Guitarist's Forum

[Henrik]

I have got the Troubadour back packer guitar, which is similar. It does not have a pickup, but you can egt ones with a pickup in.

Paul

Ok, thanks, Paul.

Any oppinion of the (acoustic) sound quality ( or lack of it ? ) of such a "guitar" ? 

Henrik

[Paul]

For a £90 quid guitar, taht will fit in a motorcaravan cupboard, the sound is very good. Obviously lacking the bass of a full size body, but a very pleasant bright sound. I used it on our palm sunday procession this year, with 2 other full size guitars, and my melody line carried over both of them playing rhythm.

Paul

[Henrik]

For a £90 quid guitar, taht will fit in a motorcaravan cupboard, the sound is very good. Obviously lacking the bass of a full size body, but a very pleasant bright sound. I used it on our palm sunday procession this year, with 2 other full size guitars, and my melody line carried over both of them playing rhythm.

Paul

Aha, that's very impressive - pleasantly surprised here 

Thanks again, Paul.

Cheers
Henrik

[Al]

I have a Martin backpacker, not terribly fond of it I have to say, I think the LX-1 with the solid spruce top might be a better proposition, the backpacker is just such an awkard shape to handle. By altering my style to anchor my pinky on the top I can just get enought stability to whizz through some Blake tunes etc but for anything more demanding, as in moving up and down the neck,  its just impossible to handle and drives me mad !

I am on the way to getting rid of mine might look at a Baby Taylor or make myself a 12-fret Martin 0 style for the breaks in the caravan instead.

Having said all this, it was the guitar upon which I first worked out "Sand In Your Shoes", "Bentlyey & Craig" and "The Setting" whilst on holiday in Cornwall one time - I think I've mentioned this before :-)

Soundwise its ok, what you;d expect from its modest body size, and as Paul says it is quite a cutting sound, although I find the volume lacking with fingers.

[Henrik]

I have a Martin backpacker, not terribly fond of it I have to say, I think the LX-1 with the solid spruce top might be a better proposition, the backpacker is just such an awkard shape to handle. By altering my style to anchor my pinky on the top I can just get enought stability to whizz through some Blake tunes etc but for anything more demanding, as in moving up and down the neck,  its just impossible to handle and drives me mad !

I am on the way to getting rid of mine might look at a Baby Taylor or make myself a 12-fret Martin 0 style for the breaks in the caravan instead.

Having said all this, it was the guitar upon which I first worked out "Sand In Your Shoes", "Bentlyey & Craig" and "The Setting" whilst on holiday in Cornwall one time - I think I've mentioned this before :-)

Soundwise its ok, what you;d expect from its modest body size, and as Paul says it is quite a cutting sound, although I find the volume lacking with fingers.

From the look of the shape of it, it could probably also double as a great paddle, when I go canoing 

Very interesting about the stability problems, Al - it never occured to me that that would be an issue with
such guitars. So do those two you mention have different shapes / sizes, so that you can avoid this problem ?
[ Guess that finished off my vision of the "fretboard only" (electric) back packing guitar too  ]

H.

[Paul]

Hobgoblin do a travel electric http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/contfram.htm about halfway down the page.

My travel guitar is pear shaped, not like the Martin at all. It tends to slip off the lap if I don't wear a strap. Access to the top frets is excellent.

Paul

[CS]

It seems very quiet in here!

I keep dropping in but nothing seems to have happened since May  .....

I suppose everbody is practising 

I've been working my way through the SFSS tab book so that's my excuse! I'd be interested to know what you are all practising at the moment....MAJ how is your playing coming along?

To start the ball rolling this week I've mostly been learning......Willoughby's Farm, Terminus and London Apprentice

[Al]

I've been practisin' lots but not much by Ralph I am sorry to say 

This week I've been having a Robert Johnson week, last week was trying to commit to memory a tune I have been studying for ages by a staggeringly good Italian guitarist named Franco Morone - his cd "Melodies OF Memories" is possibly the most inspiring instrumental record I've ever heard since John Renbourn's "The Hermit" or Bert Jansch's "Avocet" in my opinion - the melodies and execution are just amazing - I want to learn every track on the cd but have so far got up to 1.5 !!!

[Leighton]

I've been practisin' lots but not much by Ralph I am sorry to say 

This week I've been having a Robert Johnson week, last week was trying to commit to memory a tune I have been studying for ages by a staggeringly good Italian guitarist named Franco Morone - his cd "Melodies OF Memories" is possibly the most inspiring instrumental record I've ever heard since John Renbourn's "The Hermit" or Bert Jansch's "Avocet" in my opinion - the melodies and execution are just amazing - I want to learn every track on the cd but have so far got up to 1.5 !!!

Al,
There is a website of a webbie friend of mine at http://justapicker.com and he has some nice Martins. He also has some downloadable fingerpicking stuff there. It might be worth a visit.

Me, I'm in Mississippi John Hurt mode at the moment, trying to get "Let the mermaids flirt with me", and failling badly.

Cheers

[peluche (Chris)]

There is a website of a webbie friend of mine at http://justapicker.com and he has some nice Martins. He also has some downloadable fingerpicking stuff there. It might be worth a visit.

Nice site Leighton .. all I need now is another site with all the tab for the downloads   

Too hot here to get into any serious practice, so usually stuff that takes no thinking about (stones, taylor, neil young, etc) whilst drinking wine on the terrace of an evening 

[david stevenson]

There is a website of a webbie friend of mine at http://justapicker.com and he has some nice Martins. He also has some downloadable fingerpicking stuff there. It might be worth a visit.

Nice site Leighton .. all I need now is another site with all the tab for the downloads   

Too hot here to get into any serious practice, so usually stuff that takes no thinking about (stones, taylor, neil young, etc) whilst drinking wine on the terrace of an evening 

What a wonderfully sybaritic lifestyle, Chris.  After all that's happened to you in the last few months you deserve to enjoy it.

Right now I'm finalising the middle part of my own Great War Trilogy and trying hard not to make it too obvious that all the drop-D riffs have essentially been nicked from Ralph.............

David

[MAJ]

MAJ how is your playing coming along?

Very slowly I have to admit.  There always seem to be too many other more pressing things to do, that require my time.  But I shall keep plugging away....slowly.....

[Al]

Al,
There is a website of a webbie friend of mine at http://justapicker.com and he has some nice Martins. He also has some downloadable fingerpicking stuff there. It might be worth a visit.

Me, I'm in Mississippi John Hurt mode at the moment, trying to get "Let the mermaids flirt with me", and failling badly.

Cheers

Hi Leighton, just got round to visiting this site - he's not a bad player is he, very clean. I thought his "Buck Dancer's Choice" and "Babe It Ain;t No Lie" were a bit mundane, but can't fault that "Victory Rag" - I'll be having a bash at that later tonight  I wouldn't mind being let loose on his guitar collection either. Who is he, does he play at the cub in Wigan ? I was impressed with the sound, although the acoustics were a teeny bit brash, almost like he uses picks on his fingers or uses false nails,or perhaps its just the mic because the mic he lists does often produce a brash tone  ?

[Henrik]

MAJ how is your playing coming along?

Very slowly I have to admit.  There always seem to be too many other more pressing things to do, that require my time.  But I shall keep plugging away....slowly.....

It's all that sword training, right, Maj ?   

H. - Tapeosaurus

[MAJ]

MAJ how is your playing coming along?

Very slowly I have to admit.  There always seem to be too many other more pressing things to do, that require my time.  But I shall keep plugging away....slowly.....

It's all that sword training, right, Maj ?   

H. - Tapeosaurus

Quite so - I'm going to ask Ralph to write a song about it / me / whatever. (or, perhaps one of our songsmiths could come up with something - Leighton, Steve, etc. etc. )

MAJ
Sword-o-saur

[david stevenson]

If you're looking for a sword link song, is "Because of Toledo" by the Blue Nile too tenuous or basically just smartass???

David

[Leighton]

Al,
There is a website of a webbie friend of mine at http://justapicker.com and he has some nice Martins. He also has some downloadable fingerpicking stuff there. It might be worth a visit.

Me, I'm in Mississippi John Hurt mode at the moment, trying to get "Let the mermaids flirt with me", and failling badly.

Cheers

Hi Leighton, just got round to visiting this site - he's not a bad player is he, very clean. I thought his "Buck Dancer's Choice" and "Babe It Ain;t No Lie" were a bit mundane, but can't fault that "Victory Rag" - I'll be having a bash at that later tonight  I wouldn't mind being let loose on his guitar collection either. Who is he, does he play at the cub in Wigan ? I was impressed with the sound, although the acoustics were a teeny bit brash, almost like he uses picks on his fingers or uses false nails,or perhaps its just the mic because the mic he lists does often produce a brash tone  ?

Sorry for the late reply Al,

No he's based over in Cananda, I "virtually" met him when on the Mudcat website. Originally he had all the tunes as a download, but he has removed some of them and has put a CD together.

[A french fan]

I am a new guitarist (I have just buy my guitar to day)

I need help from specialists

what is for you the easiest Ralph' s song  to play on a guitar

[rizraklaru]

Don't set your sights too high, too early, Frenchy.
When you've learnt to feel your way around your guitar a little I'd suggest maybe "Terminus" to start.
Good luck.

John.

[A french fan]

Where Can I find the tablature of this song (Terminus)  ?