General Music Chat

Something like 76" of snow in the last 3 weeks (doesn't count what came before that). Seasonal average is usually around 48". I've spent more hours moving snow (shovel and snowblower) than playing guitar because my fingers, hands, arms and shoulders are so aching and tired. It does give me the opportunity to work on my mixing, and have retracked some vocals on tunes, as well - when the snow plows aren't making too much noise on the street outside.

I wrote and recorded this song last year when the winter never wanted to end, but have already resurrected it this year:
https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com/track/winter-sucks

I tried but Bandcamp won't let me in because of my browser. I guess the older browsers don't contain enough back doors for them to gleen personal information from me.

Wow 76 inches of snow WOW, yeah that does suck Mike! Cabin fever yet? I would play guitar lots. You would be pissed if you knew how nice the weather has been here. You can get me back in a few months when it is 100 degrees here with 100% humidity Must be all this manmade global warming.

What I don't like about winter, here in Connecticut, is the dry air.
My acoustic guitar gets too dry, and it changes shape a tad.
It makes my strings lower, and they buzz.
So every winter I wind up shimming my bridge.
A humidifier doesn't work for me because I have a wood stove and must keep one window open always.
I have pans of water on my stove and currently am putting about 2 gallons of water into the air, daily.
.
btw - the temperature here last might was 3 degrees below zero.

What I don't like about winter, here in Connecticut, is the dry air.
My acoustic guitar gets too dry, and it changes shape a tad.
It makes my strings lower, and they buzz.
So every winter I wind up shimming my bridge.
A humidifier doesn't work for me because I have a wood stove and must keep one window open always.
I have pans of water on my stove and currently am putting about 2 gallons of water into the air, daily.
.
btw - the temperature here last might was 3 degrees below zero.

Dryness is always an issue in the winter in the Northeast. I take it you dont' have a room you can shut off and humidfy easily? If not, then use in-case humidifers - many ways to do it, but basically take sponges, soak them then wring them out so they are not dripping, then put them into a baggie with holes cut into it, or into a travel soap container wiht holes punched into it. Put htem in the guitar case, and close it up - it does work! Letting your guitar dry out is not good - even if its laminated but has a solid top, the top will eventually crack.

it's been cold here in MO but at least we haven't seen much snow this winter. mike...my heart goes out to you poor ef-ers up in the NE. Stay safe (that goes for everyone).

Mike, I don't know hat I want to humidify my guitar (say overnight), and then bring it out into my 28% humidity, to play for 3-4 hours.
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Damp then dry, damp then dry . . . that might be even worse.

Sorry guys, but this looks like my chance to tell you I've hardly had to wear a jacket at all, this winter.
We had the most mild spring and summer I can remember in 40 years, living here. Makes me wonder what's next....

Mike, I don't know hat I want to humidify my guitar (say overnight), and then bring it out into my 28% humidity, to play for 3-4 hours.
.
Damp then dry, damp then dry . . . that might be even worse.

Oh, yeah, you do. Guitars don't change instantaneously. It takes hours/days to make any appreciable difference in the wood's moisture content. I never humidified my old Epiphone - solid top, laminated sides/back, and there are noticable cracks from bridge to end now in it. When it's dry, you can hear them buzz a little on certain notes. When it's humidified, the wood expands, closes up the cracks, no buzz.

3 more inches of snow last night. Supposed to get snow/ice/rain on Sunday, which means I've got to get the snowrake out again and get some of the snow of the carport and shed roofs. It was 4 years ago that my garage roof collapsed from the snow on it.

I have been stuck in Istanbul Turkey for the last three days because they got a few inches of snow and shut down the airport.

If you ever wondered what hell is like, trying dealing with Turkish Airlines. There were people passing out from standing so long in lines (where they told you to get in a different line after you'd spent 4 hours there)

I almost went totally postal.....then I remembered that movie "Midnight Express"

Schmed, my son lives in Tempe, he said he rarely wears a coat in the winter.

I know, lots of transplants come in and never wear a coat. And brag about it. And rub it in.
But I'm a native. I actually get cold here. The real fun is the other nine months of the year, when the transplants melt in the heat. And whine.

I know I'd melt in AZ in the summer - I was born in Canada, so I'm part snow!
Spent over 1-1/2 hours yesterday after work raking snow off the shed and carport roofs. My inner elbows hurthtis morning - probably my bulging biceps are straining hte ligaminets. More snow (changing to ice then rain) due Saturday night.

Iowa is such a miserable desolate boring place that even the snow didn't want to come here this year.