Recent Posts
- Songwriting Tips from Lamont Dozier: Work, God, and Heart
- A 75th Birthday Milestone: My New (to me) Taylor 114e
- Can the Blue Yeti Professional Actually Handle Vocals and Electric Guitar at Once? (My Field Test)
- “Songwriting Tips from Janis Ian: Instinct, Craft, and Optimism”
- Blue Yeti Settings: Record Balanced Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
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Author Archives: Sienark
Songwriting Tips from Lamont Dozier: Work, God, and Heart
In 2 1/2 years I have become an advanced beginner guitarist and a beginner bass player. Wonderful fun. And recently I wrote three songs of my very own. Every night before I sleep, I read for 15 minutes from Paul … Continue reading
A 75th Birthday Milestone: My New (to me) Taylor 114e
This is a Taylor 114e Demo of my wife’s birthday gift to me. Happy 75th Birthday to Me! My wife purchased a used Taylor 114e for me in Santa Fe, NM. In my latest video, I’m demoing a beautiful Taylor … Continue reading
Can the Blue Yeti Professional Actually Handle Vocals and Electric Guitar at Once? (My Field Test)
As an advanced beginner guitarist, one of the biggest hurdles isn’t just learning the chords—it’s recording them. If you’ve ever tried to record yourself singing while playing, you know the struggle: the guitar usually sounds like a roar, and the … Continue reading
“Songwriting Tips from Janis Ian: Instinct, Craft, and Optimism”
From the importance of “Instinct + Craft” to the necessity of staying healthy, these are my top takeaways from Janis Ian’s interview in Paul Zollo’s “Songwriters on Songwriting.” Continue reading
Posted in Songwriters Series
Tagged Beginner Guitarist, Janis Ian, Paul Zollo, Songwriting tips, Writing Guitar Songs
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Blue Yeti Settings: Record Balanced Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
One of the most persistent challenges in my journey as an “advanced beginner” has been the technical side of home recording. Specifically: How do you record a vocal and an acoustic guitar at the same time without one overpowering the … Continue reading
Buying Your First Solid Spruce Top Guitar: The GSPL Test Results
Learn the GSPL method for buying your first solid spruce top guitar. Compare Martin, Seagull, and Alvarez models to find your perfect sound. Continue reading
Posted in Guitar Learnings, My Guitars
Tagged Acoustic Guitar Tips, Martin DM, Seagull S6
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Guitar Care: Transitioning Your Instruments from Winter to Spring in Cold Weather Regions
The “Shoshin” Approach: “There is a unique kind of ‘beginner’s joy’ in rediscovering your own instruments after a long winter storage.” This is fun. Winter is breaking in Chicago and the Cubs played their first ball game yesterday (and lost). … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Guitar Maintenance, Ibanez V70CE, Shoshin Guitarist, Spring Guitar Care
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Doing Your Own Guitar Repairs and Adjustments
This is a simple log for me. It’s my Guitar Repair To Do List for 2026 and my journey. You keep a Guitar Repair To Do List, don’t you??? “Can anyone call themself a guitarist or bassist if they have … Continue reading
Posted in Guitar Demos, Guitar Learnings, My Guitars
Tagged guitar inventory, guitar repair list, guitar repairs
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Random Guitar Things I Learned at 3 Cash America Pawn Shops Today
Just a short post today. This Harley Benton SC-500 was at Cash America in Chicago for $199. I am confident I could have had it for $150, maybe less. But I wasn’t buying guitars today, just looking. Today I drove … Continue reading