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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Surprise GAS - small acoustic

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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    edited December 2022
    @dave_mc ;; @Jalapeno ;;

    I cant get on with the soft V of the furch any more,  with my onset dupuytrens,  its "uncomfortable"  which is a shame cos I do love the tone.  One option is to get the V rounded off,  if possible  but considering.................
    the Brook just isnt "doing it" for me and Im also finding the wide-ish  flat-ish  neck not as easy as when I got it  - and is relatively unplayed  -  my head says  "why keep them, why not get something semi-bespoke"  OM sized       especially as its a big birthday in 16 months  
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • stufisherstufisher Frets: 612
    I'll probably be shot down in flames and banished to Hades for eternity for just whispering HB in a thread about top-end acoustics but @champ222 , you're treading the path I walked early this year and so, purely for completeness and possibly to save yourself a few hundred squiddlies for Christmas then perhaps you might wish to contemplate, with an open mind, one of these:

    https://harleybenton.com/product/gs-travel-e-spruce/

    I now hardly ever play my Tanglewood Dreadnought because I play the HB GS almost every day ... sometimes for up to 2 hours. It has transformed my view of small acoustics and enabled me to learn better, quicker and with less pain in my arthritic fretting hand.

    It has worked SO well for me ... it may also work for you. 

    I can take the ridicule ... pachyderms R us :lol: 

    BTW it sounds really good through an amp :+1: 
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 31
    stufisher said:
    I'll probably be shot down in flames and banished to Hades for eternity for just whispering HB in a thread about top-end acoustics but @champ222 , you're treading the path I walked early this year and so, purely for completeness and possibly to save yourself a few hundred squiddlies for Christmas then perhaps you might wish to contemplate, with an open mind, one of these:

    https://harleybenton.com/product/gs-travel-e-spruce/

    I now hardly ever play my Tanglewood Dreadnought because I play the HB GS almost every day ... sometimes for up to 2 hours. It has transformed my view of small acoustics and enabled me to learn better, quicker and with less pain in my arthritic fretting hand.

    It has worked SO well for me ... it may also work for you. 

    I can take the ridicule ... pachyderms R us :lol: 

    BTW it sounds really good through an amp :+1: 
    It would probably be fine to be honest. And deffo worth a punt at that price, even if i cant try it out first.

    I'll see how i get on testing. if i prefer the Mini GS over the martin junior, maybe i'll give this a go if i cant find a good deal on a nice Koa GS. it can always become my "at work" guitar  =)
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  • WindmillGuitarsWindmillGuitars Frets: 699
    tFB Trader
    Kilgore said:
    @champ222 ;;;Make sure and check out the Eastman - it's not a copy of a GS Mini at all in that it's all solid woods and handbuilt

    I have stock if you're interested 
    @WindmillGuitars ;;;

    I hope it didn't come across as dismissive. I just meant copy, in the sense of very similar shape and dimensions and a couple of hundred cheaper.  

    Just for clarification, isn't the actg1 laminate and the actg2 all solid.?
    @Kilgore - not at all .. likewise wasn't being smart =) - ACTG1 and ACTG2e both are all solid (electro / non electro)
    https://www.eastmanguitars.com/acoustic_travel

    www.windmillguitars.com - Official stockist of Yamaha, Maybach, Fano Guitars, Kithara Guitars, Eastman Guitars, Trent Guitars, Orange Amps, Blackstar Amplification & More! (The artist formerly known as Anchorboy)
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    champ222 said:
    Loads of good info, thanks guys.

    It might seem strange, but for me it will be about how easy it is to play, and how nice it feels. As long as it sounds good, in isolation if need be, thats fine. They'll all sound bad with me playing  =)

    Looking forward to finding some time to test them.
    No that's absolutely fair enough with acoustics- to be honest it's fair enough with electrics and basses too! Just acoustics are usually even harder to play (and are also a lot harder to tweak) so it makes even more sense there. If you don't like how something plays, you're going to struggle to make it sound good.
    bertie said:
    @dave_mc ;; @Jalapeno ;;

    I cant get on with the soft V of the furch any more,  with my onset dupuytrens,  its "uncomfortable"  which is a shame cos I do love the tone.  One option is to get the V rounded off,  if possible  but considering.................
    the Brook just isnt "doing it" for me and Im also finding the wide-ish  flat-ish  neck not as easy as when I got it  - and is relatively unplayed  -  my head says  "why keep them, why not get something semi-bespoke"  OM sized       especially as its a big birthday in 16 months  
    Sorry to hear about the depuytrens :(

    I would tend to agree with you, I'm not sure getting something irreversibly modded (unless you're absolutely completely in love with it apart from that) is the best plan, I usually prefer reversible mods or just buying something else (or just putting up with it, but obviously that doesn't apply here :( ).

    Seems as good an excuse as any to just get what you really want :)
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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 16332
    bertie said:
    @dave_mc ;; @Jalapeno ;;

    I cant get on with the soft V of the furch any more,  with my onset dupuytrens,  its "uncomfortable"  which is a shame cos I do love the tone.  One option is to get the V rounded off,  if possible  but considering.................
    the Brook just isnt "doing it" for me and Im also finding the wide-ish  flat-ish  neck not as easy as when I got it  - and is relatively unplayed  -  my head says  "why keep them, why not get something semi-bespoke"  OM sized       especially as its a big birthday in 16 months  
    Sorry to here about your Dupuytrens, fellow Viking.
    Mines predominantly right handed so fretting isn't affected, but that's offset by the arthritis lumps, bumps & deformities in both hands. Ho ho ho, what larks eh?      ;) 
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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    edited December 2022
    @dave_mc ;; @Kittyfrisk ;;

    thanks    -   its still in the "not pulling my finger" stage,(ring finger) but the lumps and bumps are prominent and it is somewhat painful especially "opening jars"   or gripping (using power tools etc)   Im doing (no idea if it will do any good) stretching excercises making sure it can "over extend"  slightly.....................   I did mention it to my doc when I was having my shoulder looked at and apparently the NHS wont do anything until its permanently over 30 degs
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 16332
    ^  I saw a 'specialist' & he too said they wouldn't consider doing any interventions until the bending was permanently over 30º, even had a bloody protractor to measure it with. First time I've seen one since school.
    Trying to keep it stretched was apparently pointless as the type of tissue doesn't have enough elasticity.
    I asked about the intervention thing & my quality of life up to that point & was told 'those were the guidelines'...

    Don't take tools to your existing guitars, it might not work out & you'll screw their desirability & resale value.
    Hope your progression is slow, a mate of mine had the hand op. (photo's etc. on here somewhere) & it recurred within a year. Very rare, but no real consolation to him.
    Be lucky :+1: 
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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    :)

    so a might be a trip down to see Mr Waghorn   see what he can offer in the way of custom OMs  -    hopefully there might be a few "in stock" I can try     
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6284
    bertie said:
    :)

    so a might be a trip down to see Mr Waghorn   see what he can offer in the way of custom OMs  -    hopefully there might be a few "in stock" I can try     

    Or a narrower replacement neck for the Brook ? Try some out though
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    Jalapeno said:
    bertie said:
    :)

    so a might be a trip down to see Mr Waghorn   see what he can offer in the way of custom OMs  -    hopefully there might be a few "in stock" I can try     

    Or a narrower replacement neck for the Brook ? Try some out though
    much preferring the smaller OM these days  - not much on paper, but its a lot more comfortable for me
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 31
    Hi All

    So i went to a shop and tried the Martin Junior (they only had the dreadnought streetmaster) and three gs minis. 

    I thought i was going to prefer the martin, but the taylors won me over. The strings were knackered on the martin, so i wouldnt mind trying the other shape junior to see how i get on, but id definitely be happy with the gs mini.

    Consistency between the three gs minis was good. They had the mahogany one, which played the best, but barely any difference really. The spruce top with koa back, and the koa plus, which is pricey, and i dont think they look as nice as the regular full koa one. 

    Id probably pay the extra to get the full koa, they are about £700 to £750 ish. 

    I usually buy my guitars used, but there isnt much to be saved by this if i look about, so i may as well buy a new one. Way more that i ever thought id spend on an acoustic, but ill probably have it forever so why not.

    Just need to find a beautiful one now. The koa looks quite different from guitar to guitar.
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  • breezytelebreezytele Frets: 262
    I picked up a s/h Collings Baby.  1&11/16” nut
    It’s tiny, but wonderful.  
    They’re expensive, but ‘you get what you pay for’ 
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 31
    breezytele said:
    I picked up a s/h Collings Baby.  1&11/16” nut
    It’s tiny, but wonderful.  
    They’re expensive, but ‘you get what you pay for’ 
    Nice! The price has too many digits for me though!
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  • SoupmanSoupman Frets: 172
    I googled 1 11/16 inches to get it into something I recognise. It comes out at slightly less than 43mm - too narrow for me, but I guess that's my loss.  No doubt it's a great guitar. :)
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  • breezytelebreezytele Frets: 262
    Soupman said:
    I googled 1 11/16 inches to get it into something I recognise. It comes out at slightly less than 43mm - too narrow for me, but I guess that's my loss.  No doubt it's a great guitar. :)
    It’s pretty much standard Gibson electric guitar size. Feels super comfy, but if you’re only doing finger style, folk say 1&3/4” is better.
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 31
    Taylor GS Mini INCOMING!!!
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  • HerbieTheRadDorkliftHerbieTheRadDorklift Frets: 690
    Did you try the Taylor BT series?
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  • champ222champ222 Frets: 31
    HerbieTheRadDorklift said:
    Did you try the Taylor BT series?
    no, the GS mini is small enough to get what i wanted from it.
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  • shufflebeatshufflebeat Frets: 93
    Whether or not it's in your price range it's worth having a go on a Takamine ef407.

    https://guitarvillage.co.uk/product/takamine-ef407-natural

    This review pretty much reflects my own experience, particularly the comment on the guitar action, which the reviewer suggests would really be appreciated by those coming from electrics.

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  • MellishMellish Frets: 945
    If I was after a small guitar, I'd have a hard job saying no to a GS Mini.

    The one I tried in PMT Manchester was a little cracker.

    Sure, they're not all the same, but that's the beauty of going to a store: you can try 'em out. 


    :) 
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  • ditchboyditchboy Frets: 186
    I have a lovely GS mini in walnut. It gets played more than any other guitar in the house. I was thinking of trading it out for a Larrivee but I’ve decided to keep it. If I get the Larrivee I’ll just have to find more space and lie to the wife. 
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