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ellocentipede · 5 years ago

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Arcana Wildcraft Layering Notes Review

Arcana has been making layering note perfumes for yeeears, and steadily keeps adding new and exciting options. They’re designed to be layered with each other or with your favorite blended fragrances so that you can customize your olfactory experience! It’s also perfectly fine to wear them on their own, which is what I usually do. They’re currently on sale on the Arcana Wildcraft site, so it’s a great opportunity to try them out!

Aged Patchouli

Scent description: Earthy, spicy iron-distilled patchouli essential oil in dilution. The very finest quality. Aging since early 2018.

I love patchouli in theory, but it’s very hard for me to find one that I really vibe with. This one is gorgeous. It’s super earthy, deep, woody, and musky without being sharp or overly pungent. It’s very, very smooth and slinky. Gorgeous!

Black Tea

Scent description: A smoky, rich, sexy black tea.

Oh wow. This smells like an expensive cup of steaming, rich black tea, as described. It’s very fragrant—like chai spice, or chai tea without milk. It’s so rich and luxurious that it almost smells like a fine sandalwood. Tea scents sometimes go awry on my skin (with something like anise creeping around the edges), but this is wonderful.

Candy Cane

Scent description: Wild-harvested sweet peppermint with French vanilla extract and a hint of bright white musk.

Like most of Julia’s mint blends, this scent is a stunner! The wild-harvested peppermint is cold and bracing and nose-clearing, but natural and not chemical. It’s invigorating and beautiful. The mint is sweetened by the vanilla and made sparkling and shiny by the white musk. This is the perfect candy cane—sparkling and clean and delicious. A wonderful, happy scent!

Fresh Coconut

Scent description: A pure, beachy, almost underripe coconut with a light dusting of sugar.

This is absolutely true to the description! It’s a freshly cracked coconut sprinkled with sugar. It manages to be both fresh and a little creamy, and is utterly natural. This is not a fake coconut/suntan lotion scent. I’m a big fan of coconut, and this one is a beauty. It layers very, very well with Aged Patchouli!

Golden Musk

Scent description: A clean, strong, voluptuous golden musk.

This is a pretty and classy musk that is of the “my skin, but better” variety. It’s hazy, like a light golden cloud hovering above my wrist. It elegant and addictive—I keep sniffing my wrist!

Hot Cocoa

Scent description: Passionately chocolate. A rich cocoa CO2 infusion melds with the finest dark chocolate and a mug full of fluffy white marshmallows.

Oh good gravy. This is the richest, creamiest (made with whole milk), dreamiest, steaming cup of artisanal hot chocolate with melting marshmallows bobbing in the mug. Seriously, this is the best hot chocolate scent that I’ve come across. If I close my eyes, it’s like I’m smelling the real thing. It’s perfection.

Marshmallow

Scent description: The scent of a soft, fluffy, vanilla-infused marshmallow.

This smells more like true, actual Jet-Puffed brand marshmallows than most marshmallow notes that I’ve tried. To be precise, this smells like Jet-Puffed marshmallows melting in the saucepan—in the process of becoming the base for my homemade rice crispy treats. This one applied like a skin scent, but then bloomed with the warmth of my skin. It’s warm, creamy, rich marshmallow goodness!

PB&J

Scent description: Rich peanut butter, grape jelly, and a hint of toast.

We have the lovely Shannon to thank for this creation! ❤️ This opens with a bright burst of sugary, sticky grape jelly. I haven’t eaten grape jelly since childhood, and this takes me back to my lunchbox in the cacophonous elementary school cafeteria. Warming up the cool jelly is a touch of peanut butter, which is ultra smooth and creamy. There is the tiniest pinch of toasted whole wheat crust that rounds out the experience. If you’re a fan of peanut butter sammies, grape jelly, and some serious nostalgia, do yourself a favor and try out this fantastically fun blend.

Peach

Scent description: The sunny essence of a softly sweet, perfectly ripe peach.

Errrr am I smelling a fragrance oil or an actual, juicy, ripe peach? This peach is indeed perfectly ripe-- it’s dripping with sweet juices and the skin is thin and gently fuzzy. What wizardry makes this smell fuzzy? This is a gorgeous, perfect peach scent. If you’re a peach fan it’s a must-have in your collection! I’ll happily wear this beauty on its own!

Pistachio Ice Cream

Scent description: Sweet, nutty pistachios blended with cold ice cream.

This scent gives me a serious craving for pistachio ice cream! This blend is perfect. It smells cold, but not frigid, like it’s beginning to drip down the sides of the cone. The pistachio is perfect--it’s nutty and smooth and gorgeous! I do get a pop of bright cherry-like fruitiness with this one, but real life pistachio ice cream smells/tastes that way to me as well. It’s almost like the way a fine almond extract has some cherry-ness to it—the nut accord is so rich and potent that it reads that way. I can confirm that Pistachio Ice Cream smells exactly like Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio Pistachio!

Pollution

Scent description: Plumes of black smoke rising from coal fires, burnt vetiver, and a slick of motor oil.

Wow--this is a lot like the gorgeous, dark smoke note that I love so much in Witches Wear Big Black Stompy Boots. It’s surprisingly wearable. It’s the scent of the charred remnants of a campfire, with a generous pool of motor oil nearby. It develops a hint of sweetness with wear--like a smooth, worn weather jacket. It’s oddly comforting, if a little dangerous. If I were still going out on the town, I would wear this for a bit of confidence.

Pumpkin

Scent description: A golden gourd sugared with maple and dusted with pie spices.

I get lots of sweet, syrupy maple and a gentle sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg over fresh pumpkin. The cinnamon is not overwhelming for me, but is definitely present. This starts out smelling a bit moist, like pumpkin pie mix before being baked, but becomes drier with wear. It’s lovely.

Pumpkin Milkshake

Scent description: Cold vanilla ice cream blended with fresh pumpkin, milk, sugar, and Korintje cinnamon.

Hoo boy this is pretty. This scent has perfectly captured my idea of autumnal comfort--snuggled up in a blanket with something yummy to nibble and sip on while the weather howls outside. It’s a sweet vanilla pumpkin ice cream with a tiny hint of spice. It’s not overly sweet, overly milky, or overly spicy. It’s perfect. I can’t imagine anyone not loving this one.

Red Lipstick

Scent description: The glamorous scent of classic red lipstick in a vintage gold-plated case.

This does smell like high-end lipstick—and it’s beautiful. It’s classy and elegant, a bit powdery like violets (dry violets and fresh, velvety, deep purple violets). The musk and maybe a hint of rose round and smooth out the violets, which can sometimes overwhelm scents for me and smell fake, but these are realistic and tame and beautiful.

Rich Vanilla

Scent description: A deep, rich gourmand scent laced with French creme and dark Madagascar vanilla extract.

This is truthfully the richest of the rich vanillas. It’s thick, ultra gourmand, and syrupy sweet. It smells like there’s a hint of alcohol--evoking a very fine, expensive vanilla extract.

Seaweed

Scent description: Our proprietary dilution of seaweed absolute, this is briny, oceanic, pungent, and kelp-like.

Wow. I’m pretty sure that Julia distilled this from actual seaweed. It smells so, so incredibly realistic, and there are little flecks of briny, dark green matter floating around the bottle. At first, I’m reminded of the scent of the dried seaweed used for rolling sushi. This sounds odd, and it kind of is to be honest, but it’s also strangely addictive. There’s a touch of brine, but it’s not super salty. It’s exactly like sitting at the edge of the ocean and taking a deep breath of gorgeous, oceanic goodness. It’s the most realistic oceanic scent that I’ve come across, and it will be treasured. If you’re yearning for the scent of the sea, give this a try.

Smoked Vanilla

Scent description: A sweet, subtly smoky, non-gourmand vanilla.

This vanilla is much more dry and less sweet than Rich Vanilla. There’s a ghost of smoke--it doesn’t smell overtly smoky, but there’s a hint of subtle smoky sophistication. I much prefer this elegant, subtle vanilla to Rich Vanilla.

Trees

Scent description: Deep and grounded, yet infused with air and sunlight. Jammy fir absolute with sugared pine, earthy black spruce, Canadian fir needle, and a touch of Atlas cedarwood.

This is a beautiful evergreen forest scent. It’s like walking through a Christmas tree farm in the sunshine. I love the jammy fir absolute that Julia uses—it’s rich and alive, not dry and brittle. All of the notes are well-blended. I do smell a bit of the cedar wood, but it’s behaving itself and smells more like living bark than a strongly scented cedar chest. Overall this is very wearable and beautiful. Another winner in Julia’s great collection of beautiful forest scents.

Truffle

Scent description: A dark chocolate ganache center is dipped in thick, generous layers of milk chocolate and white chocolate.

Sweet white and creamy milk chocolate! This smells like the real thing! With wear I get a hint of the smooth, dry dark chocolate. I avoid chocolate scents, but I find myself really liking this one! It’s rich and sweet, but not overly so. A chocolate lover’s dream scent!

Ultraviolet

Scent description: A candied violet accord. Piquant white tea, tender violets, sweet vanilla, bubble gum, and cotton candy.

Violet bubble gum! This is a lovely candied violet scent, but it is very sweet. The sweetness does tame pretty significantly with wear.

Whipped Cream

Scent description: Chilled heavy cream is deeply infused with Tahitian vanilla and then whipped into soft white peaks.

Soft, fluffy, gourmand, vanilla-flavored whipped cream with a wee hint of fresh vanilla bean and maybe a kick of Grand Marnier! This does smell chilled--it’s somewhere between ice cream and warm fresh cream. This is absolutely heavenly. It’s neither too sweet nor too gourmand.

Yellow Cake

Scent description: The scent of a sweet, golden bakery cake.

I’ve had this bottle for years and it’s one of my favorite scents to wear when my spirits are flagging. I also wear it every year in my birthday! The scent is true to its description: it’s a moist, sweet, homemade yellow batter cake. Exactly the type that my grandmother used to make for all of our birthdays in the 1980s. It’s not too sweet—it’s warm and moist and fluffy. It’s a beautiful scent that should be a staple in every perfume collection. Years ago there was a sugar scrub make in this scent, and it was heaven. I wish that it would make a reappearance!

Arcana Wildcraft’s beautiful and unique perfumes may be perused and purchased at https://arcanawildcraft.com/

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chrishansler · 6 years ago

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24604

This is my last night in this house. It is empty. It is quiet. And it has the same peace, the same sense of “home” it always has. We’ve lived in this house for 24 ½ years. Nine months after moving our young family back here from California, nine months into a new church plant, we bought this brand new home in “Orchard Park” at 24604 57th Ave. E. in Graham. Lisa and I were 30. Bobby was 5, Johnathan was 3 and Annie was 2. It was exciting. The paint was fresh, the front lawn was new and the yard was big! We had no plants, no trees, no back or side yards, no fence – just a nice patch of grass in the front of the house and a vision for what could be.

The yard was full of rocks like all of Graham soil, so we paid our kids 1 cent per rock if they picked them out of the back yard and piled them in the back. 😊 We didn’t have any money so I build a dirt sifter and I raked and sifted rocks out. Raking and sifting, raking and sifting. I was occasionally able to buy a truck load of sandy loam soil to spread in the back yard, and our friend and new church board member, Duane Nelson worked for Emerald Turf farms. So sometimes at the end of the work day he would take a pallet of sod that they were throwing out and bring it to me. So I would plant some seed, lay some sod and do what we had to do to create a back yard we would love. For a long time it wasn’t pretty. It was like a patchwork quilt of every shade of green and brown throughout the back yard. And we still didn’t have any trees. But that would soon change.

Mom and Dad were selling their house on Golden Given so I took their young Northern Spy apple tree. They had some wild evergreen starts growing in their back woods, so I took some 3’ Douglas fir, a couple of Cedar tree sprouts and a little pine tree. Working for Northwest Building services I had the opportunity to take a couple of beautiful Sunset Red maple trees out of a strip mall that was renovating and getting rid of them. It took a flatbed and six guys to move those trees. One went in the front yard, and one in the back corner on top of an area that had been raised by all the rocks we raked and moved. I took one of Debi’s rhododendrons that Mom Hansler had planted when she lived in that house. Eventually our yard began to take shape with vine maples from mom & dad’s new property, as well as a dark red ornamental hazelnut tree and a beautiful mountain ash that mom gave me. We built our cedar fence and we planted pear, apple, peach, cherry, and Asian pear trees.

I built a play house with an attached swing set for the kids. The neighbor boy Torsten peed in that play house. That will forever be his legacy in our minds. I put a little pond in the raised area in the back with little goldfish and koi. We had a little garden on the side of the house. It was the perfect yard for wiffle ball. We would have neighborhood home-run derbies with awards. We played volleyball, badminton and I hit plastic golf balls back there. One time Annie had a party and we played kickball with her friends but one of her big high school friends ran me over at home plate. We had so many great times around the fire out there, looking at the stars, roasting marshmallows, watching movies projected on the back of the house, and even having a live backyard barbecue concert by Rod Nash one time back there!

We had church gatherings in our home. In the early days of our church we had a “small group” at our house with 17 adults and 24 kids. It was nuts, but it was so beautiful and fun. We’d have friends over and play games into the late hours of the night. Our kids played hard – sometimes too hard, sliding down the stairs in sleeping bags and leaving dents in the front door that I can still see as a glance over there – happy little memory dents.

We had the perfect yard for dogs – large and fully fenced. But it wasn’t enough for Dottie, our first Springer Spaniel. She was fast, she could jump high, and she was naughty. She would jump the 4’ fence like it was nothing and she wasn’t always nice to the neighbors so I had to build her a dog house to try to contain her. It didn’t. She got out and had a one-night stand with a stray neighbor dog, horrifying all of the neighborhood children who witnessed it. Dottie went to live with a nice elderly couple who would let her live inside their house. So we got Jill. Jill was a good dog, but mom and dad needed a dog so Jill became dad’s dog. Jack was the first black lab I ever owned. He was also the first big dog I ever let live inside the house. Jack was a big, lumbering, always-panting friend to everyone. He was truly the “best dog of all the dogs.” He loved the back yard. And now, no dog has ever loved our yard like JJ loves our yard – chasing squirrels, driving out crows and catching frisbees. It is his domain.

But it wasn’t only dogs at this home. We had Misty – the beautiful, albeit sometimes cranky, cat. Skitty – a stray neighborhood cat that we sort of adopted. Furball was a great little gray cat. But he liked to be inside and outside. He always got excited when we came home, until that fateful day when I didn’t seem him as I pulled in the garage with all of the kids in the suburban. It was terrible to lose him. We buried him near Misty in the back yard. That loss resulted in getting two half-brothers, Shadow and Fuzzball – loving, independent cats. Fuzzball is sitting next to me on one side and JJ on the other on this last night in the house. We have also had fish in the pond, and those fish attracted raccoons, a big grey heron and a bald eagle! And I have loved watching the countless chickadees, finches, pine-siskins, sparrows and swallows. John always had swallow babies in the birdhouse mounted next to his bedroom window.

And on Christmas our house stole the neighborhood show. The streaming lights down from the star, the driveway lights, the post lights, the light-post Christmas tree, the snowman, the outdoor music and the nativity from Pastor Gene. Sometimes God would even give us a little snow to make it really pop.

The kids grew up here. The house was literally their classroom for many years. They each had their own space and they made it their own. John with his video games, K’nex and candy; Bob with his music, maps and reading; and Annie with her entrepreneurial spirit – with ever changing wall colors, clothing designs and even selling candy out of her room to the boys for a profit one time. So much laughter rang through these walls.

When we bought the house Lisa and I thought it was significant that we were right in the center – perhaps to make a little difference in the neighbor’s lives around us. Lisa quickly made a best friend in Pam Davis, and our kids played together. We remember Blain & Cindy, Luke and the twins; Gary & Kim across the street, Jim & Sharon and Kelly & Iris. Kelly still lives here too, and I said goodbye to him today. I married Steve & Brenda in their home. We tried to show love to Jeff & crazy Wendy behind us – even paying for and building a fence for them with some church friends. I used to walk the neighborhood and pray with Len Phillips. Adam & Nikke, Chloe, Lila, Amelia and now Josiah have been such great neighbors – taking care of our animals when we’re gone; sharing sugar, eggs, flour; letting each other in countless times when we locked ourselves out, and always shouting “hi” from wherever they were. We’re really going to miss them. Maybe we made a little difference here. I hope so.

I’ve prayed every day in this house. I’ve prayed for Lisa and each of our kids. I’ve drafted vision here for new adventures that have become reality. I’ve wept over heartache, disappointment and loss. I’ve sat by the pond and just listened so many times. I’ll miss walking my dog to Centennial, talking to God, listening to scripture as I go.

This year has been really, really tough. When dad died I came home and walked through these trees that grew in his yard originally, and they reminded me of his deep roots, his love for outdoors and beauty, and his quiet strength. Mom needs help – she needs to be with family. And this week, as we were preparing for our move, Bonnie died of cancer. Then, within the hour of Bonnie’s passing, Lisa received biopsy results confirming breast cancer. We haven’t really been able to savor these last days here because we are trying to survive some pretty devastating news. But we will miss it here. It has always been a place I couldn’t wait to get to. I’m so grateful for that.

Tomorrow we will begin new dreams in a new place. There will be new trees to plant, new fruit to harvest, new friends and new places to walk, run and ride our bikes to. Maybe this will be a place where our kids-in-law come and grandkids. That place will ring with love and laughter to. We will share life with mom there for a while. I will walk with Lisa as she beats cancer in a new neighborhood. She says that in that community it “always feels like a vacation.” That is my hope – that it will be a refuge for us, for our kids and family and for our friends.

Now I’m 55, Lisa is 54, Bobby is 29, John is 28 and Annie is 26. The house I sit in tonight is older, the carpets are worn, but the yard is mature and beautiful – full of life and growth. I hope the new owner loves it and enjoys it as much as I have. I hope they mow straight lines in the lawn and put up Christmas lights. I hope they sense the peace here. Thank you God for our home.

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alanjguitar · 5 years ago

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Best Classical Guitars for Beginners in 2020

Classical guitar can be a great instrument of choice for beginner musicians.

With their nylon strings that are soft on the fingertips and wide nuts that make it easy to avoid dead notes in chords, they’re one of the easiest guitar types to learn on.

I know that as a beginner it can be really challenging to decide on a guitar; there are so many models to choose from and at a first glance they pretty much all look the same.

The fact is there are a lot of differences and some key deciding factors you need to know about before you choose your first instrument.

We’ve taken a look at dozens of classical guitars to try to make your choice an easy one.

The following classical guitars are great for absolute beginners, music students, kids, or guitarists with a bit of experience who are seeking to transition to the world of nylon strings.

Our Recommendation

I’m a bit of a brand loyalist, and almost went with the Godin-family brand La Patrie Etude as my top pick, but all things considered I had to go with the instrument that is most truly traditional.

So, winning our top spot is the Cordoba Iberia Series C5.

Cordoba’s classical guitars are all about authenticity. Each model closely follows the Spanish tradition, so their tone and playability seems plucked straight out of the early 19th century.

The C5 is a great addition in their lineup, built to sound and feel like the real deal but without the multi-thousand dollar price tag you might expect to pay for such a genuine classical model.

The first guitar we’ll look at, taking the lowest rank in this review, is the Squier SA-150N.

Squier is great at a lot of what they do, but in the realm of classical guitars there are a few more manufacturers making better models.

The SA-150N is a fine model, with an unbeatable price and tough laminate body making it one of the best classical guitars for beginners, but I’ve got a few more favored picks that top it.

Ready to get those fingers picking? Let’s dive in.

The Top 5 Best Classical Guitars for Beginners – Overview

#5 Squier SA-150N

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3.75/5 Star Rating

Specs

Top – Laminate Lindenwood

Body – Mahogany

Neck – Mahogany

Fingerboard – Maple

Pros

Very inexpensive, perfect for students and children

Well articulated sound

Rosewood bridge for tonal balance

Cons

Laminate top without a lot of tonal complexity

Unusual tonewood combination

Review

In order for a laminate top guitar to make it to one of my top-ranked reviews, it’s got to have a lot going for it besides.

With the Squier SA-150N, I was really won over by the price to quality ratio.

For less than $100, it’s hard to find a guitar that’s not next to worthless and more of a toy than a real instrument.

It’s not exactly traditional, with a lindenwood top I’ve only ever seen on maybe two or three other guitars, but still manages to produce a tone that makes practicing enjoyable.

You will not wow any crowds with this model, but for less than $100, you shouldn’t expect to.

What this guitar is really good for is a student model. If you yourself, or perhaps your child, have an interest in playing guitar but aren’t completely sure of your level of commitment, at this price it won’t hurt at all to give this hobby a try.

For guitar teachers, this is a great model to recommend to students, or to buy yourself to keep as a students’ model. In just a couple lessons you should be able to cover the costs, and will open up your customer base even to those who don’t currently own an instrument.

In short, the Squier SA-150N isn’t extravagant, but it is by all means a practical practice instrument. For more great classicals under $300, check out this review.

#4 Ibanez GA3

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4/5 Star Rating

Specs

Top – Laminate Spruce

Body – Agathis

Neck – Nyatoh

Fingerboard – Nandu

Pros

Spruce top produces clear, focused notes in every range

Inexpensive, good for those unsure of their musical dedication

Laminate construction can take a fair amount of bumps and bangs

Cons

Flat, uninteresting tone

Review

The Ibanez GA3 moves us slightly higher up the line of beginner classical guitars, with an upgraded laminate spruce top that gives us more the traditional tone that you’d expect from a classical.

Like the Squier above, it’s not going to blow the socks off anyone listening, and its nontraditional tonewoods leave a bit to be desired, but in terms of tone and playability it should satisfy anyone just starting to learn the hobby.

It has a two-inch wide nut that is perfect for beginners who haven’t yet mastered the finger arching technique required for crystal clear chord work.

This makes the space between strings wide enough that your chances of deadening a note with an improperly curved finger greatly reduced, and more easily allows you to figure out where you’re going wrong in each position.

I’m not going to tell you that it sounds amazing, because it doesn’t. It sounds pretty standard and what you might expect a guitar at this price to sound like, but it’s not bad at all.

The GA3’s laminate spruce top produces a nicely balanced tone where each note is clear, and though it lacks in complexity, it’s articulated enough to give beginners a good idea of what a classical can do.

At this price, it’s another great guitar for students or teachers and for kids or anyone unsure of if they’ll want to play longer than a couple months.

#3 Yamaha CG182C

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4.5/5 Star Rating

Specs

Top – Solid Western Red Cedar

Body – Mahogany

Neck – Nato

Fingerboard – Ebony

Pros

Traditional classical guitar tonewoods

Yamaha quality, affordable price

Good for beginner to advanced players

Cons

Nato neck breaks from the traditional build

Review

With the Yamaha CG182C, we’re moving out of the realm of super budget guitars and into more serious territory.

This is for the most part a truly traditional classical guitar, with a solid cedar top and mahogany back and sides that are the backbone of classical tone.

It’s well-balanced, with clear and punchy low and high ranges and a mid range that is slightly emphasized.

The ebony fingerboard is super responsive and gives you the sustain you need for ringing high end fret work.

Beginners will appreciate the slightly thin neck profile, alleviating the hand pain that accompanies your playing while you’re still developing your playing muscles.

Since the CG182C has a solid top, it’s guaranteed to age well and be the kind of guitar you can own happily for many years.

Even as a beginner model, I’d say it’s got a good enough tone to hit the stage with, so if you’re really ambitious you won’t have to look for another guitar when you’re ready to start testing your skills in public.

For another great Yamaha classical guitar, check out our review of the Yamaha C40.

#2 La Patrie Etude

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4.75/5 Star Rating

Specs

Top – Cedar

Body – Wild Cherry

Neck – Mahogany

Fingerboard – Rosewood

Pros

Handcrafted by experienced luthiers

Great tone, affordable price

Available in left handed model

Cons

None

Review

La Patrie is a branch of one of my favorite brands of instrument, Godin Guitars. Godin’s models routinely rank high with us, like their steel string Seagull S6 which we reviewed here.

All the guitars in this family are top quality, overseen by master luthier Robert Godin, and handmade in the guitar-centric town of La Patrie, Quebec.

The Etude model is a fine classical guitar, with the solid cedar top that gives these instruments the crisp, smooth sound that they’re known for.

It’s not a traditional classical guitar, but the changes to the archetypal design were only made to boost its quality.

In breaking from the mold, La Patrie utilizes a double-function truss rod that is totally atypical for classical guitars. Usually, this type of guitar has a solid neck without a truss rod, which requires them to be wide and flat to hold up against the string tension.

The La Patrie addition of a truss rod enables them to reduce the neck profile, adding to your playing ease and comfort.

Instead of the traditional mahogany back and sides, La Patrie uses the wild cherry common to most of Godin’s guitars, which is locally sourced from forests surrounding the town in which their instruments are made, keeping costs low and adding an element of sustainability to their craftsmanship.

All their models are handmade, so the Etude is guaranteed to have a huge attention to detail and perfection that is hard to find in today’s world of mass-produced factory-made instruments.

The La Patrie etude is a beautiful looking and exquisite guitar. It’s fun and easy to play, so beginners just starting out or anyone looking for a budget-friendly classical model will have great experience in choosing this model.

#1 Cordoba Iberia Series C5

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5/5 Star Rating

Specs

Top – Solid Canadian Cedar

Body – Mahogany

Neck – Mahogany

Fingerboard – Rosewood

Pros

Traditional bracing pattern for authentic classical tone

Made by a company that knows the ins and outs of classical guitars

Classic construction for traditional experience

Cons

None

Review

When it comes to classical guitars, Cordoba is a tough name to beat. They’re one of our top choices for the best classical guitar brands.

All their guitars are handmade by traditionally trained luthiers, and have the tonewood combo that makes a classical guitar a classical guitar. To find out more about why we love Cordoba, check out this article.

The C5 is one of their finest beginner models, lacking nothing in terms of tone or playability, but keeping costs at what I consider to be the ideal range for beginner guitars.

For the traditional tone, the C5 combines a solid cedar top with mahogany back and sides to create the mellow, soft, rich tone that makes classical guitar music shine. Its rosewood bridge and fingerboard ensure that every note is true and pristine, so whatever position you’re playing in you are bound to sound great.

Cordoba has extensively studied historical classical guitars and perfectly replicated the traditional Spanish fan bracing pattern, further adding to the C5’s tonal authenticity.

Cap all this off with a nut and saddle carved from truly resonant bone, and you’ve got a guitar that sounds like you time-traveled two hundred years into the past.

In terms of playability, the C5 is right on the mark of the genuine classical guitar experience.

It has the standard 52 mm nut, the non-cutaway reduced classical body shape, and the wide and flat traditional classical neck profile.

Its nylon strings are at a perfect tension, with action low enough to be a breeze to play but just high enough to eliminate any fret buzz.

Finally, the C5’s neck has a high-gloss finish which allows you to easily move up and down the fingerboard, making scales and multi-position chord progressions a complete joy to practice.

Absolute beginners will love the tone and feel of this model, and more experienced guitarists looking for their first nylon string guitar will find that the sound of the C5 is unbeatable at this price point. We covered more great classical guitars under $500 here.

Buyer’s Guide – How To Choose The Right Classical Guitar if you are just starting out

Why Are These Guitars Good for Beginners?

First and foremost, classical guitars are good for beginners because they’re so much easier to fret than steel string acoustics.

Nylon strings are much softer on the fingers than steel strings, and are wound at a lower tension that takes less pressure to get a pure note from.

Next, each of these models is on the affordable end of quality classicals.

Instruments in this category can range from $50 to $50,000, and when you’re just starting out to play it’s good to get something that both performs well and won’t leave you in debt. We wrote this article so you can find the best classical guitars for the money.

The guitars listed above are all perfect for practicing, while the higher cost models are even good for small to medium performances.

They’re fun to play, sound good, and have the quality of construction that will last with little to no problems for many years if properly cared for. Sweetwater has a great article on guitar maintenance you should read.

Who Should Buy a Classical Guitar?

Obviously, if you love classical guitar music, a classical guitar is a good place to start learning to play.

Classical guitar music is soft and sweet, with an elegance and gentleness that just can’t offend.

If you’re mellow and refined, this can be the perfect guitar match for your sensibilities.

Classical guitars are good for beginners because of their wide string spacing and soft, comfortable playability.

Starting out on another type of guitar requires you to first really work on getting your fretting fingers to arch properly, and believe me, this can be super frustrating.

Non-arched fingers cause what is called deadening, which is where the pad of a fingertip touches a string it’s not supposed to and causes the vibrations to die, resulting in a buzz or complete loss of tone in one or more of a chord’s notes.

Classical guitars cut back on this issue by letting you space your fingers farther apart in each chord. This prevents deadening, and when you do deaden a string, allows you to more easily see exactly which of your fingers is causing the problem.

Additionally, their soft nylon strings don’t hurt your fingertips nearly as bad as steel strings do, letting you practice for longer and reducing the chances you’ll want to give up because of sore fingers.

Other people who should buy a classical guitar are more experienced players just looking to expand their skill set, or those who have become bored by their electric guitars or steel string acoustics.

This kind of musical apathy can happen easily, and if you’re feeling stuck in a musical rut, buying a new type of guitar to explore a different playing style can help re-ignite your passion for playing.

What’s the Difference Between Classical and Acoustic Guitars?

The key differences lie in a few different areas, and we covered this in depth here.

For starters, the strings are different. In a classical guitar the strings are made of nylon and metal-wrapped nylon. They’re under comparatively little tension, and are thus easier to hold down against the frets.

In a standard acoustic guitar, the strings are made of steel, which is why they’re properly referred to as steel-string acoustics.

The strings are attached differently too. We wrote this handy guide to teach you the easiest way to change classical guitar strings.

Since classical guitars are under less tension, they often don’t have truss rods, which is the system of support that steel string acoustics use to keep the neck from breaking under the string tension.

This truss-rod-free design means that classical guitar necks need to be built wider and flatter to keep their strength and support, whereas acoustic guitar necks can be much slimmer. Read all about this feature in our truss rod guide.

Tone-wise, classical guitars are softer, more mellow, and not as loud as steel string acoustics. Their tone is generally called much “warmer.”

They’re also held differently; classicals between the legs with the head pointing up, and acoustics resting on the lap with a flatter angle.

Finally, classical guitars are meant to be played with the fingerstyle technique. This is where the strings are plucked using the fingertips or fingernails, unlike a steel string guitar which can be played with a plectrum.

The Final Word

If you’re ready to learn the guitar style that started it all, these guitars are a great place to start. Even the lowest costing Squier sounds good enough to give you playing enjoyment for years, and the Cordoba C5 is stage-ready as soon as you are.

There are tons of great beginner classical songs to learn, and with patience and practice, you can become one of the greatest classical guitarists of our age.

More classical guitar reviews:

Top classical guitars for the buck (best value)

Under $300

Under $500

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johnboothus · 5 years ago

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Getting to Know Happy Canyon One of Southern Californias Tiniest AVAs

There are some people who would rather you not know about Happy Canyon — and when you drive down its roads, which wind past horse pastures and rolling hills covered in grapevines, it’s easy to understand why. This tiny, isolated American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the easternmost part of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County is very much an unspoiled paradise. And so far, the locals have succeeded in blocking the canyon from having tasting rooms, which significantly limits the exposure of its wineries — but also keeps tourism and traffic to a minimum.

Perhaps it’s the right move, since if the Bordeaux-style wines coming out of Happy Canyon were better known, they would likely be in high demand, and enthusiasts would be pouring into the area clamoring to taste them.

An Emerging Subregion

The Santa Ynez Valley, overall, doesn’t get the attention it deserves, but if you know any of the wines from its four sub-AVAs, you probably know the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coming out of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, in the western part of the valley, where cool Pacific breezes help create an ideal microclimate for those grapes.

On the other side of the valley, Happy Canyon is hot. Temperatures regularly top 100 degrees on summer days, and drop dramatically at night, down 50 or 60 degrees, even in July and August. That diurnal shift is ideal for the Bordeaux varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc — that are commonly grown there. The soils are rocky mixtures of sand, gravel, and clay that are rich with minerals and tend to yield concentrated wines.

Happy Canyon is one of Southern California’s smallest AVAs. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

So why don’t you know about Happy Canyon’s wines yet?

Two reasons. First, the AVA was only established in 2009 (though winemakers have sought fruit from the area since its first vintage in 2001). Second, the wineries are mostly marketed through word of mouth — and through some tasting rooms in Santa Barbara. Because visibility is limited, distribution tends to stay in Southern California and the Central Coast.

Key Grapes, Vineyards, and Wineries

“Santa Barbara County is probably one of the most beautiful spots in wine country all over the world. People see it in pictures and you just can’t get it until you get here,” says Sean Pitts, executive winemaker and president of Happy Canyon Vineyards. “It’s still a bit of a hidden gem, but we’re still growing in terms of people knowing where we are.”

Adjacent to Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard, Happy Canyon Vineyards is located on Piocho Ranch, which is also home to polo fields and the Piocho polo team. The winery started releasing its own wines in 2010, focusing exclusively on estate-grown Bordeaux-style red and white blends under the Piocho label and limited-run blends under its Barrack Family Estate label. Its 2016 Piocho Red Blend is earthy with notes of raspberry, black cherry, plum, cedar, and chocolate, and is easily drinkable now — though if you can hold onto it for a few years (even up to 10 years), it’ll be even better. The Barrack Ten-Goal is 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec in the blend. It’s so rich and intensely flavored, it could be mistaken for a Napa Valley release.

Star Lane Vineyard, which is situated next to the Vogelzang and Jack McGinley vineyards, has 780 acres — the entire eastern border of the valley — and 145 of them are planted with grapes in vineyards surrounded by wild sage and rosemary. “That’s what Happy Canyon tastes like to me,” says Star Lane’s California sales manager, Tracy Witkin. “You can taste it in the wine.”

Tyler Thomas, Star Lane’s winemaker, makes the wines for both Star Lane and its sister label Dierberg with what Witkin calls a “granular scientific approach.” For example, he ferments the grapes row by row rather than block by block in an effort to capture the unique expressions in each part of the vineyard, and then he blends those individual blocks of grapes into stellar Cabs and Pinots. “In one block, from one side to the other side, you can have totally different soil composition,” Witkin explains. “Even in the same block, you can’t say, ‘This block tastes like this.’”

Thomas’s meticulous cultivation is as much a scientific experiment to gain a deep understanding of Star Lane’s terroir as it is a quest to make the best possible wines. “He wants to know why,” Witkin says. “He’s constantly trying to figure out why.” Thomas also uses open-top fermentation for the Pinot Noir, she notes, and separate wine presses for reds and whites.

Star Lane Vineyard has 780 acres in Southern California. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

Another major player in Happy Canyon is Grassini Family Vineyards, founded by Larry and Sharon Grassini. They converted their land to vineyards in 2002 and now produce 5,000 cases annually from 35 acres of grapes — primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Grassini wines tend to have a drier style, big fruit, and mellow complexity, which, the Grassinis say, reflects Larry’s Italian heritage.

The 2016 Articondo Red Blend, named after Larry’s grandfather, is 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 percent Petit Verdot, and 15 percent Cabernet Franc. It has savory, herbaceous notes with hints of lavender and spice. “When we started planting [grapes], no one thought you could plant Cabernet in Santa Barbara County,” says Jared Kent, Grassini’s hospitality manager. “We definitely started showing people that not only can you grow Cabernet out here, you can grow beautiful Cabernet.”

Katie Grassini, the winery’s CEO, explains that Happy Canyon became known for Sauvignon Blanc early on. “It found its footing and knew what it was doing,” she says, adding that “the Cabernet took a little longer for the roots to get in there and the vines to mature, and for the winemakers to figure out what they were doing with it.”

A good example of a Happy Canyon Cabernet, says Kent, is Grassini’s 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which is blended with 8 percent Petit Verdot and 2 percent Cabernet Franc. “You get your big body, you get your long finish, but it’s slightly softer than other California Cabernets,” he says. “It’s not the aggressive, big, full Cabernet you’re thinking when you get California Cab.”

Grassini Family Vineyards, started in 2002, produces 5,000 cases of wine from 35 acres of grapes each year. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

More traditional California Cabernets can be found across the road at Crown Point Vineyards, which produces only two releases annually: a Cabernet Sauvignon and an Estate Selection Bordeaux blend. Crown Point’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon in particular has been highly lauded.

“I love great wine,” says Crown Point’s owner, Roger Bower. “I thought it would be a great challenge to see if I could make one.” Bower and his French team, winemaker Simon Faury, who studied viticulture at the University of Bordeaux, and consulting winemaker Philippe Melka, a native of Bordeaux who is also a geologist, focus their efforts on making the finest reds possible from Crown Point’s terroir. “This place is a diamond in the rough,” says Bower. “It’s the only place in Santa Barbara County we can do it, because it’s the warmest.”

Crown Point produces approximately 2,000 cases of each wine annually. Unlike other wineries that will tier their releases to make sure there’s a comfortable price point for everyone, Crown Point prices all its wines at $150 a bottle. It may be expensive, but it still feels like a steal. A bottle like the 2015 Estate Selection — made with 71 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 percent Cabernet Franc, 9 percent Petit Verdot, 9 percent Malbec, and 2 percent Merlot — could easily cost four times as much in Napa.

Looking Ahead

There is such scale and variety coming out Happy Canyon, a place with just under 24,000 acres in its entirety. Maybe because of that size, or because the AVA is so off the radar, discovering these wines feels like an adventure. (The area is so much off the beaten path that it was a haven for bootleggers during Prohibition — hence the name Happy Canyon, because people would go there to “get happy.”)

Pitts from Happy Canyon Vineyards points out that the wines from this AVA aren’t as “ripe and rich as Napa Valley” or as “Old World and earthy” as Bordeaux, but he thinks they “maintain this beautiful sweet spot right in between the two. We are our terroir.”

“Luckily enough,” he says, “these vines make very consistent, wonderful wines. I think all the wines coming out of Happy Canyon are fantastic. We just all put our own little spin and style on it.”

The article Getting to Know Happy Canyon, One of Southern California’s Tiniest AVAs appeared first on VinePair.

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source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/getting-to-know-happy-canyon-one-of-southern-californias-tiniest-avas

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jasmineandorangeblossoms · 8 years ago

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Irises by the Pond

Ashton rides his forest green bicycle with his old university friend, Hugh, catching up before work. They pass onto a cobblestone road and both dismount and walk their cycles to the paved area heading into the cherry and cedar woods by the lake. They ride further as the glimmering sun rises slowly in the east, painting the sky in crushed pink silks, sweet potato oranges and iridescent purple scales. They reach a small clearing by a hidden lily pond with banks overcrowded with striped irises and wild lily of the valley.

Hugh, pulls out a Hudson Bay blanket and a thermos of coffee and hands a chipped tin eggshell yellow cup to Ashton,

“Here are some pistachio and fig scones, Arabella, baked for us, when I told her about our outing”. Hugh says, handing Ashton, a parchment paper with a warm scone wrapped in gold and white baker’s twine.

“Arabella finds a way to make every moment utterly pleasurable, you’re a lucky man”, Ashton says, taking a bite and letting a stream of crumbs fall onto the blanket.

“Well, she has been planning for the ball at the countryside for weeks, is excited and fairly blooming in anticipation, one might think she is expecting a new lover. By the way, your mother sent a note reminding us of the masquerade, I have to go through the attic for the old Oxford drama props” Huge says, sipping his coffee.

“So, are you still cavorting with the incandescent red-haired business school intern?” Ashton says, lackadaisically stroking a patch of chamomile.

“Well, I thought we might discuss a few more substantial matters” Huge says, avoiding the question and picking up some charcoal river stones to throw into the pond, but he pauses as a pair of swan’s float slowly past, regarding them with quiet charm and grace.

“Oh, did you come to insist that I move matters forward with Louisa, it seems to be what the universe requires of me?” Ashton asks.

“No, I was hoping to discuss your representing my company in one of its acquisitions” Huge says, “But, yes, we are all hoping you make a move, Louisa is a well brought up and wonderful girl”.

“You don’t even know her well”, Ashton says, grabbing a bunch of the chamomile and scattering the petals into the pond. “In fact, neither do I, she seems sensitive and artistic, but I feel a lack of connection thus far, our exchanges are pleasant yet lack vitality, she is almost a bit like a man in some ways, she jumps out of bed before I do”.

“I’m surprised” Huge says, “I thought you had decided to keep dating her seriously, I would advise to dwell less on your emotional judgment and more upon reason, she would be a great asset and a woman who is independent will bother you far less”.

“It’s not merely emotions, I sense a lack, a space, oceans, depths and voids between us, I feel alone when I am with her it’s hard to describe” Ashton says, “I think we both resent our families and friend’s expectations about our relationship”.

“So the ball won’t lead to an engagement?” Hugh asks.

“I am still testing the waters” Ashton says, “Thankfully as a man, I have more time”.

“Well, though time is currently at your disposal, you might lose a union with a beautiful character and personality” Hugh warns, reaching for another scone.

“Perhaps, I haven’t experienced enough of the beautiful women you speak of, or I intend to find blisses of every kind within a marriage, so I am expecting more from the woman I consider.” Ashton says.

“Well, they say only birds are monogamous, but I’ll allow your romantic ponderings” Hugh says, “by the way, yes, my intern has become indispensable to my needs, Arabella is occupied with our beach cottage renovations, I often think she sees me as both decorative yet useful”.

“Well, after these meeting with my married friends, I am hardly enthused to the institution” Ashton says, frowning.

“Well, it’s a tradition and we know how most of these favor our overall goals, oh by the way, will there be hunting?”.

“Yes, I will ask the gamekeeper to brief me” Ashton replies, “Please have your intern send over the details for the acquisition, or maybe send her to me and I’ll get what I need”.

TBD

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

Text

Getting to Know Happy Canyon, One of Southern California’s Tiniest AVAs

An Emerging Subregion

Happy Canyon is one of Southern California’s smallest AVAs. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

So why don’t you know about Happy Canyon’s wines yet?

Key Grapes, Vineyards, and Wineries

Star Lane Vineyard has 780 acres in Southern California. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

Grassini Family Vineyards, started in 2002, produces 5,000 cases of wine from 35 acres of grapes each year. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

Looking Ahead

The article Getting to Know Happy Canyon, One of Southern California’s Tiniest AVAs appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/happy-canyon-california-ava/

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isaiahrippinus · 5 years ago

Text

Getting to Know Happy Canyon, One of Southern California’s Tiniest AVAs

An Emerging Subregion

Happy Canyon is one of Southern California’s smallest AVAs. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

So why don’t you know about Happy Canyon’s wines yet?

Key Grapes, Vineyards, and Wineries

Star Lane Vineyard has 780 acres in Southern California. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

Grassini Family Vineyards, started in 2002, produces 5,000 cases of wine from 35 acres of grapes each year. Photo courtesy of Julie Tremaine

Looking Ahead

The article Getting to Know Happy Canyon, One of Southern California’s Tiniest AVAs appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/happy-canyon-california-ava/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/190403168039

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