matonanjin

I don't know Dave. I just worry travelling with it!🤣🤣

@jasn really glad that you are going to make it this year. I know you will, but I am going to encourage you to do so annyway. Please report back here with your experience. That way those of us that can't make it can get a "taste"? a "hint" a "glimpse" (which is the right word?) of your experience! We are envious.

@F Scott, welcome back and good luck to you. Lots of people, in the years that I have been here, have started, set the guitar down for a while, and restarted. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Be sure and come here and post if you have a question or get frustrated.

Eric Clapton, the sequel? Eric Clapton, Part Deux? Sorry. I posted about seeing Clapton in Nashville last fall and what a great trip it was. And it was just that. A great trip and perhaps one of the best concerts we have had the opportunity to participate in. A fun several days in Nashville including a lesson with Steve and the concert. What a fun city. We just found out not long ago the Clapton is going to have a very short tour in the US. Only a 6 city tour and one of those, Chicago. He announced the tour in May and we, at the time, were satisfied having seen him. (Another bucket list check mark.) I don't know why I checked with Ticketmaster a couple weeks ago and tickets were still available. So the decision process started again. How long should we go for? Where do we board Clapton? (The dog). Etc. We were all set to (or I was) click on "Purchase Tickets" when my wife further complicated the decision process. She informed me that Jackson Browne is playing in Red Rocks Amphitheatre at about the same time. Instead of driving approximately 500 miles east to Chicago to see Clapton we could drive a little more than 500 miles west to see Jackson Browne at Red Rocks, Colorado. I think that my wife, ever so slightly, favored going west. I, by I think about the same very slight edge, leaned towards east. The final logic we came up with is, even though they are close in age, Mr. Clapton is a few years older. It's more likely, maybe, we will have another opportunity to see "Running on Empty" performed. So in a few weeks I'll report back, again. Of course, the trip will include a trip to Chicago Music Exchange. Mrs. matonanjin surprisingly, cheerfully already approved that. Negotiations included equal time at a favorite home décor store. 😉 Opening day of the Chicago Bears vs San Francisco is the Sunday before the concert. Maybe Soldier Field will be included? I will be reporting back!

When you say "Anyone else" do you mean as in "Everybody"!?!?! 🤣 @kenneth, I think we all struggle with this, getting it to sound musical rather than just a scale. Doug gave you a couple good sources. There are lot's more out there on YouTube and elsewhere. Perhaps the next step after getting the pentatonic scale under your finger is to master some licks to eventually be able to combine into a solo. Let me look for a couple other potential study materials. Is there a particular genre of music you want work? Blues? Rock? Country? Of course, the concept is genre independent but it's more fun working music you like.

Well come on Mike! Who is that?!?!

As a follow-up: Carlos Santana Cancels 6 Concerts As He Continues to Recover "The Santana concerts through July 16 have been postponed. Live Nation will announce the rescheduled dates. “Carlos is doing well and is anxious to be back on stage soon. He just needs rest,” said his manager, Michael Vrionis, in the July 8 announcement. “Santana profoundly regrets these postponements of his upcoming performances; but his health is our number one concern. He is looking forward to seeing all of his fans very soon.”

Yeah, it's mostly click bait. And I have no idea what "The Delite" is or how they are qualified to quantify this. And we know who #1 is. He is #1 on every "greatest guitarists" list. But with all that said, any thoughts? Any surprises? For me one surprise was 93 year old Elizabeth Cotton won a Grammy. I had never heard of her. And Joni Mitchell on a greatest guitarist list? She is certainly a hugely influential folk musician. I'm not saying she doesn't belong on the list. I'm saying I don't have sufficient knowledge of her playing to comment. 28 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Just saying? Huh? Saying what? What's a "Carter"? What's a "drink/food rider".

Carlos Santana collapses on stage. Apparently heat exhaustion and he is going to be ok. Still, I am playing only my PRS Santana today hoping that will send some good vibes!😉

What a beautiful job, Mike. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Pete Huttlinger Guitar and Fly Fishing camp! Guitar and Fly Fishing together!!!! In Montana!!!! If only!

So let's be honest. When you see stories like this, do you use it in your defense? 🤣 "See, honey, I'm not as bad as .....(fill in the blank)." I've tried; it doesn't work. The response is always (again, fill int the blank!, "He's in a band; he needs them"; "He can afford them better than you!") Any way, Neal Schon bought 150 guitars during the pandemic. Apparently, he owns about 650! If I owned the '54 LP Goldtop I'd probably stop for a while!!!..........maybe🤔

Yes, @DianeB! What is meant by "and Greg Voros is doing much better."?

A bass?!?! Very interesting @Randy120. I have posted on here before the fact I played bass in high school (which was many (I won't say how many) decades ago. I have toyed with the idea, on more than one occasion, of getting a bass. Congratulations on the NGD NBD! 🤔

Really nice arrangement, Wim. Really nice. Thanks for sharing it.

@Eracer_Team-DougH maybe partially the reason he is now doing lessons? (Truefire and his Masterclass?) I didn't think he would ever be bothered by lessons. At least with this format he is not going to be doing one on one.

On more than one occasion on this forum we have discussed Joe Bonamassa's guitar collection. That discussion often includes his vintage Gibson Les Pauls and very often the value of those. One of those LP's is named Johnny B. The current Premier Guitar magazine discusses Johnny B and Rumble Seat Music where Joe B acquired it. "Joe wielded this truly exceptional-sounding guitar in many shows across the U.S. You may have seen it onstage". Yes, I have! I saw it onstage several times on Joe's Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruise. In fact, the most recent cruise I was on had Joe in a session with several of his vintage Les Pauls along with Norm of Norm's Rare Guitars discussing the vintage guitar market. Because of this I mistakenly assumed Joe got his one or more of his Les Pauls at Norms. If I understand this article Joe B has Johnny B for sale at Rumble Seat Music listing it for $278,000. The article does not touch on why Joe is selling one of his famous Les Pauls nor why this particular one. On the cruise he brought at least 3 onto the stage. Maybe 4. And why this price tag? At the time Norm valued them more in the $425,000 range. Has the vintage market softened? @Eracer_Team-DougH what say ye? @Dan Brown? btw, if you are ever in Nashville, be sure and hit Rumble Seat Music. Of course, one has to hit Gruhn's and Carter's. But Rumble Seat is unique. And, if you recall, I purchased my Tele there. Tiny compared to the other two. But some very unique vintage stuff. When I was there last fall he had a beat up Strat and a beat up Tele on the wall. Previously owned and played by Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards, respectively. Definitely worth the stop. @Dave White agreed?

Congratulations, Mike! What a beauty. You now have even yet another reason to looking forward to retirement: more time to spend with that gorgeous instrument. We are all looking forward to hearing that recording.

The pressure is on @DianeB!!! We, some of us, live vicariously through you!

Nancy, you are echoing what I say every year!!!🥵

Yes, @Nairon! As @Gary Nelsonsaid, "Hang in there". It will come. We all found it "rough going" with barre chords. Keep in mind with barre chords there is the extra element of developing finger strength in order to master them. With everything else that you have learned so far it has been a matter of learning and practicing the technique to improve it. With barre chords one must also build up the muscle strength for the fingers forming the barre. That just takes time to build that strength and there is no shortcut. If you have learned the different Fifth and Sixth string forms and you are comfortable with them, consider moving on. If you know the major, minor, 7th, minor 7th and sus form for both 5th and 6th strings, if you have them firmly entrenched in memory, I think Steve would be ok with your moving on. Just continue to allocate some practice time each day to developing that finger strength. Thanks for keeping us up to date on your progress.

Would you? Would you spend $35 for a pick? If we are spending $35 on it, shouldn't we call it by its proper name, a plectrum?🤣 And, if we put it in perspective, consider it proportionately to what we pay for guitars, does it not seem so outrageous? (Answer, that doesn't work. It's still outrageous 😏🤔) I love V-Picks. It's all I use anymore. Most of the time it is Vinny's Screamer. The rest of the time it's his Tradition or one of his others. Often it's the opposite extreme, one of his Ultralights. But as much as I love V-Picks, and as gorgeous as the Fire is, and it IS beautiful!, I'm not spending $35 for a pick, er.., excuse me, a plectrum. Actually, I thought I was being extravagant at $5 for my Screamers. I have a handful of them. And I probably have 3 dozen V-picks. What do you think? Can you justify that kind of investment in a pick? If you subscribe to the theory, and many do, that our tone starts with our hands and fingers, the pick is the TRUE beginning of our signal chain! So let us know what you think. And whether you would or not, what are you using for a pick?