NGD: Did a bad thing this weekend, Collings OM2H followed me home

  • Thread starter Thread starter DrewPeterson7
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DrewPeterson7

DrewPeterson7

Sage of the Order
Went into my local high end acoustic shop with my Martin, a mid 90s MC16-GTE, to start the process of shopping for a nicer acoustic (I love that guitar, but it was the best thing I could afford 25 years ago, and I'd been putting cash aside for a few years planning on eventually buying something a little nicer) just to figure out what sort of guitar I was interested in, and maybe within a month or two take something home. I sort of overacheived, lol

2021 model, German Spruce top, cocobolo back and sides. I played a ton of different woods and body styles and was kind of gravitating towards either an OM-sized guitar or possibly another 0000 (same shape as my MC), which surprised me because at the start I'd have figured I'd have ended up with a dreadnaught... but within the first couple notes this one arrested me. It just sustained more on single notes than I'd expected from an acoustic, and sounded extremely articulate and balanced, almost piano like at times. I was going to put a deposit down on this one and come back this coming weekend (they're only 8 minutes away) but as I played the last few phrases it occurred to me that this was pretty much exactly how an acoustic sounded in my head, so what the hell.

Playing is a little rough here - I'm not used to uncoated strings anymore so my fingertips were raw, and I played this thing enough the night that I brought it home that the Martin phosphor bronzes on it were already losing some life. But, what an awesome sounding, playing guitar.



I should probably learn how to play an acoustic like an acoustic now, huh?
 
It at least wasn't unplanned, I just didn't think I'd be ready to buy for a couple weeks more. I'd been saving up for something nicer than my bare bones Martin for a few years now, I have a "fun" savings account that I transfer a little bit into with every paycheck and use that for fun, non-essential purchases. So, I guess it wasn't THAT bad. 😆

The state of my fingertips today, though... lol. I'm stoked, though. That Martin is a great sounding guitar, especially for softer stuff, but the top end just compresses and gets kind of harsh when I dig in, and this one (and, to be fair, virtually all of the guitars I played before it) just breathes...
 
An NGD is never a bad thing. I hadn't planned on buying a new guitar last summer, but it happened. Sometimes you just come across an instrument that just speaks to you.
 
Thanks! Though, the playing IS a bit rough - first thing in the morning, aching fingertips, and probably too much coffee. :lol:

This was a pair of sE Electronics sE4400a's. One over my shoulder at ear level, and the other (not visible in frame) [pointed at the 14th fret from 8-10" away, which is pretty close to my starting point for a single mic recording. I was just going to do one, but I figured if it was just a single performance, spaced stereo was probably the way to go to give it a LITTLE more breadth.
 
I'm afraid I got my standard 'An Error has occurred!' message.
 
If you have more than one of anything, they can't tell when a new one shows up. If you tell them about it, it's the "what does that one do, that the others don't" line. I kinda got my wife broke of doing that to me when we were at a mineral show (she's a geologist), and she's showing me the neat mineral that she just bought. She's explaining to me how it was formed etc. I said, "so, what does this rock do, that all the other rocks you have at home don't"? She just said, shut up Raymond.

I got a pretty good laugh out of that one!
 
R D Smith said:
If you have more than one of anything, they can't tell when a new one shows up. If you tell them about it, it's the "what does that one do, that the others don't" line. I kinda got my wife broke of doing that to me when we were at a mineral show (she's a geologist), and she's showing me the neat mineral that she just bought. She's explaining to me how it was formed etc. I said, "so, what does this rock do, that all the other rocks you have at home don't"? She just said, shut up Raymond.

I got a pretty good laugh out of that one!
Click to expand...
😄👏👏
 
Beautiful guitar, Drew! Great decision on your part to go with a Collings guitar that is on par with, or better than on par with, when compared to similar OM style Martin guitar models IMO.

If only I was 30 years younger 😟

As to strings? Elixer Nanowebs 12-53/54 would be fair starting point of experimentation.

I wish you many years of enjoyment with your new guitar. :thumbs up:

And your playing is just fine!
 
60's guy said:
Beautiful guitar, Drew! Great decision on your part to go with a Collings guitar that is on par with, or better than on par with, when compared to similar OM style Martin guitar models IMO.

If only I was 30 years younger 😟

As to strings? Elixer Nanowebs 12-53/54 would be fair starting point of experimentation.

I wish you many years of enjoyment with your new guitar. :thumbs up:

And your playing is just fine!
Click to expand...

Thank you! That's actually exactly what I have on it now, Elixir phosphor bronze Nanowebs. I have some of their new Attune strings to try next, as well. Honestly the Martin strings may have sounded a HAIR nicer, but even just the smoother feeling under my fingertips and slightly reduced string squeak would be worth it, my fingers were RAW here.

Nothing like more guitar than chops to make you practice though!
 
RFR said:
I believe it was Andre Segovia who said ?
“Guitar is the easiest instrument to learn but the hardest to master”
Click to expand...
I STRONGLY agree. I've been at it 30 years and I still feel like a hack.
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
I STRONGLY agree. I've been at it 30 years and I still feel like a hack.
Click to expand...
I've been at it for more than 60 years and I remain most certainly convinced that I will forever remain a hack guitar player at best, but I keep on playing.
 
We all have our sea of hack to swim through with the hopes of not drowning. :D

But every once in a while we come up with a lick that a player of vast superior skill asks “how did you do that”? Ah, what a magic moment that is.

But in all seriousness, we all suck. And we all have greatness. Key is to be you. Be the best you can muster.
 
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