Gary Nelson

Living close to Memphis my entire life, I can't help but lean toward "Green Onions" by Booker T and the MG's.

Any "Greatest" list is bound to generate some energetic discussion. Just look at the fallout from Rolling Stone's list of 200 Greatest Singers. I came away from the article with 3 observations. First - it's great to see any recognition of studio musicians. We've all heard their music but most of the time never knew their names. Secondly - Other than Chet Atkins, Nashville studio musicians were woefully under-represented (Where was Brent Mason?) And finally - someone needs to tell them how to spell "Campbell".

I hit one of those major milestone birthdays a couple of weeks before Christmas, so I suppose this can be considered a combination Birthday/Christmas gift to myself. I happened upon a very lightly used PRS Silver Sky SE in my local music store - it still had the hang tags and not a scratch on it. Since they appear to be constantly on backorder on Sweetwater, I snapped it up (with my wife's encouragement and approval). When I first met Steve, I asked him what guitar he would recommend for a first electric. His response was immediate - get a Strat. Well, several guitars later, I finally took his advice!

Same here - I have a couple of pounds on the way. Always happy to help Greg who has done so much for this group over the years. And I was very impressed that after I placed my order, I got a phone call from the Acoustic Coffee folks to follow up and thank me for my order. A nice touch.

Diane, thank you so much for capturing a few moments from this weekend. This was my first Fingerstyle retreat but I certainly hope it won't be my last. My only advice to anyone considering attending for the first time, but you are afraid your Fingerstyle chops aren't up to snuff - come on anyway! There is something to be gained for players of every skill level. And the opportunity to learn from some of the best artists in the business can't be measured! Sitting 5 feet away from Richard Smith during his rendition of "Stars and Stripes Forever" - I was expecting fireworks!

Hi Gene - So far so good. I'm not trying to replicate my entire paper library onto the IPad, but as I pick up a new song and want to add it to my repertoire, I scan it into Forscore. The AirTurn works seamlessly, but as Doug points out, if you have to return more than 1 page it takes some getting used to. I doubt I will ever replace all of the paper, but maybe I can save a few trees.

Thanks Jim, I had been looking for one with a 2022 prefix and overlooked this page. Dom, hate you guys aren't going to be able to make it, but I enjoyed meeting and playing with you in June. And yes, those travel cases you guys have are bullet-proof!

Jim (@Jasn), I have also registered for the upcoming Fingerstyle retreat. I'm not a rookie when it comes to Guitar Gathering conferences - I've been to 3 now. But this will be my first Fingerstyle retreat. When I first got back into playing guitar a few years ago and started going through the L&M courses, I didn't feel I was ready for a dedicated fingerstyle retreat. As my skills began to grow - so did the Covid virus and my plans for the 2020 and 21 retreats were sidelined. Looking forward to this year. I'm relatively local (I live just a couple of hours away from Nashville) so I won't be flying in. But as time approaches let's see how many need a ride from the airport. I might be able to offer my taxi services (depending on how many guitars everyone brings lol). I expect Steve will be creating a facebook group for those attending - that may be the best for all to connect. Gary

Thank you for sharing this Diane. This world definitely needs more music!

Wrapping up this thread - I followed @Eracer_Team-DougH recommendation and opted for the AirTurn Duo500. So far it works perfectly with ForScore and paired simply with my iPad. AirTurn makes a smaller switch that closely resembles a guitar pedal and can be powered with a 9v power supply which might be good if you wanted to integrate this onto your pedalboard. I opted for this one because the pedals are a bit larger, and I think it would work better playing keyboard, so it may work for my wife as well. It has the added benefit of an integrated, removable remote control, so I can also use this to control Powerpoint presentations and the like on my computer. (So I wonder if I can claim this as a business expense?...hmmm)

That Tommy Emmanuel camp would be amazing, especially in my own backyard. But it appears to consume my guitar budget for the next several years! I guess I'm not a thrill seeker!

Thanks @Eracer_Team-DougH and @Gene C. I'll review those lessons again - I know Steve mentioned this not too long ago, but it may have been during our informal time after the Youtube editing break. I had thought about pinging Steve, but I know he has had his hands full with some other obligations after the Guitar Gathering so was just trying to be respectful of his time. Besides - I know a lot of you guys have some great experience along these lines! Airturn has several good options. Hope Doris is doing well. I may try to make it to the Fingerstyle retreat - had thought about it for the last two years, but alas Covid got in the way. Maybe this year.

A while back, Steve showed us the Forscore app he is now using to keep up with his sheet music on his iPad. Can anyone recall which page turn device he was using? Or does anyone have any experience/recommendations for a page turn bluetooth switch. I'm looking at either the IK BlueTurn opr the PageFlip Butterfly. The Blueturn seems closer to what Steve is using and appears to be more compact. Any thoughts before I give Sweetwater my credit card number?

Back in the office and to the routine of email and Zoom meetings. I sure was having a lot more fun last week at this time, preparing to head to Nashville for the Guitar Gathering. I know schedules may not always work out, and certainly travel costs aren't going down, but I really encourage everyone to try and get to a gathering. The opportunity for in-person learning and meeting friends, old and new, is priceless. I believe Steve said he is targeting the third week of June 2023 for next year's Gathering, and I've already marked the calendar. I hope to see you there.

Looking forward to it Diane.

Hang in there, @Nairon. Just when I think I have my Barre chords down, I'll encounter an arrangement that requires me to rethink and practice more! By the way, there is a nice simple arrangement of Moon River in the book "100 Most Beautiful Songs Ever for Fingerpicking Guitar" that is available on Steve's store site. No Barre Chords required!

Well, I have to admit, I own a couple of BlueChip picks that cost about $35 each. They were gifts and very much appreciated. But notice I said "own" - most of my playing is with whatever pick happens to be lying on the music stand at the time.

Great choice. I've been considering one of the Player Series Telecasters and it's good to hear yourd positive opinion of Fender's MIM quality. It's a shame that all the guitar manufacturers are eliminating or downgrading their bags and cases as cost saving measures, but as long as the quality of the guitar doesn't suffer I suppose that is a small price to pay.

Interesting video. I've seen some recent virtual plant tour videos that Gibson published last year and it's interesting to see how much hasn't really changed in spite of new introductions of CNC equipment.

I'll echo the comments made by others - truly fantastic. I had the pleasure of seeing Don McLean in person a few years back and love this song. It's on my list of songs to learn.

George, As a start, you might check out the lesson and PDF that Steve did on Triads a while back. I know he covered the seventh chord triad forms on the first three strings as part of that workshop.

@gotto - Greg, you are right. That Fender Brent Mason would be nice, but I'm not quite ready for that investment. Fender also makes a Nashville edition that is in their Player series that retails for $1129. Not quite the same - no humbucker and no B Bender, but similar. I am actually thinking about finding one that needs some love, and upgrading with new pickups, pots, etc. I need a tinker toy to keep me out of trouble.

You guys are starting to inspire me! I don't have a Tele, but I'm starting to get the bug. And of course, Steve using his Brent Mason tele on the Live Lesson last night and stating that it was the one guitar that he most often used when playing live, just adds more fuel to the fire!

I assume you are referring to Nylon strings as opposed to steel? I do recall Steve presenting this topic as an option for Nylon strings in the Fingerstyle course. But I fall into the same camp as @Eracer_Team-DougH. I probably don't change strings often enough, but when I do, I just spend the few extra bucks for a new set. But let us know how it works.

Hi Guys - One final update. Short story is everything is good to go. New strings, a proper setup (ala the Greg Voros method) and it seems to be intonated perfectly now - at least according to my Peterson iStrobosoft app on the ipad. We have a new setup, new strings and perfectly intonated. @Gene C thanks for the offer, but I have a copy of Greg's video lessons he did for Learn and Master. With that, plus the tips he gives out at the Gathering each year, I got it done without a great deal of hassle. Besides - what better way to spend a rainy day. As far as Gibson's free Virtual Guitar Tech is concerned, it is ok for getting some specific questions answered, such as the factory settings they use. And they were helpful with a few very specific questions I had about the Gibson bridge setup. But they are definitely no substitute for learning from Greg Voros!