![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i own two bass guitars, one electric, one 12 string, and three acoustic (classical) guitars. Two to the acoustics need repairs which I think I can do if I can get the parts. Actually, the third acoustic has a cracked bridge but it's still playable. The electric I want to rewire. The basses are fine. They all really need new strings.
So I got some nylon strings for the (mostly) working acoustic.
NEVER PUT STEEL STRINGS ON A CLASSICAL GUITAR. YOU WILL BREAK THE GUITAR.
It took a while for the strings to stretch into tune. I'm sure it's going to be a few days before they settle in. Tuning was difficult with the strings stretching and immediately going out of tune. It's been ages since I've restrung any guitar and I didn't do the best of jobs with this one. On top of that, my hearing loss has made it difficult to tell when things are out of tune. I pulled out my guitar tuner and spent the time struggling to get it at least close.
Then I started playing basic chords. Half of my hand remembered where the fingers go but the other half had almost completely forgot! Classical guitars tend to have a wide neck and my fingers are short.
But at last, the strings were mostly in tune and my fingers remembered where to land. And I suck. I was never very good anyways but... it was close enough to bang out some chords. And then something clicked in my brain. I remembered what the guitar sounded like, and I could hear it again. It only lasted a few moments but that tiny spark of musicality that resides in my soul light up again.
I think that playing again will help my failing hearing so I'm going to investigating repairs, more strings and playing more. I might even buy a steel string acoustic. The 12 string is hard to play although it sounds like a million bucks - when it's in tune.
Playing music feeds something in my soul. I'm a lousy musician but I want to feed that part of my soul that's been starving for a while. If I play for anyone it'll probably be only for me.
And that's all that matters.
So I got some nylon strings for the (mostly) working acoustic.
NEVER PUT STEEL STRINGS ON A CLASSICAL GUITAR. YOU WILL BREAK THE GUITAR.
It took a while for the strings to stretch into tune. I'm sure it's going to be a few days before they settle in. Tuning was difficult with the strings stretching and immediately going out of tune. It's been ages since I've restrung any guitar and I didn't do the best of jobs with this one. On top of that, my hearing loss has made it difficult to tell when things are out of tune. I pulled out my guitar tuner and spent the time struggling to get it at least close.
Then I started playing basic chords. Half of my hand remembered where the fingers go but the other half had almost completely forgot! Classical guitars tend to have a wide neck and my fingers are short.
But at last, the strings were mostly in tune and my fingers remembered where to land. And I suck. I was never very good anyways but... it was close enough to bang out some chords. And then something clicked in my brain. I remembered what the guitar sounded like, and I could hear it again. It only lasted a few moments but that tiny spark of musicality that resides in my soul light up again.
I think that playing again will help my failing hearing so I'm going to investigating repairs, more strings and playing more. I might even buy a steel string acoustic. The 12 string is hard to play although it sounds like a million bucks - when it's in tune.
Playing music feeds something in my soul. I'm a lousy musician but I want to feed that part of my soul that's been starving for a while. If I play for anyone it'll probably be only for me.
And that's all that matters.
Tags: