Martin Mini

vedderfan10

Just wanted to share that for our 15th anniversary (today) I bought my husband a Martin Mini...he hasn't played before, and already he's been learning "Hey there Deliliah" (Plain White Tees) -- so I guess this really is THE guitar to learn on. My hubby's not a big guy, so I went with the narrower neck...and I gotta say, although I know very little about guitars, this thing sounds awesome!!

I bought myself a six-string "guitalele", but I can't tune the damn thing (even with a tuner), so I haven't really been able to start playing it. It's going back to the guitar shop tomorrow so that they can tune it for me. And then I'll take lessons...it's a Yamaha and is really nothing more than a tiny guitar. I had real problems learning to play my uke, so I thought I'd try a 6 string and see how that goes...

Just thought I'd share...

Now, are there any places to get PJ song chords? I downloaded a couple of tabs, but I don't know how to read them - what is 7, 5, 5, 4, 2. I'm assuming they are chord numbers...

lucylespian

You are a sensational woman for buying your hubby a git.

So I'm gonna share the world's worst kept secret wit you.

Roll up, roll gityor tabs here .......


http://www.giventowail.com

and there a whole section on starting out. BUt I gotta say, spend some quality time with a teacher, either professional or a competent friend.

Jooooosh

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com
there's a decent amount of tabs there, but there's also some lessons on reading tabs and beginning guitar that could help you get started before you start going to lessons.

ianvomsaal

I was also thinking about getting one of those click here:LX Series MARTIN's for my little son when he's old enough to hold one (he's 7-months, so I figure another year or so .
All I can say is don't EVER get one of the click here:Martin Backpacker Guitars. Martin's backpacker guitar is the worst designed travel guitar ever.
It is completely unplayable - even for an experienced player. There's no good way to hold it, and it always rolls away from you - Just a bad design.

- Ian

vedderfan10

Yeah, it's a lovely lovely guitar...hubby's a little smaller than EV, so I went with a small guitar until he plays really great...prolly some Foos and Metallica.

My guitalele got tuned up a the shop today, but by the time I got it home, it was out of tune! Arrrggghhh!! It needs to be tuned to a guitar at the 7th fret, so the guitar tuner thing won't work with the lele...Lessons are immanent... I want to play Crown of Thorns!! Need also to spend more time at Giventowail.com....

Anyhow, I avoided the backpack guitars cuz they just look stupid...there is still this lovely blue Fender accoustic at this shop, and I'd really like it because it's so pretty...it's used, so it probably has a back story...Hubby says to give back the guitalele and buy this blue guitar..will have to see what transpires after I take lessons...hopefully starting next week!

But thanks, those of you with your kind comments and advice...you're awesome!

ianvomsaal

As far as I know, Crown Of Thorns is in standard tuning ( E,A,D,G,B,e - low to high).
I don't quite understand why you'd need to tune the guitar from another one on the 7th fret.
If you're trying to play a song that's tuned to (B,E,A,D,F#,B -- which is basically all the strings pressed down at the 7th fret),
Just tune the guitar to standard tuning, and use a capo on the 7th fret.

- Ian

vedderfan10

Yeah...the Mini Martin is a lovely guitar...but my Yamaha "guitalele" is not a guitar...The guy at the shop said it needed to be tuned to sound like the Martin on the 7th fret (hence it should sound like the Martin on the 7th fret)...but other web pages say that it sounds more like a guitar on the 5th fret. It's all making me fret, that's for sure!

The guitalele sounds like a tenor uke, only it has six strings instead of four. I have no idea what it's tuned to...the biggest string (1?) is tuned to C. Whatever, it's frustrating the hell out of me!! Vedderfan's gettin' angry!!

Maybe I'll take it back and buy that beautiful blue Fender acoustic they have. Crickey! That was gorgeous!

seanw1010

you didnt buy a standard guitar, you bought a uke -guitar hybrid(correct me if im wrong cuz i have never heard of the model shes talking about). if so, you arent gonna be able to correctly play any song ment for guitar. my advice-go buy the fender

ianvomsaal

Yeah, that's not a normal guitar - buy the Fender, it'll be easier to learn on.

vedderfan10

http://chiyostrings.blogspot.com/2007/06/ordered-yamaha-guitalele.html

I don't know this guy, but it explains what the guitalele is. Sounds like I should learn the guitar first and THEN this guitelele. Some of YouTube videos have guys playing incredibly difficult songs on this thing...

Also, if you think "Can't Keep" from Benaroya, that's what this thing sounds like...

It just won't stay in tune!!

lucylespian

Hey, new guitars often don't stay in tune, cos the strings stretch a lto initially.
Also, and this is VERY IMPORTANT.........

it should be a floggin offence to sell a guitar to a newb without an electronic tuner.
The conversation usually goes like this.

Do you want a tuner with that ?? (Sounds like a chip and gravy add-on to you)

Not reallyy, you can tune by all these other methods (failing to mention they take years of practise and will not work for you)

No, no tuner thanks !! (Savvy buyer goes home and has shit time making shit noises with out-of-tune piece of crap and never learns to play)

So, if you have a stringed indstrument, and no tuner, go straight back to the nearset store ASAP and buy one.

You don't tune your own flute, paino, sax, basson or bloody car for that matter.

Ever notice how professional musos on stage tune their git after nearly every song ?? That's cos they don't really stay in tune long, unless you have an advanced tuning system like a Floyd Rose or similar.

vedderfan10

I have a guitar tuner, but the guy told me it won't work for the g-lele - and he was right. Will have to stop in again at the shop next week for another tune up and then maybe a proper uke tuner -- cus then I could maybe even tune my ukulele, not just the guitalele. It sure is hard to learn when the instrament is out of tune!!

Thanks for all the advice and thoughts everyone! I really appreciate it!

lucylespian

Vedderfan10 wrote:

I have a guitar tuner, but the guy told me it won't work for the g-lele - and he was right. Will have to stop in again at the shop next week for another tune up and then maybe a proper uke tuner -- cus then I could maybe even tune my ukulele, not just the guitalele. It sure is hard to learn when the instrament is out of tune!!

Thanks for all the advice and thoughts everyone! I really appreciate it!

A half-decent cromatic tuner will tune all 12 semitones, which will work fine for your gitelelelelelelelele. Sounds like you have a more basic one. I have one like that, but itis 25yrs old, which is an excuse. There is no excuse for someone seling you someting that only does 6 notes these days.
Chromatic tuners are not expensive, and easy to own. Just driving home will put your guitar out of tune, so taking it out for a tune is of limited use.
I'm a bit of a fanatic about tuning accurately.
It makes all teh difference between enjoying a musical experience, and wishing it would stop !!