Author Topic: Talking to different people with old guitars  (Read 2831 times)

Louis

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Talking to different people with old guitars
« on: June 05, 2015, 07:34:08 PM »
Playing  a lot of different venues I and I'm sure you come across a lot who tell you that they have an old guitar like J 45 Gibson that they bought in the 50's or when ever else . The other day I was at a jam session and an old guy who could barely walk up to the stage had a 1956 Les Paul that he bought brand new, and he could barely play it he was so old. I could not figure out what he was doing with thing at a jam session and not get beat up and lose it in the parking lot .But when guys tell me about the vintage acoustic's they have most of the guys I talk to don't have a clue about keeping them humidified so makes me wonder what shape there in . Seen one a couple weeks ago and it was a J model Gibson and as far as I' m concerned was good for the dump and dried out beyond repair . One thing I learned when I went to the Taylor factory a couple months ago is all Taylor's need to be humidified even if it's a 100 or 200 series and laminated .
« Last Edit: June 05, 2015, 07:37:13 PM by Louis »
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Earl

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2015, 07:45:15 PM »
There are lots of old guitars around.  Some have survived despite the neglect, and many have probably ended up in the dump or as kindling.  I know of a fellow here in Boise who has a garage full of nice old ukulele, including Kamaka and Martins.  He has never made any attempt to heat or humidify and some of them are not even cased, so almost all of them have terrible cracks and other damage.  He just brushes it off as, "they all do that".  So true, when they are abused.  Some people should not be allowed to have nice instruments (or pets, or children.... but that is a whole 'nother discussion).

There is a certain amount of luck involved too.  If the guitar lived in grandma's attic, it probably died.  But if it lived under the bed in its case in a home (where the people were reasonably comfortable) it may get away unscathed.  I have also recently seen old timers with Martin guitars that they bought new in the 1930's but were prized possessions, and treated accordingly.  One 00-18 even had the original pickguard worn through, with a corresponding hole in the top underneath.
Taylors:  424-LTD (all koa) and a 114ce that lives with friends in Alaska.  Low maintenance carbon fiber guitars are my "thing" these days, but I will always keep the koa 424.  Several ukulele and bass guitars too. 
*Gone but not forgotten:  a 2001 414ce, 410, 354-LTD twelve string, 314-N, 416-LTD baritone, T5 Classic, 615ce, 2006 GS-K, 1996 (first year) Baby

Christhee68

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2015, 10:37:06 PM »
The coolest guitar I ever saw out in public was a 1958 Gibson ES-335. The guy traveled around a lot and used it for gigs. He said no one in his band knows it's a '58, because he doesn't trust them.
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2015 Martin D-18
1982 Martin HD-28
2004 Fender Telecaster
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Jersey tuning

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2015, 06:43:37 AM »
A friend of mine from the City brought me her husband's 1940 Martin 00-18 to check out. Sides badly cracked, back partially separated from sides :(.  Sent her to Matt Umanov in NYC for resurrection(yeah, that bad).
CURRENTLY PLAYING

'30 Martin 2-17 solid Mahogany
'97 Tacoma PK-30 Sitka/koa
'99 Alhambra 11C classical cedar/EIR
'05 TAYLOR 614ce 
'07 Breedlove Atlas 12-string Sitka/Mahogany
'10 Froggy Bottom "C" Adi/Brazilian   
'11 TAYLOR BTO GC 12-fret sinker/EIR.  
'14 Alvarez Baritone Sitka/Mahogany
'18 Cordoba hybrid Flamenco Euro Spruce/Ziricote
'23 M. Colbert Baritone Alaskan Sitka/Black Limba multiscale with Manzer wedge

Stringband Eric

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2015, 08:31:06 AM »
Coolest old guitar I've seen taken to a jam was a 1934 D-28.  Son of the original owner.  He knew what he had.  Was in fantastic shape.  But it was maintained by one of the best shops in the area. 

A friend has a really really beat up 1947 J-45 that looks like it was dragged behind a car.  It was repaired in some spots with bondo.  Yet the guitar sounds fantastic.  (For the record, he purchased it that way.)

But it's not just old guitars that can be destroyed.  Once saw a beautiful Taylor 510 where the back was starting to pop off because the owners humidified it too much.  There was mold on the label and the braces were loose. 

For my own interests and purposes, have been moving away from owning vintage guitars over the past few years.  While loving the sound, they were usually not the instruments I reached for when going to a jam session or for performances. 
Eric P.
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2013 Gibson J-35

Strumming Fool

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2015, 02:25:37 PM »

For my own interests and purposes, have been moving away from owning vintage guitars over the past few years.  While loving the sound, they were usually not the instruments I reached for when going to a jam session or for performances.

I agree...I used to own a 1937 Martin 00-17 that was fun to play as a piece of history, but not of much use as a gigging instrument. All my current Taylors are an entirely different story....
My Taylor Grand Auditoriums:

1997 Cujo14 - old growth cedar/black walnut
2014 K24e - master grade koa
2018 Custom GA - bear claw sitka spruce/mahogany
2019 614 - torrified sitka spruce/flamed maple
2020 714 - lutz spruce/rosewood

Jersey tuning

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2015, 12:24:01 PM »
I totally enjoyed taking my 1930 Martin 2-17 to a weekend guitar getaway, with lots of late evening jam sessions.  Also had my custom Taylor GC for the times when I wanted to elevate my jamming.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2015, 12:35:21 PM by Jersey tuning »
CURRENTLY PLAYING

'30 Martin 2-17 solid Mahogany
'97 Tacoma PK-30 Sitka/koa
'99 Alhambra 11C classical cedar/EIR
'05 TAYLOR 614ce 
'07 Breedlove Atlas 12-string Sitka/Mahogany
'10 Froggy Bottom "C" Adi/Brazilian   
'11 TAYLOR BTO GC 12-fret sinker/EIR.  
'14 Alvarez Baritone Sitka/Mahogany
'18 Cordoba hybrid Flamenco Euro Spruce/Ziricote
'23 M. Colbert Baritone Alaskan Sitka/Black Limba multiscale with Manzer wedge

Edward

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2015, 11:18:36 AM »
There are always the extremes: those who know/care little about their instruments, and those that know/care too much for them ...on forums, largely the latter, you know who you are, lol!!!

What the web has given us guitar geeks is the ability to obsess over every little nuance.  I've BTDT, myself, over many aspects of gear: from acoustics, to electrics, to pedals, amps, cables!  There is always "that guy" who knows nuttin and his gear sounds like junk despite his skills (not fun playing with that guy!), but then there are those who have it all "just right" and still sound like themselves ...lol, I resemble that remark.  All to say: there's a happy medium in here somewhere :D

Edward


bbarkow

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2015, 11:42:45 AM »
I saw a guy on the stage at a festival with a '30s D-18 - I don't remember the exact year he said. He beat that thing like a rented mule. I couldn't believe he wasn't being more gentle with it.

Earl

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2015, 12:50:59 PM »
One time at a guitar camp in Alaska, a camper brought an original Martin New Yorker made in about 1916.  And he checked it as baggage both ways!  I was shocked that he put such a valuable and historical instrument at such risk in its original case.  But it sure was fun to play.  I also got a chance once to actually play a collector's 1865-ish Martin, complete with the Stauffer style peghead.  Wow!
Taylors:  424-LTD (all koa) and a 114ce that lives with friends in Alaska.  Low maintenance carbon fiber guitars are my "thing" these days, but I will always keep the koa 424.  Several ukulele and bass guitars too. 
*Gone but not forgotten:  a 2001 414ce, 410, 354-LTD twelve string, 314-N, 416-LTD baritone, T5 Classic, 615ce, 2006 GS-K, 1996 (first year) Baby

Sedated

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Re: Talking to different people with old guitars
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2015, 11:34:51 PM »
Coolest old guitar I've seen taken to a jam was a 1934 D-28.  Son of the original owner.  He knew what he had.  Was in fantastic shape.  But it was maintained by one of the best shops in the area. 

12 or 14 fret?