Music / practice room layout

[Dennis Montgomery]

Hey James,

what can you tell us about the 2 instruments on the left?

Looks like a beautiful 6 course lute, but with some modern amenities? I played an authentic medieval lute once with tied on adjustable frets and gut strings and it took me an hour just to get it in tune and setup to play...then the strings were like playing rubber bands, and it sounded like it too Looks like yours might have metal frets and modern strings? Is it a recently built instrument?

What instrument is on the far left? I've seen a lot of unusual historical guitar variants but have never seen a headstock like that! Can you post a close up of it and tell us more?

Thanks!

[Larry Allen]

Hawaii band room... Alaska band room....dozens of pickers have come to rehearse/jam..

[Don Kuhn]

James Mayer that was a cool idea I wish my parents would of kept that Magnavox we had and I like your room, Thanks

[Bill L. Wilson]

I have my own little house out back.

[Erv Niehaus]

I have a little house out back also.
But it's only built for two.
I was thinking of adding a second story.
Erv

[James Mayer]

Hey James,

what can you tell us about the 2 instruments on the left?

Looks like a beautiful 6 course lute, but with some modern amenities? I played an authentic medieval lute once with tied on adjustable frets and gut strings and it took me an hour just to get it in tune and setup to play...then the strings were like playing rubber bands, and it sounded like it too Looks like yours might have metal frets and modern strings? Is it a recently built instrument?

That is a handmade Turkish oud that I purchased on one of my trips to Istanbul. Ouds pre-date medieval lutes and are the direct ancestor. "Lute" is an evolution/mispronciation of "oud" (sometimes pronounced 'oot'). Ouds are fretless and typically have 11 strings (10 double-courses and one drone).

What instrument is on the far left? I've seen a lot of unusual historical guitar variants but have never seen a headstock like that! Can you post a close up of it and tell us more?

That is a "guitarra portuguesa", purchased on a trip to Lisbon. They are sometimes referred to as "fado" guitars.

HERE's the instrumental that convinced me to seek one out.

As for the tuners, google "preston tuners".

[Gabriel Edell]

4

The tenor sax is my daughter's.

[James Mayer]

Gabriel, how do you like that keyless GFI? I've always thought their keyless heads looked like a good design.

[Gabriel Edell]

Gabriel, how do you like that keyless GFI? I've always thought their keyless heads looked like a good design.

I think it's great. Note that this is the only PS I've ever played so I don't have anything to compare it to. But it's an efficient and effective design and it holds its tuning quite well. It's also pretty small and light for a PS.

[Dennis Montgomery]

Thanks James, it never occurred to me that might be an oud rather than a lute. I've only seen/heard one once at a belly dancing recital.

The Portuguese guitar sounds wonderful...I can hear why you'd want one. Checked out the wiki page on Preston tuners...very interesting!

[Brooks Montgomery]

The good news: I staked out a corner in my living room.
The bad news: that’s all the room she’ll give me. All my amps, guitars, accessories are in a jammed-tight closet upstairs. I’m jealous of you guys (and gals) with (wo)man-caves and studios!

[Dennis Montgomery]

I've been fortunate to have always had a music room since I was 15. Here's the current layout...

Guitar wall (and Roland electronic drum kit)



Main work area (all recording happens on the Roland VS-1880 on the left which I've had for 19 years, then mastered to laptop with audacity)



Very handy having a keyboard within reach of the Mullen to help translate things...notice spotlight pointing at the underside of the Mullen, a dead giveaway that I like to play with my PSG almost as much as I like to play it

[Lyle Bradford]

Building a new one almost finished with it.

[Marc Muller]

Mine is like an old I Spy book. The rug really ties the room together....

[Barry Blackwood]

Lyle, looks like a well stocked music store. With all that, how do you decide on any given day what to practice on?

[Jeremy Threlfall]

Sorta temporary digs while the flat gets a bit of a Reno. It usually looks a lot like this anyway - more of a storeroom than a studio

[Kevin Swan]