THE ULTIMATE TONE IMPROVEMENT!!

[charliechitlins]

Well...I'm finally going to take the big plunge.
It won't be cheap, but I'm hoping this will be the best way to improve my tone.
Better than wiring harnesses, vintage guitars, NOS caps, brass thumbwheels, nylon nuts, Victoria amplification (!!), hand wound boutique pickups and Brazilian fretboards COMBINED!
Should I just come out with it, or do you want to guess?

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

You're not, gulp, going to, gulp, change your strings....???

I hope the good Lord spares us and the creeks don't rise.

 

[DutchRay]

In my opinion, the best way to improve your tone is to actually play with other people so I guess you're starting a band?

 

[garywright]

you’re joining AA, buying a hearing aid ..or both

 

[Tollywood]

Don’t be coy, let’s hear what you have to say.

 

[charliechitlins]

Taking lessons with a world-renowned player/teacher.

 

[garywright]

👍

 

[Tollywood]

Taking lessons with a world-renowned player/teacher.

That’s a good answer! You will take your skills to the next level.

 

[charliechitlins]

Why do I get the feeling that this thread would be on fire if I said I was switching from Throwbacks to Burstbuckers...or from A3 to A2....or had found a stash of original 6/4 nylon?
I feel like most folks here are more interested in something you can BUY, and do immediately.
How about....World renowned player/teacher? Who IS it?

 

[fernieite]

That was my first question. However, since you were a bit cryptic, I thought what's the point?

So, if you're in a sharing mood; how about spilling the beans? Is it Mel Bay?

 

[charliechitlins]

Esteban!
Har!
It's Arlen Roth.
He lives about 90 minutes from me.
I think it will be worth the trip.
I figure I can, for the time being, afford the time and the money twice a month.
It's pretty damn exciting.

 

[gmann]

Very cool, I would love to get lessons fm Arlen!

 

[jb_abides]

Make sure to cop some Hot Licks

 

[LeonC]

I took a few lessons from Will Ray, oh about a dozen years ago or so. I dug his playing with the Hellecasters and his column and used to bump into him at the NAMM show every year in the Rivera booth.

So one time, I mustered up the guts to go and yack with him a bit. Near the end of our conversation I asked him if he ever took on students. He told that he did when he had time in his schedule. I asked him what he was looking for in a prospective student. His deadpan reply, "Money."

 

[corpse]

If my guitar game was my golf game i would never have broken 120. I am so sloppy- i can tell by the wear on my picks and frets. My picks all wear oblique angles on the sides. I have to very consciously think about angling my wrists in order to do fast runs (really not that fast mind you- fast for me- think Good Times Bad Times or La Grange)- something an instructor would do on day one. I don't EVER practice scales- I used to- i have them all written out long hand.
If i spent 1/2 the time doing warm up and scales that I do surfing here or reverb- I would probably do a lot of things better.
To me that was a throw down- i am going to start investigating an instructor.

 

[charliechitlins]

Had my first lesson today.
Arlen is a great guy.
He said something like, I'm really close to being really good and he's going to try to push me over the hump.
The wife thought it was funny, but I took it as a great compliment.

 

[corpse]

There's a old golf story about the writer of the "Little Red Book", the famous Harvey Pennick. He had been giving this poor SOB lessons for two years and despite tons of work, blisters and enthusiasm, the guy just was makign zero improvement- Harvey was through with him. He told the student that this was his last session.
As they were walking off the range, Harvey felt terrible- after all it was his life's work teaching golfers- and there had been no improvement here.
The student looked at Harvey and asked for a final bit of wisdom.
Harvey leaned in close and whispered "Always play with a clean ball".

 

[renderit]

Seven out of five people just laugh when they hear me play.

Five were all that showed up when they heard I would be there and they went out on the street to grab 2 others to laugh out loud.

Really good? I would be very proud of that assessment to be even close.

Reminds me of a story:

Many years ago my wife and I were planning an Alaska cruise for our 25th anniversary.

We decided to take ballroom dancing lessons at a national chain.

Signed up and took a 2 month course.

On the last day the old gal who ran that franchise called us to her office (we figured to sign us up for the next 2 months).

She said she saw no hope in us getting any better.

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Not trying to be obtuse.

But the development in my playing has come from getting out of my own way.

I know where all the notes are, so do my fingers, I just let my heart do the driving.

And the heart has a driving style all of it's own.

Some days I sound like it's my first day, other days, well, I can say things that I simply can't say.

Some things one can simply not teach or indeed learn, one simply has to live the game.

I have zero ambition to be better (whatever that means) rather contenting myself to having created something, anything, that makes me feel better.

Music never disappoints me, ever. It always gives me more than I can bring.

Good luck with your endeavours Friend.

 

[goldtop0]

I've got dexterity but I haven't got the 'inbuilt' phrasing and nouse to play really good lead guitar, you know, stuff that's melodic and gripping in the mold of Clapton, Green, BB et al.
I'm a great rhythm guitarist though.
There was a guy who had a vid on youtube some years ago who played the best EC phrases I've ever seen and heard, without a doubt the most amazing Beano Cream era playing that I've ever come across, sadly it's no longer there.
All the best with your learning charlie