[Its Been a Long, Long Time......]

Thank you all for such a warm welcome back !!!!

Looking forward to reading your post once again !

Dan Brown ?

[Its Been a Long, Long Time......]

Hello All,

It's been a very long time since I posted, probably due to laziness more than anything else!   I have not given up playing guitar by any means, I have stopped buying them at 15 at the last count!  Now that winter is approaching, I am hoping to set aside time each week to get a little bit more active on this forum again. I first got involved with the L&MG forum about 7 years ago, October 2011.  I am in touch with Ron (Mantonanjin) and should be seeing him at the end of February 2019 on the Keeping the Blues Alive Cruise.   Those of you who may remember me know I went through serious issues with cancer, and if it weren't for clinical trials and immunotherapy, I would not be here.     I will leave it that at that.  Even during my worst days, when I had the strength , I picked up the guitar. 

Fast forward to the present time, I have finally gotten the nerve to get up and play in front of people.  There is a blues jam usually the first Sunday of the month at a local tavern, Murphy's Tavern, it was a speakeasy back in prohibition times, pretty cool place, it is basically in the basement of of a house in Rumson, NJ.  Anyway, a group of us get together with a vocalist, Nate Fagen, who sings and plays guitar to various blues classics, and then goes around the room picking on each one of us to do a little solo. I enjoy it, and try to make them all.  I just started adding pedals to the mix, we will see how that goes.  I just purchased the newest Full Drive 2 by Fulltone, it has different modes and sounds to it,  I was just playing around with it a little while ago, it going to take some getting used to, figuring out which settings I like best.  My thanks to NeilES335 starting me right off with making a purchase of Money Chords, before I even made this first post in a long long time, good salesmanship Neil !                             It's good being out here again, I promise to try to become active again, and check in at least a couple of times a week !!!

Thanks,

Dan Brown   ?

 

 

[Torn Ligaments in my Left hand may need surgery :(]

Maria,

I really don't know what to say, you just keep getting obstacles in your way!   I know you are a fighter, and this will not keep you down !  I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the most speedy recovery possible !!!

Besides, you always have Saint Vincent by your side !

Dan Brown    

[Life in 12 Bars - Eric Clapton Documentary]

8 minutes ago, matonanjin said:

I could watch it on Hulu and watched it last night.  I almost forgot about it but fortunately @Dan Brown sent me a text just before it was set to air and reminded me!

It was excellent, at least in my opinion.  It will be interesting to see others' opinion.  The whole Pattie Boyd episode of his life went a little too long in my opinion.  I fully realize she is pivotal to the Layla project and the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs".  It just went a little too soap opera and could have been shortened.  A minor quibble.

It should be required viewing for any Clapton fan or for any blues fan actually.  An interesting reminder how the blues were brought back to the US by EC and the rest of the "British Invasion".  

I don't know that I learned anything about Clapton that I didn't already know as a result of reading his autobiography.  But it was an entertaining 2 hours and I highly recommend it.

Matonanjin,

I agree, I thought it was an excellent documentary!  What really added to it, in my view, is that Clapton, Pattie Boyd, Bobby Whitlock and family members were doing the actual narrative.  What really blew my mind was when Clapton said something along the lines of not wanting to commit suicide because then he couldn't drink anymore !  Holy Moly !!!   

To echo what Ron said, a must watch if you are a Clapton fan, or just a Flower Child like us !!!                                     

Dan Brown   

 

[Monthly Recording Challenge 52 - "Out With the Old and In With the New""]

On 2/1/2018 at 10:53 PM, matonanjin said:

And what you should do UncleHammy is have one of the mods close the Monthly Challenge each month so people can't post late  . But I have been meaning to contribute something for a long time. 

Day Tripper by the Beatles. This is definitely "The Old".  The band that I played in that I posted the picture of played this.  So it really took me back.  The "New" is I have  been trying to learn this for decades (or what seems like).  Started working this in The Song Hits.  Steve, of course, gave me the basics, the riff and the rhythm.  Then I found a couple of sources for the bridge and solo.  The backing track is from Karaoke Version.

It is not where I would like it.  But I came in from the barn, hence the clothes, and recorded it and I'm moving on.  Probably to "Oh, Pretty Woman".

The B chord (going from the C# to the B)  in the chorus didn't ring clearly. I missed at least one note in the solo and towards the end I really got  behind the beat.  But here it is. Warts and all.

Played with the new PRS, into a POD HD500X (with overdrive and a little chorus) into Fender Blues Jr.  The backing track is played on the Boss Eband JS-10.

 

Great Job Ron !!  If Paul and Ringo ever want to do a reunion tour, you could fill in for John or George !   Looking forward to seeing you join in with Black Country Communion in about three weeks on the cruise!

Dan Brown

 

[What strings on a hollowbody?]

On 1/29/2018 at 1:09 PM, matonanjin said:

I have no idea what strings are on my new PRS Hollowbody.  I don't remember where, not here, someone was talking about using heavier strings on a hollowbody for the tone.   You hollowbody guys @NeilES335 and especially PRS hollowbody guys,  @CapM @gotto, what strings do you use?  Heavier than what you would use on a solid body?

I'm really curious because on my Strat and PRS Pauls I have gone to 9's at least temporarily.  While working on bending I wanted to have something a little lighter while developing the skill and finger strength.

I have D'Addario Flat wounds on my ES 355, they sound nice and minimize squeaking when you are sliding barre chords. A different feel in a good way.

[Playing in a Band? Post pic & videos]

16 hours ago, matonanjin said:

If we are going to open up a time capsule!!!!   This is from about 1964.  I'm the guy with the bass, far left (stage far right.)   I don't remember the circumstances that I had this Hofner Bass for the photograph because I actually played a Fender Bass.  I just vaguely remember borrowing it for the photo. 

 

Jeez Ron,

You haven't changed at all since 1964 ! 

Dan Brown  

[NGD - PRS Hollowbody I]

Ron,

Awesome guitar, good luck with it !!!  Sounds like Barbara is becoming an enabler, just like Diane !! 

 

Dan Brown  

 

[Monthly Recording Challenge 52 - "Out With the Old and In With the New""]

13 hours ago, sleepingangel said:

Okay in all the years I've been here (Aug 2011) I don't think I've ever done this challenge. So this is NEW for me. I used an Older guitar and I haven't really been playing too much guitar due to arthritis so playing guitar feels new to me. Also I decided to do something a  little different and I only used the open D chord for the backing picking part and then only the 5th and 7th fret for the "lead" if you will. I plugged my older Godin 2013 into Logic Pro X and hit record.I used the Godin nylon for 3 tracks!  I also used for one track a "new" Baritone Ukulele. 

I call it Repentance on a D chord because today's Mass was in honor of my mom Angelica who will be gone 3 years on Valentine's Day and my dad had a mass today (and for the next year or so every month) and the homily was about repentance and of course it's all on the D chord...

Thanks for the challenge and thanks for listening~~

 

Maria

 

https://soundcloud.com/mariacalfa-depaul/repentence-on-a-d-chord-guitar

Maria,

Beautiful piece of music !  So glad to see you are back at playing guitar again !!!

Just remember...So many resources, so little time !!!  

Dan Brown

 

 

[Guitar Tips of the Pros]

This is GREAT !!!  Thank you Neil !

Dan Brown

[SH S7 Day Tripper & S8 Pretty Woman]

8 hours ago, K9kaos said:

I haven't tried those yet! 

But I really do need to get back to the Song Hits! Those sound like a fun challenge! 

Keep at it! You'll get it!

 

K9kaos,

That makes two of us!  Song Hits is definitely a great resource !!

Dan Brown

[Humiditrak hygrometer]

I keep D'Addario Two Way Humidification System packs in my Martin Acoustics. There are 3 packs to a guitar, two in a holder that hangs over the strings down into the sound hole, and one up by the headstock. These packs are designed to monitor the humidity in the guitar and dispense moisture when needed, and draw moisture away when there is too much humidity. When a packet no longer feels fluid, you replace it. The starter pack was something like $30.00, I then got 4 replacement packs (with 3 packs in each) for $42.00 at Guitar Center online, which is cheaper than in the store. Been using over a year and still have a couple of the replacements that have yet to be used. This is an easy, no mess, no fuss way of insuring the guitar has has the correct amount of moisture throughout the year.

Dan Brown