Their current site is apparantely here.
http://www.jacmuse.com/pages
for information contact Joe Craig -- info at jacmuse dot com -- 274-8317
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Alaskan Guitar Players Association
The NAAGP is an organization I just became aware of.
Their current site is apparantely here.
http://www.jacmuse.com/pages/jacmuse_bio2.html
for information contact Joe Craig -- info at jacmuse dot com -- 274-8317
Their current site is apparantely here.
http://www.jacmuse.com/pages
for information contact Joe Craig -- info at jacmuse dot com -- 274-8317
A Bluegrass Newsletter ?
Ken Brown is floating the idea for a bluegrass newsletter for anchorage. If you're interested and want to contribute give him a holler - His address is ungaknunap at hotmail dot com.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Anchorage Folk Festival coming soon !!
Don't forget the Anchorage Folk Festival is coming....see their website.
GET READY FOR THE NEXT ANCHORAGE FOLK FESTIVAL:
JANUARY 17-27, 2008
JANUARY 17-27, 2008
Guitar/Mando Session to End All
Wow, what a session on YouTube. I think I'm inspired. Chris Thile and Bryan Sutton tear it up -- is it BlueGrass? Is it Jazz? Is it fantastic? They are simply awesome.
AW Tozer wrote in The Pursuit of God that since God works through us, perhaps everything beautiful is Him crafting/speaking through human tools. I choose to agree with that idea. What a comforting thought that the Creator of the Universe desires to please us---through music and art. Did you ever wonder why you feel so moved by a painting or a song? Is it those times He is touching you? What is your best response to such an event?
Good luck figuring that one out.
AW Tozer wrote in The Pursuit of God that since God works through us, perhaps everything beautiful is Him crafting/speaking through human tools. I choose to agree with that idea. What a comforting thought that the Creator of the Universe desires to please us---through music and art. Did you ever wonder why you feel so moved by a painting or a song? Is it those times He is touching you? What is your best response to such an event?
Good luck figuring that one out.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
2008 IBC Gospel Music Festival
The date for 2008 Gospel Music Festival is Saturday, July 12 Noon to when it is over.
Big performance tent, sound system, food, sanitary facilities all available. Plenty of parking and sitting space. Location -- 6748 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage. Just a couple blocks South of Dowling.
%%%%%%%%%%
2007 Festival Performers
click on picture to get a monster-size image
Campbell Creek Rising -- That's my group, so naturally nobody takes pictures of me!
Two guys, two girls...good harmony, good music choices
Robbie Beebe
She sang played with a guitarist friend, Kevin who made some great sounds with that guitar.
Tucson Don Hesson
A good performer with some talented friends -- Charlie on penny whistle, Bob on saxophone, and Mike on bass-- making an unusual but very pleasant mix of instruments.
Marv, Glenn and friends
These folks play a lot together at Providence Extened Care...and it shows! Nice tight arrangements of great old time gospel.
Ginger Boatwright
Ginger sang some great music and included the one-armed guitarist, Buck Kuhn, in a smokin' duet.
Patric D'Eimon
Patrick is a veteran of the Anchorage music scene and lent a modern influence to the mostly old-time music.
Mountain Waxwings
Suzy Crosby and Melanie Kennan bring wonderful harmony and moving songs .
Debra & Steve Oudean
Guitar and electric bass backed up this fine duos well trained voices.
Melissa Beck
Singing and playing solo, Melissa was enchanting with her poignant songs.
Lost Riders BG Band
Mike, Mary and the band were great BG entertainment as they always are.
Davis Normand/Jill Ekstrom
Old timey gospel from the Southland.
Margie Lawrence
Soulful, lovely music from a woman who wears her heart on her guitar.
Red Head Express
The Walker family playing a lively fun set. We'll be seeing them in Nashville one of these days. What a great finale.
Big performance tent, sound system, food, sanitary facilities all available. Plenty of parking and sitting space. Location -- 6748 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage. Just a couple blocks South of Dowling.
%%%%%%%%%%
2007 Festival Performers
click on picture to get a monster-size image
Campbell Creek Rising -- That's my group, so naturally nobody takes pictures of me!
Two guys, two girls...good harmony, good music choices
Robbie Beebe
She sang played with a guitarist friend, Kevin who made some great sounds with that guitar.
Tucson Don Hesson
A good performer with some talented friends -- Charlie on penny whistle, Bob on saxophone, and Mike on bass-- making an unusual but very pleasant mix of instruments.
Marv, Glenn and friends
These folks play a lot together at Providence Extened Care...and it shows! Nice tight arrangements of great old time gospel.
Ginger Boatwright
Ginger sang some great music and included the one-armed guitarist, Buck Kuhn, in a smokin' duet.
Patric D'Eimon
Patrick is a veteran of the Anchorage music scene and lent a modern influence to the mostly old-time music.
Mountain Waxwings
Suzy Crosby and Melanie Kennan bring wonderful harmony and moving songs .
Debra & Steve Oudean
Guitar and electric bass backed up this fine duos well trained voices.
Melissa Beck
Singing and playing solo, Melissa was enchanting with her poignant songs.
Lost Riders BG Band
Mike, Mary and the band were great BG entertainment as they always are.
Davis Normand/Jill Ekstrom
Old timey gospel from the Southland.
Margie Lawrence
Soulful, lovely music from a woman who wears her heart on her guitar.
Red Head Express
The Walker family playing a lively fun set. We'll be seeing them in Nashville one of these days. What a great finale.
Choosing a Twelve String
I wanted to add a twelve-string guitar to my inventory of instruments. Naturally, Craigslist and a local newsletter GearJunkies were helpful. If anyone bothers to read this blog looking for advise on choosing a 12-string...my advise is buy an instrument that is easy to play and stays in tune. Forget about brands and mother-of-pearl or abalone perfling because they just add $ to the price.
OK, don't 'forget' about brands--just use them as guidelines.
Here is what I found.
Epiphone .. acquaintance at work brought it in for me to look at. It had accurate harmonic and note at the 12th fret, but action was pretty high and bass was puny. It didn't take me but about ten minutes of playing to see it wasn't making the cut. He wanted 500 bucks for it - whch was about 400 bucks overpriced.
Seagull --Wow! I was surprised. Very easy action--bar chords up the neck are easy, sound is very nice..not real loud, but it has a pickup with soundhole volume adjustment. Hooked it up to amp and it sounds great. At $400, it is at the top of the list right now.
It has solid cedar top with laminated cherry tonewoods and back. Mahogony neck and rosewood fb and bridge. It isn't flashy at all, just business. They sell new, without electronics, for about $450.
Guild -- Wants $1000 - This model 212 was not what I expected. Intonation was off, action high (neck need adjusting?) Playability not impressive. tone not particularly interesting for a thousand bucks. No.
A twelve should be easy to tune, stay in tune, have good action so bar chords are not going to cramp the hand. I personally want a rich sound with a deep bass--otherwise why have one?
Taylor, Breedlove, Martin, Larrivee all are just a little spendy for me right now, although if I talked myself into it, I'd get the Larrivee recording model for $1500.
Bently -- Never heard of this one...it was apparently a low-end model. The bridge was leaning toward the neck and had warped the top. Top was laminated...action was OK and the intonation at 12th fret was pretty good except for the A string. Definitely a no sale.
Martin D12x1 -- A friend got me a deal on a new one. I just couldn't say no. The reviews look great for playability and deep rich sound. It is NOT a guitar to show off because it is just music, no fancy-schmancy purfling, rosettes or pearl. The back and sides are not sawn wood...but a manufactured wood product Martin calls HighPressureLaminate. The top is solid spruce. I expect this to sound just fine...I'm getting it with the Fishman Classic 4T electronics. My friend said if I didn't like the sound she would sell it to somebody else..no problem.
The reviews I see are very positive for playability and tone. The engineering of the bracing may be part of the reason this guitar apparently sound so good. It is definitely not traditional!
Martin's X series guitars are an attempt to provide an outstanding sounding instrument using sustainable, less expensive materials. I like the idea.--especially since this box is just going to add some color to my playing. You have to ask how much do the back and sides of a 12 string contribute to overall sound? My guess is not much...this is a sound board rig. Delicate nuances are not going to be in my repertoire for a 12 string.
Now, if my bank account were a little larger, I would be lusting for the D28-12, but hey, I'm lucky to have what I got.
The guitar arrived and I couldn't be happier. I was surprised that the sides and back really do look like mahogany. But the important thing is the booming sound...great bass, and the harmonics ring with incredible sustain. She stays solidly in tune -- a major pain in the posterior for lesser guitars.
The price with Martin heavy duty case and shipping was $664, so I got a VERY good deal. No, it won't be a collector's item, but I plan to play it until I transfer to heaven. I don't give a rip if anybody makes money on it I just want a good box to play.
In the meantime, I picked up a new mandolin for my wife...a local fella traded up
to a Weber and had this very clean Michael Kelly Legacy Deluxe for sale at about half the list price. This MK really has a nice, crisp tone and is so much better in playability than her old Epiphone.
**********
I have a Larrivee D03R 6-string that I love. Deep bass and LOUD -- I didn't even consider a pickup. After all it's for bluegrass anyway. It is a recording model, so has no bling, just great sound. And really, isn't that the best 'bling' of all? I string with D/Addario PhosBrnz light. Mediums are OK too, but kinda tough unless I'm just playing in G
I also own a Gitane DG250 Selmer-style gypsy-jazz guitar. Very pretty birdseye Maple tonewoods and back. I string it with "Red"(light) Manouche Tone Strings from Guadalupe Strings in LA.
It has K&K Pure passive pickup and sounds super on the Ultrasound AG50DS4 amplifier. It is the primary guitar for me at church.
I bought my wife a guitar to learn on..a Seagull . It is the Coastline series -- Grand Acoustic. I don't understand the Grand part...it is a small guitar, but does have a grand sound--maybe that's the reason.
I put the Manouche Tone strings on it as well--the 'Purple', ie extra light.
It is a beautiful little guitar. Very nice rich tone for a small guitar. I would highly recommend it for anyone desiring a small very playable guitar with a great sound.
I picked up a Big Baby Taylor in Phoenix (craigslist) to use for a trav'lin guitar. It needed a little work rehydrating and getting the neck adjusted because it got all dried out in the Arizona desert. I like the full rich tone and it is smaller ... fits in my lap watching TV ;o)
OK, don't 'forget' about brands--just use them as guidelines.
Here is what I found.
Epiphone .. acquaintance at work brought it in for me to look at. It had accurate harmonic and note at the 12th fret, but action was pretty high and bass was puny. It didn't take me but about ten minutes of playing to see it wasn't making the cut. He wanted 500 bucks for it - whch was about 400 bucks overpriced.
Seagull --Wow! I was surprised. Very easy action--bar chords up the neck are easy, sound is very nice..not real loud, but it has a pickup with soundhole volume adjustment. Hooked it up to amp and it sounds great. At $400, it is at the top of the list right now.
It has solid cedar top with laminated cherry tonewoods and back. Mahogony neck and rosewood fb and bridge. It isn't flashy at all, just business. They sell new, without electronics, for about $450.Guild -- Wants $1000 - This model 212 was not what I expected. Intonation was off, action high (neck need adjusting?) Playability not impressive. tone not particularly interesting for a thousand bucks. No.
A twelve should be easy to tune, stay in tune, have good action so bar chords are not going to cramp the hand. I personally want a rich sound with a deep bass--otherwise why have one?
Taylor, Breedlove, Martin, Larrivee all are just a little spendy for me right now, although if I talked myself into it, I'd get the Larrivee recording model for $1500.
Bently -- Never heard of this one...it was apparently a low-end model. The bridge was leaning toward the neck and had warped the top. Top was laminated...action was OK and the intonation at 12th fret was pretty good except for the A string. Definitely a no sale.
Martin D12x1 -- A friend got me a deal on a new one. I just couldn't say no. The reviews look great for playability and deep rich sound. It is NOT a guitar to show off because it is just music, no fancy-schmancy purfling, rosettes or pearl. The back and sides are not sawn wood...but a manufactured wood product Martin calls HighPressureLaminate. The top is solid spruce. I expect this to sound just fine...I'm getting it with the Fishman Classic 4T electronics. My friend said if I didn't like the sound she would sell it to somebody else..no problem.
The reviews I see are very positive for playability and tone. The engineering of the bracing may be part of the reason this guitar apparently sound so good. It is definitely not traditional!
Martin's X series guitars are an attempt to provide an outstanding sounding instrument using sustainable, less expensive materials. I like the idea.--especially since this box is just going to add some color to my playing. You have to ask how much do the back and sides of a 12 string contribute to overall sound? My guess is not much...this is a sound board rig. Delicate nuances are not going to be in my repertoire for a 12 string.
Now, if my bank account were a little larger, I would be lusting for the D28-12, but hey, I'm lucky to have what I got.
The guitar arrived and I couldn't be happier. I was surprised that the sides and back really do look like mahogany. But the important thing is the booming sound...great bass, and the harmonics ring with incredible sustain. She stays solidly in tune -- a major pain in the posterior for lesser guitars.
 |
| Rosewood back |
 |
| Larrivee D03R |
 |
| Gitane G250 |
 |
| Seagull |
In the meantime, I picked up a new mandolin for my wife...a local fella traded up
to a Weber and had this very clean Michael Kelly Legacy Deluxe for sale at about half the list price. This MK really has a nice, crisp tone and is so much better in playability than her old Epiphone.
**********
I have a Larrivee D03R 6-string that I love. Deep bass and LOUD -- I didn't even consider a pickup. After all it's for bluegrass anyway. It is a recording model, so has no bling, just great sound. And really, isn't that the best 'bling' of all? I string with D/Addario PhosBrnz light. Mediums are OK too, but kinda tough unless I'm just playing in G
I also own a Gitane DG250 Selmer-style gypsy-jazz guitar. Very pretty birdseye Maple tonewoods and back. I string it with "Red"(light) Manouche Tone Strings from Guadalupe Strings in LA.
It has K&K Pure passive pickup and sounds super on the Ultrasound AG50DS4 amplifier. It is the primary guitar for me at church.
It is a beautiful little guitar. Very nice rich tone for a small guitar. I would highly recommend it for anyone desiring a small very playable guitar with a great sound.
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