Back on April 8, NPR's "All Things Considered" had a piece about guitarist Jason Vieaux doing a test drive on some classical guitars. I forget how many total, but towards the end, he had it narrowed down to two standouts, and he did a dueling luthiers sound test. Tasty stuff.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Hey yeah, do you play also? Jason's former guitar used on his last two albums is a Paul Fischer. His new guitar is made by Gernot Wagner from Germany. It's not at all traditional in its construction. The top is made by sandwiching a layer of Nomex in between two very thin layers of wood. This results in a much lighter and more responsive guitar. It projects extremely well and is easily, to the ear at least, twice as loud as a standard guitar.

The one I play (or used to since my focal dystonia) is built in the same manner, it's wonderful to play and very dynamic, and it was half the price of a Gernot Wagner.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Well uhh, ... I'm a half-fast folky picker but classical is way beyond me. I can do a passing fair imitation of James Tayor and some of Paul Simon's pickin' and a li'l bit of original stuff.

I used to frequent coffee shop open mics and music and crafts fairs. Never made much money -- just a few paid gigs which I didn't like all that much. Playing in bars is a major drag, at least for my solo arse. One time I had more than 30 John Prine songs memorized. I've only written a few songs that are any good. It ain't easy.

You're way ahead of me on knowledge of the classical scene. I'd not heard of Vieaux before. I had a similar experience back in 1980 at the Guild of Am. Luthier's convention in SF (I was living in Seattle at the time). The last night, David Tannenbaum played about 10 different classical guitars on stage for a rapt audience. The guy was hot. I think he's still a force but I'm far removed from the scene.

Never even made classicals -- just steel string guits and 4 Bulgarian tamburahs (similar in size and stringing to a citern or bazouki). I keep thinking I might try to retire as a luthier -- easier on the back and all.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I've actually very involved in the classical guitar scene here locally. We (the Minnesota Guitar Society) bring a number of international artists to the US every year for our concert series. We've never had Jason though. I remember Jason from when he won the GFA competition at a tender age of 17. This was back in 1992 or something.

I'm not a builder, but I know quite a few. If you find yourself on the other side of the bay, check out http://www.gspguitar.com . The best guitar sheet music mail order house in the US. It has a showroom with quite a few nice guitars as well.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Hey, Kuan....

Have you seen this guy's guitars?:

http://www.babiczguitars.com/

He has some interesting approaches to construction, and to overcoming intonation problems inherent to "traditional" guitar designs, etc.

Pretty interesting.

I've actually heard a couple of them as well... nice sounding instruments.

Mike

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1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
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1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
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1985 300TD
270,000 miles
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1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

SeaMack, I don't care what the idiots that trash you for living in Berkley say--this makes you all right in my book

DUDE! Prine rocks, or folks, or sumthin'...


There's a rainbow of babies draped over the graveyard,
Where all the dead sailors wait for their brides
And the cold bitter snow has strangled each grass blade
Where the salt from their tears washed in with the tides

chorus:
And I smiled on the Wabash, the last time I passed her
Yes I give her a wink, from the passenger side
And my foot fell asleep as I swallowed my candy
knowin' he was in heaven, a' before he died

Now the harbor's on fire from the dreams and desires
Of a thousand young poets, who failed cause they tried
But a rhyme without reason sinks down to the bottom
Where the scavengers eat 'em, and wash in with the tide

chorus

The sun can play tricks with your eyes on the highway
The moon can lie sideways til the oceans stand still
But a person can't tell his best friend he loves him
Til time has stopped breathin' and you're long on the hill

chorus


I think that's right, anyway. It's been awile. I saw him in concert 3 times in Seattle. The second time, Steve Goodman warmed up for him. Goodman was more or less responsible for Prine's first recording contract and they did great duets on a few of Prine's albums. They did the last few tunes together. Quite a night. Goodman passed away, you probably know, from Lukemia. Diagnosed at 18, they gave him two years to live. He misunderstood them and thought they said 20 years. He was some kinda 5 foot 5 Jewish cowboy guit box picker. Rest in Peace, Steve Goodman.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I swing by that neighborhood now and then. I'll check it out.

I did a search on Tanenbaum. Looks like he still performs and records. He was pretty boyish looking back in '80 so it's not surprising.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Interesting idea. I'd like to run onto one of those.

The problems he describes, of guitars deforming themselves with string pressure, used to keep me employed. I fixed many guitars with bad action(Jackson). It's a real balancing act to put it all together (making one, that is) and have it come out sounding good but still be strong enough to withstand all the pressure.

I read about and saw pictures of a Maccafarri (sp) guitar used by D'jango Reinhardt years ago. it wasn't an arch top, f-hole design, but it had the trapeze tail piece bridge arrangement. Some controversy on which style gives the best sound. The fellow in the link appears to be taking elements of both.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

SeeMack, I though "Grandpa Was a Carpenter" may have been one of your faves

I heard an honest man tell a story about JP on NPR. It was several years ago, when JP had just gotten over the throat cancer scare. He was a reporter for Newsweek and was begrudgingly assigned to interview JP on a long flight from the W Coast to the E Coast. About half way throught the interview, the interviewer asked JP something like, "well, can you sing now that you have had surgery on your vocal cords?" Prine said, "Man, you have never heard my sing, have you?" The Newsweek man sheepishly said no, wen't home and bought all of his stuff before writing the most lauditory piece on Prine I have ever seen. I will try to find it.

I can't listen to "hello in there" recorded live at the Million Dollar Cowboy bar in Jackson Hole and done as a tribute to Goodman without getting chills (or tearing up if in the Whisky bag).

PS: what do you think about JJ Cale?

Yeah, I used to do "Grandpa was a carpenter," (and voted for Eisen -how-OW-er, cause Lincoln won the war..."

I'll have to look for that Million Dollar Bar live recording.

Did you ever hear Goodman do "I miss the old man tonight?" Jeez, you could hear a pin drop when he did that one. Prine says him and the guys used to come over near the edge of the curtain to hear him do it.

I used to do Steve's "The 20th Century is Almost Over" and added my own verse:

And now we're facing massive soil erosion, making it worse with population explosion, if we're not careful, famine's gonna catch us dozin', lightnin' bolts are gonna be hurled...

But now the president's hired himself a big expert, and he says it ain't much gonna hurt, cause after all, it's just a buncha dirt, all over this world..

And now the 20th century is almost over, it's almost over, it's almost over, the 20th century is almost over, all over this world....

Trouble is, the 20th century is over -- damn, it was such a good song too.

I like JJ Cale, wasn't exposed to him as much as Prine, but some of his tunes are great. "Pretty mama, where you been so long, wahh - buh-wang, wang, wah..."

Doing guitar sounds with your mouth is one thing, printed word doesn't quite pull it off.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Don't look too hard--Its on "John Prine Live", IIRC. I'm not a huge Bonny Raitt fan, but there is a hell of a duo of it on that album too.

I never heard SG do "I miss the old man tonight" I will try to find it.

Yes, very interesting way to get around the traditional problems found in guitars.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

It's on one of his albums, I forget which one. I wasn't sure if I wanted to try to sing that one while he was alive. Afterwards, I had to.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/LVD12P.htm

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