Yielding to an irresistible urge

[Oldpinkman]

No doubt. Oscar Wilde had it right. There's only one thing to do with temptation - yield to it.

After years of whining about wanting one, I have finally treated myself to a Maton Messiah. Not the one I originally tried and fell in love with in Guildford. I took a punt on their marketing literature not speaking with forked tongue and bought a new (brand new - but also post 2012 revisions) version with the AP5Pro pickup fitted (never could figure how this wasnt standard before on Maton's flagship guitar). Also a Mahogany neck - which looks chunky, but plays just luvverley.

Obviously it sounds GORGEOUS -in spite of being played by me. But it is the very best "feel" straight out of the box I could ever have hoped for. Maybe the action is a whiff higher than my local tech normally sets them for me (super wimp limbo height), and the strings a gauge heavier than I normally fit - but I'm gonna man-up and cope with it, cos it sounds GORGEOUS.

If only you could buy talent...:)

[Barry]

:worthless:

[struth]

you can...its called a record:eyebrows:

good luck with it.. my older bro is or used to be an acoustic fiend but has just learned the keyboard at the age of 65 so if you got the hands for then youll do well

[Oldpinkman]

:worthless:

OK - fair enough

http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t582/oldpinkman/DSC_3012-1_zpsizfpxlex.jpg (http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/oldpinkman/media/DSC_3012-1_zpsizfpxlex.jpg.html)

http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t582/oldpinkman/DSC_3009-1_zpsmfs6otxg.jpg (http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/oldpinkman/media/DSC_3009-1_zpsmfs6otxg.jpg.html)

http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t582/oldpinkman/DSC_3011-1_zpsmy2aytw5.jpg (http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/oldpinkman/media/DSC_3011-1_zpsmy2aytw5.jpg.html)

http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t582/oldpinkman/DSC_3010-1_zps9wlevqzn.jpg (http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/oldpinkman/media/DSC_3010-1_zps9wlevqzn.jpg.html)

:D

:cool:

[Macca]

Lovely guitar. Hours of fun await, eh?

[Marco]

Lovely stuff, Richard! All we need now is a YouTube clip of you serenading your good lady with a rose between your teeth! :D

Marco.

[Oldpinkman]

Lovely stuff, Richard! All we need now is a YouTube clip of you serenading your good lady with a rose between your teeth! :D

Marco.

I promise you , you don't! Did a lot of thinking as Sue approached 50. This is the year I stop playing guitar in the shower only, and bloody well sort the instrument. I'm getting there. Painful slow but I'm gettin' there

And LOVIN' IT!!

In fact the Mrs is involved in this toy. We talked the talk about performing together ( a bit challenging for me given our relative abilities), and I worked my way up through some better guitars. We went testing to see if the expensive guitars were all branding, or really sounded better, and went to try a Guild D55 which one of the talented young guys locally plays. In comparing it against the 2 I had at the time we wanted not just "better" - but a warmer overall balance, because I am accompanying an out and out soprano. The Guild sounded lovely but I couldn't play it for toffee - very embarrassing hour or so in the shop. Sue asked them (out of pity) if they had another guitar (they had over 1000) ANY other "nice" guitar for me to try. They bought down the Messiah

It was rich and warm - sumptuous
For some bizarre reason all the fumbling nerves went and I played it well enough
Sue sang, and the whole bloody shop stopped to look. She said to me "you have to have that guitar" but it was over £3000 at the time, and I bottled it

I have been muttering about getting one ever since - and I'm not disappointed :D

It was warm - really mellow, and although a bit heavier strung than I normally would choose, still really playable. Feels right from the moment I pick it up. Which I have probably done 30 times already in the 4 hours I've owned it! :cool:

[Ninanina]

That looks lovely Richard... glad you are happy with it... ;)

[Andrei]

Nice one Richard, its when you get a good instrument that you realise what a gift music is - and how dismal your XK* hi-fi actually is.
So are you playing Old MacDonald or Bachiana Brasileira n°5 ?

*X = a large number
K = three zeros

[Stratmangler]

Congratulations Richard.
Your new guitar looks gorgeous - I particularly like the figuring of the fretboard timber at the second fret.
Now go and play it like you stole it!

[Audio Al]

:) Very nice :)

[Oldpinkman]

Thanks guys.
I'm on a serious mission Chris. Had a session with Joe Gibson yesterday and played till my fingers bled.

As for material andre, closer to old macdonald. Initially focusing on accompanying Sue. Eva cassidy, Katie melua, Adele, some jazz standards. If she wants to sing classical she can do it for a brown envelope with her pro friends. I've told her she hasn't the bra size to rival Katherine jenkins. Mind, she hasn't a moustache either and we let her use her classical technique on the Susan Boyle song (I dreamed a dream). I call it the Susan Boyle song to wind her up. "it's not the Susan Boyle song. It's the Suzanne Williams song. I sung it first on TV 20 years before she did on bob monkhouses opportunity knocks"

What I'd give to find that footage on YouTube!

[Canetoad]

Thanks guys.
I'm on a serious mission Chris. Had a session with Joe Gibson yesterday and played till my fingers bled.

As for material andre, closer to old macdonald. Initially focusing on accompanying Sue. Eva cassidy, Katie melua, Adele, some jazz standards. If she wants to sing classical she can do it for a brown envelope with her pro friends. I've told her she hasn't the bra size to rival Katherine jenkins. Mind, she hasn't a moustache either and we let her use her classical technique on the Susan Boyle song (I dreamed a dream). I call it the Susan Boyle song to wind her up. "it's not the Susan Boyle song. It's the Suzanne Williams song. I sung it first on TV 20 years before she did on bob monkhouses opportunity knocks"

What I'd give to find that footage on YouTube!

... was the summer of '69. :ner:

[Oldpinkman]

Oh 'Evans. Just plugged in. Now Sue and I "discovered" this guitar on a mission to sort out a decent pickup, and liked the regular AP5. The new AP5pro is stunning, turning my LR Baggs stage pedal into a seriously over-priced tuner!!

Gonna' have to leave the heater on in the studio at this rate (most times of the year just leaving the valve amp on heats the room!)

Can't see me listening to many records for a while :D