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Old 01-17-2019, 03:41 PM
rust_preacher rust_preacher is offline
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Default Rekindling love of old guitar

Hello. I just reactivated this account, it looks like I was last active some 12 years ago.

Anyway, (this will be long), at the time I first joined AGF, I had just bought a Taylor T5 that I still have. I had had a Finnish Landola DL-38 as my acoustic for a long time already then (it is made in 1991). The Landola sat in its case for a long time only to be retuned every now and then. I played electrics, and for the last ten years, mostly bass which was a new venture for me.

Fast forward to last July. There was a Martin D-28 on the local Facebook Marketplace, selling close to what I was ready to pay for one. I hesitated for a while and the seller dropped the price to where I believe he still was happy, and where I definitely could justify the acquisition. The Martin is from 2010 and I loved its playability and sound right from the start. I said to myself "starter guitars should be like this, a joy to play!" I had somehow convinced myself that the relatively cheap Landola I had had since the 1990s was inaquate.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/163451...posted-public/

Now, this week, there was a local cat who was looking for a D-28 to buy. We basically agreed on the price, but I told him I need to evaluate my willingness to part with mine. So I started playing the D-28 and the Landola alternately, just to be sure. The clarity to the matter was soon resolved - I did not sell the Martin. It is just an inspirational guitar for me. It "sounds like on the record" as its sound on modern rock and country songs is so ubiquitous.

But, I also re-evaluated the Landola. Compared to the Martin, its neck is more radiused-like, and the back profile is a bit chunkier. But, even though when I started on steel-string and on the Landola, I had some difficulty with its neck and my left hand was tiring on the neck - it was no fault of the neck but my hand stamina. Now that I have played bass quite regularly for 10 years, I have developed my hands in a different way and the Landola neck feels only "different", not "unsuitable".

The Landola sound is very bold and projective. I can play it louder then the Martin before the strings rattle too hard. The sound, otherwise, is surprisingly quite similar to the Martin. I would say they complement each other nicely.

So, I now have two excellent acoustics, even though I originally thought I could let the Landola go. Looking at the market, the DL series seems to be a rare bird. There was one DL-34 on a local board for a few days and it was gone before I got the seller to show it to me. The DL-38 is the flagship of the series, with impeccable tonewoods - spruce top and Brazilian rosewood sides and back. The neck is mahogany. Almost 30 years have gone by since its manufacture, and you can't get Brazilian rosewood and high-gloss lacquer finishes for the kind of money I paid for the guitar back then. It's a keeper, with new, rekindled love from me.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/163451...posted-public/
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Old 01-17-2019, 03:52 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Nice story - We now have 2 new doctors in my town - 1 male and 1 female - both from Finland.
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1972 - Takamine D-70
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Old 01-17-2019, 08:24 PM
Budman1 Budman1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
Nice story - We now have 2 new doctors in my town - 1 male and 1 female - both from Finland.
Ha!! Loud guitars will run ‘em off every time
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“Time flies,
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Old 01-18-2019, 05:50 AM
ruger9 ruger9 is offline
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I recently pulled my old (1991) Ovation, my first "real", and at the time, expensive, acoustic... since buying my Walden (all wood) acoustic, I really haven't played the Ovation for many years... it just hung on the wall, year after year, getting played VERY rarely. It's a great guitar, sounds good, FEELS GREAT (the neck plays like an electric, and I'm an electric guy)... but I just didn't play it.

This past summer, for some reason, I started playing it again. And I thought, "this guitar is great, it could use some love". But that didn't last. It's on the wall again, for many months now. It's not the guitar, it's me. Being primarily an electric player (especially since starting a band and building a setlist), all my playing time is electric. I'll pick up the Walden from time-to-time, but the Ovation is all but abandoned.

BUT... I could never sell it; it went thru "the war" (my band days) with me. It was the 1st acoustic I bought with my own money, and made payments on it. It was the acoustic of my youth. I sometimes wonder if I have just "moved on", mentally, and that's why I don't play it anymore. I say "mentally" because, it plays better than any acoustic I've ever held, sounds really good, and looks gorgeous.

Ditto with my old Charvel/Jackson with Floyd Rose. It languishes hanging on the wall, I'll pick it up occasionally to "get my Vai on", but really... I play my new superstrat instead. Again, could never sell it, but rarely play it. Still one of my favorite necks of all-time.

You know what my problem is? I need MORE TIME lol. It's not the guitar, it's not me.... it's lack of TIME!! I need to retire so I have the time to play ALL my guitars! LOL (I don't have a ton; 7)
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Old 01-18-2019, 08:00 AM
jweave69 jweave69 is offline
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Welcome back to the forum! Nice story and thanks for sharing!
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  #6  
Old 01-21-2019, 07:19 AM
rust_preacher rust_preacher is offline
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Thanks for the responses. I share time with my city flat and my country place, so now I have a viable guitar at each location. The trouble is that my dogs start to howl the minute I tune up. And they won't let go. On the other hand I don't need to sing the blues.
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