12 Comments |
 | Bob Blair says:
9/19/2012 10:14:00 AM
Hi Randy, happy birthday. No it is not too late. In fact if you play guitar you will be able to make musical sense out of it really quite quickly. I don't know about the Company you mention - Bristolian makes a really cool shorter scale model:drewdotcom.com/bristolianguita...ndex.html if you are looking for a UK manufacturer. Celtic Cross in British Columbia,Canada makes beautiful instruments that I think are reasonably priced - obviously more than you are going to pay for an entry-level instrument but there is great value in the work the good luthiers do. I started with a used Celtic Cross that I still have and perform with, though I also have a Benoit Cajunborne. People don't seem to use straps with Weissenborn-style guitars often, but there is a video kicking around where Steve Fishell is doing it. The D tuning is wonderful- songs just seem to fall out of it!
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 | ANeat says:
9/19/2012 10:28:46 AM
I think its never too late; I started last year at 45, I can bang out a respectable version of a couple of tunes already. Thats with trying to get a little time each day even if its just a few ninutes
As for endpins, I have seen a few videos of guys playing a Weiss standing up and using a strap so its not unheard of
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| Bob Blair says:
9/19/2012 11:00:35 AM
A lot of people have short semi-pro or even pro careers - pick up the guitar in their late teens, spend a couple of years playing locally and a couple of years on the road, and then hang it up or go back to playing the occasional local gig. My revived career, which kind of came back for my in my fifties (I am the same age as you) has already had a longer run than some youngsters ever had. And hopefully I've got lots of good years left in me. And I have only recently started play Weissenborn seriously and resonator even shorter than that. So there is lots of time, and you will find you have more patience and discipline for learning at this stage in your life. I find early morning the best time to practice.
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 | Randy H says:
9/19/2012 11:57:55 AM
Bob Blair & ANeat, Thanks for the responces so quickly and the encouragement. I haven't started with the reso yet but I want to concentrate on open D tuning the very first since that's the most common tuning for the wess. I've got a cheapo squareneck to mess with til I can offord the other guitar, would you advise me to save up for an upper level instrument than get an entry level like th GTSM? Any advise on instructional dvds or lessons w/Troy?
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 | jmb3450 says:
9/19/2012 12:03:35 PM
Hey Bob, welcome. You're not too old to start learning at all. There are a number of people who take up slide instruments when they're older because of age, arthritis and other things can make it harder to play a fretted instrument. Playing slide is addicting, the more you play the more you'll like it and the better you'll get. So go for it. I've got a Gold Tone SM, I haven't had any significant issues with the top, I don't use heavy strings and I don't tune it above open D. There a place in the middle that might be showing a slight sign of weakess, I'm not really sure if it's just the seam in the middle of the top or not. But I plan on making a JLD type brace for it just to be safe, just haven't gotten around to it yet. That should enable the ability to go with a bit heavier strings.
The weiss or even the reso work well for hyms in church....the folks at my church love the weiss when I play it.
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RobA says:
9/19/2012 12:08:13 PM
Welcome Randy!
It's never too late to learn to play Weissenborn or any other instrument, for that matter! It's mostly a matter of having the determination to put in the time to learn and overcome any obstacles along the way. It may not always be easy, but it can be done. I think you'll find lots of opinions on instruments, my quick response is to buy the best instrument you can afford. Professional quality instruments generally hold their value and start around $1600 or so... Troy has a pretty complete set of lessons, including lessons in D tuning, so that'd be a good place to get started.
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| jmb3450 says:
9/19/2012 12:11:29 PM
Woops....Randy started the thread, so welcome Randy. Not that Bob isn't welcome either! :)\
Troy has at least one lesson on Open D, that would be a good place to start for the weiss. As far as getting a gold tone now or saving for a higher end, that's up to you. I think if I was in your spot, since you already have something to play on, I'd save up and get a higher end weiss. Not that gold tone is bad instrument, but for several hundred more you can get a weiss that sounds better.
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| Randy H says:
9/19/2012 1:33:52 PM
Thanks RobA &jmb3450 for the encouragement and thoughts on instruments. Got a lot of herd thinning to do and need to talk to Troy.
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 | jimbob says:
9/19/2012 2:17:43 PM
September 19th 1953. Now that was a good day. Happy birthday Randy H. I also have the Goldtone SM. Weissenborn. I like it very much. Of course "If I was a rich man...la da da da da da da" Fiddler on the roof. Weissenborn in the kitchen. HaHa!!
Thin out the herd for a few more dollars and always play before you pay.
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| Randy H says:
9/19/2012 7:10:03 PM
Thanks for the words jimbob. Will see what happens.
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 | Liz Williams says:
9/20/2012 5:57:23 AM
Randy, I agree with everyone so far: Save up for a better instrument, and it's never too late to learn. As for which guitar, there are some videos on You Tube of a guy playing Gold Tone and Anderwood Weissenborns. youtube.com/watch?v=8kbG03skCf...l&list=UL He's very responsive and I'm sure would respond to your questions. Then you can compare the sound with the videos on Rob A's site. Check out his tab while you are there! Other options are a vintage mahogany jumbo Oahu squareneck guitar. They come up on ebay and one just sold for $234.00. I have one and they sound fantastic. As for standing up, look at Dan Schwartz one of our members: he uses a stand. As for Troy's lessons, why don't you ask him what he recommends? I started with his basic open D lesson, then learned Shebeg and Shemore. Have fun!
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 | resorick says:
9/21/2012 1:32:18 AM
I have a student who is starting at age 70 to learn dobro.He plays guitar and bass so the transition is easter for him.His major challenge is just learning technique with the bar and using fingerpicks, but he's doing fairly well.
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