New guitar = lateral and vertical growth & renewed enjoyment. Anyone else experience?

[roylor4]

Hi guys,

My background: singer (off and on), blues harp player for 20 years, serious guitar player for 3. My wife and I play out 3-4x a month. Multi genre stuff - mostly Americana, Bluegrass & Classic Rock stuff. My wife is a banjo player so we play what work with her skill set. I have been playing 95% rhythm with a few flatpicked tunes. Self taught, fairly mediocre, zero knowledge (or close) about theory but having fun. We typically practice 1-2 hours a night, 6 or 7 days a week.

Enter the Gretsch Honey Dipper resonator. I will add that I have dabbled with slide here and there for a few years, but never buckled down and got serious.

I have always been a blues guy. I have only had this guitar a few days. The nature of our practice has changed dramatically - focusing 80% on new blues material playing in open tuned G slide. I have noticed the following things:

1) When I play non-slide tunes my hand is significantly fresher, stronger and it takes less effort to play.
2) My vocals have improved. Easier. More effortless.
3) Relaxation while playing has improved.
4) The reso has exponentially increased the fun factor for blues and renewed my zest for playing. Not just it, but everything.

I guess stuff was feeling stale. I never expected that the reso would seemingly enhance everything. If I had known I would have gotten one years ago

Anyone else get a new guitar or adopt a new style and experience this? I'm interested in ya'lls experience in this regard.

[Dave T]

My response doesn't have anything to do with blues, resonators or slides (smile) but it kind of supports you experience none-the-less. I recently got what has to be the finest guitar I've ever played or will ever own, a Goodall classical. Not only is it well made (a given) but it fits me perfectly and sounds better than any other classical I've experienced. The thing is, it has inspired me to play much more, learn new stuff and just take the whole guitar thing much more seriously. I've heard people say a "new" or "better" instrument will inspire you to do better and I've now experienced that. Sounds like you had something similar happen with your new resonator. Enjoy!

Dave

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by Dave T

My response doesn't have anything to do with blues, resonators or slides (smile) but it kind of supports you experience none-the-less. I recently got what has to be the finest guitar I've ever played or will ever own, a Goodall classical. Not only is it well made (a given) but it fits me perfectly and sounds better than any other classical I've experienced. The thing is, it has inspired me to play much more, learn new stuff and just take the whole guitar thing much more seriously. I've heard people say a "new" or "better" instrument will inspire you to do better and I've now experienced that. Sounds like you had something similar happen with your new resonator. Enjoy!

Dave

Thanks Dave! I think a lot of it is going back to my musical roots. There was a time if i got cut I would bleed to a 12 bar 1/4/5 progression.

The other part of the equation is helping my wife learn how to play harmonica. She was young when we got married and back then - she thought the blues were depressing. She's all into them now.

I'm having fun introducing her to Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy, Little Walter, Muddy, Elmore James, Willie Dixon and all the old greats.

Goodalls are awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[EoE]

when you are learning something new it opens up new pathways in the brain allowing every thing to improve you can gogels it if you want a experts view of this. That is why I am always learning a new instrument different than a type of lute. playing with the vilion right now. and that helps with my lute family of instruments.

[DenverSteve]

No renewed interest or enthusiasm but extra time taken to learn and better understand the new instrument.

[TBman]

I finally got serious about learning fingerstyle blues using video lessons from Toby Walker (AGF member) and Stefan Grossman. This has given me that "spark" I had when I was a kid.

If I can get about 20 songs memorized, I'm going down to Hoboken and play on a street corner with my guitar case open and see if I can make enough money to buy some strings!!

[billgennaro]

I don't play the blues but my story goes like this. In 2006 my brother bought a Kevin Ryan MGC. He lent it to me for a few days but never got it back. I purchased it from him and have been primarily a fingerpicker ever since (after 30 years of basically playing with a flatpick).

[Bingoccc]

A few years ago I got a mandolin. I found a whole new world and it improved my music knowledge and guitar playing immensely. I just got my first resonator (a Republic) and finally broke down and tried an open tuning. It was another love affair. I never thought I'd like open tunings because my whole life has been anchored in standard. I really am improving at a much faster rate than I ever was and my interest in learning has never been higher.

[rmyAddison]

I was a rocker for 40 years before I went acoustic, so that was a change and an "energizer". Then about 10 years ago I started flatpicking (nor bluegrass, what I call lyric flatpicking) and I fell totally in love with the improvisation it provides.

That feeling is still fresh, and I started guitar in 1965..........

[Toby Walker]

Great story Dave. I'm glad to see you 'revitalized' your playing by taking a new approach. That sort of thing is experienced in all forms of the creative arts.

I'm primarily a blues player but a few years ago I returned to another one of my passions... bluegrass. Like yourself, playing and learning a different style had an equally positive, residual effect on my other styles.

Thanks for sharing that story.

[roylor4]

Thanks for the input guys. Great to hear ya'lls own stories about this.

I have been playing open G stuff for a while but this new guitar is the first one that seems set up specifically for slide & regular playing. It has lit a fire under my butt.

[Smitty70]

From the first down stroke on my friends Dan Tyminski Hd28V I had to have one. Now I have a HD 28 custom shop. Which led to a Fishman Artist, mic, mic stand, Voice 3, and assorted cables. So, yes, the new guitar caused me to try singing again and cost me more than anticipated.

[Br1ck]

I recently bought the smallest guitar I've ever owned, a Martin 00 all hog guitar. This one just wants to play old timey, and country blues.Transports me to rural 1930s.