Taylor 210ce Acoustic Lives Up to its Name

Taylor guitars are known for their excellent construction, quality materials, wonderful playability and tremendous sound.  In June of 2011 I bought a Taylor 210ce for $1,000, with a hard gig bag case included, and I couldn't be happier.  Let me tell you why.

This guitar plays magnificently.  I know what you are thinking-- this guitar is not one of their high priced, made in USA versions with the solid wood sides and back.  No, but it is a great instrument!  Taylor makes quality guitars and the plant in Mexico is right in step with the California shop just across the border.  The guitar neck is very comfortable and allows for quick and smooth changes.  I am able to get up in the high notes with a cutaway that gives you the freedom to bend strings playing blues runs.  It came with medium strings and I went ahead and tried light gauge.  I found that mediums play like lights, and yet give you a greater volume and solid, brassy notes that ring out.  I recommend the medium and you won't have a problem with the action on this great neck.

These 210ce guitars are build very well.  This guitar is airtight in its construction.  The joints are all well designed and put together, and the fit and finish are as great as their $3,000 models.   Examine the guitar and you come away knowing it was constructed with pride and expertise.  It looks fantastic.  I love the resonant sound that comes from a chamber that is constructed without bracing on the inside of the back, allowing more room for sustain and tone (this design reminds me of the Guild D25 arch back accoustic they made in Rhode Island in the 1970's).

The tone woods sound beautifully.  This guitar does have laminated rosewood sides and back.  Do not underestimate the value of the rosewood, because, though it is in a veneer state, the rosewood is a factor in the sound character of this guitar.  It possesses a full, warm sound that rivals the 310 or 314ce.  In my opinion, it sounds better than the 314ce, which I have played.  It projects loudly and has a brilliant clarity to each note and an overriding sustain to a strummed chord.  The solid spruce top is a carefully selected piece of wood with a tight and beautiful grain.  I haven't seen a better looking and sounding spruce top on either my Martin D28 or Guild D55, both of which are much higher priced instruments.

The electronics in this guitar sound great and allow for the natural woodiness to shine through.  The Taylor system amplifies the guitar in a way that does not compromise its clarity or sustaining warmth.  I am proud to play this guitar on stage through an acoustic amp or a PA system. 

The case is very nice, and though it is a bag, it has a hard construction where it counts so it reduces weight while stylishly protecting this beautiful instrument it carries.

The machines or tuners are the best I have on any of my axes-- it holds tune quite well.  No, let me rephrase that-- it stays tuned in a surprisingly satisfying way!  I think this is one of the best reasons to buy and use this guitar to perform.  This guitar's tuning doesn't slip and I attribute that to quality construction, coupled with the excellent tuners possessing a favorable gear ratio.  I can't emphasize tuning enough in recommending this guitar.

I love the dreadnought shape and its sound.  It is big and full, while not getting muddy in the low end.  It remains clear and it provides very nice single note leads.  The sustain is inspiring as you accompany lyrics with chording.  The sound is particularly tasty when finger picking.

My Taylor 210ce sits here on the left next to my Fender Strat.

I am a happy Taylor 210ce owner.  Though I have several USA-made high end guitars, the Taylor is my every day practice instrument and sounds like a winner on stage.  When I don't want to risk taking my more expensive guitars, I don't give away quality or sound to happily take my Taylor to a gig or jam session.  I give it an excellent rating.  -- Guitar Man

Why the California Reference in "Sweet Home Chicago?"

Now you have had the chance to listen to Robert Johnson's version of Sweet Home Chicago.

Johnson sings, "Back to the land of California, To my sweet home Chicago."  Now, I ask you: Why does Robert Johnson sing the line about California?

I did some research and found that the song is an adaptation of an old blues number by a blues man named Kokomo in the 1930's.  But in adapting this song and writing his own lyrics Robert Johnson clearly used the phrase of his own I quoted above with the reference to California.  Chicago is not in California!  What did he mean?

There are two options:  First, California represents the "land of milk and honey", or the promised land if you will.  Second, it could be that Johnson's geography training just left him lacking on his knowledge of the location of California and he associated it with Illinois in some way.  This is also a reasonable assumption, because with Johnson's tremendous talent, he was also a very young man at this point.

Reference:  http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/lyrics/robert_johnson/sweet_home_chicago.htm

Give the song a listen again as played by Clapton.  Awesome version!  -- Guitar Man

Sweet Home Chicago

I haven't been able to post since Friday, since I have been recovering from a routine Gallbladder surgery that didn't go completely smoothly.  I am doing slightly better and expecting to recover well, in time.  The parkinsonian disorder complicates situations such as this one. 

I have to get back to where I can press the guitar against my abdomen (if you think about it, the gallbladder is right under where you put your guitar against your body, especially in a seated position).

I am never far from my blues music-- have been enjoying my blues CD's and was really drawn to Sweet Home Chicago after hearing a blurb of the President singing it with BB King last week.  Great song by Robert Johnson.  Here is his version:

Rich Mullins - Hold Me Jesus (song about Tremors)

This is the studio version of Rich Mullins' song I lasted posted as covered by Phil Keaggy.  I relate to this song for some obvious reasons.  Going through much medical difficulty and the tremors that come from my disease, a rare form of Parkinson's called Striatonigral Degeneration, this song says it all.

Keaggy Plays Rich Mullins' Hold Me Jesus

I was watching this video of Phil Keaggy singing one of my favorite songs I have covered in the past, HOLD ME JESUS.  This guy can play, although the video isn't always really clear.  Still you can get a sense of his technique.  It appears he has removed the steel strings and installed nylon/classical strings on this instrument, which is a high end boutique guitar similar to the one James Taylor plays.

The lyrics on this song say it all for me, and others:  Hold Me Jesus, because I'm shaking like a leaf...

I think of my tremors and this song represents that emotion that comes from a movement disorder like the one I have.  Enjoy the video and give me your feedback if you get the chance.

VOX AC4TV played through a VHT Special 6 Speaker Cabinet

I was setting up to jam with friends the other day and I found out how useful my new VOX AC4TV10 amplifier is when playing with a band.  We were just practicing, but my son was playing a full set of drums and my friend was playing a keyboard and/or guitar along with my vocal and guitar.  I set up my VHT Special 6 head and VHT speaker cabinet.  I was mixing my guitar amplification before the guys arrived and I realized that I wasn't getting enough break up for a true overdrive sound at a low enough volume.  The VHT is an amazingly great sounding, low watt tube amp, but it is best clean.  It breaks up beautifully but must get loud to do so.  Not a bad thing, but best if performing in a medium to larger venue for that purpose if you are going to utilize tube distortion.

The VOX AC4TV was purchased for individual practice and distortion at low volume levels.  I decided to stack my VOX AC4TV on top of the VHT Special 6 closed back speaker cab with the 12 speaker and run the VOX through this larger speaker output.  The AC4TV has an output jack to plug into a 16 ohm speaker, which is exactly what the VHT Special 6 Speaker Cabinet requires.  Perfect match, and, wow, what a difference. 

With this set up, I was able to put the VOX AC4TV on the 1/4 Watt setting, turn the volume and tone levels up to the half-way point, and was getting great overdrive sounds through my VHT Speaker cabinet.  It was plenty loud-- as a matter of fact it was almost too loud, so I had my Strat on 7 or 8 and any louder would have overwhelmed the band and been too loud for the neighbors.  I loved this combination of the VHT Special 6 Speaker Cab paired with my VOX AC4TV 4 Watt tube amplifier.  The tones were great and we played everything from rock covers to old time blues and it was a great guitar sound that I was able to produce without being much too loud for everyone concerned.  -- Guitar Man

Fender '63 Reverb FRV-1 Pedal Review

After using the Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Pedal for a week, I realized that it was having one serious issue.  The reverb setting had a random crashing and sometimes pinging noise that kept popping up.  It was very distracting and I would be concerned that it would be present if I ever were to play in public using this BOSS Fender Reverb pedal.  I read of others having this same problem in online postings and reviews.  I took this pedal back and exchanged it for the BOSS Fender '63 Reverb Pedal, which is a clean reverb and has no gain knob or vibrato.  The vibrato was a nice option, but I didn't buy a reverb pedal to get that effect.  The gain knob on the '65 pedal was probably causing the crashing  noise in the reverb.  The gain was there for the purpose of getting overdrive sound; the AC4TV produces a great tube overdrive and you do not need to add an overdrive pedal to that set up. 

The BOSS Fender '63 Reverb pedal produces a quality, vintage Reverb sound without causing the problems that the '65 pedal is known to bring about.  I recommend the '63 pedal for those of you who are looking for a pure reverb sound to add to a Class  A Blues type amp.  -- Guitar Man

My Blue Strat - The New Year

Thank you to all who have taken time to visit and read my "My Blue Strat" blog. 

I am a long time blogger, having started out writing in 2006 about Parkinson's Plus syndrome.  Over the years, I became interested in expanding my topics and have found writing about my love of music quite enjoyable.  I certainly got more hits as a blogger on the topic of "Movement Disorders.'  My old blog received an average of 1,000 hits each month. I am now averaging 100 per week, up from 50 each week when I began this blog in the summer of 2011.  I am looking forward to getting more visitors and readers in the coming year.

The blues are a relatively new area of music for me.  I began to play the guitar at the age of 7 years with the instruction of my father, a great musician to this day at 82.   Over the years I played country, folk, rock, Contemporary Christian, pop and now BLUES.  The blues have taken hold on me due to the heartfelt lyrics, and particularly because of the soulfully played guitar style.  I work hard trying to master new techniques in the blues arena, while practicing both licks as well as learning to sing and play historic blues songs, such as "Texas Flood," "The Sky is Crying" and "Three O'clock Blues."  Most recently, I have been writing my own blues songs, including "Parkinson's Blues" (You Tube) and "How Time Does Slip Away," also available on You Tube.

I hope that you find my blog both informative and inspiring.  I plan to put even more energy into these pages in 2012.  Again, thanks for all of your visiting and reading-- December was my biggest month since I began, "My Blue Strat."  By the way, when you search for My Blue Strat, be sure you are using my address:  http://mybluestrat.blogspot.com/ .  There were other sites with a similar name that were already out there and I wasn't aware of that fact when I started.  I want to see the day my blog comes up first on a search.

Just think of this as the Blues Blog written by the Guitar Man with a form of Parkinson's Disease.   I plan to "bring it" in the coming year!  -- Guitar Man

VOX AC4TV Enhanced by Boss Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Pedal

I have been enjoying my new VOX AC4TV amp with the single power and single preamp tubes.  Also, it has a 10-inch speaker which is very competent as a component of this little combo. Although the AC4TV is best as a home, practice amp, and with a little tweaking of the amp dials and the guitar knobs, you can utilize this amp in a live performance situation, provided it is a smaller coffee house type venue.

The BOSS FDR-1 Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Amp Pedal is a great pre-amp companion for this small and efficient, tube amp.  What I found is that the FDR-1 provides a smooth, creamier sound reminiscent of the Fender tube amps of the 1960's.  It takes the AC4TV's characteristic crisp tone (due to the 10 inch combo speaker) and warms it up, while reducing the brightness.  As it warms it up, the tone becomes larger than you would expect from this small, but brilliant VOX Amp. 

Initially, I was having trouble with the FDR-1 pedal causing springy sounding crashes, almost random pops, when the "reverb" setting was on.  I played with the controls and eventually found that by taking the gain (provided for the purpose of creating distortion-- which I prefer to get from the tubes in the VOX) and setting that "gain" at the lowest possible level (7-8 o'clock) to get rid of those unwanted sounds.  Next, turn the volume of the pedal up past 12 noon and it smooths things out nicely.  The pops/crashes went away, and the tone cleaned up like a true Fender tube amplifier!  Wow!! 

I suggest the VOX's 1 Watt setting for home, which is plenty loud, even with the VOX at less than "half" on the volume and half way up on the tone, you will still get a bit of crunch by turning the Strat's neck pickup up to 8 or 9.  I practice and enjoy the cleans at 4 or 5 with these settings.  I think the small, compact VOX AC4TV is a great amp and enjoyable to use at home, but adding the FDR-1 to this rig completes the picture.  -- Guitar Man