Posted by Joe Caruso on Fri, Jun 04, 2010 @ 08:58 AM
The Music Emporium began operating in the late 1960s about the time that Guild Guitar was transitioning its guitar production from New Jersey to Rhode Island. I recall that only our first order of D-25s came from Hoboken and all later guitars came from Westerly. Overall the quality control was fine but there were a few guitars that came through with poor neck sets. We would return them and they would be replaced by the company without reservation or question. It was only recently that I read about the final inspector, an employee, being over-ruled by management with the result that "questionable" guitars were put in the distribution pipeline with inadequate adjustments. I guess corporate bean counters figured that it was cheaper to send out imperfect guitars to a market that, at that time, was made up of mostly full line music stores and a less sophisticated buyer than exsists today. There were very few specialized shops like The Music Emporium. The odds were in the Guild's favor that poor necksets would not be noticed or returned.
Moving forward four decades, this past winter we had the occasion to take in trade a 1969 M-20 all mahogany guitar that appeared to be in pristine condition. When I questioned the customer, she told me that her parents bought the guitar for her when she was a teenager. She found it hard to play and was so discouraged that it went into the closet for 40 years. Upon inspection I noticed the high action caused by a poor neck set. The bridge had been shaved down at one time. She claimed to have never had it adjusted in any way. I concluded that this had to be another example of the loose quality control at Guild during that era. I'm sure this would not happen in today's market.
We took the guitar in trade and had repairman Pat DiBurro perform a neck reset and replace the bridge on this lovely guitar. Guild guitar neck resets are very difficult because of the construction methods of that period, but the work is undetectable , the mahogany sound warm and rich, the ease of playing effortless. 40 years later, it has passed final inspection.
Stu Cohen
Posted by Joe Caruso on Tue, Mar 02, 2010 @ 09:10 AM
Acoustic amplification is always a controversial subject, often leading to debate between the purists who consider the very idea appalling, and gear-lovers who are always eager to try the latest technology of the hour. The fact is that for many musicians a good pickup and amplification system are a necessity, some might say a necessary evil. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best pickup system for you:
1. It is impossible for any pickup to accurately replicate the tone of your acoustic guitar, and even the very best systems available are inevitably a compromise. The very physics of amplification makes this a fact, and while there are very good systems out there that get close, nothing will sound exactly like the instrument.
2. For studio or home recording purposes, there is no guitar pickup that will sound better recorded than a good microphone. We all fall in love with our acoustic guitars while sitting and playing them, and nothing inside or on the guitar will replicate the sound waves that we hear when we play. A microphone does a much better job of replicating our ear, and the recording results are always better.
3. Most of the time, the only advantage of getting a guitar with electronics pre-installed is having the preamp and controls mounted in the side of the guitar for easy access. Other than that, the majority of those very same systems are available for installation in any guitar you choose, often with controls mounted conveniently inside the soundhole. (Note: the Taylor Expression system and the Cole Clark Faceblend are two exceptions to that rule)
4. The worlds greatest guitar can sound incredibly poor with the wrong pickup system, and conversely a very poor guitar can sound good with the right pickup. Just having great guitar or an expensive pickup system is not enough, you need to choose the right system for both your individual guitar and your individual amplification needs.
5. As of now, there is not one end-all, be-all system. Our customers get the best results when the system they choose is tailored to their use. Someone who is playing acoustic guitar in a loud band with drums will have different pickup needs than someone who is performing solo at an open mic night. One of the advantages to picking a system after you choose your guitar is being able to match the right pickup system to your personal needs.
6. While there are many brands and variations available, currently there only three classes of acoustic pickups: Undersaddle piezos, soundhole-mounted magnetic pickups, and sound board transducers. Piezos and magnetics are typically great for the aforementioned band players, while soundboard transducers are often favored by solo musicians for their natural sound. Sometimes these are combined together or blended with a mic, but at the core, there are only three pickups to understand.
7. While this will probably seem rudimentary to some, it is worth mentioning that acoustic pickups are meant to replicate the tone of an your acoustic guitar, not to make your acoustic guitar sound or act like an electric guitar. Also, even the best acoustic pickup system will not sound "acoustic" through most popular electric guitar amps. If you want a guitar that can sound like both an acoustic and an electric at the same time, you'd be better served by hybrid guitars like the Taylor T5, or the Godin Multiacs.
8. An "acoustic amp" refers to an amp that can produce the full range of an acoustic guitar. Acoustic pickups put out much more bass and treble than a standard electric guitar amp can reproduce. Acoustic amps are very useful in rehearsal spaces, as onstage monitors, or in place of a PA system in small venues. If you are usually performing through a PA system, an acoustic amp isn't always necessary. Many PA systems will amplify an acoustic guitar just as well.
There is a sea of products available now to help amplify your acoustic. If you need someone to help you navigate the options, feel free to give us a call. Personally, I spend way too much time tinkering, testing, and thinking about the different pickup solutions available (just ask any of the other guys here at the shop). I'd be happy to share what I've learned and help you reach your own ultimate amplified acoustic tone.
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Posted by Joe Caruso on Sat, Feb 20, 2010 @ 03:56 PM
Of all the acoustic offerings at the recent NAMM show, perhaps none drew more attention than two stellar Brazilian rosewood models from our friends at Santa Cruz guitars. People talk about the art of guitar building, the implication being that great acoustic guitars are not just musically attractive. In the best instruments, there is a visual component that is both arresting in its beauty and timeless in its successful integration of both old-world and modern design elements. There is no doubt that both of these guitars will stand as a testament to that art.
The first is a masterful interpretation of an OM-45. The Brazilian is of outstanding quality. The top, the highest grade of Adirondack spruce. And the sunburst! For years, I have said that no one does a better burst than Collings, but this guitar definitely raises the bar. The color and shading are perfect.
The second guitar is the one that really stopped folks in their tracks. Richard Hoover calls it the Southern Belle, for its graceful curves and pearly opulence. Based on his H-13 model, it too features superb Brazilian, paired with a luscious Italian spruce top.
The guitar also caught the eye of Greg DiBenedetto from Guitar Aficionado Magazine, who was so impressed, he asked for the guitar to be sent down to their NYC studio for a photo shoot. Look for it in their upcoming June issue. Or better yet, stop by the store and have a gander. You can see more pics here and here Santa Cruz Southern Belle.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Thu, Feb 11, 2010 @ 05:55 PM
I'm sitting here in Boston, thinking about the snowstorm that never came. Hardly more than an inch on the ground instead of the 8"-12" predicted, and I'm slightly depressed. I get a strange rush at the prospect of a big storm. I love the way life seems to come to a crawl; the way a storm brings people out into snow-covered streets to walk and revel in the newly-minted landscape. Grown men feel the sudden urge to make snow balls or grab their kid's sled for a bracing run down the neighbor's hill. A good storm brings the outside world, and the people who inhabit it, to a place and time somewhere decades back. We're all of a sudden 30 years younger, with a spring in our step, and all business commitments on temporary hold.
So, what does this have to do with guitars? Two thoughts come to mind.
Like a snowstorm, buying a great guitar has a timeless, ageless quality to it. There's very little that has changed about the steel-string guitar in the 100 odd years of it's existence. Still the same time-tested body styles, the same materials. Sure, production techniques have changed, but that hasn't altered the overall look or experience of playing a guitar. It's comforting to know, in this age of mind-warping technological advances and built-in product obsolescence, that a guitar is still a guitar: wood, glue and steel. It'll last a lifetime and more without ever going out of style. And if you're lucky enough to have a thriving local music store, you can take that step back in time whenever the urge strikes you. Or you can wait for the next blizzard.
Secondly, there's very little that one can buy which brings such a youthful grin to a person's face than a great guitar. A customer remarked to me the other day, as we were wrapping up his recent Dobro purchase: I just love buying a new guitar! And he gave this broad, child-like smile as if he were eyeing up a toboggan run down a star-lit, snow-covered hillside. It's a real thrill.
Simply put, a guitar purchase, like a good snowfall, makes you feel like a kid again. The added bonus is that this youthful thrill will last right through the spring thaw and, with the proper care and attention to body, mind and instrument, well into the autumn of your life.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Sat, Jan 30, 2010 @ 07:56 PM
One of the nicest exchanges we had at the recent NAMM show was with the new guitar-building team of Willie Carter and Eric Poulsen. We've known Willie for several years, going back to when he first displayed at the Newport Guitar Festival in '05. He's been immersed in the luthier world for over 10 years, having studied with master builder Serge DeJonge in 2000. He also headed up the sales floor at Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto for several years, so he knows both sides of the business. Eric Poulsen is a master wood worker and designer and headed up production at Santa Cruz Guitars for more than a decade. Together, these guys make an awesome team.
I got a great vibe from talking with them and playing their guitars. They have loads of passion, an outstanding breadth of knowledge, and a design sense that is refreshingly modern. We're proud to be Carter Poulsen's first dealer and look forward to seeing more of their guitars in the shop.
J-Model in Englemann spruce and Indian rosewood, now in stock. There's a 00-sized G-Model on the way, as well. Stop by and check them out.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Thu, Jan 28, 2010 @ 08:24 AM
Our never-ending quest for the perfect guitar can lead us through some pretty dark emotional spaces. What to buy, where to buy it, how many to own and where to store (hide) them all. Sometimes, even the seemingly simple decision of whether to keep or return a guitar can drive us, and those we love, to despair. Fortunately (or not), in guitar retail, we have the 48-hour approval period.*
To my mind, an hour is about all one needs to determine if an instrument is a keeper or not. In fact, I've witnessed many of the strongest bonds between player and guitar occur within minutes. The 2-day approval period gives you an extra 47 hours during which you will either be enrapt with your latest acquisition or fraught with the agony of buyer's remorse. A tortured few may even go so far as to extend the 48 hours, for various reasons, some valid, some not:
- Have to leave town suddenly on business
- Need to have my teacher (bandmate, spouse, dog) have a listen and they're not available until Tuesday
- Death (of anyone), hard to argue with death
And sometimes, Providence can play a forceful hand.
A long-standing customer of mine purchased a very expensive vintage Martin from a reputable dealer and had it sent to him with the requisite 48-hour approval period. He'd done it many times, but this particular transaction proved fateful.
This is a man who has had some of the greatest guitars pass through his hands. He's kept them for a while but has never really been satisfied with any of them. Always eager to find the next guitar that will truly rock his world, he's bought and traded, bought and returned, very often at a significant loss. In his early collecting days, I sold him quite a few guitars, each time thinking that a sound and lasting match had been made, only to be shocked to later see those very guitars adorning the cyber-walls of a competitor's website. At one point, I actually had to break ties with him. You're seeding my competition, I told him. We need to take a break. So, he started doing all his buying on line. Fair enough.
It finally all came to a screeching halt. During the aforementioned Martin purchase, on the second day of his approval period, with his mind as yet still unmade, he suffered a heart attack. Fortunately, his wife was there to call 911. The EMT's came, resuscitated him, and loaded him on the stretcher. As he slowly came to, the seriousness of his condition dawned upon him and he urgently beckoned to his wife. She leaned over to him and heard in a gasping tone: Call Elderly...let them know...I need more time...48-hour approval...need more time to decide...
You can be sure that his wife, who up to that point had been extraordinarily tolerant of her husband's proclivity towards guitar buying, put a firm stop to his madness. At least for a time...
He's back. Heart is on the mend. And the quest continues; the interminable search for the One. I still sell him the occasional guitar, but not without a good heart-to-heart beforehand. And my new lifetime approval period (for special cases only).
Folks, when buying your next guitar, do your necessary research, consult your trusted local shop owner, be deliberate and confident in your purchase, and please consider those nearest and dearest to you. Will they be available during that critical 48 hours?
*A word of explanation for the uninitiated: most dealers ship out guitars to prospective clients with a 2-day test-drive period, during which time the buyer can decide whether it's the right guitar, or ship it back without penalty. A call beforehand is always appreciated.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Mon, Jan 25, 2010 @ 10:39 AM
Here's an interesting bit of trivia: in the mid-70's, some British music stores banned or fined their patrons for playing the opening riff to "Stairway to Heaven" because it was played so often. Urban myth or not, this comical image was immortalized in the classic man-child, musical adventure Wayne's World.
And while STH may not be as ubiquitous in today's music store as it was then, there are certainly a handful of songs that I wouldn't mind retiring to the Music Emporium rafters.
- The first to come to mind is the old Elizabeth Cotten tune, Freight Train. A favorite among the budding fingerstyle player, it's rather innocuous upon first listen, but tends to wear thin after the hundredth rendition.
- The Allman Brother's Melissa is a wonderful tune and oddly enough still has some staying power when it pops up on my car stereo. But something happens to it when arranged for solo guitar, sans vocals, played in dirge time. Having a friend solo along definitely helps.
- Zeppelin's Over the Hills and Far Away is a guilty pleasure I admit. I can still remember how thrilled I was the day I learned to play this tune, oh so many years ago, and I'd hate to begrudge anyone from letting it rip on a nice high end guitar. It's the rough renditions played on inexpensive, poorly tuned 12-strings that really raise the hackles. (Remind me to stop carrying those nasty things).
- Beatles fans are not going to take kindly to this next one, and I really never imagined that this harmless ditty could take on such notoriety, but the number one most-played tune, to the point where a warning sign may indeed have to be posted, is Blackbird. Lovely as it is, eyebrows will certainly be raised upon its opening bars.
I write all of this with a knowing and sympathetic smile, because deep down I can still remember the unbridled joy I experienced when I learned each of these tunes. And music is, after all, for the sharing. As a budding guitarist, the first thing I'd do when I found myself in a guitar shop was to systematically run through my top ten classic rock riffs, in the hopes that I could prove my worthiness to the store's proprietor, or anyone else who happened to be listening. It's what we did, and still do, as recreational guitar users. And if these tunes bring such a thrill on our ho-hum guitars at home, how much better must they sound on a $4000 Collings!
Here are a few of the tunes I played incessantly during my early guitar years, and still break them out from time to time:
- My Sweet Lord
- Pinball Wizard
- Ramble On
- Message in a Bottle
- Blackbird (yeah, so!)
I invite you to share some of your top tunes, cherished, worn thin or guilty pleasure. And when you're next in the store, if the mood calls for a little "Stairway" or "More Than a Feeling" by all means, crack a smile and let 'er rip! You'll definitely get our attention.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Wed, Jan 20, 2010 @ 08:12 PM
A couple of months ago, a customer came in with one of the cleanest Gibson A model mandolins I'd seen. Perfect like the day it first left the factory in 1916. He came in to sell it. I'm always curious why folks decide to sell their instruments, particularly vintage pieces and I make a point of finding out the details before negotiating a deal. Here are some reasons I've heard in no particular order:
• I don't play it anymore. It just sits around gathering dust
• I'm bored with it. I think there's something better out there.
• I need the money (very common these days and always hard to hear)
• My husband/wife (95% the latter) says I have too many. One has to go
• Found it at a garage sale and heard they're worth a lot of money
This particular customer gave me the first on the list, gathering dust. I just don't use it anymore, he said, and I feel like someone out there should play it. I gladly negotiated a deal with him, he left with a nice check and I had a fine mandolin to sell, which I promptly did the following day. A nice turnaround and exceptionally quick. I wish they were all that easy. However, this one had an interesting twist.
A couple of days later, the seller came back in the store and rather sheepishly asked if I still had his mandolin. He regretted selling it and asked if I would reverse the deal and return it to him. Uh oh. He explained how he had first acquired the mandolin, some 20 years prior, what he had paid (peanuts) and how fond he was of the memory of that purchase. My heart went out to him and it was with great difficulty that I told him of its sale the previous day. Naturally, he was completely dumbstruck by this news, but there was nothing I could do.
The gentleman who purchased the mandolin was a long-time customer with whom I'd done a lot of business. He'd been looking for just such a piece and happened to walk in the day I was cleaning it up on my bench. He didn't even bat an eye when I gave him the price. It was a very satisfying transaction, not so much for the profit gained but the thrill on the his face when he found the mandolin of his dreams. Clearly not something I was about to undo with a request for the mandolin's return. In the end, the original seller left, quite dejected, and I went back to my business of facilitating matches between buyers and sellers, somewhat sobered by the exchange.
This brings me, rather belatedly, to the point of this article: never sell an instrument unless you absolutely have to. And before you decide to sell a piece out of boredom, do the following first:
1. Change the strings. Fresh strings inject sparkle and life into any instrument, no matter the quality.
2. Consider having it set up by your local repairman. Poor action can diminish an instrument's musical returns.
3. Put the instrument away for a few days. A certain day's mood can temporarily dull the enjoyment derived from what has been up to that point a favorite guitar or mandolin.
4. Have a friend play it. Note his reaction and listen to how it sounds out in front. In short, get a second opinion.
If you still feel like it's time to move on, come on in to the shop. I'll be there to offer a final consult.
Happy picking!
Posted by Joe Caruso on Sat, Jan 16, 2010 @ 10:31 AM
Last night I was at the annual Martin Guitar dinner. Usually a very lavish affair, this night's offerings were a bit on the light side but I suppose it's a fair reflection of the year we just finished. Happy to still be in business but let's exercise some fiscal restraint as we move forward into 2010.
At dinner, the conversation turned to guitar collecting and we shared stories of some of our more interesting clients and their notable acquisitions. One in particular stood out for its level of excess. A guest across the table from me, a passionate but modest collector, described how he had been invited to visit a very sizable collection. It involved being blindfolded, driven to an undisclosed location, and led into a secret warehouse filled with shelves and shelves of the rarest vintage guitars in the world. We're not talking about a couple of Gold Tops and a handful of 50's Strats. Hundreds upon hundreds of guitars; a shelf full of nothing but scores of 1959 Les Paul 'Bursts, dozens of Gold Tops, rows and rows of early 60's strats in every conceivable custom color, Gibson Citations by the score.
While mind-boggling in its sheer scope and size, my thoughts turned to the inevitable day when the collection would be sold and the potentially devastating effects it would have on the vintage market. It's largely been the baby-boomer generation that has driven the vintage guitar market's 30 year escalation and the question is, what is the next generation going to collect, if anything? Will the current followers of Guitar Hero and Modern Warfare wake up one day to discover the wonders of guitar collecting? Or will the current holders of these vast collections find an empty marketplace on liquidation day? I tend to think not, but I would still put my money on great acoustics guitars. Far fewer made, more craft, and a timeless design. Let's bring this up again in a couple of decades.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Fri, Jan 15, 2010 @ 10:09 AM
A busy first day at NAMM. I spent the better part of the day in Hall E, sometimes referred to as the acoustic room as it's where makers such as Collings, Goodall, Bourgeois and the like set up. It also tends to have a much lower noise level than the main rooms. Here are some of the highlights of my day:
Amazing ukes at the Collings booth where Steve and Alex unveiled two concert ukes with the most amazing koa bodies. Apparently, they'd had a few left-over guitar sides with no matching tops or backs. What does one do with such small pieces of wood? Take a look at these beauties:
Some pretty amazing figure. We snagged both ukes and hope to have them back at The Music Emporium early next week. Bill Collings showed up later in the day with a one-of-a-kind archtop ukulele! Incredible. Here it is held by the lovely Angela Wade:
The other nice addition to the Collings line was an MT2 Mandola. As you would expect, it's a fabulous instrument. Prototype Serial # 001 is a lovely black-face A-style and will be coming home with us as well. (pics to follow)
The Martin booth was bustling. Got to take in a great performance by Jorma as he debuted his new signature M-30. Amazing player with any guitar in his hand, though I'll have to admit the Martin has some very attractive elements: Italian spruce, colorful wood marquetry purfling, and the superb comfort of the M body. Seems more and more players are waking up to the M's unique balance of size, tonal strength, and balance.
Spent a little time at the Cole-Clarke booth. Interesting guitars out of Australia. They're gaining wide acceptance among some well-known players, Jack Johnson being the most notable. I wasn't overwhelmed by their acoustic response but plugged in, wow! They have a very unique pickup system that combines a Takamine-inspired saddle pickup with Cole-Clarke's own tone bar sensor which runs the length of the top in much the same way a major brace wood. The effect is jaw-dropping.
More later...