Irish Seisiun (1964 Martin D-28)

Monday nights are Irish Seisiun nights at the Green Briar Irish Pub in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston just around the corner from St. Elizabeth's Hospital.  Starting at 7pm, musicians of all levels are welcome to come learn and play along to the standards, while at 9pm, the regular seisiun begins with the veteran players.  This week, I took my son who plays violin to introduce him to some good fiddle music.

Propped up in the veteran musician's corner before the regular seisiun began I spied what looked like a vintage Martin guitar.  From afar, though, the logo was too faded to read and the guitar was sporting an uncharacteristic Gibson-like pickguard. Intrigued, I asked around until I met the owner, Terry, a good Irish lad.  He confirmed that it was in fact a 1964 Martin D-28, but that he had replaced the original pickguard after it developed a crack. He also noted that he would be mostly playing banjo that evening as without amplification guitarists tend to break a lot of strings trying to be heard over the accordeons, banjos, and fiddles.  Indeed, he recently had a Fishman pickup installed in the Martin for when he plays out in more formal settings.  With a pint of Guinness and friends old and new, you could do worse than to spend a musical evening with lads like these.  Cheers.

Martin Weekend Getaway (2006 Martin Custom D)

It's been a beautiful hot summer weekend up on Lake Winnipesaukee.  Besides the beach and good food, there's nothing like having some down time to pull out a guitar and make some music.

If you are looking for a solid-wood Martin travel guitar, you could do worse than the Martin Custom D that sells for just under $1,000.  Mine is a 2006 model with solid Sitka Spruce top, solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides, and solid Mahogany neck.  The satin finish throughout highlights the wood grain and makes for comfortable playing up and down the neck.  The tortoise-shell pickguard adds a nice retro touch to the otherwise simple appointments that are reminiscent of the Martin 15 series guitars of the 1940s. The sound is warm and woody with a great bass response, and even the wonderful Rosewood smell helps transport you to another place.  Happy Trails!

Musical Scenes of Paris

Jazz quartet with no-name "gypsy" guitar

Yamaha FG-335 (1977-81) out on the city

Paris is a wonderful city for walking around. Beautiful monuments give way to distinct neighborhoods. Go one block off the usual tourist attractions, take your time, and you can feel like the city is your own too.

If you keep your eye out, artists are everywhere. Here are three guitar sightings within 500 yards of each other in the historic 4th and 5th Arrondis-sements behind Notre Dame Cathedral.

New Luthier in Rouen, France

On our family sojourns in France this summer, we had the occasion to visit Rouen and the old market square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 after being captured by the English.  Wandering around this historic city that has been a major business center in one form or another at least since the middle ages, we stumbled upon a luthier's shop, "Il pleut des chordes..." on beautiful rue Damiette, and stopped in.  Large street-level windows allow passerby to watch work being done at a work bench at the front of the shop, while a side door down a covered alley leads to the display room to the rear of the shop.

Although the building itself has probably housed a street-level commerce for several hundred years, it turns out that the young owner, Baptiste Bernard, just opened the shop this year.  A graduate of the École Internationale de Lutherie d'Art, he put down his custom violin in progress to talk to me about his work.  He carries stringed instruments from baroque to modern, and is available for repairs, restorations, custom orders, and sales of beginner to professional instruments.  I was interested to learn that he does have clients seeking American-made guitars and mandolins, particularly vintage instruments from the C.F. Martin Company.  Besides the beautiful instruments, I couldn't help but admire this young luthier's entrepreneurial spirit and his beautiful shop.  It's a tough economic time to be starting a business in Europe, but I wish him the best and look forward to visiting again. Be sure to stop in if you happen to be in town.  I'll let the pictures whet your appetite...  

Flying with a Guitar (1979 Yamaha FG-335)!

Few things cause a musician more angst than trusting a precious instrument to baggage handlers and the cargo hold of a plane.  Expensive instruments can also be easy targets for theft en route.  I witnessed first-hand the sad result when my brother picked up his guitar from the carousel at Logan International Airport on a flight back from Europe back in the 80s only to find the top of the neck of his Ovation molded hardshell case bent sideways at a 20 degree angle.  The amount of force the improperly stored case must have been subjected to is hard to imagine.  Thankfully, the case did do its job as the guitar was unscathed, and the airline replaced the case, but guitarists are well aware that dangers lurk when traveling the not-so-friendly skies "avec guitare."  

Anticipating a trip to France this summer after years of traveling without a guitar, I researched the various options for bringing a guitar along.  Certain case manufacturers cater to the traveling musician, whether on tour or on vacation, and offer extra reinforced guitar cases for check-in, such as Gator Cases.  I even purchased a used CaseExtreme "Clam" travel case that actually envelops your hardshell guitar case in a corrugated plastic case with sturdy foam holders for an added layer of protection.  The preferred option, however, is not to check your guitar at all but carry it on.  Here it can get dicey though because if your flight is full, your plane is small, or both, you may have to check it at the gate anyway at the discretion of the flight crew.  Using a padded gig bag will increase the chances that you can fit your guitar in overhead storage or, failing that, that a sympathetic flight attendant will agree to place it in an upright coat check space for you.  The alternative gate check, however, while still better than simple cargo because it will be handled and delivered by hand along with children's strollers and the like, can cause your blood pressure to go up, especially if you indeed opted to leave your hardshell case behind.  Most guitarists simply decide not to travel with any prized guitar, but have a workman-like backup guitar that will not destroy their psyche if it is damaged or has to be replaced.  A travel-size guitar (a downsized model or one that has a collapsible neck) can also be a good choice, assuming you can find something you enjoy playing, as it will easily fit in most carry-on luggage compartments in a soft-shell case.

Before leaving, I confirmed online that American Airlines considers guitars hand carry luggage.  I opted to bring my refurbished 1979 Yamaha FG-335 $90 closet find in a Roadrunner padded gig bag. As I was traveling with a family group of five, including my two kids and one of their friends, we presented ourselves at the gate before the boarding for our section was called without any problem.  Although eventually full, our Boeing 757 easily accommodated my gig bag in the overhead storage.  I noticed at least one other passenger also traveling with a gig bag.  Mine never elicited even a second look from the gate or flight staff.  We'll see if the return flight goes as smoothly.  In the meantime, it's been great to be able to play some in front of a Normandy hearth while on vacation.

Check out a more recent flying with a guitar post here.

1971 Manuel Reyes Blanca Flamenco Guitar

Legendary Spanish luthier Manuel Reyes, Sr. has made some of the most sought after flamenco guitars over his 60 years in the business. Making guitars since 1949, he produced about 20 concert-quality guitars a year, with perhaps only half as many being Flamenco guitars.  In later years the wait list reached upwards of 15 years and all but closed to new orders.  He is now reportedly no longer making guitars due to health issues, although his son Manuel Reyes Jr. is continuing the tradition.  Because of their recognized quality and great scarcity, used Manuel Reyes Sr. guitars in excellent condition can easily run $10,000-20,000, and some have commanded significantly more.

So it was with great interest that I recently had the good fortune to play one of these gems in the home of its original owner, a former student of flamenco guitar who had the guitar custom-made by Manuel Reyes Sr. in 1971.  A "Blanca" model, it boasts a solid European Spruce top and solid Spanish Cypress back and sides.  It has been admirably maintained despite traveling the world over, thanks in part to its custom-made vintage Mark Leaf case, which boasts a built-in hygrometer and a positive seal between the top and bottom of the case to maintain a stable humidity level.  Although my classical guitar repertoire is very limited, I pulled out some rusty Malagueña fragments learned over 30 years ago for the occasion and revelled in the authentic flamenco sound this guitar produced.  It sure sounded worlds better than any classical guitar I have ever played.  Everything from volume, depth, and clarity across all registers was exquisite even to my relatively untrained ear.  Words fail, but it's one of those things: "you know it when you hear it."

Thanks to YouTube, you can check out this short clip of Vincente Amigo playing a 1988 Reyes Blanca to get some sense of how lovely one of these guitars sounds, especially in the hands of a pro.

Martin M-21 Steve Earle Custom Signature Edition

Mitch demos the M-21

On the occasion of a family trip into New York City last weekend, I had time to visit Matt Umanov's Guitar Store in Manhattan and meet one of the guys behind the counter, Mitch Distefano.  An accomplished guitarist himself, Mitch grew up hanging out at the store and has worked there off and on for years while teaching guitar, helping various artists with their songwriting, DJ'g in the City, and performing with various bands.  While pulling down various guitars for me to play, he regaled me with tales of recent celebrity walk-ins, which are a common occurrence at this guitar mecca in the heart of the West Village.  Carlos Santana, for example, anonymously walked in wearing a skull cap recently and other customers were too busy playing away on their instruments to even notice him before he headed back out the door without a word.  Johnny Depp, on the other hand, came in with a bodyguard who had to shoo away the paparazzi to allow him to buy two high-end guitars in peace.

After sampling the Martin 000-28, the HD-28, and a clean 1974 D-18, I asked Mitch whether he had any particularly interesting guitar in the store.  He handed me a beautiful shaded-top Martin M-21 Steve Earle Custom Signature guitar, which Matt Umanov helped Steve Earle design.  The M-size combines a jumbo-sized body (0000) with the slimmer depth of a 000 model.  Matt Umanov helped develop this particular combination after he converted a Martin archtop to a flat top in the 1960s. It was later used as the pattern for the Martin M model, which debuted in the 1970s and has been used extensively by Steve Earle.  First issued in 2008, the M-21 boasts a solid Italian Alpine Spruce top with forward-shifted scalloped bracing, solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides, and a dressed down look that combines various style 18, 21, and 28 appointments.  The old-school headstock, butterbean tuner knobs, and tortoise-color pickguard complete the vintage-looking package, which will set you back $4,000+.

This is a sweet guitar.  The low profile solid Mahogany neck and East Indian Rosewood fretboard plays easily.  The M-sized body is comfortable and light to handle.  The guitar has wonderful presence and a full sound all the way through its high to low registers.  I especially liked the rich bass response. Meanwhile, the understated appointments give it a classic Martin look and feel.  The shaded top on this particular guitar is an additional option that makes for a handsome instrument that looks as good as it sounds.  Give it a try when you get the chance.  You will not be disappointed.