N-lightMike
Forum Replies Created
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@Jnc51 ;
Hey Jeff: Here it is: https://app.searchie.io/hub/254V7grV3m/
Enjoy. The songs are great exercises to get better at finger picking and/or flat picking. They start out at an easier level and progress. But even the beginning ones are challenging for beginners. Guitar is challenging.
Some have found it difficult to find the pdf downloads. There are 2 ways into the lessons. One way the pdfs aren’t available and the other way they are. When you first get a list, click on the little arrow inside the little orange circle beside the song title and you will have the pdfs available. If you click on the horizontal list of thumbnails, you will still get the video lesson, but you won’t have the pdfs. Don’t ask me, it’s kinda bizarre.
MG 😀
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Here are the scoops Greg:
Gauge: Thicker gauge give a louder, more distinctive tone for those using flat picking and they are popular in Bluegrass and typical on dreadnoughts.
Lighter strings are easier on the fretting fingers and are better for barre chords, bends, strumming, finger picking, and work just fine on dreads.
Coating: Hype, in my opinion. Many swear by it. They are more expensive and supposedly last longer. You will have to make that call.
Tension: All strings get to whatever tension it takes to tune them. This is another marketing hype. Santa Cruz uses this term instead of gauge. The truth? Lighter strings will be at less tension to get up to tune. That’s all.
Composition: Makes little difference to playing, makes a significant difference to tone. Try different ones and see what you like. There are general guidelines that tell you what is “brighter” or more “mellow”. I like mellow. Think of the difference between the finger strummed sound compared to the flat pick strummed sound.
Brand: Again, most of the companies are distributors, not actual manufacturers. So, I buy Martin strings because they are excellent strings for an excellent price and that way I have narrowed the field enough to try different options and figure out what I like. If all companies and all their models were on the table, I would never have figured out what I like. I’d live in permanent confusion. Again, each to his own.
I hope this helps. All of the above is my opinion. Take it as you want.
MG 😀
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Hey Justin. no one can answer this for you. We can tell you how we feel and what we have done. But, the answer is different for different people.
First, of course we use other sites as supplements.
Second, not only is TAC a full blown guitar instructional site, it’s the best and most comprehensive. The other sites offer the instruction that has proven over many decades to keep you dependent on the instructor and keep paying them to be your guide. When do you become the guide, the guitar player who doesn’t need input to be a guitar player?
TAC gives you what you need to be an independent, full blown guitar player who can decide for him/herself what to do and where to go in your own guitar journey.
That’s my opinion. There are many who agree with me. There are many who disagree and have left TAC. For those who left TAC, I hope their guitar journey is flourishing, but I don’t know as I don’t interact with them any more. As far as those who stay, every single one has a flourishing guitar journey and every single one credits TAC for that.
Money is a real issue. As long as you keep playing guitar and having fun doing it you can’t make a wrong decision.
MG 😀
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Well, Gerry, Fred @Mrfredsporty already gave you the simple answer: “YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, but it bears repeating: “YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. 🤗
First, a resonator gives you a completely different sound and many times people use a different technique, slide. So, it doesn’t matter that you are not a “real guitar player”. 🤔
Second, you are a real guitar player. You just haven’t been able to accept that, but you own 3 guitars and you play guitar on a regular basis. You are just as much a guitar player as Eric Clapton because “real guitar player” is NOT defined by ability or length of time or experience. It is simply a person who plays guitar. 😎
Third, getting multiple guitars is part of the guitar journey. There are a lot of differences between guitars, and at first they seem pretty small and subtle. You need to explore those differences until they are huge and glaring and you know exactly what you like in a guitar. 😆
Fourth, you are a member of Tony’s Acoustic Challenge and you have be “ordered” by Tony himself to “go forth and explore”. AND have fun doing it. 😉
MG 😀
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First, if you want to change your strings, do it yourself. The first many times it will be scary, but it turns out it’s easy and there’s not much to mess up. The worst you can do is break brand new strings and have to buy more. If you are going to get comfortable enough with your guitar to be a guitar geek, you need to face this task.
Second, what makes you think you need new strings in the first place? Some people keep their strings on for years, I mean, a lot of years. Whatever.
I change strings to experiment with different sounds and different feels. Once I find strings I like, they will stay there for a very long time. I don’t go multiple years anymore, but a year or more, no problem. Each to his or her own.
MG 😀
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Hey @MiRu ;
I don’t think it is necessary to “approach” the Wednesday lessons any different than Tony suggests. Learn the “scale” pattern he shows you and play around. Just play it over and over till it’s ingrained in your fingers. Then play it against the backing track as long as you want and are having fun. You can literally do this for hours. Find different rhythms, different articulations, etc.
Remember you need to have some kind of pattern, or “motif”, something you return to that our ear becomes familiar with. Also, not too much repetition or it will sound boring. But not too much unique or there won’t be any “order”. So find something “cool” and play variations of that. Don’t go all random, but don’t get stuck in a rut.
Just play around. That’s the ticket. Until you find stuff that sounds good. Another thing to remember is that some notes sound good when you land on them and hold them, and some don’t. Use the notes that don’t sound good as “passing” notes, just hit them and move on. You need both kinds of notes to make a solo sound good.
Anyway, have fun.
MG 😀
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Yep, @Mrfredsporty , IZ was one of the most special performers we’ve ever had. How wonderful that his music was shared with the rest of us outside of Hawaii.
MG 😀
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AFTER 2003
In January of 2003 the serial number scheme changed from the system previously used by Gretsch Guitars. The first two digits identify the year of production and the second two digits identify the production month. The remaining numbers identify the sequential yearly factory unit number, and include all instruments, in all models, built in that factory, in that specific year.
For example, serial number JT03074463 would break down as:
- 03: 2003
- 07: July Production
- 4463: 4,463rd guitar built in 2003 (all models combined from that factory)
The last four numbers are sequential for the given year (all models combined) and are broken into two categories as follows:
- 0001 through 0100: Reserved for prototypes, samples, one-offs
So, your guitar was made in 2008, July production. This factory made over 3000 guitars by July. So it’s not very rare. This guitar is the 3434th guitar made by that factory that year.
However, keep in mind that this is ALL models, so this may be more special because it’s an anniversary issue, I don’t know. And I don’t know what the “KS” stands for. Since the example was made in Japan and has “JT” and yours was made in Korea and has KS, I’m gonna guess that this identifies the factory.
Beyond this, I’d go to a shop that specializes in used or vintage guitars if you have one in your area. Maybe send and email to a vintage shop.
That’s the best I can do. Let us know what you find out.
MG 😀
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Hello @MiRu ;
If I was going to track down this guitar, the first thing I’d do would be look inside the f holes and find the serial number, then look up the “code” for Gretsch serial numbers. And then I’d send an email to Gretsch asking them for more info.
Either that, or go to someone who’s into vintage guitars. Chances are, they will be fair with you about what it is.
Lastly, I’d hold off on getting rid of it. Making a guitar sound good means having skill on the guitar. It might be a while before you can do that. But someday, you might realize what you had and find you can’t replace it.
I hope this helps.
MG 😀
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I am very glad I was able to help, @Greg_F_Lee .
One thing I will say about Santa Cruz strings is that I will never try them out of stubbornness. I don’t want to find out they are so cool that I have to buy them. Of course, for someone who keeps their strings on for a year or more, it wouldn’t be that bad. But the more a person spends on something, the more they want that product to be great. Sorta the whole self fulfilling prophecy idea. But there are an awful lot of people who have tried them and say they are great. But my Martins are great. So, I just don’t wish to open the door. That’s all. I can’t say they don’t have the most amazing tone because I’ve never tried them. Just to be clear. 🤓
MG 😀
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The cool thing about TAC and music in general, @Cadgirl , is that everyone is allowed to have an opinion because there is no science lab or court of law that can “prove you wrong”. 🤣
MG 😀
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You’re welcome @Jnc51 . As far as the video, I imagine it will come around again at some point. In the meantime, you can work on this. Although, if you’re new to finger picking, I woud suggest starting at an easier level. This is complex. The first thing to work on is your alternating thumb and make sure you can hit any of the lowest 3 strings at will. Also, the ability to keep time with your thumb as it strikes on the beat, while your fingers do the off beat (the &). Now, not all fingerstyle does it that way, but that is typical for folk and instrumental type finger style.
I’ll see if I can find John Oates doing “Arkansas” on YouTube. Thanks for the tip.
MG 😀
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Oh, @MiRu , trust me on one thing, it is not garbage. It may not be a $2000 guitar, but price has very little to do with how good a guitar is. Gretsch makes some guitars for under $500, but Gretsch never made a garbage guitar.
MG 😀
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👍😃
Let me know how your progress goes. It will be interesting.
MG 😀
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Wow, I remember this throwing me off big time when I worked on it before, but I couldn’t figure out what it was that was tough as I could play it cleanly and accurately though slowly as long as I was looking at the tab.
This time, I figured out what is so difficult. I have learned to do 3 bass string alternating thumb, but the pattern that seems more common is 6, 4, 5, 4. But this exercise has the bass thumb going 6, 4, 6, 5. Then throw in the changes and I can’t keep it straight.
This is what I’ve got so far: the thumb is consistent doing 6, 4, 6, 5 (I had to edit that as even when typing I wanted to type 5 for the 3rd hit) and the fingers are consistently doing 2, 1, 2, 1. So the only thing changing is the rhythm, which is done by the fingers. The fingers go after the drone (6th string) in the first measure, then after the secondary bass string (4 and 5 string) in the second measure. But his thumb and fingers are doing an alternating pattern that never changes.
I’m breaking it down like this because I’m really gonna get this. 😎
MG 😀