert Sigma CR-7 Recording King ROS-06 FE3/RPH-05 D'Angelico "New Yorker" New Masters "Esperance SP" Hermosa AH-20 “I never met a guitar I didn't like.” |
#32
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Hi Berny,
I AM lucky to be living in the USA for a lot of reasons, and access to a huge range of really good guitars is certainly one of them. I'm also grateful to have had the opportunity to make a good living by gambling on my talents and abilities and working hard to make the best of it. There would be no guitars without making a good living first. - Glenn |
#33
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Don't get me wrong, I love living in Australia, and everything considered, I think it's probably the best country in the world to live in ATM, particularly the eastern, mid and North coasts. But, the chances of buying a very good, mature, 'name' guitar, at a 'reasonable' [read steal ] price, are limited. I keep looking, but time is definitely not on my side.
Again I reiterate, I'm not complaining, just making a point. |
#34
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Hahaha
You should come to India hahahahaha
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Yamaha FG700MS 29th Aug, 2013 |
#35
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I have had the opportunity to spend a bunch of time in New Zealand though... I think I could be very happy spending the rest of my life there! Lovely place, with very nice people (and LOTS of cool biology as well)! And interestingly, during the month I was there, I never once had any significant worries about my personal safety (e.g. in terms of the people I was passing on the street, etc..... it was sort of a bit of culture shock coming back to the U.S. after that). Minneapolis is a very nice place though! (as Glen said above in his post.... and maybe Glen and I will meet eventually at one of the local AGF gatherings?)
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A few of my early attempts at recording: https://www.youtube.com/user/wcap07/featured |
#36
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#37
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This is from their current list of acoustics. imports: Blueridge Cigano Collings CORT Eastman Gallato Gibson Guild Gitane LAG Martin National Paul Reed Smith Taylor Takamine Yamaha Australian: Gerard Gilet - Sydney NSW. Steel string Trevor Gore - Cottage Point, NSW. Innovative steel string and classicals (hmmm Trevor Gore...name rings a bell! Guitars look nice! Next time I'm back in Sydney...) Mark Gosbell - Small body steel strings and Lap Steels. Western Sydney. Maton - Melbourne, VIC. An Australian legend since the 50's Cole Clark - Melbourne, VIC. Steel string Classical guitars: John "Ben" Hall - Unique "half-lattice" braced Classicals Graham Caldersmith - Lattice braced classical guitars Gerard Gilet - Sydney NSW. Dan Kellaway - Lattice braced classical guitars Daniel De Jong - Classical guitars Kim Lissarrague - Blue Mountains, NSW. Classical guitars Trevor Gore - Cottage Point, NSW. Innovative design bracing and intonation. Tony Morison - Classical Guitars
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https://www.youtube.com/@stevereinthal/videos |
#38
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I dont think its about availability of American made acoustics, there are many shops that stock them. If I look at Adelaide Derringers has a great selection of Gibson, Martin and Taylors amongst others. Twang Central has one of the best collections of banner Gibsons Ive ever seen, even in US stores.
The problem is the pricing, which is really signficantly higher than in the US. I just looked at Gladesville and their price for J-45 standard is A$4,000, which is about 25% more that a J-45TV bought in the US ... Quote:
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The Big Fat Lady 02' Gibson J-150 The Squares 11' Hummingbird TV, 08' Dove The Slopeys 11' Gibson SJ (Aaron Lewis) The Pickers 43' Gibson LG-2, 09' Furch OM 32SM (custom) , 02' Martin J-40 The Beater 99' Cort Earth 100 What we do on weekends: http://www.reverbnation.com/doubleshotprague |
#39
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but everyone will haggle on published prices, especially when you're waving around a fist-o'-cash!
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https://www.youtube.com/@stevereinthal/videos |
#40
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We are fortunate in North America. We have access to anything we want and can afford and if we can't find it locally we pay nominal shipping compared to what you would pay. All that said we still reserve the right to complain.
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A couple of Halcyons and a Canadian made Larrivee "Wish I had more time to hear your reasons, but I have to go get a beer." 00-28 Last edited by Gasworker; 09-20-2013 at 05:01 AM. Reason: Removed my comment regarding GySgtFTL hijacking this thread. |
#41
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I worked for a company that had a very close relationship with a distributor down under. I left after a decade but co9uld have gone and am really bummed I never got to go visit.
Tell you what: Buy a guitar, pay the airfare and I'll personally hand carry and deliver it
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Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" Taylor GC7, GA3-12, SB2-C, SB2-Cp...... Ibanez AVC-11MHx , AC-240 |
#42
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Yes, I see the prices of acoustics in USA and scratch my head compared to AUS. I often wonder if Americans can buy good quality 2nd hand instruments, bring them over here, play while on holiday then sell them and pay for the airline tickets before they head home. The original question though was How Lucky are you? In Australia, got the Eastman E10OM and I don't know about lucky, but definitely privileged to have such a great sounding and playing guitar at a price I could afford. If you ever have holiday in Adelaide go to Twangcentral and play some of the guitars in 'the vault' - some cracking Gibsons in there.
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#43
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I know I have been riding with the angels when to comes to guitars. It is not so much I find them as they find me. I have never even gone out looking for any of the guitars I own. They just tend to pop up.
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"You start off playing guitars to get girls & end up talking with middle-aged men about your fingernails" - Ed Gerhard |
#44
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Living on Florida's first coast counting my blessings while playing some nice guitars; two from Ireland; one from Hawaii and one from Japan.
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NOLE TUNES & Coastal Acoustic Music one love jam! Martin D18 & 3 lil' birdz; Takamine KC70, P3NC x 2 |
#45
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They find us...
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After 10 days it was still there. So, I called. The lady says "I have two guitars for sale, if you buy them both I'll discount them." are you kidding me? So, I went. The FG-730S was made in August, 2013. Yep, less than 1 month ago. It is literally brand new, not a mark on it. Discount price? $125.00. New saddle, new strings, tango-bango, great guitar for the price of dinner and a movie.
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TOO Stinkin' MANY GITS! Buncha Les Pauls Buncha Strats Martin HD-28, 2012-000CNylon Taylor 310K Taylor 214CE Taylor 110 Larrivee D-05 FG-375S FG-180 (5) FG-300 (5) FG-360 FG-350W APX-10 FG160E Woodsong K100,SW400 Paul Beard GRE Many other Yamahas (25 others- Garrison, Seagull, PRS, Squier 51, Dynamic) BigMike sez: I tried to be good, but there were just too many options. |