Tuesday, December 30, 2003

Ken Stanton Music is a family owned chain which has been in business in the Atlanta area for many years. In an age of National superstore chains like Guitar Center, you might wonder if there is a place for the local music store. My experience with Galaxy and Dirt Cheap Music and Ken Stanton has been nothing but positive. Prices are usually in line with the big discounters, they all take used instruments in trade and in turn, sell those at inviting prices. They also offer a variety of models which the superstores may bypass.

Last night at the Snellville Ken Stanton, I played every high-end guitar in the place! It was near closing, a slow night for business. My friend and soon to be nephew-in-law Sean, was playing unamplified bass when I entered and barely looked up from a silent fugue. There were a couple of heavily discounted Gibsons on the wall, auditorium sized cutaways with lots of MOP inlay. Originally $2400, sale price $1400! But guess what, inaudible bass strings! That's right I couldn't even here the low E on 'One Dime Blues'! These show place Gibsons must be holdovers from Kalamazoo's waning years. These guitars looked great but played awful!

There was Martin D16GT (Gloss Top) for about $950 which played very nicely. They had a brand new D28 for $1500 which is the best price I have ever seen for this classic model. You could never go wrong choosing a D28. The matchbook split back rosewood with herringbone inlay is still the most beautiful back you'll ever have the pleasure of caressing (except for your significant other). But really, $1500 for a D28 makes this baseline instument for guitar excellence affordable even for me!

I could go on about the Takamines (one excellent sale model for $599) and the Taylors ( a very playable 314 for $985) but you get the picture. Visit your local music store today!

Monday, December 29, 2003

Played several new models (new for me) at lunch today: Did a complete run of 'Laughing Dog Blues' on a Santa Cruz. Once again a surprisingly light guitar weight wise, very attractive looks (dark sunburst) pure deep base, even stronger mid strings (G on the 4th fret like a bell) clear trebel notes. This one was used at $2100, right where it should be.

Talked to the rep who said the Gibson 'Montana Gold' was 1 of 250 limited edition.

You know, I had never played a Takamine until today. I had shied away out of protest of their copy of the Martin headstock, back years ago. I didn't like that. But like Bush said about Lybia, "Grudges don't have to go on forever." I picked a cedar top cutaway (the cedar top is becoming one of my favorite features) for a little less than a thousand. 'Laughing Dog' was a peasureable experience on the Takamine. Comfortable handling, warm base, a little light on the treble but that might have been the light guage strings.

I finished up my visit with my favoriete, the Taylor 400 series. Played a slow finger picked arrangement of the Beatles 'Michelle.' A long stretch on the 4th string, 4th fret, Ring finger while playing the second string, 1st, fret, index finger, tells me that this is a grown-up guitar, making no concessions to players with fat little hands like mine. Still I will always love the Taylor 410.

I exited Guitar Center with a smile, what a good after lunch delight.

What is Alverez's problem with these buzzing strings, especially the high E?! I've always admired their pricing and now they are putting out solid tops in a variety of styles for under $400. But please, someone tell them to work on this fret buzz problem. I had a mahogony model from '89 till '98, a loaner (a long time loaner) and it had this same buzz problem. I tried everything: filing the 5th fret, raising the notch in the nut and raising the action on the bridge. Nothing worked.

Last week I was playing a maple jumbo from Alverez, good sound, a great looking guitar, solid top. but bad buzz. I will not link to these guys untill they get the buzz out.

Wednesday, December 24, 2003

Last night I braved the rain and last minute Christmas shoppers to check out new additions in the acoustic Room at the local Guitar Center. Guitar Center's prices on their used instruments are a bit on the high side, but their selection of vintage high end guitars is unbelievable. And they constantly rotate inventory from their other stores so the array changes almost daily. Usually I pluck a few vintage D-28 strings as a baseline. The resonance on these old Martins is really the standard to judge a pricey instrument by. Well my eyes were drawn upward, high on the wall, a gaudy Gibson J200 like I had never seen. This giant jumbo was a mustard colored Maple. The brown pickguard had a bundle of golden wheat pouring forth. Mother of Pearl inlay on the headstock proclaimed "Montana Gold" with the same shaft of golden wheat.

I usually dont' play Gibsons, having owned them for half of my playing life. I know the sound well but prefer the resonant base and sparkling trebel of the Martins/Taylors. That's just where I'm at these days. But this monster beckoned me.

It was high up on the wall, I could barely handle it down off the wall hook. I grasped it with one hand and was surprised at the weight of it. The Maple J200 is one of the largest guitars in production. This one was particular light weight easily lifted down carefully with one hand.
I was mesmerized by the color: This not the usual perfect blond of a Maple guitar. No, No, this was a dirty mustard color, almost like a stained cedar. It felt really sweet in my hand. I thumped a bass E. Booooom! Literally the loudest bass note I have ever heard from an acoustic! I flipped it around and held it in the crook of my arm. She fit perfectly. The fretboard had that wonderful Gibson slim size grip. I had forgotten how comfortable that thin neck could be.

I slipped into a slow version of Laughing Dog Blues, the Gibson responded with volume, clarity, and ring like I had not heard before, especially from Montana. The action played like warm butter, true and easy all the way up the neck. Damn this was one special guitar!

Price tag: $3,395. The Montana Gold I played was a 'Special Edition' Gibson, #671 out of a production run of a thousand. High end collectors should be on the lookout for this one. It's a prize.

AX

Brazilian Rosewood, Matched Split Back, Mahogony, Ebony, Mother of Pearl, Solid Spruce top, Cedar, Koa, Walnut, Graphite Fiber, X Bracing, Scalloped Braces, Neck, Dove Joint, Steel Strings, Pin Bridge, Bridge pins, Truss rod, Gold Plated Grovers, Head Stock, Pick Guard, Strap. Tone, resonance, sustain, voicing.

Martin D-28, Taylor 810, Gibson J 200, Alverez Yari, Takamine, Ovation, Larrave D-10, Collins, Lowden, Everett Laurel, Breedlove, Raintree. Fender- thin, medium, heavy, Plastic Thumbpicks, National Steel Fingerpicks, Winders, Hard Shell Case, Gig Bag.

Chops, Double thumb, Travis, Arpegio, Lullibye Lick, Independent Thumb, Single Note, Treble Trash, Strum, Flubbed, Buzz, Whisper, Dead, Crosspicking, Bluegrass Picking, Slide. Clean

Fingers-I, M, R, T, Strings 1-6, Callouses, Tablature Notation, Chords, Progressions, Augmented, Dimenished, Major, Minor, 7ths, Bar, Half Steps, Sharps, Flats, Open Chord, Tune to Standard, Tunings, Drop D-Tuning, Modal, Double Stops, Runs, Riffs, Breaks.

Warped, Jumbo, Concert, Dreadnought, Action, Acoustic, Pick-ups, Amps, Mic's, Modlers. Cool Edit Pro, Sonar, Acid, Cake Walk, Wave Files. Blues, folk, Jazz, Classical, Flamenco, Bluegrass. Taxi, Demo's, Contracts, Royalties, Gigs.