| Having owned and played guitars for over twenty | | | | series seven Taylor? Ok so the cheaper ones use |
| five years I have owned lots and lots of different | | | | ply, we know that!! |
| makes and models of guitars, some good, some | | | | Ok, the name maybe,could be a big part of it? When |
| awful but the acoustic slide weissenborn still | | | | I decided to build my Weissenborn, I decided to get |
| fascinates me quite beyond comparison. Why is that? | | | | some really good quality timber, Australian Maple, but |
| Well, the sound is really quite like nothing at all, | | | | boys and girls, it wasn't a grand.. I wont say how |
| nothing compares. These guitars stand up, make a | | | | much, but it was even cut to size and thickness for |
| statement, "Here I am, I'm different, play me if you | | | | me!l Labour, makes up a lot in the price, of course, |
| can, I'm a sonofabitch to learn but if you can get | | | | for a hand made non- factory guitar, and it makes a |
| your head round this, then I will sing for you and | | | | huge difference to the cost these days. So what if |
| make you days happy!" | | | | your time is free? |
| Think I'm joking? go and try one, you will see what I | | | | Well, we could argue for hours about all the differing |
| mean...then after you have made a goose of yourself | | | | factors but in the end in fact, it really does pay to |
| in the music shop, go down the road and buy a Jeff | | | | make an effort and build your own guitar. I started |
| Lang Cd or Bob Brozman album and just check those | | | | off with a weissenborn because quite honestly, the |
| dudes out!!! Humbling or what? | | | | fretboard spacings are nowhere near as critical as a |
| I must say I had my eyes on some really top level | | | | normal fingered acoustic guitar...so its a good one to |
| guitars over the years and I reasoned "Well, there is | | | | start with! |
| only a pound or two of timber in there, surely? "How | | | | I did discover something when I had finished my |
| come they are three grand? Well, it is the knowledge | | | | guitar that when I put my GOTOH machine heads |
| that hundreds of luthiers have passed down over the | | | | onto the guitar it is really critical to have them |
| years that gives these things the tags they have isn't | | | | tightened up as much as is practical. They are not |
| that right? However, I did read a book on inlaying | | | | the best machine heads but are acceptable for the |
| and in there was a bit about how extensively that | | | | job. After all, the machine head post really is one of |
| the millionth Martin was inlaid...Wait a minute. a | | | | the only things that transmit those vibrations down |
| MILLION Martins? Inlaid with a computer?? Whoa, | | | | the headstock of the guitar. I actually didn't realise it |
| that's not exactly painstakingly hand crafted is | | | | but I allowed the machine head nuts to loosen |
| it..that's mass production more like...so how come | | | | without realising it. Naturally, they need to bed in to |
| they are still three grand a piece??? Surely mass | | | | the timber and once it is squashed down somewhat, |
| production makes things a lot cheaper, dont it? | | | | the machine heads inevitably loosen up. I had begun |
| Is it me or is there something not quite right here? | | | | to wonder why the guitar sound and brightness had |
| Well, don't get me wrong here, most modern guitars | | | | 'gone off' I mistakenly thought it was the strings |
| are factory made and to be honest there cannot be | | | | getting a bit older but when I tightened up the |
| much difference in the technique for making these | | | | machine head nuts the guitar sprang into life again... it |
| guitars in the factory, can there? Ok that leaves only | | | | honestly sounded like a different guitar. So, if you do |
| a couple of things, the material quality, better fret | | | | have a guitar that you have played for a while and |
| wire, better machine heads, better timber, aha, the | | | | its 'gone off' replace the strings and while you are at |
| timber. But surely that cant make it a couple or three | | | | it tighten up those machine heads and fixing screws! |
| grand difference between a production Ashton or a | | | | You may be in for a bit of a shock! |