Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: John429 on December 14, 2011, 11:47:46 PM
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About a week after I got my new 612ce, I decided to try out a new open mic I had never been to before. When I got there, I noticed one of my daughter's musician friends was there. She immediately came up and said she had just busted a string and wondered if she could borrow my guitar for her turn. Being someone I kinda knew, I told her she could. However, I didn't realize that this open mic had one of those vertical mic stands for their vocal mic (as opposed to the ones with the boom arm for the mic) where you have to get extremely close to the stand with your guitar in order to get your mouth up to the mic. The moment she went up there, I noticed this and was petrified she might wack my guitar on the mic stand! About a minute into her song, my worst nightmare was realized! She started slowly rotating left and right as she was singing and every time she did, the guitar body wacked the mic stand - "wack!wack!wack!" and she was completely oblivious to it happening! This was a most awkward situation - do I run up and interrupt her performance (how embarrassing would that be)? Or stay silent and hope for the best? I decided on a third option - I crept up and moved the mic stand about an inch further away from her. I'm sure it looked odd because no one else knew what the heck I was doing. Luckily, she just kept playing and didn't stop when I was up there. This outward movement of the mic stand gave *just* enough clearance to prevent further impacts. After the performance, I checked my guitar and miraculously, the finish was completely undamaged. Taylor has done a fantastic job on their finish to survive something like this. Anyone else have an experience like this when they lent their guitar to someone?
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Not with my guitar but with my golf clubs. I bought a new driver and went to the range to practice. A friend comes up and wants to try it......ok.....I say and handed him the club.
He tees up the ball, takes a swing, and skies it. Everyone else is looking up - I can't believe you hit it that high dude! I'm looking at my club with the nice "idiot mark" on the once beautiful pristine head.
He gives it back and says "meh, doesn't hit so well" I almost beat him with it but thought the blood would look bad on it too. :)
Hence, no one knows I have the new Taylor, I take my Yamaha out with me.
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About a week after I got my new 612ce, I decided to try out a new open mic I had never been to before. When I got there, I noticed one of my daughter's musician friends was there. She immediately came up and said she had just busted a string and wondered if she could borrow my guitar for her turn. Being someone I kinda knew, I told her she could. However, I didn't realize that this open mic had one of those vertical mic stands for their vocal mic (as opposed to the ones with the boom arm for the mic) where you have to get extremely close to the stand with your guitar in order to get your mouth up to the mic. The moment she went up there, I noticed this and was petrified she might wack my guitar on the mic stand! About a minute into her song, my worst nightmare was realized! She started slowly rotating left and right as she was singing and every time she did, the guitar body wacked the mic stand - "wack!wack!wack!" and she was completely oblivious to it happening! This was a most awkward situation - do I run up and interrupt her performance (how embarrassing would that be)? Or stay silent and hope for the best? I decided on a third option - I crept up and moved the mic stand about an inch further away from her. I'm sure it looked odd because no one else knew what the heck I was doing. Luckily, she just kept playing and didn't stop when I was up there. This outward movement of the mic stand gave *just* enough clearance to prevent further impacts. After the performance, I checked my guitar and miraculously, the finish was completely undamaged. Taylor has done a fantastic job on their finish to survive something like this. Anyone else have an experience like this when they lent their guitar to someone?
This story makes me cringe...as I was reading I kept thinking... "please don't wack it..." then you proceeded to type 2 more "wacks"....my heart sank...as I imagined it being my GS8e...
thankfully the end of the story is a happy one! ;D Sounds like Taylor's finish came through!!!
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He gives it back and says "meh, doesn't hit so well" I almost beat him with it but thought the blood would look bad on it too. :)
LOL! Good self control there!
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Not with my guitar but with my golf clubs. I bought a new driver and went to the range to practice. A friend comes up and wants to try it......ok.....I say and handed him the club.
He tees up the ball, takes a swing, and skies it. Everyone else is looking up - I can't believe you hit it that high dude! I'm looking at my club with the nice "idiot mark" on the once beautiful pristine head.
He gives it back and says "meh, doesn't hit so well" I almost beat him with it but thought the blood would look bad on it too. :)
Hence, no one knows I have the new Taylor, I take my Yamaha out with me.
Same here...I was golfing in FL...and a friend of a friend was also a lefty like me...he breaks his driver (cheap) and then asks to use mine....what was I to say? "No!" and be a jerk? So I said "yes"...and he hit a pop up and left a nice little sky mark...grrrrr. It's a small one though...thank goodness. :'(
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This story makes me cringe...as I was reading I kept thinking... "please don't wack it..." then you proceeded to type 2 more "wacks
Josh - I only typed three "wacks" in the story, but it was probably at least a dozen wacks by the time I got up there! I still have nightmares about this and wake up in a cold sweat.
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This story makes me cringe...as I was reading I kept thinking... "please don't wack it..." then you proceeded to type 2 more "wacks
Josh - I only typed three "wacks" in the story, but it was probably at least a dozen wacks by the time I got up there! I still have nightmares about this and wake up in a cold sweat.
Around a dozen "wacks" and the finish was still flawless? :o I wonder if I could buy a gallon of finish and paint my car bumpers... ;D
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Around a dozen "wacks" and the finish was still flawless? :o I wonder if I could buy a gallon of finish and paint my car bumpers... ;D
Yup, guitars in my family have to be tough to survive! If their not getting wacked on mic stands, they're getting run over by cars in parking lots - http://429mustangcougarinfo.50megs.com/new_page_48.htm
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This is exactly why I like having a guitar specifically for playing in public. It helps to buy a used one that already has a good ding or two, so you don't feel so bad offering one up to be used/abused.
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I lend my R taylor to a guy i know, he's a great blues player and love's the tone of my guitar. He's never bumped it and if he did it wouldn't be on purpose.
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Luckily for me I have had good experiences having someone else play one of my guitars. I had gone to a friends house prior to both of us going to visit his open mic night and while there he commented on how much he liked my 714LTD. While at his house I let him play a few songs on it and he was really sounding good. A few hours later when we are at the open mic I suggested that he try my guitar for one of his songs. He wasn't singing so thankfully I didn't have to worry about the mic stand. Also he's a surgen so what could go wrong...... All in a good experience for both of us. Now subsequently to that evening I was the idiot who has put a little ding in the guitar. Not a big deal but I will say I'm still in a bit of denial over it as I don't even acknowledge its existance.
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A good buddy of mine is a Martin guy. He owns an HD-28 and a 000-28, but he loves the "feel" of my Taylors. We did a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony a few weeks ago and swapped for a song. But he's a good friend and an amazing player. Personally, I wouldn't put a multi-thousand dollar instrument into a stranger's hands at an open mic.
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I've always taken the attitude that I got my guitars to play. If I'm not comfortable having my guitar there, I'm not comfortable being there. And, everybody gets a fair chance. Of course, being "altered" could affect getting a chance. I ran an open mike for a couple years at a local pub. I always had an acoustic and an electric that were well setup and available to whoever wanted. The acoustic was my (prized) Larrivee parlor and the electric some strat clone. Neither was a very expensive guitar but both were good guitars. I think I only relieved one person of the parlor during the 2 years and never the electric. I still have the parlor and I gave the electric to a guy who showed up every week and played it.
Ed
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I only take my very well played 710 to open mics. I don't mind if people ask to play it for a couple of reasons; it has quite a few dings from being played, and a lot of the people at open mics have not had the chance to play a Taylor outside of Guitar Center. Now then, if they are just beating on it, I will quickly take it back and let them know that is not how I treat my guitars.
As for my 614ce and the other "mint, new or expensive" guitars I have owned in the past, they don't go to open mics. I buy all my guitars to be played, but I am still careful who I let play them.
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i have a few times to those that own Taylors & i knew that they cared for theirs well & had respect for them -
what i've sometimes noticed is that the person playing was so concerned about possibly putting a mark on the guitar
was that they weren't as comfortable & it might have taken some emphasis from just playing & expressing themselves
i had a 'friend of a friend' who played guitar & was interested in Taylors play one & after they tried to 'saw-it-in-half' &
just laid it down on a piece of furniture when they were done with it, i was much more aware & careful after that ...
thanks for sharing the link & story of the pic of Shereen's 614ceL30, John -
i especially enjoyed the audio clip - Shereen has a wonderful voice & it sounds great :)
i'll have to check out the 429 forum - wouldn't mind squeezing a fe385 into a fox body at some point
in the future & if i recall correctly, they can be bored/stroked to over 700 ci, if one is so inclined ;)
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thanks for sharing the link & story of the pic of Shareen's 614ceL30, John -
i especially enjoyed the audio clip - Shareen has a wonderful voice & it sounds great :)
i'll have to check out the 429 forum - wouldn't mind squeezing a fe385 into a fox body at some point
in the future & if i recall correctly, they can be bored/stroked to over 700 ci, if one is so inclined ;)
Thanks for checking it out, Michael! That was a sad time for her guitar, but thanks to Taylor, everything was put back like new. One of my joys in life is to support her in her musical endeavors and watching her blossom into such an amazing musician is a major highlight in my life!
Yes - please do stop by 429 Technical Forum. We'll be glad to help you shoehorn a bored & stroked 460 into your Capri ;) You will then have the Grand Symphony of Capris!
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Glad there was no harm John429... I've allowed others to play my 814 at our local jam, but there was one guy I was nervous about letting play it. I'd already allowed two others to play it on other dates and could not refuse him his turn. The first two guys, one had an 814 and the other was a Fender Tele and they both were always cautious about the way they handled their guitars. When they asked for mine to try out, they handed their guitars over to me without hesitation. The other gentleman likes to set close to all other players and just thinking about it makes me nervous. However, no bumps, dings, or anything. I've started carrying my Sigma and taken my Alvarez several times. Each of these guitars are nice and have no dings on them, but I feel more comfortable in this one environment. Now, when I play out alone or with fellow musicians in a structure event, I play my 814 without hesitation as I know I'll have total control over it.
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Glad you have escaped undinged, Barefooter. I have noticed some folks like to sit very close to others when they play as well and I share your concern with getting clunked into.
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I'll echo the sentiment "I got my guitar to play". I don't baby them after I've decided it's a keeper. Mine have several dings to testify of their daily use. However, I have the right to ding it because it's mine. I'd never just hand it over without regard to it's well being.
I can only imagine what was going through the OP's mind and body watching his rig go through the ringer.
All risk of damage aside, I rarely let anyone play my guitars beyond holding for a few and noodling. I'm just weird like that I guess.
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There are a few people I would (and have) loan one of my guitars to. Strangers at an open mike are not on that list.
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I can only imagine what was going through the OP's mind and body watching his rig go through the ringer.
It was abject horror, believe me. After that experience, I only let folks I know *extremely* well and fully trust play it.