What guitar have you owned for the longest period of time? Still got it??

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Permalink Reply by Wes Millette on April 21, 2012 at 4:29pm

I bought an Aspen DR35-12 acoustic 12 string from a pawn shop in Denver back in 1976. Still looks, sounds and plays great.  

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Mathew Gatzka on April 21, 2012 at 6:17pm

My S12 Cedar Seagull was made in 1990 and I got it in the early 90's as a wedding anniversary present. I just took it into the local Motor City Guitar shop and had them look at it and evaluate the playability and soundness of the guitar. Good news is that it's in really good shape.

I keep it in the hard case when not playing it and I wipe it clean after every session with it. I did get some fretboard cleaner and conditioner and a new set of strings for it along with a humidifier, though I won't need that during our humid summer here in Michigan.

I played a couple of newer Seagull models one was for over a grand, I think it was a Signature model. I also played one that was about $500 or so and I liked it better than the fancier model. Both were six strings, which I don't have one at present. I was ready to go GAS on my wife but on fixed income and just could not! I was fortunate to get new strings! D'Addario lights.

I play regularly so I am very pleased my S12 Cedar got a clean bill of health! 

Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on April 22, 2012 at 7:41am

The Seagull Peppino D'Agostino signature model ($1,500 or so) has a 1.9 inch nut width which definitely would not be everyone's preference.

Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on April 22, 2012 at 10:00am

I'd like one... ;-)

Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on April 22, 2012 at 12:36pm

I'm atsounded to hear this!  Shocked!!!

Permalink Reply by Luis Motta da Silva on April 22, 2012 at 4:18pm

Hi, Jud!

If I understand you well, a 1.9 inch nut would be too narrow?

Well, this beauty has a 42 milimeter nut (a little less than 1,7 inch), but it has 12 strings...

Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on April 23, 2012 at 9:08am

Luis ... oh no! ... 1.9 would be too wide for most people.  Most people are quite satisfied with 1.68 and 1.75 is considered wide.  With Seagulls, they start at 1.72, go up to a standard of 1.8 and then have the special extra wide 1.9 on the Peppino D'Agostino Signature model.

 

PS:  That is one unique looking instrument in your photo.

Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on April 23, 2012 at 10:42am

The 1.9" nut on the Peppino D'Agostino model is the same width as that used on all Godin 12 string acoustics as well...

Permalink Reply by Luis Motta da Silva on April 23, 2012 at 2:50pm

Hi, Jud!

Of course, you're right! My classic guitar is 55 mm wide at the nut (47mm from 1st to 6th string), my steel striged guitars are narrower.

Blimunda - the guitar whose headstock is shown in the picture - was made by me in 2005. I sold it to a pro musician, and it caused me contraditory feelings: on one hand, it was really difficult to me to see that "baby" leave "daddy's house" (I call it the bride's father syndrome), but, on the other hand, I was invited by my customer to attend the first concert he gave playing "my" guitar. I arrived a little late and, when I entered the concert room, he was already on stage, about to play, in the dark, with only one spotlight focusing on the guitar... I may live to be 100, but I'll never forget that sight... and the tremendous chill of hearing Blimunda sing her voice for all those people listening in silence.

Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on April 23, 2012 at 10:30am

It is Portuguese, is it not?  You (or perhaps someone else) has posted a pic like this (but the whole instrument) before...

Is it tuned the same as a "normal" guitar?

Permalink Reply by Luis Motta da Silva on April 23, 2012 at 3:14pm

Hi, Florida Gull,

Yessss, it's Portuguese. 

There are two conventional tunings:

The Lisbon tuning, for 44cm scale, is:

bb-aa-ee-Bb-Aa-Dd.

The Coimbra tuning, for 46cm scale, is a whole tone lower:

aa-gg-dd-Aa-Gg-Cc.

If you have a 12-string,with light gauge strings you may try  this tuning:

dd-cc-gg-Dd-Cc-Ff - Use a capo on 5th fret to get Coimbra tuning, or in the 7th fret to get Lisbon tuning.

It won't probably sound very good because the string gauges aren't right, but it will give you an idea...

Apart from those "classic" tunings there's  lots of specific tunings (just like there are "open" and "dropped" tunings for the steel string).

I always use the Lisbon tuning, you can hear it in three videos I posted on my page.

And yes, there are at least some 4 or 5 Portuguese guitar enthusiasts in this community, I am considering the possibility of starting a Portuguese guitar group.

Warning: P-guitars are highly addictive!

Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on April 23, 2012 at 4:15pm

I assume there are entirely different chord forms for this, yes?

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