A couple of weeks ago I took my Taylor GS Mini-e Koa guitar across the river to Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center to have the electronic pickup system looked at.  Levin’s is an institution in the Washington, D. C. music scene, having been in business since 1958.

Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

After dropping off my guitar, I wandered into the acoustic guitar room and was told by the sales to play anything I wanted, and take as much time as I liked.  Those words are like crack to an addict when you’re a guitar player!

Levin’s carries many brands I’ve read about but never laid hands on.  So, of course I played a number of guitars.  After several different guitars, I found myself with a nifty 12-string guitar in hand.

My first new guitar was a 12-string.  A Framus I bought in Germany when I was in college there.  I still have it — 50 years later!

Framus 12-string guitar

I have since added an electric 12-string.  But neither of them felt or played like this one!

It turns out this guitar is a Taylor “Builders Edition” 652ce.  Taylor’s model numbering is explained thus:  The first digit is the series number.  Series are based on wood.  The second digit specifies both whether it is 6- or 12-string, and whether the top wood is soft or hard. The third digit indicates the body shape (Taylor makes many), and the letters following indicate if the guitar has a cutaway and/or electronics.  Thus, the 652ce is a maple-spruce paired 12-string with a soft (spruce) top and is a Grand Concert body shape.  The guitar has a cutaway and an electronic pickup system.  As a Builders Edition, it also receives some additional treatment, such as a beveled armrest, a beveled cutaway, and some “exclusive” Taylor tweaks:  a 12-fret neck, two-string bridge pins, and something else different:  It’s “reverse strung.”  A typical 12-string has six pairs of strings, the fundamental string and an octave (the top two pairs of strings are identical).  Twelve strings are typically strung with the octave string first (looking down from the playing perspective) and then the fundamental string.  But Taylor puts the fundamental string first, then the octave string.  I found this made playing it so much easier, because the down stroke of a strum plays the fundamental note first.  The finish (there are two) I played and liked is called Wild Honey Burst.

And it’s beautiful!

Taylor Builder’s Edition 652ce 12-fret 12-string Grand Concert

All of this comes at a cost, of course.  I actually happen to be in a position to purchase one at the moment, but it’s still a big decision.

Making the decision even tougher is that Taylor offers other 12-string guitars in the same size.  I find the 562ce attractive, too.  It’s mahogany (both top and body).  Not being a Builders Edition, it costs less, but is plainer (less bling).

Taylor 562ce 12-fret, 12-string Grand Concert

There is also the 362ce, which is a mahogany top with Tasmanian Blackwood back and sides.  It’s cheaper again than the 562ce.

Taylor 362ce 12-fret 12-string Grand Concert

If looks were all that mattered, I would be happy with the cheapest of the three.  But sound and playability are the most important factors in a guitar priced in this range (and, in fact, I think I favor the looks ofd the 562ce).  My biggest problem is that I haven’t been able to play either of the lower-cost Taylors.

The closest I’ve come is this “bake-off” video:

Decisions!  Decisions!  The more I look, read and explore, the more convinced I’m going to get one!

I’ve recently taken to saying that the Beatles got me interested in playing guitar and that Eric Clapton has kept me interested.

The Beatles entered the world’s consciousness in 1962 (or 1963, depending on who you talk to).  I was a kid living in Bangkok, Thailand when my musical world changed.  I can honestly claim that I saw the Beatles, but not in concert.  They were on an Asian tour and stopped briefly in Thailand.  They never got off the plane, but were still greeted at the airport by adoring throngs.  And I was among them.  They came to the door and waved at us.

By the mid-1960s, when I was in high school, the Beatles were continuing to top the music charts, and I had grown tired and frustrated playing piano according to my parents’ wishes (and NOT playing the music I wanted to play).  My friend RIck Johnson had an old Sears Kay guitar he never played, so I bought it from him for ten dollars.  It was a horrible guitar, with a warped neck, but I didn’t care.  Buying songbooks from the local record store, I learned current tunes using the chord charts.  I confess to being self-taught, and every error in fingering styles, posture and playing is mine.

In college, I bought my first new guitar at the Post Exchange (PX) in Munich, Germany.  It was a twelve-string acoustic made by Framus (the company’s history may be worth another post, but not today).  I don’t know why I got a twelve string, except that I think I was angling to the top-of-the-line guitar in my price range.  I took that guitar with me to college, and played with other students in jam sessions, and even wrote a couple of songs with it.  I still have that guitar today.  It’s 50 years old!

My first new guitar – now 50 years old. Framus 12-string

In 1970, the Beatles as a band came to an end.  Their legacy remains alive, but other than bootlegs and mashups, no new music from the Beatles was forthcoming.

At the same time, the British rock-and-blues scene was exploding.  Leading the charge was a fiery guitarist named Eric Clapton.  It seems everything associated with Clapton turned to gold.  He played with the Yardbirds (a group who spawned fellow guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page) and then with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and then lit up the world with the first “supergroup,” the power trio, Cream.

Many a day and night were spent listening to Cream albums, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire, and Goodbye come to mind.

From Cream, Eric moved onto Blind Faith, who only released one album, but it still has a place in rock history.  Not just because of its original cover (which was “banned” and replaced).

I partially drifted away from listening to Clapton’s work after Derek and the Dominoes, which some people think is his greatest album.  But he kept showing up on the airwaves, and I saw him in concert in 1974 at what was then known as the Capital Centre.  He was promoting his first truly “solo” album then, 461 Ocean Boulevard.

I have albums and songbooks of Clapton’s music, and I’ve read about some of the tribulations he’s gone through, and lately, with the COVID-19 affecting everybody everywhere, I was pleased to learn that Eric had released a new album.

Motivated by the COVID cancellation of a Royal Albert Hall concert, Clapton decided to take his band (consisting of standout bassist Nathan East, keyboardist Chris Stainton and percussionist Steve Gadd) and set up in a country estate in West Sussex, England.  Recorded live, The Lady In The Balcony (reference to his wife Melia, who watched), the album is 17 tracks, 14 of which are acoustic (the other three are electrified but not the typical hall-filling power chords).  Many of these are Clapton classics, some are tributes, and all of them sound to me as if Eric and Co. had invited me to sit in the living room while they played.

Call me a fan!  I saw a few videos (I think there’s a DVD of the album) on YouTube and immediately said to myself, “I have got to get this album!”  Fortunately it was approaching Christmas so I dropped a not-too-subtle hint to my daughter, and lo and behold, I now have my own copy.

Coinciding with my recent venture into live performing, I’ve locked into this album’s rendition of Bell Bottom Blues (you can see it here) .  The song itself isn’t hard — I learned it quickly — but I’m just fascinated by the solo Eric plays, and I’m obsessing over learning it.  It’s hard trying to visualize it from the video, so I’m basically taking it measure by measure, lining up the sound with what he’s playing.  I’m no Eric Clapton, and since he’s the only three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and winner of some 18 Grammy awards, I never will be.  But I’m grateful that Eric Clapton has blessed the world with some outstanding music, and kept my interest in playing guitar alive.

Postscript:  Some people who aren’t as old as I am may not be familiar with Eric Clapton’s guitar playing skills.  Here is a video of a much younger Clapton demonstrating some of his chops.

My sister gave me a t-shirt a couple of years ago that says, “You can never have too many guitars.”  That’s a saying that’s familiar to guitarists and so with that in mind, I introduce my latest addition:  A Martin Dreadnought Junior (DJr-10E).

Martin DJr-10E Sapele

I need another guitar like I need another hole in my head, but I love guitars, and when someone told me they preferred their Martin “Junior” to their Taylor GS Mini, I had to check it out for myself.  Currently, my GS Mini-e Koa is my favorite acoustic guitar.

Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

(No, those aren’t the same photo — I’ve taken to keeping them in cases due to the seasonal drop in humidity; it’s easier to keep them properly humidified this way).

Actually, I started out researching the “Streetmaster” version of the “Junior,” and now I’m not quite sure why.  I have a Streetmaster version of a Martin OMC-15ME (shown on the previous post, so I won’t post another image).  In the back of my mind, I think I figured I could use the guitar as a “beater” and not care if it got scuffed or dinged.  But as I checked the specs (Martin makes three versions:  one in Sitka Spruce, one in Sapele, and the Streetmaster, which is also Sapele).  I couldn’t really determine why the Streetmaster model sells for $100 more!

My research found me at the web site of Maury’s Music in Coaldale, Pennsylvania.  Maury’s is a Certified Martin dealer, and is located about 40 miles from Martin’s headquarters in Nazareth, PA.

Guitar Maker C. F. Martin’s Nazareth, PA Headquarters

Apparently, Maury and his only employee (Maury, his wife Lori and one employee — Andrew are the only employees) drive to Nazareth and carry guitars directly back to their shop!

I spoke with Maury via email and asked him the tonal difference between the Sapele (sapele is a wood very much like mahogany) model and the Streetmaster and he indicated there was no difference.  So, not seeing any reason to pay an additional $!00, I started considering the Sapele.

Further discussions and reading on Maury’s site suggested that the sound of the guitar could be enhanced by upgrading the saddle and the bridge pins (the saddle is a bar of material over which the guitar strings are placed, which raises the strings up and allows a straight line to the nut.  Bridge pins hold the strings in place in the guitar body).  Heck, I figured if I was going to order a brand new guitar, I might as well get it right!  So I had the stock saddle replaced with buffalo bone, and bone with abalone inserts for the bridge pins.  Bone makes the guitar sound brighter than manmade materials, I learned.

So now I have two smaller guitars that have excellent sound and playability.  I have learned that smaller, shorter guitars work better for me, as I have small, thin hands, and overall I don’t feel like I’m “hunkering over” the instrument as I play.

I have a slightly guilty feeling about purchasing this guitar, because I have a custom guitar being made, and it is supposedly near being finished.

But you can’t have too many guitars, can you?

Apologies to the late John Lennon for appropriating his doggerel opening to The Two of Us.  Sometimes, the subject heading to one of these posts just pops into my head, and this was it.  John actually said, “Phase one…” but that doesn’t fit.

My reason for thinking of Phase II is that as a follow-on post to my previous entry, I have now taken the stage twice at the open mic night, and so now I’m no longer a first-timer, and am now moving into the “veteran” category!

Having a time constraint has caused me to focus more on shorter tunes, rather than the long, extended improvisations I’ve conducted in the privacy of my home.  This is a bit of a change, as I now have to work in a song introduction, play, repeat, and leave the stage.  I’ve been using a timer to practice, and that’s helping.

There’s also my voice.  When singing at home, it makes no difference if one is in the shower or the living room; there isn’t an audience, so hitting sour notes or a cracking voice aren’t issues.  But off-key singing in concert is most definitely a turn-off.  So, I’ve started using a capo (something I’ve looked down my nose at until recently).  This lets me change the key of a song without having to change the fingerings I know.

Guitar Capo

Thus, when I took the stage, I wanted to play songs I’ve known for a long time, that I like musically, and felt comfortable playing.  My first choice was David Crosby‘s Triad, a song I first heard performed by Jefferson Airplane on their Crown of Creation album (still one of my favorite “oldies” albums).

Crown of Creation album cover, 1968

It wasn’t until I heard Crosby’s performance of it on the live, 4 Way Street double album by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young that I fell in love with the guitar work!

4 Way Street live double album by CSN&Y

The problem I’ve had with this song is that I cannot sing it in the key in which it’s written, and it uses the upper part of the guitar neck, so I’ve never cared to use a capo to adjust it to my voice.  Until now.  I found that by placing the capo on the third fret, I could sing with the music and still reach the upper frets.

However, I felt to make that easier, I needed to use a guitar that allows easier access to the higher notes, and that meant using an acoustic guitar with a cutaway.  Given that this was going to be an all-acoustic (no amplification) performance, I wanted a guitar that would also project well.  Hmm.  I had purchased a Martin OMC-15ME that, once I received it, did not love.  It went into a case and I mentally put it on my “sell” list.  Maybe it would do?

Martin OMC-15ME Streetmaster in Weathered Red

I took it to Melodee Music, hoping to buy a truss rod wrench to give it some neck relief.  They didn’t have one in stock, but the tech there offered to do the job, and so I drooled over other guitars while he did the job.  And it did the job!  I now found the guitar playable.

So, I capo’ed and practiced, and took the stage.  I introduced the song and played it, blowing the lyrics on the first chorus, but I just surged through it to the end.  I then introduced my second song (sans capo) by saying that my last attempt at a sing-along hadn’t worked too well, but if folks knew the lyrics, they could sing along now.  Then I played the Beatles‘ Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, which I completely nailed!

I got some exuberant applause, which is more than just polite acknowledgment, which made me feel pretty good!  After the show, the emcee came to me and complimented me by saying I was a “monster” guitar player.  Given that he’s no slouch on the instrument himself, I considered that terrific praise!

We’re now heading into the holiday season, and I’d like to play at least one instrumental I learned last year, and have been getting familiar with again, Bing Crosby‘s (no relation to David) I’ll Be Home For Christmas.  I’m also focusing on another Beatles (Paul McCartney, actually) song as performed by the British duo, Peter & Gordon.  I haven’t yet decided between World Without Love, I Don’t Want to See You Again, or the Beatles’ No Reply.

But I have a week to decide.  And practice.

Last night I finally made my performing debut.  For years (decades, actually) I have avoided taking the stage, preferring to play my guitar and sing songs in the privacy of my home.  I’ve taken to referring to myself as a “bedroom soloist.”

That changed last night.  Here’s the story, told in brief:

A few weeks ago I was informed of a local group that meets every week to sing and play music.  The Folk Club of Reston/Herndon (Virginia) has been gathering for 36 years, and I just now heard of it!  Given that I lived in Reston for 27 years and that I was there when the club was founded, I was a bit taken aback at my ignorance.  But, there’s no time like the present, so I thought I’d check it out.  Tuesdays are free evenings for me usually, so this worked out well.

The venue is the back room of the Amphora Diner Deluxe, a 365-day eatery that serves a full assortment of meals and cuisines.

Amphora Diner Deluxe, Herndon, VA

After my first visit, I came away thinking to myself, “I can do this!”  The variety of performers ranged from semi-professionals to those, who like me, play for their own pleasure and fulfillment. So, I decide to take the risk and join them.

It’s a simple and well-established process:  A sign-up board is placed to the side of the performing area and those who wish to play add their names.  Each performer is given eight minutes (including set up time).  Once a month there is a “showcase” performance, where the star is given 24 minutes.  There is usually a concert once a month with a featured artist and a small cover charge.  There is a brief intermission, and guests are free to eat during performances.

So, given an eight-minute performance window, I decided to practice a couple of songs that I hoped I would have down pat, and loaded my guitar into my car and arrived early enough to get my name on the list.  As it turned out, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is probably not the high demand date, so I was informed each performer would be allowed twelve minutes instead of eight.

I had signed up to be fourth, but with the empty slots, that became second.  After the first performer left the stage, I was introduced as a first-timer at the club.  I added that I was a first-timer overall, and that as my “maiden voyage,” would allow myself three mistakes.  I then introduced my first song, Michael Nesmith‘s Roll With the Flow.  It took me a minute to get my bearings, so to speak:  bright lights in my eyes, and finding my voice.  Fortunately, any jitters mostly disappeared, although I felt at times I was struggling with my voice.  I followed that with Steve Goodman‘s Six Hours Ahead of the Sun, a tune I’d only recently been teaching myself.  Oddly enough, I think I played the latter better than the former, even though I started with what I thought would be my best offering.

Given that I had more time than I’d planned for, I decided to add my rendition of Brewer & Shipley‘s interpretation of Witchi-Tai To, an Indian chant that I’ve loved since I first heard them perform it in the early 1970s.  I tried to get the audience engaged in singing it as a “round” (the style used to sing Row Row Row Your Boat, for reference), but as I learned later, many in the audience couldn’t make out the words.

Which is another fact I only learned about:  Performances are mostly acoustic-only, meaning that there is no amplification and no microphones, which I thought from my previous visits were the norm.  I’m glad I practiced acoustically, but it was a lesson learned that I needed to consider: What un-enhanced music sounds like, and how to better project.  My voice is not my strong point, so I need to work on it.

Overall, I had a lot of fun.  I made a few mistakes, but as I learned early on, many in the audience don’t notice, and some of the other performers made errors, too.  Some more glaring than mine!  The main objective is to have a good time, and in that I succeeded.  I even had one audience member thank me for Witchi-Tai To, saying she’d heard Brewer & Shipley play it in concert, and hadn’t heard it in years.

Now, I’m no longer a rookie.  I’ve decided to do it again, and so I’m going to work on some new material and give it another go!

Much to my surprise and amazement, I’ve found an online guitar instruction site that has actually improved my guitar playing!  That site is ActiveMelody.com.  I have toyed with a number of sites, and found many of them helpful, but none quite seemed to fit my style.

One site I visited often was the Blues Guitar Institute.  It has some terrific content, but I was put off by its $14.99/month ($99.99 annual) fee.  Some terrific free sites, such as JustinGuitar and Marty Schwartz’s lessons are great for quick lessons, but many of these sites are focused on learning songs.  I wanted something with a little more structure (but not TOO much), and then I found Brian Sherrill.

Brian Sherrill of activemelody.com

Brian doesn’t promote himself.  In fact, I didn’t know his last name until I did some searching online.  Which is kind of cool, because at ActiveMelody, it’s just Brian and his lessons.

Key to his approach is that Brian explains the “why” of certain guitar playing.  Yes, it’s music theory, but he downplays that aspect, choosing instead to show how to play.  The when and why part of it fall in place gradually.

At first, I was reluctant to pay ($89.00 annually).  There is a forum on the site, and I joined to nose around a bit and investigate.  One of the posters there made the observation that the annual charge was roughly what one would pay for a single in-person lesson with a tutor.  Since I’d done that not long ago, I had to admit he had a point, so I signed up.

One of the best decisions I’ve made.  After a year of COVID lockdowns, it felt nice to get some structure to my playing.  Since I’ve been able to work from home, which means I can grab a guitar any time and spend a few minutes practicing, having lessons to practice has been a great help.

Membership also provides me access to tablature (TAB) downloads, jam tracks and “part two” of lessons when available.  The PDF downloads have been a terrific aide, and I’m only now beginning to take advantage of the jam tracks.  Well worth the $89!

Brian doesn’t know (and likely doesn’t care) that I’m posting this.  But I’m quite happy with activemelody.com and confess to being a satisfied customer!