response 17 of 131:

Aug 14 04:03 UTC 1999

More realistically than buying an electric guitar, I'll probably get
a pick-up for my acoustic, so I can rawk on the cheap!

response 19 of 131:

Aug 14 18:23 UTC 1999

  Geez..  Find another store if they're really that obnoxious, and make a
  point of telling the manager why you're leaving.  There's no reason to
  shop in a store where they "snicker and laugh" at you..

response 21 of 131:

Aug 15 19:09 UTC 1999

Yeah, the salesgrrls can all write "SLUT" on their bellies.

response 23 of 131:

Aug 16 23:00 UTC 1999

re:17  Keep in mind that an acoustic still sounds different electrified.

Yes, there is a difference in the way Stratocasters, Les Pauls, and Flying V's
sound in the way of solid bodies, not to mention the much different sound you
get when you play on an acoustic.



Besides the shape of the guitar, other features influence its sound.  I
mentioned the material of the body.  Solid body electrics are plastic, of
course.  There are steel body guitars.  Many acoustic and classical players
look to different woods for a particular sound, including spruce cedar tops,
and rosewood (classical players prefer this), walnut, or mahogany for the back
and sides.



An acoustic may have a cutaway, or it may not.  It may have a rosetta hole, two
f-holes, or one or two teardrop holes.  It may be a flattop, or it may have a
slightly raised bridge (more like one of the viols).  It may have nylon
strings, or it may have steel strings.  Steel strings even have a variety of
hardnesses that will influence the sound.  Nylon strings come in a variety of
qualities, too, which may be influenced by what is used to wrap the bass
strings (usually nickel-copper).  Classical guitarists may pay exorbitant
prices for high quality nylon strings.  And then..steel and nylons come in a
variety of tensions.



Some acoustics have specially modified frets (some are more at an angle) so
that the guitar can be tuned in 5ths instead of 4ths.  I listened to a
recording of some artists playing these sorts of guitars at Scott Helmke's
house.  I noted they had a sort of harpischord-like sound; this   special
tuning makes them sound much different.



Of course, mentioning that, some guitarists use alternate tunings other than
the standard E A D G B E..



Electrifying a guitar can greatly change its sound, but the same basic
qualities remain-- so your acoustic will still sound different than a solid
body.  Classical guitarists never use a pickup (you'll never see one
manufactured that way), and they tend to avoid miking the strings.  Even
amplifying the strings by a microphone may change the sound.  (It's not as
drastic as miking an unplugged electric.  That's an interesting sound). 
However, the Chet Atkins guitar is somewhat of an exception-- it's an acoustic
with a cutaway, nylon strings, and a pickup, usually with an equalizer.  The
strings are spaced at classical specifications, too.  It's a guitar for the
player who plays across genres, or a classical player who is less of a purist
(hmm, that might be a contradiction).  Chet Atkins is a jazz guitarist, by the
way.



Anyway, my original point was that you should be able to play like Lita Ford on
a solid body electric as well as like Ani DeFranco on an acoustic/electric.  To
hell with trends-- hard rock and metal grrls will eventually return to send the
folk rockers packing for at least a little while.  Look for something in a pawn
shop.  That's how a friend of mine found his Gibson Flying-V Epiphone.  It was
just a little over $100.  I also recommend that you watch for students selling
guitars at the universities.  I could have bought a steel-string acoustic AND a
flying V for $100 each about a year ago from a student selling them, and I've
been kicking myself ever since!  If you know where to look, you'll find
something relatively cheap, if you still desire an electric.

response 25 of 131:

Aug 17 03:42 UTC 1999

OK, now, someone tell me about Neutral Milk Hotel.

response 27 of 131:

Aug 17 15:41 UTC 1999

There is a new kind of special guitar body plastic called "luthite" that at
least 2 manufacturers are using.

Re: angled frets and odd tunings:  NO.  No connection.  The angled frets allow
longer bass strings, for a different tone.  Tuning to 5ths rather than 4ths
can be done on any guitar.

response 29 of 131:

Aug 17 20:18 UTC 1999

  re #25:  did anyone ever start an item on the Elephant 6 cooperative?
  that'd probably be a better place to discuss Neutral Milk Hotel..

response 31 of 131:

Aug 18 03:57 UTC 1999

 (( Assuming that you are direct-dialed or telnetted, the command
    to start a new item is:   "enter"  ))

response 33 of 131:

Sep 7 18:16 UTC 1999

re #2 & #8:  Definately the strangest item in my collection.  The CD 
came with a small package of bark.

Alright people, it's almost time for us to be 10-8.  In just a few 
moments we'll be 10-8 and I'm going to tell you the story of 180 and the 
letter G.

response 35 of 131:

Sep 9 04:09 UTC 1999

The bark is what sold me on it...  I really couldn't pass up a CD that 
included bark.  

<kevco wonders what ever happened to his negativeland bark>

It must've burned up along with the sex chemicals.

response 37 of 131:

Sep 9 15:00 UTC 1999

  The Julie Miller album that Ken mentioned got a big plug on "Fresh Air"
  last night..

response 39 of 131:

Sep 10 20:04 UTC 1999

I recently saw a CD case in the 'local' bin at Wazoo that was made out of
cardboard and held together with velcro.