Randy120

I would say that isn't great support from Maton. I suppose the finish could be so thin that it offered little protection. The blemish looks like it just maybe caused by sweat under your arm while playing. You should always wipe down you guitar with a guitar polishing cloth. You can always use water with a little dish washing liquid in a spray bottle during string changes. The daily wipe down is critical.

Well done Ian!

I don't know specifically about the Jem. You can also use the block of wood method. Tremolo Block tremolo stop / lock Hardtail an electric guitar Strat

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. The injury is a small fracture so I am hopeful for a return to playing. The worst part is not knowing. I am going to see an orthopedic surgeon for a consult. I will follow his recommendations. After 9 years of daily practice and playing I have no intention of giving up now.

I fell climbing the steps on my deck. My worst fear came true. I have a small fracture on the ring finger of my fretting hand. I haven't played for 13 days now. I don't know when I can play again.

@Texaspackerfan You are correct. I spoke to a bass player who played in bands for decades. He said the volume on stage should be low enough to hear each other speak. Running through the PA is the way to go. Playing too loud is unprofessional. Peter Thorn has an article in Premier Guitar below. Turn It Down

Congratulations Wim!

Sweet!

You are welcome Jim.

An interesting lesson from Joe Gore for thinking outside the box. https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/27684-the-subversive-guitarist-trapped-in-a-box

I have the Mini and love it. The vocals are excellent also.

Hi Steve, I would like to see lessons to teach us playing melodies in different parts of the neck much like the early L&M Guitar lessons teach us to play in 1st position.

@matonanjinHappy belated birthday to you!

@matonanjin I have the 2009 version so they have changed a little. Mostly new names and minor cosmetic changes over the years.

@matonanjin The BX5's is from M-Audio. Mackey has upgraded and changed the name several times since I purchased my MR5 monitors years ago. Sweetwater has the MR524 on the link below. Mackey MR524

I have Mackey MR5 monitors hooked up with balanced cables to my M-Audio FastTrack C400 audio interface. The MR5 are powerful dual amp monitors. A 55 watt amp drives the 5 inch speaker and a 30 watt amp drives the high frequency tweeter. The MR5 also has connections for RCA, TSR, and XLR.

Bravo!

@Plantsman13 I also use the blue painters tape to cover the sound hole and protect the pickup magnets from the 0000 steel wool. My best paintbrush is the one for the guitars. ?

You are welcome @rkl312. It looks like a winner.

I use the polish more often then dish detergent. Polish is not wax. Polish is for removing surface contaminants. Express Shine is carnauba wax for a light protective coating. Greg Voros recommended Express Shine, and I have used it for years now. I use fretboard conditioner a couple of times a year. I polish and wax before the fretboard conditioner because it gives an extra layer of protection to cleanup any conditioner that might get on the finish by mistake. Express Shine does a great job on glossy surfaces, and it works great on my Gibson Les Paul Faded Cherry also. Express Shine makes the neck feel great too. I would not recommend Express Shine for matte surfaces.

https://www.guitarfella.com/cordoba-c7-review/

I use water with a little dish detergent. I also use a high quality guitar polish. I finish with Turtle Wax Express Shine. I wipe down the guitar with a dry guitar polishing cloth after every play. I don't like the looks of that stain, it isn't likely to get better I you can't remove it. Definitely contact Maton for advice.

Congratulations Mike! I started at 48 also that was 9 years ago. It just keeps getting better.

I have an M-Audio Fast Track C400 audio interface, two microphones, and I use Pro Tools DAW software. There are a lot of ways to do it. The phone is the lowest quality. Invest in an USB audio interface for your computer then get DAW software.

Rhythm changes and flourishes. Check out Tom Petty Learning to Fly. About 2/3 of the way through the song there is a distinct rhythm change. The 4 chords are the same, but the first chord is strummed rapidly and the next a single big strum with the next chords using the same pattern.