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Yet another Fall...
So, it's time once again to wince & fret over the dreaded "humidification" drill... well, for many of us in dry cold climates, where the furnace runs from early November through March, it can be quite a headache. We share your concern for the need to take good care of your mandolin or guitar, for fear it will suffer poking fret ends, a top seam crack, or worse - even come to need a neck reset.
Huss & Dalton - Sinker Mahogany TDM
There are so many varied recommendations on the market, on forums, and in magazines - but where to turn? We've spent years searching for a simple low-maintenance product that works, and can instill confidence in your efforts. I think we may have a solid suggestion in the specialty products from Oasis. Their unique design provides water vapor transmission, without the worry of liquids wicking into your case or on your instrument, and with a simple glance you know when it is time to refill.
"How many humidifiers will I need in my case"? Well, obviously that will vary depending upon your RH (relative humidity). Our instrument builders typically agree, 45% RH +/- 5% is ideal (range of 40% to 50%) year round. To determine how much moisture you need to add to the case atmosphere you will need a hygrometer. Oasis has a simple, compact designed digital hygrometer that will fit inside your case. There is an assortment of well designed, versatile humidifiers from Oasis to suit your application needs, for safe keeping inside your case and inside the sound hole.
With our affinity for all things Mahogany, when we heard that our friends at Huss & Dalton had access to a limited stash of 100 year old Sinker Mahogany, we couldn't resist commissioning one of their signature dreadnoughts. Our recent Custom TD-M might be the finest flat picking guitar you will ever play. Here's the tale of the provenance of this incredible wood: "If you like wood with a story, then it doesn't get any better than this material. This is Mahogany from the bottom of Belizean rivers. Belize used to be a British colony. The British exported a lot of Mahogany from Belize throughout history and during the 19th century they used the rivers of Belize as their main source of transportation. Occasionally the denser Mahogany logs would sink! These logs for over 100 years had been lost and forgotten, until now! All the logs where salvaged using environmentally sound practices using small boats and pulleys to remove these logs off the bottom of the rivers. The logs were cut in Belize using local labor. Hence this is a very eco-friendly product. The material was kiln dried in Belize but has been re-stickered to give the piles air flow to allow them to air dry even more. Due to the age of these logs, all this material would have been old growth timber. The color is excellent and the grain is tight. Some of the material is even figured. Plus the material has a very interesting natural edge. The texture has been sculpted by the river and is very pleasing to the eye." For a great audio comparison of this exceptional guitar, we conducted our own "shoot-out", which you can hear on our website:
We are very pleased to announce our annual holiday concert... Muriel Anderson is known throughout the world as a legendary guitarist, and we're proud to know her as a friend. She enjoys a rigorous performance schedule, traveling each year to the four corners of the earth, sharing her life in music. We have come to rely upon the month of December to bring her home to Nashville each year, to celebrate the season with us. This year's concert features Muriel Anderson on harp guitar, nylon string classical, and steel string guitar - with guests, the Tierra Negra duet. Muriel has been touring with Tierra Negra this year, promoting their new CD - New World Flemenco. Tierra Negra is Germany's most popular guitar duo, Raughi Ebert and Leo Henrichs. Also featured on this album are legendary players Danny Gottlieb, Mark Egan, and Victor Wooten. Our holiday concerts sell out quickly and seating is limited, so please order tickets early. Where: Artisan Guitars When: Saturday Evening - December 4th Showtime: 5:00 to 7:00 PM Tickets: $15.00 - Simple Online Ticket Reservations
If you think all electric guitars are similar, and that tonal variances depend primarily on your choice of pickups - we can offer some scientific proof to the contrary. Having read the May 2008 Tonequest Report featuring an indepth interview with Bill Collings, my intrigue gathered momentum when I read he had built more than 70 prototypes in designing and launching his line of electric guitars.
Anxious to test his theory of how the same guitar will produce different tones by changing the cap or top wood, (both acoustically and plugged in) - we recently had the opportunity to compare very similar models of his City Limits Deluxe. While a gorgeous flamed maple top is traditionally found on most Les Paul style guitars, we are excited to have two City Limits Deluxe models on our rack with identical specs except for the Mahogany cap on one of them. Having these two guitars in the shop at once, we just had to do a comparison recording to compare the tonal differences in a mahogany and maple capped guitar. We did these recording using our Carr Mercury amplifier set flat at 2 watts using the neck pickup with the tone and volume knobs wide open. The difference is quite prominent... we will leave it up to you to decide which is best! We notice a clarity and familiarity with the tone of the Maple Cap, offering a crisp and clear high end while the mahogany cap darkens the tone, smooths out the treble, and adds considerable warmth to the overall tone... in the end it all depends on your playing style and personal taste... these are both rock and roll demons ready to growl! Still find it hard to believe? Click the image above to listen to the untouched audio samples, and decide for yourself. For those of you who have already turned the corner on this theory, you already know - but, I'm just saying... Bill Collings is a genious!
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IN THIS ISSUE
Oasis Humidification - Season Special
In honor of the dry season ahead, purchase any one of our Oasis humidifiers + the Oasis hygrometer, and recieve a discount of $5.95 on your combined purchase.
Just enter coupon code "humidification" during checkout on our website to get your discount, and start humidifying today. Introducing - Trace Elliot Acoustics
Before 1989, acoustic musicians must have felt somewhat left out when walking around the amplifier section of their local music store. While small attempts had been made at producing an amplifier specifically for acoustic players, the fireworks of the amplifier industry were reserved for the owners of electric guitars and basses. But then came Trace Acoustic. With the Trace Acoustic range, the British manufacturer fast revolutionized the world of acoustic instrumentation, from guitars to banjos to mandolins, and the musical instrument industry as a whole. Boasting very high impedance piezo pickup inputs, notch filters, phantom power, DSP effects, and a unique circuitry named Dynamic Correction which reproduced the sparkling top end of an acoustic instrument without harsh-sounding high frequency horns, the amplifiers were quickly recognized as a standard to match. No wonder Trace Acoustic made fans of some of the worldsÂ’ most respected acoustic musicians. Nineteen years later, the influence of Trace Acoustic is widely felt throughout the industry, but as in 1989 Trace Acoustic is raising the stakes again. Acoustic musicians can now experience a new generation of Trace Acoustic models, more evolved than their classic forebears and still endowed with the engineering genius that has produced studio-quality acoustic reproduction on stage for almost two decades. Lighter than ever before, more powerful and carrying a wealth of new cutting edge features, the new generation is here. Click the photo above to read about the entire line of 100, 200, & 300 watt acoustic amps from Trace Elliot. Custom Collings / Carr "TV Set"
Since we introduced Carr Amps in May, we couldn't be more excited about the high quality, point-to-point Class A features of their amplifiers. We were so excited when we received our 1st TV Yellow Collings 290, we asked Steve Carr to custom build a special TV Yellow Raleigh... We thought, what an incredible pairing! We lovingly call this our "TV Set". Click on the photo above to learn more! Ellie's Chicken Picatta
This is one of our favorite meals. Makes us feel like a restaurant meal! The capers really accentuate the lemon and chicken is a perfect backdrop for these delightful fruits. Serve with a rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. Here's your shopping list: 2 CHICKEN BREASTS - BONELESS & SKINLESS
Cut thick part of chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that the breast is about the same thickness overall. Put the chicken pieces into a large plastic bag and pound out to 1/4 inch thickness. You can use a rolling pin for this or an empty wine bottle. Each breast should make 1 large piece that you can cut in half giving you 4 servings.
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If you have had your eye on a Bose L1 System, don't miss out on our current sale! Purchase any Bose L1 system directly from our website, and save 10% on your purchase - now through December 31st. Click the image above to visit our website and learn more about the best sound systems on the planet. Enter coupon code "bose_fall_promo" during checkout to receive your discount.
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