“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.”
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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 other? Note: This blog post is specifically for my Blue Yeti and Ibanez V70CE. But…
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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.
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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). So early Spring means taking my best guitars out of their hard cases and soft…
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How Choosing an Acoustic Guitar is Like Choosing a New Friend
First you shake hands, you talk a while, listen to each other, and maybe decide to visit with that person again. Choosing an acoustic guitar is a similar process. It takes a while to choose a new friend. It takes a while to choose your second very good acoustic guitar. – Shoshin Guitarist. No More…
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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 never put new strings on their guitar or bass?” – Shoshin Guitarist Fender CD60 –…
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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 the northside of Chicago, IL USA and visited 3 Cash America pawn shop stores and…
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Learning from Andrew Clarke’s Guitar Mistakes
Watch Andrew Clarke and his wonderful “I Taught Myself Guitar. Don’t Make the Same Mistakes I Did” YouTube Video. My Comment on Andrew Clarke’s YouTube Channel Andrew, Thanks for another thoughtful video. I have been playing guitar for 2 years and bass for 1 year. Lots of fun in retirement. Am I “guilty” of some…
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Guitar Humidity & Temperature Guide: Acoustic vs Electric vs Bass
Here is my $1 Acoustic Guitar Humidifier Solution. Here’s My Humidity and Temperature Guide to Surviving Cold and Dry Winters What humidity and temperature should you keep your guitars and basses in—and does it really differ between acoustics, electrics, and basses? By the way, it’s 7 degrees Fahrenheit outside tonight in January. This practical guide…
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My Twenty Five Dollar blue Yamaha RBX170 Kicks Butt
This is a short post. “Lazarus” the Cheap Yamaha RBX170 Kicks Butt I am enjoying the heck out of “Lazarus” the blue Yamaha RBX170 that plays so fine. It cost $25. Minor repairs, new strings, two strap pins and a minor setup in Chicago’s northwest side cost another $80. But it’s very light, almost like…
