Hah! Felicia, you've hit on a new acronym: UPE (unplayable piece of excrement) Well done! Mitch In a message dated 4/13/2011 6:00:13 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
You're right, Michael, gurdies ARE rare, good ones doubly so. I can't tell you the number of gigs where we've showed up only to have people sort of back away from the gurdy because they've had a bad one inflicted on them. Once I get playing they (usually) settle down and (usually) enjoy themselves. Too many times I've heard the comment after a set, "Gee, your gurdy sounds like a musical instrument." I'm not bragging- my playing is not of the highest or most traditional quality- and I have what many folks would consider a slightly-above entry level instrument, (a Hubbert Volksgurdy) but at least it is a fully functioning instrument that is capable of being properly tuned. Even then I DO complain about it sometimes! :D I was extremely lucky to have not only heard a couple of good instruments but to have had good advice about where to send my money. I was even more fortunate to get a crash course in set up and basic playing right after it came in the mail. Thanks to Anna Clemenger I was not let loose upon an unsuspecting public with a bad instrument and no instruction! I still only had time for the one lesson before setting out on tour as it came three days before I was due to leave. I played very simple things for a long, long time- and it was very well received. Again, much of that was due to the instrument's quality. Even so, it's been an uphill battle and I've been extremely grateful for the many teachers along the way who've helped me so much in taming much of the beastly qualities of the gurdy. I would have had the same problems only magnified with a more advanced instrument but at least I wasn't fighting with an unplayable piece of excrement and thinking that it was all my fault that it sounded so bad. I think that's what bothers me the most, that someone with all that excitement and eagerness to play a gurdy ends up with a bad instrument (for whatever reason) and then thinks, "I can't play this and it's my fault," or some variation that puts the blame on them instead of the instrument/builder. Even with a decent gurdy there have been times when I had to set it down very gently and walk away to vent my frustration safely on something else. At least in my case I knew it WAS my issue that I couldn't get the cotton on correctly or do the coup correctly or figure out a fingering. It's not the wheel rubbing the cotton off or a trompette that will never work or keys that stick or are so loose that they flop over like wet grass. I will add one more thing to this thread before I try to stop yapping. I have heard several of what I would consider unplayable instruments sounding absolutely wonderful. One was a kit, the other was barely a step above a kit and the third by a fairly famous builder who must have been having a "bad hair day." Because of their players (with wildly varying levels of ability and musical education) and the tweaking that these people did with these otherwise potentially dreadful gurdies they were very, very nice. A couple of these even had weed-whacker line for strings!!! So as much as I complain about poor instruments it's obvious that sometimes it's not the instrument at all but the person behind it. And isn't that a wonderful thing? Felicia. On Apr 13, 2011, at 1:24 PM, Michael McMillan wrote: > I think I've only been able to help about three or four of the twenty or more people who asked me due to the poor quality of the gurdy they bought. Part of the problem [besides expense] is that gurdies are so rare in many places. Some people will never actually lay eyes on a fine instrument, much less hear a good player live, and they are even less likely to be able to get good advice from someone one-on-one. Thus far, I fall into all these categories. I'm not interested in buying a GSO, but I still hear a lot of complaining by real musicians about the real things, too! ;o) If an isolated individual who is not a musician buys a super 'gurdy, and can get no help with it, I can imagine he may also be quite frustrated. --Michael ____________________________________ From: Felicia Dale <[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) > To: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Sent: Wed, April 13, 2011 3:03:37 PM Subject: Re: [HG-new] GSO on eBay It's just so depressing!!! Here is this enthusiastic, eager, ready to learn person with an unusable instrument that they spent good money on. :( It's just so depressing- and so frustrating and it happens WAY more often than is necessary. I think I've only been able to help about three or four of the twenty or more people who asked me due to the poor quality of the gurdy they bought. Felicia. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) For more options, visit this group at _http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy_ (http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy) The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at _http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm_ (http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm) . To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at _http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy_ (http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy) The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at _http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm_ (http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm) . To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. 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