Healdsburg guitar festival
| POSTED BY: jerrylow | POSTED ON: 08/27/07 00:17:21 | ||
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Just got back from the Healdsburg Guitar festival held last weekend in Santa Rosa CA. http://www.lmii.com/GuitarFestival/Default.asp. It was a chance to hear some world class guitarists and play a few world class guitars; an amazing experience to say the least. If you're reading this and are interested, here are 5 people that I got to meet and that you should check out 1) Ed Gerhard http://www.virtuerecords.com Ed is a wonderfully soulful guitarist who is known for his touch and timing, and those are two things he emphasized in his workshop. 2) Michael Chapdelaine- http://www.michaelchapdelaine.com classically trained but has built a substantial "crossover" career playing pop tunes and his own original compositions on a steel string. I really appreciate the sense of rythmn and groove he brings to his music. 3) Kathy Wingert http://www.wingertguitars.com/ a luthier from California who builds both visually and sonically beautiful guitars. 4) Kevin Ryan http://www.ryanguitars.com/home/home1.htm - legendary (and I don't use the term loosely) luthier from California as well. This was the first time I got to pick up a Ryan guitar after hearing so much about them, and all the talk is true. I got to play his "Ghost" a $30,000 guitar, and it was quite an experience. I would compare it to playing a Steinway grand piano. His other "lesser" guitars are equally as impressive. To finally play a Ryan was a special treat. By far my favorite experience was playing a guitar built by 5) Charles Hoffman a luthier from the midwest http://www.hoffmanguitars.com/ . I really appreciated Charlie's simple lines and elegant details, but the sound of the guitar was just incredible. It definitely rivaled the Ryan and the Goodalls that I've played in the past. And his prices aren't that far out of reach for folks for a guitar of this quality. He's a really nice guy too, more than willing to shoot the breeze and talk guitars. The only other guitar I'd like to play someday is an Olsen, I hear their sustain is incredible So do I aspire to buy any of these guitars? I only aspire to get my playing up to a level to be worthy of one of these guitars someday. That and saving a ton of money wouldn't hurt either. For now I'm happy to cut my chops playing my little Martin, which isn't a piece of junk either. Suffice it to say that I'm still in somewhat of a state of euphoria, and eager to pick up the guitar to play something or to work out another arrangement. Hopefully I'll post a new recording or video sometime soon. Blessings, Jerry |
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