My Avalon in the Southern Caribbean

[riverdog]

Hey friends,

Kinda quiet here but I want to encourage you to check out Greypickers new CD Eight and Forty and his new YT vid "The Reeds" that features his Avalon gorgeous Eclipse. Wow Avalon you out did yourself on that beauty!

On the riverdog front, I took my Avalon S201, "Ava" to the USVI/West Indies and did three vids with her during my cruise. Here is the first of the three vids. My son had a blast playin' her too out on our balcony. Another great guitarist I met onthe ship named Lace Walker loved playin' her too. He really made her sing on some acoustic jazz. He new nothing of Avalon, but I gave him a great introduction to them. He has a new CD out called Acoustic Sketches that is a fabulous acoustic instrumental. You can find him on Pandora too. He plays electric too and rips on some Chik Corea.
So here is vid 1; my rendition of Kenny Chesney's; "On The Coast Of Somewhere Beautiful"; what I like to call caribbean country.
Hope you enjoy!

riverdog

[riverdog]

Hey friends,

Kinda quiet here but I want to encourage you to check out Greypickers new CD Eight and Forty and his new YT vid "The Reeds" that features his Avalon gorgeous Eclipse. Wow Avalon you out did yourself on that beauty!

On the riverdog front, I took my Avalon S201, "Ava" to the USVI/West Indies and did three vids with her during my cruise. Here is the first of the three vids. My son had a blast playin' her too out on our balcony. Another great guitarist I met onthe ship named Lace Walker loved playin' her too. He really made her sing on some acoustic jazz. He new nothing of Avalon, but I gave him a great introduction to them. He has a new CD out called Acoustic Sketches that is a fabulous acoustic instrumental. You can find him on Pandora too. He plays electric too and rips on some Chik Corea.
So here is vid 1; my rendition of Kenny Chesney's; "On The Coast Of Somewhere Beautiful"; what I like to call caribbean country.
Hope you enjoy!

riverdog

Oops I forgot yo post the YTC address: http://www.youtube.com/user/uncaskillet

[boombox]

Checked out the song last night. Great playing as usual, but I couldn't believe you took your baby on a Caribbean cruise. I'd be too worried about humidity and the like to risk mine. Also, what did that humidity do to the strings?

I know guitars are meant to be played, but I have been considering getting some sort of beater to take on holiday etc. I have an old Fender Gemini II, but it plays awful compared to my Avalon and my Collings. I think it needs a neck set too, but on a 27 year old box which only cost £80 at the time, I think not! Maybe I'll just stick some lights on and grind down the saddle.

[riverdog]

Checked out the song last night. Great playing as usual, but I couldn't believe you took your baby on a Caribbean cruise. I'd be too worried about humidity and the like to risk mine. Also, what did that humidity do to the strings?

I know guitars are meant to be played, but I have been considering getting some sort of beater to take on holiday etc. I have an old Fender Gemini II, but it plays awful compared to my Avalon and my Collings. I think it needs a neck set too, but on a 27 year old box which only cost £80 at the time, I think not! Maybe I'll just stick some lights on and grind down the saddle.

Hey Boom,
Thanks for listenin' in and for the kind props buddy.
I thought it would be cool to do a few vids for my YTC in the caribbean and the Avalon being smaller was the easiest to carry. I did not use my Hiscox case but rather a soft backpack type to carry it. Also the 3rd video that I have not posted yet sounds best on the Avalon than my other guitars. As far as the humidity, it was definitely a problem! Living in Fl. I am used to it but my guitars stay around 40-45% in my ac house. However, on the ship and being outside a lot, the humidity was close to 100% and "Ava", as I call 'er, swelled up like a sponge! So I was getting bad buzzing on the first fret mainly on the 1st string. So I had to capo for all the songs which jacked my vox up a bit for the KC tune. She definitely has been broken in with suntan oil, sweat, and the salt of the sea! But I love it, like you said they are meant to be played and I love this little guitar. Good thing is when I got back home, she reacclimated to the 45% rh and the buzzing went away and she is perfectly fine now. A testimony to fine build. I frequently take my guitars out and I used to play my Lowden on the beach for sunrise church service. As long as they don't sit in the sun and aren't abused as such with over exposure they're fine as I've experienced. In fact when I was playing outside in Ecuador back in the mid 90's I played my 78' Guild D-25 outside a lot even in a drizzle of rain a time or two and that guitar is solid to this day but now resides with my oldest son.
I would do it all again because it was so much fun and my youngest son had a ball playin' Ava as well on the coast of somewhere beautiful...

eric

[riverdog]

Hi Eric

Just listened again to the latest vid.

I put up my thoughts a few days back on Youtube, but just want to add that Ava sounds wonderfully tuneful and clear despite the sound of the surf and the high humidity.

You have the knack of picking great songs and putting them across with a lot of feeling and this one suited the situation perfectly.

The final thing I wanted to say is how much I enjoy your talking in your movies. You are very entertaining. Glad to see you enjoying "just a lil' bit of the beverage, too.
I'd be interested to know what other forum members think on this.

We all take comfort from the fact that you are out there, taking her easy for us poor sinners!

Long may you cruise!

John

Thank you John for your generous comments here and on YT! Again I was blessed to have a blast on this cruise.
As far as talking on my vids I have to feel it naturally; sometimes I do, other times I just want to play. I've had a few critics say they prefer to hear just music and they hit FF and thats ok. I never really planned this out that much, mostly off the cuff ya know. As I've said many times, I'm a bit of a goof and don't take it too seriously. I'm certainly not in it to "make it"; just to have fun,make friends and bring a positive message. .......But those pina coladas sure were tasty!
I always appreciate your kind encouragement John,

eric

[boombox]

[ I've had a few critics say they prefer to hear just music and they hit FF and thats ok. .... I'm certainly not in it to "make it"; just to have fun,make friends and bring a positive message.

Such people would probably never enjoy a Roy Harper or Rick Wakeman gig then, where the talking is an integral part of the show. They probably work for those irritating record companies who, when putting together a live album, edit out all the chat, leaving just the music, which could have come from the studio and been overdubbed with applause. Me, I love the banter between songs - some people, like Joziah Longo of Gandalf Murphy, or Arlo Guthrie and especially the aforementioned Mr Wakeman, I could listen to for hours.

As for your reasons for playing, right with you there too.

[Coen V]

The final thing I wanted to say is how much I enjoy your talking in your movies. You are very entertaining. Glad to see you enjoying "just a lil' bit of the beverage, too.
I'd be interested to know what other forum members think on this.

John,

could it be possible that we could NOT like this dude

and a healthy counterbalance to his fellow countrymen who think they can party with tea....

I also enjoyed your first vid , nice mellow and melancholic tune, and great to see the woods that are dear to you

Cheers, Coen