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  #16  
Old 10-09-2018, 08:54 AM
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Ray;

You've about summed up my musical abilities and challenges. I used to go to Lark in the Morning and buy strange instruments from around the world. And then I realized that while I was having fun, I wasn't getting very good with any particular instrument. So now, the guitar is it for me. The problem is, which guitar? I want to get it down to one which is a real challenge. I'm also hoping to one day be able to play to the quality of the instrument--an even bigger challenge.
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  #17  
Old 10-09-2018, 09:43 AM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Originally Posted by raysachs View Post
.....I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with a uke or a harp....
Actually guitar players DO know what to do with a uke - they just haven't realized it yet. Capo the guitar on the fifth fret and remove the two bass strings and - voila - you have a ukulele. The D chord shape from standard guitar tuning is the G chord on ukulele. Guitar G shape becomes a one finger C chord without those pesky fifth and sixth strings to worry about. And so forth.

A friend visiting in his RV saw my X20 and X20-12 and immediately went to the Emerald site looking for a standard ukulele, with no luck. They only show the Synergy harp-ukes and he doesn't know what to do with them either. Basically you tune the bass strings to be the root notes of several chords, and pluck a bass string letting it ring while playing the four-string neck.
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  #18  
Old 10-09-2018, 09:44 AM
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raysachs raysachs is offline
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Originally Posted by EvanB View Post
Ray;

You've about summed up my musical abilities and challenges. I used to go to Lark in the Morning and buy strange instruments from around the world. And then I realized that while I was having fun, I wasn't getting very good with any particular instrument. So now, the guitar is it for me. The problem is, which guitar? I want to get it down to one which is a real challenge. I'm also hoping to one day be able to play to the quality of the instrument--an even bigger challenge.
I was a one electric and one acoustic guy for decades. Now I seem to like a bit of variety. Not enough to become a collector, but just a few different sounding electrics and a couple different feels in acoustics.

None of them are widely expensive guitars (although the X20 is getting there), but I will never play to the quality of any of them. I may have outplayed my first acoustic by now, which was a $60 pawn shop no-name in 1977 with barbed wire strings and action about a half inch off the fretboard and neck too twisted to ever get in tune, let alone KEEP in tune. But even that's a close call.

Ultimately I'm not worried about that - playing guitar is one of the great joys in my life and while I'm not (and never will be) enough of a player to take full advantage of a great instrument, I'm a good enough player to appreciate the sound and feel of a great instrument. So it gives me a great deal of pleasure to play them, not just to have them...

I've played ukes and 12 strings enough to know that I should just stick to a normal six-string guitar. And outside of playing Keef riffs on electric, I've never had any need to confuse myself with alternate tunings either!

-Ray
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  #19  
Old 10-09-2018, 09:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
Actually guitar players DO know what to do with a uke - they just haven't realized it yet. Capo the guitar on the fifth fret and remove the two bass strings and - voila - you have a ukulele. The D chord shape from standard guitar tuning is the G chord on ukulele. Guitar G shape becomes a one finger C chord without those pesky fifth and sixth strings to worry about. And so forth.

A friend visiting in his RV saw my X20 and X20-12 and immediately went to the Emerald site looking for a standard ukulele, with no luck. They only show the Synergy harp-ukes and he doesn't know what to do with them either. Basically you tune the bass strings to be the root notes of several chords, and pluck a bass string letting it ring while playing the four-string neck.
I know - I've messed around with them. And with 12 strings. I just can't really get anything more useful or pleasing out of them than I can a six string guitar. I actually sort of like 12-strings, but not enough to deal with having one and keeping it strung and tuned and whatnot. As long as I have a friend with a 12-string that I can pick up and strum once in a while, I never particularly want to own one...
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  #20  
Old 10-09-2018, 10:50 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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I know - I've messed around with them. And with 12 strings. I just can't really get anything more useful or pleasing out of them than I can a six string guitar. I actually sort of like 12-strings, but not enough to deal with having one and keeping it strung and tuned and whatnot. As long as I have a friend with a 12-string that I can pick up and strum once in a while, I never particularly want to own one...
The same thing gets said amongst sailors, regarding a wood boat: better to have a friend with one than to have one yourself.

Earl's 12-string X20 with the 24.6" scale is the best 12-string I've laid hands on.
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  #21  
Old 10-09-2018, 03:12 PM
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Doublenecks double neck 6/12 blew me away. I have tried 12s a number of different time and finally just gave them up. The 12 on Doubleneck's Emerald was so easy to play and so sweet sounding that I was almost tempted. However, a 12 in nylon is a tuning nightmare.
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