for those who hate restringing a guitar...

[sneakyjapan]

today we had a new student in one of the schools I work in and I had to check her English level and found out she plays harp... but not the wind instrument, she plays the stringed.
47 strings that need tuning every day made of steel, nylon and sheep gut. She told me it costs her about 100,000 yen for a complete new set...thats over $900.oo US at todays rate.
So...I`m thankful I only have 6 to change and tune at one time. 47?... fogeddaboudit.

 

[maestrovert]

ahhh......what BEAUTIFUL tones her instrument has.....

how often do the strings of a Harp actually need changing ?

 

[reverbbb]

Ah YES! But she don't have 10 harps. I have 10 guitars, a bass and two mandolins. That comes out to 80 strings to change. It seems that at least once a week, I am changing strings on something. I am under the impression that harpist don't change their strings often (perhaps once a year if professional or once in a lifetime if a novice). Many of the strings are nylon, so they can tolerate longer periods between stringing. A harp is very similar to a piano harp in concept. Aside from the fact that people rarely touch those strings with their hands, it is rare that most pianos ever get restringed.

Having said that, I feel for your student that has to pay 100,000 yen for restringing. I am sure that she feels that it is a burden that she must bear to enjoy her instrument. She might want to learn that procedure herself and save money down the road.

Another perspective: I think it costs about $2500 for a kid to be outfitted with minimum safety equipment to be a hockey goaly. Every one or two years, they have outgrown everything. These days, highschool cheerleading can easily cost the parent $7000/year for all the travel, socials, training and uniforms (and social dresses).

I wish my kid liked guitar as much as I do, he would already have access to instruments that I could only dream about when I was a kid.

 

[cvansickle]

What do you do if you have one kid who plays harp, another who plays hockey, and a third in cheerleading?

And don't suggest "sell some of your guitars!"

 

[sneakyjapan]

A Texan tellin a Canadian about hockey? Thats gotta be a first !
In our family though, I have a brother who is 10 years older and guess whose goalie equipment I got after he outgrew it... we both played nets.

 

[slauson slim]

Zither

We have an heirloom from my wife's family - a concert zither. 32 strings, I think. Five fretted strings - and the rest are plucked. I think the technique is to use a thumb pick and finger picks. About $250 to restring it, the instrument itself is worth about $50. It's on display.

 

[reverbbb]

A Texan tellin a Canadian about hockey? Thats gotta be a first !

You know, I ain't telling nothing about hockey, 'cause I will be the first to admit that I stay far away from playing that sport . All I know, is that several folks that I have met that played hockey, have many scars to show for their fun.

Hockey is getting bigger in Texas since the Stars won the championship. I know, there ain't no ice in Texas. So, they have built several indoor ice arenas in the area. I got my cost information from a local TV news report. The news report seemed to put the scare twist into the cost of the sport for parents. It seems that Plano, TX has become the center of the USA for the 'soccer mom syndrome'. Some are exploring hockey for their kids as well. With Lance Armstrong being from Plano, he also has sparked a lot of what I call 'weekend group cyclists'.

Sorry, to drift off the main topic. I just wanted to clarify that I know nothing about hockey. I have only skated about 5 times in the past 20 years - though I enjoy it when I go.

 

[jhundt]

Ricetybackers

I worked as a roadie for a guy with a pair of Ricketybacker 12s. He usually wanted one strung new every night. Seems easy enough, but after a while you're just looking at the thing saying "where the heck does this one go... where's the peg, which way do I gotta turn it?" A few beers didn't help...

 

[WickedGTR]

I used to see the Flamin' Groovies in SF. They'd have three gtr players w/ 12 strings, and a bass.....

That's 40 potential tuning problems...sounded cool tho-

 

[jhundt]

you were there Wicked Guitar

you know what I mean! We Berkeley rockers only had an old Conn Strobe, they were just coming out with those little guitar tuners. Did you ever see the Stones Hyde Park film, where the world's greatest rock and roll band is trying to tune their own guitars in a trailer with a Champ amp and a harmonica, whilt totally and utterly high... it's a laugh!

 

[agent2x4]

Flamin groovies were cool...never got to see them though. We did cover several songs...shake some action and tore me down are the ones I can think of right now.

 

[lobotomyactivist]

A Texan tellin a Canadian about hockey? Thats gotta be a first !

You know, I ain't telling nothing about hockey, 'cause I will be the first to admit that I stay far away from playing that sport . All I know, is that several folks that I have met that played hockey, have many scars to show for their fun.

When I first started playing guitar, the 3/4" long scar on the tip of my left ring finger would just slip around and never got a callous...got it when I was trying out for the JV team and accidently smashed into a Varsity guy, who skated over my hand. A few inches of cloth hockey tape and good as new...for the time, at least .

 

[Brian blaut]

what does she react when the rest of the band decide to tune down 1/2 step?

 

[sneakyjapan]

good question, I`ll ask her next time I see her.

 

[Caper]

what does she react when the rest of the band decide to tune down 1/2 step?