Buying advice

Here you can discuss details about instruments, equipment and all those other bits that non-musicians won't understand !

Moderator: GORDON

daniellouisduffy
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:47 pm

Buying advice

Postby daniellouisduffy » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:42 pm

Hi again everyone,

Got another agonising dilemma- I've dicovered a Harp Guitar company called Holloway Harp Guitars, which sell (comparitively) cheap harp guitars. New, these are still out of my price range as a 16 year old, but i found this link where they're selling prototypes with minor cosmetic defects, for a mere $700, with a case! This is unbelievable for a harp guitar, but i can't find any proper reviews of these things, apart from the fact that stephen bennet is pleased with them, and I'm really looking for an opinion on whether anyone thinks I should go for this, or not. Has anyone played one of these, or does anyone have anything to say about buying prototype models? Any kind of advice here would be much appreciated- the only thing I'm sure of at the moment is that I want a harp guitar sometime in the next decade, and this looks like it could be the best deal imaginable for the small disadvantage of a small scratch or 2, or worst case, a structurally unsound wreck, with £100 of import tax and irritable parents! :) Here is the link: http://hollowayharpguitars.bigcartel.co ... arp-guitar

Thanks a lot in advance guys :)

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:36 pm

Dear Daniel.

Good to hear from you. You have been kind enough to post on these pages a number of times,and reading that you are considering buying a Harp guitar tells me that you must be one hell of a good player! If you have any music you would like to share with us of your playing or compositions, I for one would love to hear it/them.

So, that has got that out of the way. I have just looked at the link, and the instrument looks fantastic, and for the price it's mind boggling.

I Know nothing about harp guitars and probably wouldn't know where to start in terms of acquiring one.l I have seen a few really early ones on E-Bay and they weren't that expensive, but of course it is all down to what they are like'in the flesh' so to speak. I would certainly welcome any others views on this instrument and the link you gave.

Be Well Daniel.

G.

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:45 pm

Hi Daniel.

Will you and the family be attending my Bramall Hall concert this year on the 14th of December?

If you are,do bring along your GG signature for me to have a look at!

Be Well.

G.

daniellouisduffy
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: Buying advice

Postby daniellouisduffy » Mon Oct 24, 2011 8:32 am

Well I woudn't say Im one hell of a player just yet, but acoustic guitar certainly has become something of a passion! Even so, the only way I could justify something like this is the low price, and the fact that I really don't have any other hobbies that cost any money. Even so, having bought my GG signature just a few months ago, I may have to stat busking or something to make myself feel a little less guilty about buying another guitar so soon.! :) Its not so much that I'm in a rush to have one, but that getting one half price essentially seems a bit like an offer not to be missed. As for the ones on ebay, I have also seen these, and after some research I found that the reason for this is mainly that they are in dire need of repair, and often unplayable, or in danger of simply breaking completely. As far as I know these are the only "factory" made harp-guitars in the world, but just like your signature guitar, they are essentially copies of a tried and tested model.

I was going to post a link to some videos of me playing some stuff on the GG sig, but never got round to it- if your interested Ill get on and do it, as some of the percussive - tapping stuff sounds especially awesome with the use of the mic-blend! I will definetely be at bramall hall, I didn't realise it was definetely on until you mentioned, and if you want I shall bring my guitar for you to inspect! I suppose I'd better get videoing... :)

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:53 am

Excellent Daniel.

We are ALL looking forward to seeing/hearing you play.Glad I mentioned Bramall!

Be Well.

G.

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:40 pm

Hi Daniel.

Well, I have just viewed your wonderful version of Summer Holiday. Your playing is superb and I love the way you have done your own thing with those lovely harmonics at the end. Thanks for posting it and PLEASE reply to this with the link for other folk to view. Your GG sig sounded great.

Hope we can have a chat at Bramall....I have an idea!

Be Well.

G.

daniellouisduffy
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: Buying advice

Postby daniellouisduffy » Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:24 pm

Glad you liked it! There are more however :)


Links are below, please excuse a) the sound quality and b) fairly rusty playing on some of the pieces (bari improv in particular is abysmal), but i think the video quality is good enough to give people an idea of the character of the guitar- springy bass, slighlty scooped mids, and bright, warm trebles, and also the usefulness of the mic blend for anything percussive. Anyway here are all the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=605KifFOUvc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fI4qMDEWrY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D29qWB61GI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLqoT1eZY8Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx56DxeOfHc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWBz8LNZMHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyxiIWPtzlA

Is summer holiday roughly how you play it, apart from the hard part I couldn't tab out? And btw, when you watch the tractor pull video, you may need to turn up the volume slightly, or you won't hear half the notes.

Enjoy, and I shall see you at Bramhall Hall :)

kevin
Posts: 122
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:14 am
Location: cheshire

Re: Buying advice

Postby kevin » Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:17 pm

Stunning, you have a career beckoning!

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:06 pm

I LOVED your version of SH....worry not it's YOUR arrangement which is good. Will look at your clips at my leisure. I'm sure I'm going to be mighty impressed!

Be Well.

G.

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:16 pm

Hi D...

Just viewed your various clips. You are a fine player indeed.I know many players twice or even three times your age who would envy your technique. You certainly have that two handed thing covered.

My advice for the future is that when the time is right,create your own music. It is important to have influences and I'm flattered that I am one,but one day you will want to express your own soul.

I look forward to that day.

Well done D, I am very impressed....more than I can say in fact.

Be Well.

G.

Richard716
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:36 pm

Re: Buying advice

Postby Richard716 » Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:01 pm

Hi Daniel,

Great playing, I can hear the GG influence in Summer Holiday. Only just got the CD with it on, very good stuff.

Just need the beard and you will have off to a t :D

To get such praise from GG is great, I would go for the busking and start up a fund for the harp guitar.

Richard

User avatar
piotrwargan
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 1:48 pm
Location: Wroclaw, Poland
Contact:

Re: Buying advice

Postby piotrwargan » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:31 am

I have just watched your video with the Tractor Pull - FANTASTIC - and I am going to forward it to my friends, whose son is learning the art of guitar playing - for inspiration. Preston Reed is coming to my hometown in November, and I don't have tickets yet - what am I waiting for ?! :-)

daniellouisduffy
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: Buying advice

Postby daniellouisduffy » Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:49 am

Thanks Richard and Piotr, and I would absolutely buy tickets for preston reed I saw him a weeks ago in huddersfield, and although he was actually a tiny bit rusty on some of his old pieces, he some new ones which weren't on any album yet, and they blow everyone away. The sad thing was that this phenomenal guitar player who pretty much invented the whole percussive guitar thing that everyone's raving about, (and rightly so as you'll discover when you hear the sounds he can make with 2 hands!), only had an audience of 20 people or so, it should have been packed to the rafters! :(

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: Buying advice

Postby GORDON » Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:43 am

I played Birmingham Town Hall on the 10th of this month. The venue holds 800.

94 paying customers in the audience!

In next month's NEWS you can read all about it!

The two handed tapping thing has been around for longer than people realise. Jimmy Webster who worked for Gretsch in the 50's was pioneering that technique.Then Michael Hedges in the States took it a step further. Stanley Jordan did wonderful things with it on the electric guitar,and let us not forget the great and sadly missed Eric Roche who was probably the best of them all with his wonderful melodic inventions.Eric was also a wonderful human being!

It's good to see Newton Falconer carrying on the tradition.

As for me....I shall just try to continue to write tunes :)

Be Well Daniel.

G.

User avatar
Roger
Posts: 565
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:02 pm
Location: Southsea

Re: Buying advice

Postby Roger » Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:37 am

Hi Daniel!

I always think that above anything else music should be enjoyable for the listener, so I'm very pleased to say that I REALLY enjoyed your version of Summer Holiday :D

Best wishes,

Roger


Return to “Guitar Anoraks Forum”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests