What are you playing just now?

Posted by: Mat Cork on 31 October 2009

What instruments do you have knocking around that you're fond of?

I've had some lovely guitars, this isn't one of them. It sounds flat and thin, plays ok and looks nice enough. It's a Bunya Pine solid topped Maton from Australia. Made from sustainable Queensland timber.

The internal label was signed by John Fahey, but even that couldn't work any magic...it's a bit of a dud. No doubt with enough skill you could make it sing...to a point.

But it's been with me through 12 nomadic years, and been a good friend through some rough times. As Kinky says "a good looking woman will stick with you through thick and thick" - this old Maton has always been there. Anyway, it's something I could never let go...what have you go with strings, valves or tubes of metal etc?

Posted on: 31 October 2009 by mikeeschman
We have a number of instruments in the house. A 6.5' Mason & Hamlin Grand, a Bb trumpet, a tenor and a bass recorder, a bugle, a clarinet, a flute and a tenor sax.

They have all been played a good bit in this house, as my father-in-law lived with us his final decade. He was a great woodwind player.
Posted on: 31 October 2009 by BigH47
A 4 bass and 6 string electric guitars, a sax , an oboe and a keyboard. Unfortunately not much makes music any more.
I do promise to practise more on one of the guitars though.
Posted on: 31 October 2009 by BigH47
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
What Sax have you got Howard??
Stu


Trick question! It's Hannah's (daughters) , I think it's a tenor. Not really small or really big. I'm prepared to be wrong.

I did try to play it once, but it fails any sort of logic to the note played vs the key pressed. Big Grin
Posted on: 02 November 2009 by Mat Cork
So nobody has any nice snaps of a 59 Les Paul they have knocking around, a battered Tele, an old D18 or some spangly PRS?

Too much money going on hifi Big Grin
Posted on: 02 November 2009 by BigH47
quote:
I think it's a tenor. Not really small or really big. I'm prepared to be wrong.



..and I was ,it's an Alto.
Posted on: 02 November 2009 by tonym
Reading this thread prompted me to blow the dust off my Fender guitar case & take a couple of snaps of my trusty left-handed U.S. Strat.

But what a state it's in, what was my pride and joy! Strings broken & corroded, frets discoloured, all dull and unloved.

I don't think I've played it for at least two years and although I'm not exactly Eric Clapton I could bang out a few chords & stuff. Now almost all forgotten!





There's a Fender 12-string and a Sigma 6-string languishing in a dusty corner, unloved now & unplayed.
Posted on: 02 November 2009 by Steve Bull
Nice pictures guys. I'm going to need to have a proper go at this under decent natural light, but here goes anyway...

Paul Shippy mandolin, Deering Goodtime tenor banjo.

Posted on: 02 November 2009 by Mat Cork
Tony, that's a lovely Strat...and built the right way round for a change (far too many of them were knocked out upside down). I've only got a beaten up lefty mexican Strat...it's obvious from the photo's the finish on the US models is in a different league.

Steve...I don't know much about mandolins etc...are the instruments in the photo utra-desirable...they look it.
Posted on: 02 November 2009 by Steve Bull
Hi Mat.

The mandolins are handmade by Paul Shippey at his workshop in Weston-super-mare. They don't come cheap and there's a wait of several months to get them but they're beautifully made and play like a dream. Mine has cherrywood back and sides, spruce front.

I started off about three years ago with a cheap-n-cheerful Chinese made mandolin that cost me £80 or so, after deciding that I wanted to get serious about playing I blew my bonus the following spring on the Shippey and haven't regretting it for a moment.

Mostly I play traditional English and Irish folk tunes, with weekly lessons and not as much practice as I should. One day, I'll even try and play in public...

While Deering banjos are pretty expensive beasts, the 'Goodtime' models are their value range but it's still made in the USA - they just cut back on some of the decorative stuff and use less lavish woods.

Plays nicely although a slightly high action that I need to get adjusted a little. No big deal though as it's very much a secondary instrument behind the mandolin. I had it tuned to GDAE so the mando fingering transfers over directly.

Both instruments really do deserve better photos - a challenge for me to experiment with when I have some decent natural lighting to help me out.

Steve.
Posted on: 02 November 2009 by winkyincanada
I have a few guitars...

A Maton Messiah 12-string dreadnought. A little uncommon in that it has no cutaway and no electrics. Custom made for me, but without anything special. Solid Sitka Spruce top and Indian Rosewood back and sides. Plays very nicley and quite easy to keep in tune, thankfully. I real bitch when its time to chance the strings, though.

A Larrivee D-09 6-string dreadnought. Spruce and rosewood, similar to the Maton. A higher action, but still plays nicely. I bought it in Australia, so it has come back "home" to Canada.

They're both about 6 years old.

A Fender F-65 6-string dreadnought. I bought this one over 30 years ago and it is still going strong. It wasn't an expensive guitar back then but it has proven to be great value. Some real sentimental value. Plays and sounds great.