Greeting from SE Michigan

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 21 Dec 2007 10:20 am

Hey everyone,
I've been enjoying this forum for a while so I figured it was time to join so that I could post.

I'm Mark and I've been a guitar player for 40 years and during that time I've dabbled in many different genres but concentrated mostly on Rock, Blues and Jazz. For a long time I've had to work around left hand ailments that has caused me to take occasional time off from playing in order to recover. During one of my off times a friend of mine GAVE me a Gibson BR9. He bought it from a bum outside a bar where he was playing for 5 bucks in 1980, gave it to me around a year later. Back 26 years ago I was aware that there was such a thing as a lap guitar but had never acually seen one. Well, I messed with it over the years but never got serious about it until about a year and a half ago when I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel. On top of my other hand problems I realized that it was time to switch gears so I got out the old BR9 and went to work.

What a great time I've been having with his jewel. I really wish that I had taken this instrument more serious in the past because I love it so much and is now my #1 interest (besides my wife of course).

Well, that's my story and I'm glad to finally be here. Please feel free to say hi because I'd like to get to know as many of you as possible.

Did I mention that I am in absolute awe of the collection of talent that resides here? Most of the clips I've listened to are amazing.

Mark

Bill Moore · Post by **Bill Moore** » 21 Dec 2007 10:53 am

Welcome to the Forum, Mark, I live near Manchester, between Ann Arbor and Jackson. Merry Christmas!

Shari Kane · Post by **Shari Kane** » 21 Dec 2007 2:13 pm

Mark,
Hi and good to hear of another SE Michigan player, I'm in Ann Arbor, where are you?
Shari

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 21 Dec 2007 2:59 pm

Hi Mark.Welcome to the SGF.I'm in Pontiac and love to jam..PJ

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 21 Dec 2007 5:14 pm

Welcome Mark

Dean Gray · Post by **Dean Gray** » 21 Dec 2007 5:45 pm

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum. I am a relative new-comer myself and can only say the nicest things about the people here.
Enjoy your steel!
Deano

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 21 Dec 2007 7:07 pm

I'm in Ann Arbor.

Welcome aboard!

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 21 Dec 2007 9:34 pm

Hi Mark and Welcome to SGF.

I was a former Michigander from Grand Rapids, but now live in Vancouver, Washington where I view Mt. Hood and Mt St. Helens daily. Just thought that I would make you jealous. $:\$

I hope that you will give Hawaiian music a go. Jazz is also a part of Hawaiian music.

You might consider coming to the HSGA convention in Joliet. A convention is held every year by HSGA in Joliet and every other year in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is always a great time of comraderie.

Aloha,

Don

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 22 Dec 2007 1:33 am

Welcome Mark,from Alabama,Merry Christmas.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 22 Dec 2007 7:14 am

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.

Bill,
I checked out your site, very cool. I can defenitely relate to the comments you made about learning steel guitar. It's an easy instrument to get started on but difficult to master. That's sort of where I'm at now... the difficult part so advancement comes slowly now.

Shari,
I'm in Utica.

Papa Joe,
Dude, did anyone ever tell you that you look a lot like Hendrix? What type of music do you play?

Tom,
Thanks for the welcome. Your guitars building skills are astounding, I came close to buying that guitar you had on ebay.

Dean,
I checked out your myspace and listened to some of your songs... really nice man, I'm jealous. Nice reso too. I'm trying to create a myspace page, how do you get the music player on the page?

Gerald,
Thanks for all the new song updates, I've enjoyed them all.

Don Kona,
You Hawaiian players just kill me... the level of skill is truly amazing, such a smooth and fluid technique must take years to master. I honestly never heard quality Hawaiian music until I discoverd this site. I hiked on St Helen before the eruption, very beautiful area. I have family there.

Charles,
Merry Chrismas to you as well!

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 22 Dec 2007 11:56 am

Welcome Mark,
Colorado here - but born in Ann Arbor!

Your story sounds similar to mine - I've played guitar many years, didn't get any hand injuries - but my friend Bruce Cohen gave me a gag gift - an old Supro lap steel. It was laying around for about 15 years before I started playing it - now I don't play guitar much at all!

I used to have a wife, so now the steel IS my most favorite thing.

(message in there somewhere!)

cheers,
Chris

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 22 Dec 2007 5:36 pm

Welcome Mark, from the Saginaw area.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 23 Dec 2007 8:46 am

Seldomfed,
Yeah, I've heard the same story many times... long time guitar player turns lap player. I'm not sure why that is exactly... is it because lap guitar is making a comback and guys are bored with regular guitar? I have always loved listening to slide but I was dedicated to standard guitar so I focused all of my attention on that. I'm really happy that there is another instrument that I can play so now my focus is on lap steel.

Bill,
Thanks for the welcome, nice to here that there are so many other Michigan players around.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 23 Dec 2007 6:49 pm

Hey Kane,

How's the double treatin' ya?

Hey Bill,

I'm doing the Van Buren oldies show again soon...

Drew

John Lang · Post by **John Lang** » 24 Dec 2007 10:46 am

Hi Mark,

I'm pretty close to you, in Shelby Twp. Check out my web site and MySpace.

I play a triple neck 1953 Stringmaster as well as the pedal guitar.

John

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 26 Dec 2007 9:40 am

Hey John, I checked out your website... very nice. You're obviously a serious musician. I may have to check out your band when you play in the area.

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 26 Dec 2007 7:14 pm

I'm also just a stones throw away near Muskegon. Welcome to the forum.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 27 Dec 2007 7:09 am

Mark,

Speaking of long-time pickers turned steelers, this was my case and is Shari Kane's. Shari is as good as they get for fingerstyle blues. Have fun with your Gibson!

John Lang, my triple would like to meet yours sometime!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zEC0RM14B4E

cheers,
Drew

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 27 Dec 2007 9:45 am

George,
thanks for the welcome!

Drew,
Yes, the little BR9 is fun to play and I also have an Epi 12-string turned 6-string steel (the one in my avitar). I'm at the point now where I'd like to expand my steel family.

Shari,
So Drew says you're a great figerstyle blues player? Do you have any music out there that I can listen to?

Shari Kane · Post by **Shari Kane** » 27 Dec 2007 10:09 am

Drew,
Shucks!
Mark,
I play in a duo with harmonica ace Madcat Ruth, called, Madcat & Kane. We've got several CD's, Drew keeps bugging me to get a myspace up, but I'm a technical moron. This has been fun to check out all the people here in Michigan, hope our paths cross.
Shari Kane

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 27 Dec 2007 10:51 am

Drew is right, you need to get a myspace page created.

I'm working on one right now. We'll see how it turns out as I'm doing it myself and I am no techno nerd. Probably will take me forever to get songs copyrighted and up on the page. At some point though it will happen.

Harrison Withers · Post by **Harrison Withers** » 28 Dec 2007 12:32 pm

Lived in a2 for 7 years but I'm out in grand haven now, south of the guy in muskegon....

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 28 Dec 2007 2:47 pm

Frank?

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 29 Dec 2007 6:32 am

Hey Harrison,
Man, for years I've been thinking that I'm like alone on an island with this old lap steel and now I'm finding that there's all these other folks around me that play. Very cool.

Steve Branscom · Post by **Steve Branscom** » 29 Dec 2007 1:18 pm

Hi Mark,
I'm Steve, late of Southfield, NW suburb of Detroit, now in the PacNW. Ran into a Mike Mansueto out here in the car business a few years ago, friends with another ex-Michigan guy? Any relation? Had to ask.