Mike Hoodenpyle

Thanks very much. Only flesh for me. My nails are weak and grow like hooks, so they're not an option.

Very nice. Love your tone.

Thanks very much, glad you liked it.

I use GarageBand.

Thanks very much! When I learn a challenging piece like this, I slow down the original recording to various tempos and play along with them, gradually building speed. In addition to building speed, it helps me keep the right tempo. Tommy Emmanuel plays this song with a capo, so I did as well to avoid having to change the pitch of his recording as well as the tempo. I doubt if he needs any help with closer frets, so he probably did it to get the sound he wanted. Bonus for me, because it definitely helps with some of those stretches. I can play it without a capo and it still sounds good to my ear, but sweeter and easier with the capo.

Thanks very much!

This is my rendition of "Lewis & Clark," my favorite Tommy Emmanuel song. It's got elements from both the original recording from 2006 and the updated version from last year, plus a few of my own ideas. There are a few instances in the recording that sound like clipping or static of some kind, but I can't get rid of it. I had the levels low enough where clipping shouldn't have been an issue, and it wasn't apparent on the waveform, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I experimented with different settings, and also recorded some tests with mics instead of plugging in, and it was still there to different degrees. Maybe I have a problem with my interface. At any rate, thanks for listening.

Very nicely done. Sounds great!

Love it! You haven't missed a beat. 😉

Thanks Wim. I recorded Classical Gas a few years ago on a tele, but never on an acoustic. I'm thinking this would be a great guitar for that song. Just gotta knock off all the rust. Thanks Greg. I don't know about deserving it, but I'm happy to have it! 😀

I know it sounds trite, but I'm truly sorry for your loss. I hope you can pick up your guitar soon and find some sort of solace. Prayers for you!

Congrats! Very nice guitar!

Thanks very much!

Thank you both. She's a stunner!

Thanks. I played it this morning and had to force myself to put it away and get back to work.

Thanks guys.

Santa came early and delivered this beautiful Taylor E14ce. This is a limited model, originally only available to dealers at Taylor’s Roadshows. The back and sides are West African Ebony, and the top is Sitka Spruce. It's very balanced with great sustain and clarity, and very responsive. The highs just ring, with a pure, fat tone, especially when you dig in. If I had to describe it in one word, I’d say “powerful.” I play acoustic almost exclusively fingerstyle, with bare fingers, and this guitar can get incredibly loud. It really shines when played hard. Love this guitar.

Very nicely done. Love that tone.

Thanks very much!

Thanks very much!

Thanks guys!

Here's my arrangement of "O Come All Ye Faithful," warts and all.

I think it boils down to personal preference and what you get used to playing. I'm pretty sure your S6 fretboard is 1.8" wide at the nut, and most classical guitars are 2" or just a shade wider, so not a huge difference there. Of course, you can always use the wider fretboard argument to justify adding a nylon string to your arsenal ;).

I've ordered from both Just Strings and Strings and Beyond with no problems. Also, Sweetwater and Amazon.

That's my next project. Love that song, probably my all-time favorite SRV song. I've never used the whammy bar, either, so it'll be something new. Gotta finish Lewis & Clark first, though.