Do you play a musical instrument?

That's easy. While it is generally thought that the inner-ear hair cells die off, they are in fact migrating to more accessible parts of the body. Breath in deeply through the nose,  e x p a n d  the nostrils. See ? You can hear better.

Mmmmm, You're right! This is not only scientific discovery at play, it is also still pertinent to the thread!

Jimmy.

"Will I still be able to tell FLACs from WAVs if I use this ?"

Laugh out aloud! (Don't like yoofspeak).

You'll need to be more precise.

Joking aside Jan, I have started to use otex and the saline/sodium alternative available over the counter, on a regularish basis,as it seems that when we get over a cold, there is also a build up of wax.

Now we all want clear lugholes for crystal clear sound, what would be considered overkill?

These plus one in the bedroom...

Although I sometimes sense a "thinning of the herd" may be in the offing...

Yes, Char, I've had it done and yes it was painful, the nurse had to use warm water to shift a more defiant lump. I don't think she enjoyed it too much either.

Very nice, Dr Mark.

Is that a strat and a tele I see in the corner? And you have quite a family of semi acoustics on the wall that I am finding harder to identify, third from the left possibly a deusenburg with a bigsby.

All very nice

Jimmy

Second from left (on facing wall ) could possibly be an L5 or more likely a peerless? Do you play in a band? Or just enjoy collecting guitars (perfectly understandably) for their beauty.

These plus one in the bedroom...

Superb! Makes my 4 seem paltry.

From the earliest reproduction of music with the 9th century hydro-organ the link between musician and listener moved from the ephemeral live performance  to the permanent and replayable. Is it not a natural extension, and in the interests of both parties to maximise the quality of that relationship?

These pictures show me with a very fine double bass. I hope to borrow this instrument on 9-5-2014 to play in a performance of Faure's Requiem in Hereford Cathedral with the Chamber Choir, and a small group of strings [violin solo, plus four violas and double bass] with chamber pipe organ. The forces required by the original 1888 version, which Faure elaborated more than once more for grander scaled performances.

The concert, as usual by the Chamber Choir, is in aid of the Cathedral maintenance fund.

All are welcome to see a Forum member actually playing in great music in a superb setting - in the Lady Chapel.

ATB from George

Excellent idea George. I would love to but duties in Valhalla will stop me from joining you. However, do post pictures of the event. ATB Loki.

I might pose outside the Church, but I never think it is quite polite to take photos inside!

ATB from George

No band - no time for that.  Having 3 jobs and trying to learn Italian, German, and self-teaching Russian keeps me off the streets as it is.  I play along with my Naim system when time permits.

Lower row (L-R): Guild D55 (kept in open E tuning), Taylor 814CE, PRS Custom 24, Strat, Tele (both American Stds), Ovation LX 12-string.

On wall: Ignacio Rosas classical, Godin hybrid classical (used to have a T5 once), D'Aquisto Solo (not original of course), D'Angelico NYL2 (also not an original - the Vestax ones), Gretsch 6120 Brian Setzer, Epiphone Casino (the Chinese made Lennon knockoff.)

Not pictured: Taylor GS-mini, Giannini classical (cheap $300 model so I don't beat my Rosas up) - so I guess I actually have 14 axes, not 13.

Absent, which permits above: a wife.

Recently (in the past 2 years or so) sold a '77 SG and  a Ricky 360-12.  The Epi & Solo might be next.  There's a guy at work who might want the Tele, but that would be just so I could replace it  with a butterscotch with a maple neck.  (Like Keef & Bruce.)

Bought the SG in the early 80's from a guy when nobody wanted Gibsons or Fenders (it was all about Jacksons and Charvels - was even told "it's just not a happenin' axe") and sold it for about 3.5 times what I gave for it.

The retired Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, was once asked if he played a musical instrument, to which he replied, 

"The gramophone."

ATB from George

George: you have found the holy grail! Proof positive of the musician, the music, the listener and the divine rolled into one. The music of the spheres=the music of the discs. Vinyl is the eternal heartbeat of the cosmos. Natura naturans meets natura naturata. There is no higher calibre system for the discerning musician's ear.

Gentles all, our quest is ended. Slainte m'hath.

Yes, Jacksons and Charvels, it was the the era of the Floyd rose locking trem and fast rosewood necks, the SGs a lovely guitar though, championed by Frank and Angus. I think I would have been tempted to keep it, as you say it would have only risen in value.

No my little collection is more paltry still, apart from the 339 I have a Tanglewood Sundance, an ES175 jazzbox copy that actually plays very well, and is getting rare now, but was (relatively) cheap,(£380). Like yourself I use this to save the Gibbo. Plus a little Cordoba parlour style acoustic.

My brother,(mentioned earlier) is a working guitarist, and has a collection of a similar scale to your own. Amongst his "Talent boosters" as he describes them, are a few US fenders and gibsons, a PRS,a Collings, and a lovely Tom Anderson Strat shape hollow body droptop, and I can attest to the fact that these are gorgeous guitars, so fluid is the action that it (very nearly)plays for you.

But like your own, his collection changes faster than I can keep up with.

Regards Jim.

Well the SG had gotten to the point where it needed a bit of TLC, and the rosewood fretboard actually had "divots" - I much prefer ebony or even maple.  It was an incredibly comfortable and light guitar, but I had gotten to where I didn't want to play it any more for fear of hastening its demise.  Plus the bridge on the 77's was an awkward, ill-designed, piece of crap, and I needed to raise cash, so off it went.  The 360-12 was just hardly ever being played, so I sold it to a guy who works out of Greensboro, NC who brought it to Waterloo, Belgium, for his son.

I am certainly no professional guitarist.  In fact, we have a board member who can personally attest to my mediocrity!  But In enjoy it, and given more time I think I could do alright (or perhaps better, could have done alright - you know what they say about old dogs & new tricks), but life kind of gets in the way of such things...

Jim: 'check' to the Floyd Rose locking trem! Mine's on an equally rarefied Washburn Mercury Tonewood in Mahogany.

No I know what you mean, like an old car, once you get to the point where you have to spend more than perhaps what you originally paid,(to re-fret)you've got to have a lot of love for it to carry on.

Sorry I didn't realise you were from across the pond, No I have also come to the conclusion that at my age I am highly unlikely to be selected to appear on Britain\America,s got talent, but then again "Would I really want to?".

You've got a real nice collection there,Enjoy.

Loki: Washburn made some superb guitars and basses, I remember in the eighties was it White snakes bass player, Micky Moody!? used to endorse them. But yes they have made some great axes over the years.

Regards Jim.

Love the Washburn shape and sound. And not ridiculously priced. Hankering after a five string bass...

Apropos the original debate, how important is it to have a Naim system to play along to/with? I regularly accompany my favourite players (good job they can't hear me) and seek to emulate their sound with various circuitry on my guitar amp. To me a decent system is necessary a) to hear the detail;  b) to provide a realistic acosutic context to my frenetic fretboard fumblings; c) to ahve suffieicent power to balance the sound of the Washburn Mercury/Fender M80 combo.

I think that last is the most important of the 3 you cited, since it is tough to get the right "balance" between my amps and the system, such that I can hear them to stay in time & not drown the band out (especially on rhythm), and yet still hear my own playing (or as you so well termed it, "fretboard fumblings".)  Since my room is largish I can sometimes achieve that balance through my personal position..and I never want to push the Naim past 11-ish.

In that regard a PA would actually probably be better for play-along, but that ain't happenin'.

Agreed! I have my combo mid room and behind the sofa, which is optimally positioned for listening to the stereo. If I  sit on the sofa and play then things are tamed a little. Or I can stand behind the sofa (which is half way along the room) and get full impact. 

Alternatively one could take a feed from the NAC to the combo and play both through the amp?! Horrific SQ though although George would like it as the M80 is mono.