Dad3353

There are two places that determine the height of an individual string on guitars of the sort: the bridge and the nut. It's fairly easy to see if it's the bridge that's the issue: remove the 'D' and 'G' strings (or slacken 'em off considerably...), then swap the bridge saddles of these two strings and tune up again. If the issue is now with the 'D' string, have the offending saddle cut a touch deeper, or change it for one that conforms better. If the problem is still the 'G' string, the nut slot for that string maybe needs deepening. This is best done by a luthier, as a little goes a long way, and too much is a Bad Idea. Any help..?

First guess would be for an acoustic guitar. Yamaha are a pretty safe bet, in quality terms, both for the build and sonority, as are ibanez and Cort, but there are many more fine guitars to be had. In general, one gets better for spending more, but even the 'budget' ranges are worth playing. An option worth considering, although not indispensable, is an electro-acoustic. Plays as an acoustic, but can be plugged in; especially useful for recording directly into a computer interface without an amp. Here's a link to the Thomann German site; they are a highly reputed mail-order giant, based in Germany, so no delivery worries if that's where it's to go. This is their 'lefty' acoustic guitar section... Thomann Lefty Acoustic Guitars ... ... from which you might find inspiration. Filtered by 'In stock', then 'Five Stars' , with 'Pick-up system', and sorted by price, rising, I see a Harley Benson at £195, a Cort at £266 and an Ovation at £430. Without the Pick-up, I see two Fenders, at £155, a Takamine at £222, an Ibanez at £348 and a Taylor at £535. Any of these would suit an absolute beginner, and will give years of enjoyment. The higher end of the price range brings a more 'concert-ready' quality of sound, but none of these are 'duds'. There are others, of course; these are just a few. Any use to you..?

Lisa... If there's a decent, guitar-oriented music shop nearby (t'would be useful to know what region that may be...), how about asking them for a 'gift card' or similar, and arrange for your brother to come along and choose one, up to the value you've set with the shop..? T'would be nice if they knew, beforehand, that he's 'lefty', so as to have something to propose. Another big factor would be his tastes in music, and experience level. Does he already play guitar..? Would an acoustic be suitable, or an electric (which implies having an amp...), or even (sacrilege..!) a bass..? There are very many splendid guitars, or all shapes and styles, for £100 or so, and ten times more to choose from up to £500. Does the brother have an 'guitar heroes' that he may like to emulate..? When is 'soon'..? Time enough to order something on t'web and have it delivered..? Stuff from Europe may take a few days longer, but they have a wide range in their catalogues; there are several reputable on-line sellers in the UK, too (some with 'real shops' as well, such as Andertons; there are others still...). Hmm... More questions than answers, I'm afraid, but I know my brothers better than I know yours, so it's not easy. Fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge and we'll try to be more helpful still.

A gig bag for an acoustic guitar would do the job. I haven't any particular reference in mind, but there are nice semi-rigid foam cases, too, for acoustics. Thomann are very good at giving exact internal dimensions through their 'chat' system, I've found in the past. Hope this helps.

Santana, Carlos - Samba Pa Ti.pdf

Good evening, BB, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Mat, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Any of these three guitars will give satisfaction 'on the beach', or at home on the sofa. I doubt that it would be useful spending much time doing one-on-one comparison in a shop, especially if you're 'tuned' to hearing Marin or Taylor stuff. My 'go-to' guitar is a Takamine G220 (discontinued, bought second-hand but inexpensive when new...) and it does a fine job. I'd go for the Takamine with no hesitation, unheard, as I don't think that they make duff guitars, at any price point. Just my tuppence-worth.

I have a Daisy Rock Retro 12-string, and a fine guitar it is, too. Just sayin'.

Is there a comfortable 'man's guitar' (except, maybe, the Ovation Breadwinner...)..?

Wot 'e sed ^^. I'm 'righty', but play drums 'lefty'. I've a 'totally lefty' brother who plays guitar, very well indeed, 'righty'. There are no rules, really. Try both, and do whatever gives most satisfaction. Hendrix, apparently, was no slouch with a 'righty' guitar, played 'righty'.

I'd take the view that there are multiple answers to this question. One important (maybe the most important..?) factor in learning stuff, any stuff, at any age, is motivation, that's to say: wanting to. How many children were sat at a piano, or handed a recorder or violin, even having expensive lessons thrust upon them, but didn't take it on board, or even rejected the whole thing..? If the itch that needs scratching is for an electric guitar, then start off on an electric guitar. If the motivation is more towards classical music, a classical guitar would be the way to go. To get one's hand in by the (relatively..) easier route, an acoustic guitar can bring more rapid satisfaction (as long as the effort is put in, naturally...). For starting out, a decent acoustic guitar gives very rapid, almost instant, gratification, and will be held onto, even if other guitars are acquired over time. To get the best out of a classical guitar, there is, in my view, no substitute for a good classical guitar teacher, and will certainly involves reading music from the outset. The road is harder, but the rewards are commensurate. If it's a question of idolatry, and wanting to join in with the modern rock idiom, then an electric has its appeal, and can be enjoyed, at least for starting out, with only a practise amp, or even a jack-plug amp and headset. Complete beginner..? Find out why and what their interest is in the instrument, and get 'em started on that. Whatever the choice, a good tutor is a great asset, with the proviso that the pupil is willing to cooperate. If not, 'laisser faire' has produced legions of virtuoso players over the years, although the path is longer and more strewn with rocks. Better that, though, than being forced to learn in a way that doesn't fit the motivation. Have I answered the question..? Probably not; sorry.

Surely you mean Boobies..?

If you're interested in pushing your boundaries a bit (or even quite a lot, in time...), I'd recommend Mark_Levine's 'The Jazz Theory Book ... Amazon : The Jazz Theory Book ... There's a lot to read without an instrument, and the notions can be applied to most fields; it's not reserved just for 'jazzers'..! Worth a glance..? A little more 'out there', but a fascinating concept, is Conrad Cork's 'The New Guide To Harmony With Lego Bricks', available from Boosey & Hawkes ... Boosey : The New Guide To Harmony With Lego Bricks ... These are definitely not biographies..! Hope this helps.

Neither of these pick-ups need specific pre-amps to work well. How to 'liven up' the recorded sound..? Depending on the 'quality' of your acoustic sound, the recording room, and your budget, a decent large-diaphragm condenser mic, placed a foot or so away from the guitar, might be an option, if your mixer can supply phantom power. Superlux E205 (£33...)..? AKG P120 (£73...)..? Rode NT1-A (£153...)..? Just a few from an enormously wide selection available. I can't think, off-hand, of a pre-amp or such for magnetic pick-ups that 'warms' the sound up, but others may have suggestions. Hope this helps.

Do you know (and can you tell us...) what kind of pick-ups these are..? Basically, there are piezo pick-ups, magnetic pick-ups and 'microphone' pick-ups. These will all require different treatment, so any worthwhile reply would need to know. A photo might help. Any joy..?

I've just watched one of the sessions (three notes per string...), and have learned more in those few minutes than in the past couple of years..! Very pedagogic, it makes sense, and the notions are ably demonstrated. Thanks for the link; a Good Call.

Play within your own personal and unique boundaries; no-one plays the way you do. We each have our limitations and handicaps, which evolve over time, and, whilst it's a Good Thing to push the envelope and strive for more, or different, not all these efforts are rewarded with success. Embrace your capacities, and put your best efforts into what works for you, instead of fighting the demons. In most contexts, no-one would notice any 'issues', anyway, so just play on, whatever... Hope this helps. Disclaimer: I drop sticks (I'm a drummer...), so I have a pocket hooked onto the floor drum with my spares. When one goes, I just reach for another. Between songs, if there's time, I try to retrieve 'em all. Sometimes there isn't.

There won't be much oxydation on the carbon tracks, generally, and turning 'em down, then up will, in time wear 'em out. Still, in the expected life of, not only the guitar, but also the guitarist, I doubt that this would be the worst issues encountered. If it's a worry, and the controls are always to be at 'max', swap 'em out for direct connections and eliminate the pots altogether, maybe..? Some players do this, with simply a 'kill switch' to turn it off between songs. (... and it's 'brake' pads.).

There's an up-side and a down-side, of course. Leave 'em turned up and it's possible (or even likely depending on one's age...) that the amp will produce an overpowering 'Screech..!' when the guitar is plugged in. On the other hand, turning it all down implies that there's a pretty good chance (depending on one's age...) that there'll be silence for a while at the beginning of the session, with much testing of leads, looking baffled, scratching of heads etc before the penny drops. It's a no-win conundrum that only you can solve. Personally, I turn it all down, despite the head-scratching risk (yes, I'm old, too...). Hope this helps.