#Simon & Patrick Guitar

[adamharkus]

Yamaha FG850 Acoustic Guitar Review: 18 months on.

Yamaha FG850 Acoustic Guitar Review: 18 months on.

It’s been 18 months since I acquired my Yamaha FG850 Acoustic Guitar and put together a video review. In this in-depth review, I’ll look at the guitar in much greater detail. Now that I’ve got a good bit of experience with the guitar, a few notable good and bad points have emerged, which I’ll use to structure this Yamaha FG850 acoustic guitar review. I’ll also compare the Yamaha FG850 with its…

[uaklauslovesdave]

4, 8, 12, 14, 16 and 17 for the TUA asks!!

buckle up folks because this got long! it is my nature to be overly thorough about the wrong things and now i’m making it your problem. i’m gonna indulge and i’m gonna indulge hard.

4. What do you think all the siblings’ favorite bands are?

luther: his tastes are elcectic! the boy just likes music and is open to trying pretty much anything!

diego: maybe some like industrial or post-hardcore stuff like nine inch nails or fugazi, or perhaps something like public enemy or wu-tang clan. and don’t tell anyone but he will secretly listen to joni mitchell and other sad lady with guitar music.

allison: she likes motown and 60s girl groups! and she will also listen to some stuff like the fugees and tracy chapman. and when she wants to get amped she’ll listen to bikini kill or something.

klaus: he’s gonna be listening to some gothy dark wave music like the cure or siouxsie and the banshees. he also probably likes gals like debbie harry and kate bush and patti smith. but then there’s also that interest in nina simone and i think he would also be into 60s girl groups.

five: a hard one! i don’t think he has much individual music taste what with his apocalypse stay, and when luther finds this out he makes it his personal mission to give five a music education. eventually he ends up liking tom waits or something.

ben: ben would need smart lyrics and something kind of arty and low key depressing. like the talking heads or magnetic fields. but also let us not forget that he’s a secret pop music fan and remembered backstreet boys lyrics like 20 years after the song came out.

vanya: she’s got her interest in classical, orchestral type music of course, but she’s also into some folks like fiona apple or sharon van etten. and sometimes she’ll let loose to sleater-kinney and the like.

8. Let’s say all the siblings lived in apartments that allowed pets. What would all their pets be? (Bonus: What would they name the pets?)

ok so it is my personal feeling that all of the hargreeves are Cat People, and for reasons unknown to me it is a very strong personal feeling. in fact you might say that this is my hill 689... because it is the hill i will die on. sorry i’ll see myself out.

luther: i know it’s popular to give luther a tiny kitten, but please consider luther with a big ol’ maine coon named Toffee who he treats like a tiny baby. she sleeps on his chest and they slow blink at each other and luther bought her a Cat Stroller and takes her for walks around the neighborhood.

diego: a tiny gray cat he found crying in the alley behind the gym. he doesn’t want to appear too attached so she is just ‘the cat’ and he refuses to acknowledge that he increasingly thinks of her as My Cat and would stab anyone who looks at her wrong

allison: a large long-haired cat who hangs out in a basket in a spare room and hisses any time someone other than allison so much as looks at the room. he tolerates claire, who named him pancake.

klaus: black cat, obviously. he and dave name her jimmy because they are saps and will always remember that jim morrison was playing when they first got together.

five: is it a sin to deny five mr. pennycrumb the dog? well i’m gonna because it’s time for mr. pennycrumb the cat, who is a chaotic, cross-eyed, Head Empty Nothing There cat. Five unapologetically loves and would kill for mr. pennycrumb the cat and no one understands it.

ben: he has a ghost cat named adelaide who likes to sit on high surfaces with him. is ben perching on the counter again? watching klaus and allison smoke in the alley from above on the fire escape? well there’s adelaide the ghost cat loafing right next to ben.

vanya: enormous orange cat living out his senior years with vanya. he has sad eyes and likes to spoon and will let her know loudly when he wants tuna. his name is louie.

12. What sort of games do you think they played as kids?

pretty much anything they did was bound to get competitive and overly tactical. like they played hide and seek and it turned into a day-long high-stakes battle of wits and stealth. but also allison convinced reginald to buy them some classic 90s games like mall madness or something. they all went hard playing this even though they’d never been to a mall in their life.

14. If you could give the siblings’ middle names, what would they be?

i thought about this question and i decided that they would all be weirded out by the concept of middle names! like it felt like a special gift when grace gave them their names and they never even thought to want a second name on top of that. later they meet people with middle names and they’re like hmm seems fake but ok.

16. If instagram or twitter existed in the UA universe, what would all their handles be? 

luther: he’s nothing if not earnest so it’s a straight-up @LutherH

diego: yeah he’s gonna be something like @XXkNivES_ouTxX

allison: she’s got her celeb status so she’s @allisonhargreeves

klaus: something very random and nonsensical like @bedazzledhamsandwhich

five: does not fuck with social media

ben: @readmoretalkless which klaus found dull and tried to get him to change to @thewhorer

vanya: she’s keepin it simple and is @vanyaviolin

17. What celebrities do you think the siblings’ have crushes on?

i’m gonna say that none of them have celebrity crushes, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they are just tuned out of that whole scene. they grew up in the public eye and probably interacted with folks with a certain level of fame, and have since wanted to distance themselves from that. allison of course has had to continue to be part of that world for her work and could absolutely fake niceness and interest as she needed to, but i don’t think she genuinely enjoyed it. especially now after the media completely dragged her for the patrick situation.

[yamahamusicians]

Simon & Patrick Songsmith CH Acoustic Guitar Review

Simon & Patrick Songsmith CH Acoustic Guitar Review

Just a few hours outside of Montreal in the small village of LaPatrie Quebec, you will find the workshops of Simon & Patrick guitars. This is where the magic begins. All of their guitars have some features in common such as the Select Pressure Tested Solid Tops made from locally sourced woods, Integrated Set Neck system, double function truss rod, Indian rosewood fingerboards and bridges along…

[adamharkus]

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

I didn’t have a single issue with my Taylor 110e acoustic guitar in the 10 years spent with it. So why did I let it go?

Outdated electronics

My Taylor 110e featured Taylor’s now-defunct ES-Blue pickup system, devoid of any such niceties as EQ or an even end-pin mounted jack.  Battery access? well, that was installed directly onto the inside of the top. You couldn’t really get more basic or rough around the edges, with the jack socket protruding untidily out from the same position as a Les Paul, or in other words exactly where you don’t want it for mostly sat-down acoustic work.

Taylor has since moved on with their far superior 3-band Expression system.

In practice, the amplified tone isn’t offensive, but the chances are it won’t be perfect for the venue either, in which case you’ll need outboard eq, which is a chore.  The tone is exactly what you’d expect, which is a clean electric tone with a dash of acoustic, rather than pure acoustic what you’d hoped it to be, it seems rubbery and unresponsive, predictably synthetic, and worst of all, uninspiring.

Spec for the money

At the time of purchase (around 2005), we were talking £450+ for a solid Sitka Spruce top with laminated Sapele sides.  These days, fully solid instruments can be had for less, and with far superior electronics to boot.

Build Quality

Rudimentary electronics aside, the construction of the Taylor 110e is rather shabby, to say the least.  First off is the bridge, billed as ebony, but as it turns out it’s a lighter coloured wood with a darker finish, which started to peel away almost immediately.

The headstock is similarly low-rent, with a very cheap-looking white transfer Taylor logo on a black veneer (since upgraded to Indian Rosewood on later models).

Soundhole ornamentation is a simple as it gets, but more disappointingly, the back and sides or also very scruffily finished. Some would say the thin lacquer coating is a benefit. I’d say it’s merely slapdash.

All in all, not the tidiest of packages.

Lack of Personality

I’ll always remember the first strum on the Taylor 110e. Its acoustic tone is bright, and a real eye-opener compared to what it was replacing, a Simon & Patrick Cedar SP6 (Closest recent model here). But more than the brightness was the clarity and an uncanny, almost chorus-like sheen. For a time I revelled in the zing of the piano-like bass note tones, which were a world away from the woody thud of the Simon & Patrick (my main reason for letting it go), the increase in volume, thanks to the Taylor 110e’s signature ‘bowled’ back,  the Taylor calling card of electric-like neck dimensions and playability, and the rock-solid reliability and kudos of USA-built instrument by one the best name in the business.

But as the years went by, the Taylor provided me with nothing new.  No issues, no breakages, no degradation, but also no fun, no inspiration, no surprises, no personality.

And then I began to realise, for vocal accompaniment, its main job, the Fender-esque icy response of the Taylor wasn’t really a good foil for the similar qualities in my voice. The Simon & Patrick, with its earthy bass and muted high end, was a better match, and as a result, that guitar got a lot more songs out of it despite its on-paper inferiority.

It’s not all about specs and brand

So there you have it,  I was almost heartbroken to see the Simon & Patrick go.  Despite its flaws, it had all the songs, all the history, It had become a friend, even accompanying me to Goa (full story here). When it went, a part of me went with it.

On the other hand, I had the Taylor 110e for longer, but there was no sense of loss at all. It had delivered, yes, but it hadn’t inspired, I hadn’t fallen in love with it.

As a musician and songwriter, I truly believe our very best work comes from using instruments that have that extra-special something, beyond specs and brand.  It’s that deep, comforting connection of knowing it’ll surprise you in inspiring ways, gift you an idea or even a whole song. Guitars are not just a collection of parts, they have the capacity within them to change the world.

… I really miss that Simon & Patrick.

Taylor 110e Sound examples.

Take a listen to a couple of my own Tracks featuring the Taylor 110e

This Is Who I Am

You'll Find A Way

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You can also purchase my album. This is Who I am on Amazon, Apple Music, Google Play Music etc.

  Taylor 110e Acoustic Gallery

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. The unique bowled back and stripey grain.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Transfer logo.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Awful jack socket position.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Handy second strap button.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Almost electric-like action.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Rudimentary soundhole ornamentation.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Plain as it gets headstock.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com. Rather nice padded Gigbag.

    Taylor 110e specs

Type/Shape: 6-String Dreadnought

Back & Sides: Sapele Laminate

Top: Sitka Spruce

Soundhole Rosette: Plastic

Neck: Sapele

Fretboard: Ebony

Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots

Binding: Black

Bridge: Ebony

Nut & Saddle: Tusq

Tuning Machines: Enclosed, Die-Cast Chrome Plated

Strings: Elixir® Medium Gauge Strings with NANOWEB Coating

Scale Length: 25 1/2 Inches

Truss Rod: Adjustable

Neck Width at Nut: 1 11/16 Inches

Number of Frets: 20

Fretboard Radius: 15 Inches

Bracing: X-Brace

Finish: Varnish

Color Options: Natural

Sunburst Options: None

Cutaway: None

Electronics: Taylor ES-Blue

Left-Handed: Available; No Charge

Body Width: 16 Inches

Body Depth: 4 5/8 Inches

Body Length: 20 Inches

Overall Length: 41 Inches

Case: Gig Bag

Other Guitar Gear Reviews @ The Blogging Musician.

Taylor 110e Acoustic Guitar Review I didn't have a single issue with my Taylor 110e acoustic guitar in the 10 years spent with it.

[adamharkus]

Acoustic Guitar Action: Lowering the saddle.

Acoustic Guitar Action: Lowering the saddle.

Lowering the saddle of your acoustic guitar may be the most painless guitar mod you’ll ever make, and also the most effective!

Once you’ve discounted the nut and neck-relief, the only component blocking your path to a slick-playing instrument is the Acoustic guitar saddle, and the fix is simple: Sand it down!

Don’t Panic!

Now, before you panic about causing irreparable damage to your…