#226
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(Foxo’s story of an encounter with Bob Dylan snipped.)
If that’s true, that’s a great story. If it’s fiction, it’s even more impressive! whm |
#227
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Back in '98 my wife had a guitar built for me.
I was keen to show it off and get the opinion of a singer-guitarist (who usually works as a part of a folk duo) and very much loved in the UK and Europe. He made it known that he didn't want to be bothered with my guitar but took it played two or three chords and said - "yeah, it's OK" and walked away. I've hated him ever since. However, he's a working, travelling performer, and I had not thought about what was on his mind and what he needed to do in the short break. Also, back in the day, before forums I was on a Yahoo group with a lot of American folks who shared our interests in Texas based singer-songwriters and one was a nightly gigging guy who was pretty poor and a bit wild . he accused (?) me of being a "weekend-warrior" which offended me at the time, but compared to him I was just tickling the outside edge of "show-biz". (I still had a full time job in a large corporate and played two/three gigs a month). In retrospect I can see their points. Then I remembered way back in te '60s when i was playing drums in a fairly successful R&B band and someone came up to me and said, "say, your are a great drummer!" I just said "I know" and walked away . How arrogant I was! Maybe he was looking for a drummer for Queen or Led Zeppelin ! In the last few years, I have been fortunate to meet many fine musicians, and because of my musical preferences, mostly Americans in the singer-songwriter or bluegrass genre. ALL (no exceptions) have been welcoming and sociable despite their potential weariness, and particularly in the bluegrass world almost everyone is a guitar/mando/banjo/fiddle nerd! there is an old "saw" told in the British acoustic world : A well dressed folk musician ambles into a guitar shop and says, "What's the cheapest guitar you have?" Sales person shows him something in Borneo cardboard or some such, then a scruffy looking guy in torn jeans and frayed baseball hat wanders in - "I'm in a bluegrass band - what's the finest guitar you have?" and what's more he buys it!
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#228
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Quote:
Not that I think a $1,500 guitar is rubbish - all guitars are rubbish if there's no talent to go with them. |
#229
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Quote:
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#230
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As for which guitar you’ll be taking I say take the one that suits the acoustics of the venue best. Take one similarly appointed backup. The lighter the better, unless you have a roadie who you compensate well.
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023) |
#231
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If you can't say anything real nice
it's better not to talk at all -Mike "that's my advice" |
#232
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It's the indian, not the arrow(s).
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#233
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It all points back to a reality. We, as musicians, are retail musicians. We are paid for a service, we serve the public. In another life, my wife was a customer service manager for a large retail department store chain. She studied customer service. She was taught a maxim: If a customer has a good experience, you are lucky if they tell one person. If a customer has a bad experience, they are statistically likely to tell ten people about it. Those are your odds: ten to one. You, as the retailer, have the job of seeing to it that every customer is satisfied in order to keep the odds on your side as often as possible. My wife taught her employees that they were essentially actors whose job it was to be pleasant and accommodating to the customers whether things were rough at home or the car broke down or the dog pooped the floor.
I've got a favorite band that I follow. They are a journeyman band, meaning that they live on the road and play 150-200 dates per year in Europe, North America, and the Mediterranean. They play gigs from 20,000-person festivals down to 200-person pubs. They put on a very professional show. After every show they towel down, change clothes, and come out to meet the audience. They stand at the merch booth, shoot the bull, sign items, shake hands, and answer questions. *They have figured out their position in the food chain.* They know that an audience member who has had a good personal contact becomes a rabid follower. I've asked the leader about his guitars more than once and he is glad to chat it up about them. No doubt guitar geeks come up to him every stinking night and ask the same stupid questions but he smiles and is glad to discuss things. Think on. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#234
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I'm a "professional working musician" and you come up to me after a show and dare to talk about guitar tone at your own peril! I will buy you a beer, sit with you and talk about acoustic guitars until they throw us out into the street at closing time!
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Call me Scott Cole Clark Angel 2 Thin Line | Emerald X7 Custom Woody | IRIS DF in sinker mahogany Methos1979: (Almost) Every guitar-related review I've written on AGF! Scott & Donna Music |
#235
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He who despises or takes for granted his payimg customers will soon have none.
That musician somehow didn't realise that if everybody played gigs every night there wouldn't be an audience who would pay to hear all those musicians. He is only able to live his dream playing music for a living because of the audience so he has better treat them always with courtesy and gratitude if he doesnt want to be flipping burgers for McDonalds instead. Quote:
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In the end it is about who you love above yourself and what you have stood for and lived for that make the difference... |
#236
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Bob Womack, after that great story, you've got to tell us the name of the band.
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#237
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Methos wrote:
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Yep, priorities can change over the years.... Wade Hampton Miller |
#238
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I run a small concert venue, but we get some internationally known folk here once in a while. None, the famous or the less-famous, have been less than friendly and willing to talk on many subjects - even if they don't attract as many people as they had hoped, they don't mention that. They stay civil and often talk for hours.
I also attend many concert and often speak to the performers (it is one way I get them here), but very little if they have others hovering around who also want their time. None have been that way. BUT, if one was like the guy the OP encountered. I''d' introduce myself as someone who used to be one of his fans. Then tell him, I appreciated the cure.
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The Bard Rocks Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber '31 National Duolian + many other stringed instruments. |
#239
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Ha! There's a cheery thought!
__________________
2018 Guild F-512 Sunburst -- 2007 Guild F412 Ice Tea burst 2002 Guild JF30-12 Whiskeyburst -- 2011 Guild F-50R Sunburst 2011 Guild GAD D125-12 NT -- 1972 Epiphone FT-160 12-string 2012 Epiphone Dot CH -- 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Standard trans amber 2013 Yamaha Motif XS7 Cougar's Soundcloud page |
#240
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That just doesn't sound like Dylan.
__________________
2018 Guild F-512 Sunburst -- 2007 Guild F412 Ice Tea burst 2002 Guild JF30-12 Whiskeyburst -- 2011 Guild F-50R Sunburst 2011 Guild GAD D125-12 NT -- 1972 Epiphone FT-160 12-string 2012 Epiphone Dot CH -- 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Standard trans amber 2013 Yamaha Motif XS7 Cougar's Soundcloud page |