Sukiyaki

[jimmy bookout]

A fun old tune to play, I took some license with some voicings that sounded better to my ears, played on a Neil Gardiner Concert model.

Jimmy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p63Q3FpPe7E

[JoeCharter]

Nice playing and nice sounding guitar.

Very interesting arrangement.

Well done, Jimmy!

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

Nice playing and nice sounding guitar.

Very interesting arrangement.

Well done, Jimmy!

Thanks Joe. It's kinda like Chet's version but I did take some liberties!

BTW, your video on the laminate Yamaha classical is great. It just goes to show..."It ain't the violin, it's the violinist". It's like my profession (wine distributor), there is clearly a point where value inverts upside down (in guitars/wine/cars/etc) and the more you pay the less you get. Just about ANY guitar in your hands would sound great, the Yamaha classical proves it. The most IMPRESSIVE guitar I own (from a utility/value standpoint) is a Voyage Air OM4, a solid top/laminate b/s guitar that costs $500....it sounds good, plays in tune, is cleverly designed and nicely built, etc. It over-delivers in every way.

Jimmy

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

It's like my profession (wine distributor), there is clearly a point where value inverts upside down (in guitars/wine/cars/etc) and the more you pay the less you get.

I often make the same analogy as well. Watches are a good example too. OK so your Rolex might well be more precise than my Timex -- but certainly not by $10,000... LOL

I'm the first to indulge in fancy wines whenever there's an opportunity to do so -- but I'm certainly down to earth enough to realize the expensive bottles are more prestigious than good. With wines, for my tasting ability I would think the tipping point is around $15-20.

Same for guitars. If my only consideration were sound, I would stick with very modest instruments indeed. The endless conversations about tiny differences in tone between spruces and rosewoods (of different instruments) have the same reaction on me as the latest issue of Wine Spectator -- it's an insult to my intelligence (and to my hard earned money).

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

I often make the same analogy as well. Watches are a good example too. OK so your Rolex might well be more precise than my Timex -- but certainly not by $10,000... LOL

I'm the first to indulge in fancy wines whenever there's an opportunity to do so -- but I'm certainly down to earth enough to realize the expensive bottles are more prestigious than good. With wines, for my tasting ability I would think the tipping point is around $15-20.

Same for guitars. If my only consideration were sound, I would stick with very modest instruments indeed. The endless conversations about tiny differences in tone between spruces and rosewoods (of different instruments) have the same reaction on me as the latest issue of Wine Spectator -- it's an insult to my intelligence (and to my hard earned money).

Years ago, I was doing a wine dinner and someone brought up (someone always does!) pricing for a luxury wine verses more pedestrian bottlings. I thought about how to answer the question and have the answer make sense and then, I had a brainstorm. I called it the "30/30" rule. It applies to wine and cars, $30 for a bottle and $30,000 for the car. Once you go above the "30/30" line, the more you pay, the less you get, relatively speaking. It's something most folks can relate to. While I can make a case (usually) that a $30 bottle is twice as good as a $15 bottle, I can SELDOM make the case that a $60 bottle is twice as good as a $30 bottle (obviously, I am being VERY generic here). For the car example, I use a Honda Accord and a Mercedes S-class. The Mercedes costs 3 to 4 times more than the Honda but it doesn't do ANYTHING 3 - 4 times better. It's not 3 times faster/safer/more comfortable/etc.

The lesson: You pays your money and you makes your choices. That said, the REAL lesson is to not attempt to affix value to a luxury good. Enjoy the fact that the luxury good exists, and enjoy the fact that one can buy it (if one can). If one can't, don't be the person who rails incessantly about the money and the poor value. That's not the point of a luxury good. There's plenty of room for Honda/Mercedes, Eastman/Olson, Yellowtail/Robert Foley Claret!!!!!!!

Jimmy