Networks

Introduction

I'm a singer/songwriter hobbiest.

What level guitarist are you? (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert)

Judging from people's reactions, I'm advanced. I have too many gaping holes in my playing to ever be an expert, but I'm working on it.

Where did you find out about the Baltimore Guitarist Group? If from a member, please put their name.

I discovered it on the Internet.

What is your favorite guitar that you own?

I have a Taylor 713CE. It is the finest thing I've ever owned.

What guitar do you wish you owned?

My father gave me a $75 Kay acoustic when I was 16 that he had bought at a pawn shop . He was no longer interested in playing it. It was cheap with a bolted on bridge and eventually deteriorated to the point where it couldn't be tuned. It had a beautiful sound, though, that guitarists frequently commented on. I suspect the soundboard may have been a single piece of wood. The country mansion I was living in back in my hippie commune days had an unfinished attic. I remember dropping it into a hollow space between walls after it appeared useless. I had met my future wife, and it was time to move on. If that house is still there, it is probably still in a wall somewhere. I wish I had kept it. It may have been salvageable in some way.

Who is your biggest guitar influence and why?

I became a 'real' guitar player by reading a series of columns by Harold Roberts in Guitar Player magazine. Essentially he taught the 'CAGED' method, which I've seen ascribed to Joe Pass. After this I became one of 'those guys' who could hear a song on a record and figure out exactly what was going on. It also gave me the confidence to find work as a weekend warrior. More recently I took lessons from Towson based guitarist Tobias Hurwitz. He is a great guitarist and a great teacher. He can adapt to accommodate your questions and level of skill. Essentially he gave me a graduate school experience by allowing me to determine the direction of my lessons with my questions. I don't really have a favorite guitarist, I tend to be impressed by individual performances. I do think that Carlos Santana's work on 'Black Magic Woman' and Jimi Hendrix's work on 'All Along the Watchtower' are as close to divinity as man has yet to achieve, though.

What Will Jenkins is saying about this Meetup Group

Really nice. I need to get out a play more often.