I can be such a FRIGGEN idiot sometimes...

[lyric_girl]

Ryler, Not meaning to be anal retentive, but wasn't that lyric Rod Stewarts?

[BluesMan1]

   Lynda, like Rod Stewart said, "S*** Happens". Or was that Cat Stevens? Anyway, we've all done stuff like that, by accident, but it doesn't make you an idiot? Just got a good lesson in what not to do next time! 
     Jeff   

[leerichards]

Be easy on yourself Lyric girl. You are certainly no idiot for having an accident happen. And I know, I know...."but I could have avoided it by...." yeah that applies to my thousands of "accidents" too but I can't get back there to rerun the situation. And it's your good fortune that Sienna is still in perfect shape. BTW I love the way you name your lovelies - such beautiful names too. FWIW I hang my guitars on hooks on my wall but there's usually one out on a stand. When I was first a serious guitar player I kept my precious Gibson SG in its case and my old Harmony Meteor lying on the bed. Guess which one got played the most? Once I realised that as humans we tend to follow the path of least resistance, the SG came out of the case and got the attention it deserved (trouble is, I had to sleep in the SG case cos there was no more room on the bed ). Anyway, it sounds like you are careful enough - just don't beat up on yourself when Murphy's Law strikes. It only compounds the pain. I know: I've got the bruises to prove it. Cheers, Lee.
ps, yeah, "first cut" were Rockin' Rod's lyrics.

[GA-ME]

Pristine - Don't mean it doesn't get played/used
Dings, dents, etc, etc - Don't mean it's well played - Just plain stupidity/careless
A well scratched plate/guard - Is well played
cheers
fongie

A synonym for pristine is untouched.

As for dents, dings, etc., etc. being plain stupidity and carelessness.......Well, I have played my 000-60 upwards of 3000 hours, over the last three years, and have engaged in carelessness of the first order, I suppose. She is dented, dinged, scratched, the finish is starting to wear a good bit all around the sound hole with the hundreds of little dings that the nails make when you actually PLAY a guitar, hour after hour. After this time spent, I love and know the guitar with an intimacy that I suppose the possessor of a pristine instrument will never know. I feel sad for their loss.

I am a MUCH better player as a result of the hours invested. I hope over the next 10 years, or so, I am able to play for 10,000 more hours and make thousands of more careless dents, dings and scratches. All the while, I'll stupidly improve as a player, and who knows, I might be able to look back at the end of my days, lovingly at my beat up guitar and think: man we made some nice tunes and I'm not a half bad picker. But, perhaps I'll think, man I wish I couldn't pick as well as I have learned to, because then my guitar would be  pristine...........

Take a look at this guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuBKuPZUuI&feature=PlayList&p=EFCFE21B4C4693AD&index=14


Guess he is careless and stupid. His instrument isn't well played, just the result of stupidity and carelessness.......................

[bearsville0]

Take a look at this guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuBKuPZUuI&feature=PlayList&p=EFCFE21B4C4693AD&index=14


Guess he is careless and stupid. His instrument isn't well played, just the result of stupidity and carelessness.......................

Careless, stupid, whatever, that Tommy E video looks and sounds just as pointlessly flashy as any other tape of his on YouTube. All he needs is a monkey suit to complete the act.

[GA-ME]

Careless, stupid, whatever, that Tommy E video looks and sounds just as pointlessly flashy as any other tape of his on YouTube

Whether you like him or not, he plays at a much higher level than you ever will, or I ever will. That, I think you'd agree with Bear!

[bearsville0]

Whether you like him or not, he plays at a much higher level than you ever will, or I ever will. That, I think you'd agree with Bear!

True in only certain technical respects but not the aspects of artistic expression that I value the most. When it comes to finger picking give me someone with taste like Mississippee John Hurt, or John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy and a thousand others.

[GA-ME]

True in only certain technical respects but not the aspects of artistic expression that I value the most. When it comes to finger picking give me someone with taste like Mississippee John Hurt, or John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy and a thousand others.

Bear, I'm not talking about artistic expression you value, but artistic expression you have the ability to create individually, personally, with just you and your guitar. I'm pretty certain, whether you appreciate his playing or not, Tommy E has an ability to express himself musically which you, I, and most others will only dream of. Eveyone has their own opinions about what constitutes artistic expression, but some guy named Chet declared Tommy E a Certified Guitar Player. To my Knowledge, Chet only bestowed that title on two other guitarists, ever. But hell, Chet don't know nothing bout no artistic expression...........

[bearsville0]

Okay, I can dig what you're saying. TE undoubtedly is able to coordinate himself with the instrument and produce the sounds he wants better than I ever will in my wildest dreams. Dammit!!!!

I'm gonna have to go kick a dent in my guitar in sympathy with Lyric Girl.

[Zohn]

Apparently she is ding less   I waited until my husband got home to have a good look at her as he has a much better eye for this stuff than I do.

I agree that she will be dinged eventually, but I'm still a newbie and I have only had Sienna since April!

So now you stirred everybody up for nothin' 
Glad it's ok Lynda, it is a Larrivee after all - they're battle tanks!!!!

[Zohn]

   Lynda, like Rod Stewart said, "S*** Happens". Or was that Cat Stevens? Anyway, we've all done stuff like that, by accident, but it doesn't make you an idiot? Just got a good lesson in what not to do next time! 
     Jeff   

"Skoolgeld" - Afrikaans saying meaning payment for schooling or plainly "lesson learned" 

[petesmithguitarist]

I`ve been thinking about this thread and the difference between playing wear and abuse, I`ve toured with TE and with him the line is very blurred, his "playing wear" would be classed as "abuse" if he borrowed your guitar, I guess it`s down to how you express yourself as a musician on your chosen instrument. A good friend of mine, Amrit Sond also blurs the line, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dudDLX5Y44o&feature=related
One thing I have noticed is that the biggest enemy to guitars are guitar leads, they get wrapped round your feet and pull guitars off stands and a jack plug is like a bullet when being coiled up, most of the dings on my instruments are caused by jack plugs... oh for a reliabe wireless system. Cheers, Pete

[hadden]

A synonym for pristine is untouched.

As for dents, dings, etc., etc. being plain stupidity and carelessness.......Well, I have played my 000-60 upwards of 3000 hours, over the last three years, and have engaged in carelessness of the first order

Nice. This what I like to hear, that a guitar is being played LOTS. 1000hrs a year is a healthy amount.

[hadden]

on artistic expression, having the extra sense that way: I've found the few really creative people I've known tended to have an odd side to them -- comes across in different ways dependent on the person, but they are definitely not normal. Intense introversion, or extra nerviness, or their brain makes bizarre associations that makes me go What the.....? You know, out in left field. Internal freak show sometimes. Not exactly alpha, centered types. So what I'm saying is there probably is a down side to being wildly expressive, having a distinct voice; maybe it's a good thing not to have it. Better to be from Earth than Pluto.

[GA-ME]

Pete, I didn't care much for the Rigid Geometry composition, but I scrolled through some of Amrit's other compositions and liked the Nth Degree and especially enjoyed Spiritual Crisis! He definitely has a nice sense of melody to go along with all the percussive techniques he has developed! I suppose the definition of playing wear and abuse can be a fine line, but for me anything a guitarist does to his/her instrument in pursuit of the sounds in their heads is okay with me. The guitars are after all just tools to convey the music.

I have a friend, Mike Roots who is a very percussive player and wonderful songwriter, but I probably wouldn't loan my guitar to him except in case of extreme need on his part. He beats them more than I'd like, but he also plays at a much better level than I and is far more creative. To each their own.

I guess my main point, and this goes back to Lynda's original intent on this post: don't worry about the dings and dents that happen from using a guitar. A dented, dinged, and scratched, guitar is most likely a guitar helping you along the journey to becoming a guitarist! May we all have the requisite battle scars along that wonderful path!

[petesmithguitarist]

Couldn`t have put it any better... Pete

[Walkerman]

My beloved LS03 IS/M went for a nose dive tonight because I was too lazy to drag the stand half way across the room. I am SUCH an idiot!

Every so often there's a debate here about keeping your guitar on a stand, or in the case.  Seems you answered that one.

[hadden]

I don't mind the dings usually, I forget about them soon enough,  but the last one I did was right on the back of the neck where I can feel it.  Gotta get that one fixed.

[GA-ME]

Hadden, you can get most dents steamed out or do it yourself.

[Zohn]

I guess my main point, and this goes back to Lynda's original intent on this post: don't worry about the dings and dents that happen from using a guitar. A dented, dinged, and scratched, guitar is most likely a guitar helping you along the journey to becoming a guitarist! May we all have the requisite battle scars along that wonderful path!

Bob Taylor said he loves to service a well played guitar with all the battle scars that accompanies the journey. He also said how it breaks his heart to see a neglected, cracked and distorted guitar due to a lack of humidification.
I make a point of treating my instruments with care, but also realize that occasional dings and scratches are inevitable.