Hi guys and gals,
Learning how to learn. Does this sound funny? Think about it. How many people do you know that practice many hours a week and still can’t play and never will? The practice time may not be spent programming the brain as efficiently as possible. The brain has to be programmed through repetition and done so correctly. Learning how to do it correctly is why you need video tapes or a well-seasoned instructor standing over your shoulder. It’s all about programming the brain. I’m interested in finding out how many of you would like me to make a video on how to practice so that you actually learn. If you first learn how to learn, it will make being a great steel player many times easier than the way most people are doing it today. I barely practice at all but when I do, I know how to get the most value out of my practice time. I can make you a one hour video that will be worth thousands of hours in the future. Email me with your comments because you know my videos are guided by what you want to see.
Do you absolutely love your guitar? Are you very used to it and can play it better than any other guitar but it’s worn out and ugly. If you have an Emmons, Sho-Bud or ZB, the enhanced value after a first-class restoration could be as much as four times what the value is before restoration. To many players, restoring the steel guitar they have is a much better option than trading around and experimenting with new, different brand guitars that they may not ever become fond of. This is especially true if you already own one of the great sounding classics of the world of steel guitar. If you had a ’38 Martin D28, would you be happy with a new Yamaha?
I restore several guitars a month for individuals and for resale in my store. Restoration to me means total disassembly and every part in the guitar being refurbished cosmetically and mechanically or being replaced with new. All aluminum parts are professionally rebuffed, the body is either re-lacquered or refinished after being taken down totally to the wood. On mica guitars, any damaged mica will be replaced. New tuning keys are usually in order, as are rollers, changer fingers, all springs, pedals showing wear and almost always pickups. I always advise changing pickups because the new pickups being made today by George L and their competitors are always better than the old single coils that are 20 to 30 years old in the original guitar. However, if the owner wishes, the old pickups can be rewound and magnets re-energized to return the pickup to the level of performance it had when new. However, these will still not have the humbucking qualities of new replacement pickups.
To make a long tale shorter, if you loved your guitar when it was new, you’ll love it more when it’s restored. You’ll have less money in a restoration than in a new guitar but chances are it will be worth much more than a new guitar and will hold it’s value much better.
Your buddy,
Bobbe
P.S. The Bluebird show has been post-ponded because of scheduling problems. I will keep you updated as I get more information myself.
