Guitars on a boat

Jan 2, 2017
765
O'Day & Islander 322 & 37 Scottsdale, AZ & Owls Head, ME
Genec: No pain, no gain. But aren’t uke strings nylon?
 

genec

.
Dec 30, 2010
188
Pacific Seacraft Orion27 HP: San Diego, M: Anacortes
Genec: No pain, no gain. But aren’t uke strings nylon?
You still need to develop the muscles for each finger to work independently, and to stretch over the distances required to play the chords. And no, actually, my wife (with decades of guitar experience) plays a Uke with a low G string... gives it a nice tone contrasted with my Uke.

All those years of using close spaced computer keyboards just isn't doing me any favors. GRIN. What really does the trick is long sessions of playing. "I got blisters on me fingers..."
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Interesting insight into the finger thing.
@genec
I hope it helps. In my younger days, I was an acoustic snob. But I now tell people who want to learn that it is easier on an electric that is well set up. The fretting is just not as painful and you will stick with it long enough to get it working. But the real lesson is that it simply takes some time to get your fingers to work like you want them to. But when it does!!!!!! It becomes very easy to pick up just about any stringed instrument. I don't claim to "play" banjo or mandolin but I can play several songs on each instrument. It is basically learning a few new chords and then telling your fingers to hit those strings.

The stretch thing you mentioned is definitely a thing. I forgot to mention that. After 40 years of playing, when I stretch out my fingers on my two hands, my left hand has a lot more reach than my right hand. You can practice stretching out your fingers while watching TV or some other activity. Take your thumb and pointer fingers of your right hand and place them on your pointer and pinky of your left. The push the pointer and pinky on your left hand out as far as you can and "stretch" them out as far as is comfortable. Do that regularly and you will expand the reach of your left hand over time and make fretting easier for those "hard" chords.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I saw the Beatles when they came to D.C. in 1965. Then, "DAD! I want a guitar" !!! He said, okay we'll rent an acoustic guitar and take lessons". The saying at school, which I used to reply to dad, was "If the Lord meant for acoustic guitars, he wouldn't have invented electricity". I bought a candy apple, metalflake, red electric with the chrome twang stick. Got home with it and an amp, only to realize I had NOT gotten a cord to connect the 2. I had to wait till stores were open on Monday.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes: Will Gilmore

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
For me, it was Led Zeppelin, I wanted to play like Jimmy Page but my parents signed me up for classical guitar lessons. I took the opportunity and it turned out my guitar teacher was a real rocker and Led Zeppelin fan. I soon bought a cheap electric off a friend that didn't take to guitar and started rocking. I also bought an acoustic which was fun to drag around with me. Now I mostly play acoustic but also plug in my electric from time to time.
My kids have all played guitar a bit. One plays bass now, and cello, and flute, they all play piano, a couple play violin. I like that they enjoy music so much. It really is a great way to unwind, or something to enjoy with friends.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Good kid, giving dad a brief reprieve! :biggrin:
Yeah, but only 2 days. Then when he heard that Sears 2x12 with reverb and tremolo play Ghost Riders in the SKy he thought differently. I just said to Kermit after 53 years I'm selling it all and putting the money into the boat. After 40 years with the guys of The Last Call Band I've been saying when we started, the trouble was LEARNING the music. Now, the trouble is trying to REMEMBER the music!
 

jwing

.
Jun 5, 2014
503
ODay Mariner Guntersville
Thanks for your input, jwing - very interesting.
Since I’m not an expert, I think I’ll stick to the advice of the folks from Nazareth (in more ways than one).
You are welcome. It's your life, and now you are a bit more informed.

For those of us who do not want to live under the tyranny of keeping our guitars in an environment controlled to 50 +/- 5% RH and 74.5 +/- 2.5 degrees F, here is a thought: Taylor makes 130,000 guitars per year; Martin makes about 80,000. Both manufacturers ship guitars from their factories year-round, with little concern of the temperature and relative humidity conditions that the guitars will experience between factory and customer. You can imagine the range of conditions in the backs of UPS trucks and in the containers on cargo ships. And don't forget, some of those guitars are purchased by touring pros. Life on the road and on outdoor stages all summer and their guitars do not self-destruct - amazing.
 
Oct 30, 2017
183
Catalina c 27 Lake Pueblo
Not sure if you were joking about selling it all and putting the money into the boat.

But I am thinking of selling 3 guitars, a mandolin and a mountain dulcimer and just going to one guitar. And having that be one that I do not care if it gets banged up a little.

(Actually my so has requested the Taylor... kids ... he is actually a really good bass player)
 
Jun 21, 2007
2,105
Hunter Cherubini 36_80-82 Sausalito / San Francisco Bay
After 40 years with the guys of The Last Call Band I've been saying when we started, the trouble was LEARNING the music. Now, the trouble is trying to REMEMBER the music!
I never was at the level to actually play in a band on a stage, as you were/are, but I can sure relate.

I alway been drawn to fingerstyle solo stuff. In the early 70's, while in college, I needed only a few weeks to listen/rewind/listen again to a John Fahey solo on my portable real-to-real tape player/recorder and pretty much learn and remember and actually do a pretty good emulation from start to end.

Scan forward 30 years to my early 50's, (that would be 15 years ago) I took up the guitar again. New technologies allowed me to learn many tunes from TAB, MP3's, slowing down without changing pitch, and record myself to compare my attempt with the original. After a few months to regain finger strength, dexterity and finger tip callouses, I began to do pretty well. My fingers still could remember and play pretty complex stuff. Better than in college actually. But what changed over the years was a now epidemic penchant for frequent blow-outs while playing. Yeah, there are those sequences that always will cause trouble. The ones forever beyond my ability. But even simple sections of songs were never safe.

Now at age 67, I have instead taken to playing/learning new songs by reading directly from the music or tab without looking at the fret board while practicing. Been a real (very frustrating) adventure learning to move positions from up/down between the 1st fret and say the 7th or 9th or 12th without looking. Getting better at it, but I'll never be a natural. But the most significant result of playing directly from the written score is that I am not able to memorize as before.

But the real reason though is: ADVANCING AGE!
 
  • Like
Likes: pateco

AXEL

.
Mar 12, 2008
359
Catalina C30 MKIII WEST ISLIP, NY
Back to storing guitars on the boat. I like to take a guitar with me when I'm out for an over night (or more). Generally I take a less expensive one. I used to have a Mexican Telecaster with a maple neck that was perfect but have since sold it for a more expensive model. I found the rosewood necks would absorb moisture and even get what looked like mold after and extended time. Maple necks better! Recently someone gave me a beat up Fender acoustic which now stays on board (in a gig bag). I got it for free, it does the job. I'll still take a Tele out once in a while. I can recommend a couple of portable battery powered amps, I like my Blackstar Fly 3, 2 channels, sounds great. Roland also has a good line of 5 watt battery amps.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
Its amazing how they can stick on of these into a guitar body and charge and extra 500 bucks for it.



"The back of the cabinet acts like a speaker" - LOL, I sure hope not. The last thing you want a speaker to do is resonate.
 
Last edited: