Practice Guitar

[MidfieldGeneral]

Originally Posted by rllink

What's wrong with the Martin?

I'm assuming you sold most of your guitars for a reason and now you are talking about buying another when you have a perfectly nice guitar to play. I think if I were you I would just enjoy the Martin and play it all the time.

The Martin is lovely and ticks alll the boxes. I live in Switzerland and I am concerned about keeping it out the whole time and subjecting it to the dry air. Also I sold the others because I have improved a lot and I know exactly what I am looking for from a guitar.

[RalphH]

Just get a room humidifier. It's cheaper than another guitar and it's healthier for you to be at 50% RH as well.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by MidfieldGeneral

The Martin is lovely and ticks alll the boxes. I live in Switzerland and I am concerned about keeping it out the whole time and subjecting it to the dry air. Also I sold the others because I have improved a lot and I know exactly what I am looking for from a guitar.

If you want another guitar you should absolutely buy one. Lord knows this forum is not against adding instruments.

I would suggest one with the same scale and string spacing as your Martin if you're playing anything at all with even small amount of technical demand. I would also recommend a humidifier, even for the humans. I have a humidifier but still keep my guitars in the cases when not playing, but you only need to please yourself.

From a musical standpoint, the only option that makes no sense to me is a practice guitar that doesn't feel and respond like your Martin.

When I taught in an inner-city school district I purchased a Yamaha student model trumpet so I didn't have to worry about my pro horns. It's a nice horn (around $800), but I never play it at home. I always play on the nicest instrument I own.

[jaymarsch]

The only time that I have owned a "practice" guitar is when I didn't want to take my larger, higher end guitar to the office. So I practiced at lunchtime on one of those little Washburn travel guitars. Now that I am telecommuting, I never play that guitar at all. Unless I start backpacking, it will probably find it's way to Guitar4Vets so someone can make good use of it.

I find practicing on the guitars that I play most the best and most satisfying.

Best,
Jayne

[MidfieldGeneral]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

If you want another guitar you should absolutely buy one. Lord knows this forum is not against adding instruments.

I would suggest one with the same scale and string spacing as your Martin if you're playing anything at all with even small amount of technical demand. I would also recommend a humidifier, even for the humans. I have a humidifier but still keep my guitars in the cases when not playing, but you only need to please yourself.

From a musical standpoint, the only option that makes no sense to me is a practice guitar that doesn't feel and respond like your Martin.

When I taught in an inner-city school district I purchased a Yamaha student model trumpet so I didn't have to worry about my pro horns. It's a nice horn (around $800), but I never play it at home. I always play on the nicest instrument I own.

Thanks for the tip I just bought a Yamaha LS6 which has the same nut width and similar body to the Martin. We’re in January and I’m net minus one guitars! Not bad!

[whvick]

I see both sides of this discussion. Years ago, I bought a very serviceable Orpheum auditorium on going-out-of-business sale to “protect” my Taylor.
The up side is my Taylor is still in mint condition. However, would it be better broken in if it were all I played?
At times I think I should sell off the Taylor and just play the practice guitar. It really is quite good.
Recently, I took it to my son’s for Christmas so I could coach my daughter-in-law learning to play my sons old Takamine. We brought back some of the grandkids so there was not
Room for my Orpheum. No problem, my wife would bring it Back next trip next Month, right? Wrong! Things have changed and I may not Get it back for a while. So the moral of that story is the practice guitar has allowed me to still have a guitar back here, The Taylor.
And I keep an old Harmony banger out to grab anytime I want, or the grandkids can beat around on it.
So this rambling is my vote yes for practice and banger guitars. There is definitely a place for them

[Karma]

My beater $150, 40 year old Yamaha SJ-180 sits out right next to my kids guitar

[hatamoto]

Originally Posted by MidfieldGeneral

The Martin is lovely and ticks alll the boxes. I live in Switzerland and I am concerned about keeping it out the whole time and subjecting it to the dry air. Also I sold the others because I have improved a lot and I know exactly what I am looking for from a guitar.

I understand this as I live in a tropical rainforest. I have a Lowden and a Rainsong. I keep my Rainsong out all the time and bring it everywhere with me. It's nice to have a guitar that you don't have to worry about, but it's not necessary.

I think us guitar players worry more than we should. I never had any problems with humidity or dry climate issues with my Lowden. All I do is just put it back in it's case when I'm done for the day. I used to travel back and forth Canada/Philippines, and live in both countries so my Lowden had experienced both extremes in the 10+ years that I've had it. I've even gone a few months during winter without humidfying my Lowden. It was just in it's case (I have a Calton).

Before I got my Rainsong, I've always flown with my Lowden to and from between the two countries. When I get home, I don't even bother letting it acclimate to the new weather. I just open it up, re tune it and play.

So if you're thinking about buying a practice guitar for the sake of protecting your other guitar, I honestly think you'll be fine with your Martin. You'll get to know your main instrument better. I would say the same for me looking back.

However, if you really do want and need a beater guitar then I would highly suggest carbon fiber. It really all comes down to what you think you really need.

[NotveryGood]

I can see both sides of this, but generally my feeling is that every minute spent on a "practise" guitar is a minute you wont get back when you could have been playing your pride and joy. Life is too short .

[MidfieldGeneral]

Thanks for all the tips they have been really useful I bought a Yamaha LS 6 and it’s fantastic it’s not quite a beater guitar but will do as a second guitar thanks again

[printer2]

Originally Posted by RP

Thought I'd mention that whatever guitar you use for practice, it should have strings on it for optimum results...

And saddle.

I was fitting it for one at the time. But I will be making a replacement guitar soon. The wide and flat fretboard are the deal breakers at the moment. It was a nylon model and I find going to my electric is a big change. So I will go for a narrower nut and some radius on the fretboard as well as a full scale fretboard. Otherwise it really is not a bad little guitar. It will be going on camping trips with me.