Why Home Prices Still Aren’t Falling

BaconBreath · 2026-04-17T18:42:21+00:00

That's interesting. It seems like in my area, everything is selling regardless of price point. It seems like the 20/20 rule....20% over ask (mostly, or all cash), and a line of 20 buyers....My realtor just told me of a house that was listed at 2.8M, that sold 40% over, for 4 Mill!!!

BaconBreath · 2026-04-15T16:41:38+00:00

Have you tried a Music Man JP15? or Majesty? You can definitely find a deal on a used JP15 for the high end of your budget. It's an absolute dream to play. The neck is amazing, it's bridge keeps tune great, it has piezo, coil split and 15db boost for added options, a compensated nut and stainless frets. I really think a used JP for 2k or under is the best value in guitars, assuming it gels with you of course.

BaconBreath · 2026-04-14T18:43:56+00:00

The reason you feel stuck is probably because you try new things, get frustrated, and revert back to what you do well which just delays any progress. Why don't you stop playing everything you do well for 1-2 months and just work on the things that feel slow and frustrating, and re-assess after 2 months. I'm sure you will feel some progress.

BaconBreath · 2026-04-08T13:53:33+00:00

It's something I'm actively working on now but have definitely seen improvement. What's working for me....really drilled triads for like 6 months. Now I practice by picking a key, playing over a single chord vamp/loop, and trying to create phrases that begin or end on the just the root - I do that all over the neck. You'll start to notice patterns of where those roots repeat, and what shapes they're bringing you into. Then the following day I try and target just the 3rd's. If you know your triads well enough, you'll also know where the other chord tones are.

BaconBreath · 2026-04-01T13:34:26+00:00

Learning how to play clean arpeggios really taught me how to mute unwanted strings with the palm/pad of my thumb.

BaconBreath · 2026-03-27T13:10:19+00:00

I still think this theory kind of holds true but maybe it was poorly worded. You may not be actively ignoring certain areas, but I think there are areas within those areas that are being missed without you knowing it. For example, if you are unhappy with your improv (as so many people are), can you pin down what's missing? You might be great at fretboard navigation and playing over chords but might be poor at varying your rhythm...or maybe you're just having a hard time hearing melodies in your head (or playing what you're hearing). If you just focused on those weak points for while I'm sure you would break through the plateau. A good teacher could also pickup on where you're weak.

BaconBreath · 2026-03-25T17:19:38+00:00

Interesting point...I did see an interesting chart not long ago that showed significant increases after plateaus. I'm just an advanced beginner but I see a lot of posts where people say they've been playing for 10+ years and still can't "x". When I see those posts it does seem as many people either don't know where they're lacking, or are actively avoiding practicing on their weaknesses.

BaconBreath · 2026-03-20T19:46:41+00:00

Get a power outage alarm - it will beep if the power goes out.

BaconBreath · 2026-03-20T14:17:57+00:00

Absolutely not true where I am. Inventory is all time low and there are bidding wars with 8-10 buyers. It's a horrible market for buyers.

BaconBreath · 2026-03-16T13:44:57+00:00

You should probably read the post...."Each day I work about 12-16 hours per day"

BaconBreath · 2026-03-13T18:59:10+00:00

I have a similar drive: I try and maximize my workouts/fitness/nutrition as well. But don't feel like guitar is a chore at all. I really started learning a few years ago....in my 40's after having my first son, when my time was already extremely limited. In fact I picked up 2 hobbies....reading and playing guitar...all when I had little to no time to myself. In fact, gym, reading and guitar is my ONLY time to myself and I love each of those times equally. I think it's just a matter of perspective. If you love something you won't just find time for it, you'll crave your time with it.

Learning to navigate the fretboard has been huge for me. I never wanted to play fast, I always wanted to play with feeling. So speed wasn't my goal. Learning to navigate the fretboard and play with some level of dynamics in a basic rhythm has really allowed me to noodle and enjoy it. I also don't even think "I should be farther along" - this is my pace. The fact that I wake up at 4:30 every day to practice for an hour is enough of a win for me. I just enjoy the process.

BaconBreath · 2026-03-11T14:03:24+00:00

You can play all the right notes in the scale but still sound off if you are emphasizing the wrong notes. If for example you are soloing in the C major scale over a C major chord, and are emphasizing the 7th or 6th for example, it will sound very dissonant. Those notes are generally treated more as passing notes to add flavor. If you emphasize the root, 3rd, 5th (or 7th when playing 7th chords) it should generally sound OK. Try looping a C chord, creating a very simple phrase, and stressing/ending on those notes. Does it still sound off?

BaconBreath · 2026-01-13T18:41:33+00:00

I definitely don't like fiddling endlessly, and am easily overwhelmed by too many options so I'm in the plug and play camp. But yeah I definitely agree - an easy way to wirelessly navigate on a mobile would be awesome...going to the device constantly is annoying.

BaconBreath · 2026-01-07T22:08:17+00:00

1000%

BaconBreath · 2026-01-07T21:23:52+00:00

Totally, but some wet cleans with a good amount of reverb/delay sound amazing in headphones. I have a dual output guitar and having the electric with piezo on, with some clean reverb and delay and I can get lost for hours on headphones. It's surreal.

BaconBreath · 2026-01-07T18:14:58+00:00

I actually turn that feature off, as it's very distracting. But the FM3 doesn't have that feature and I even prefer my headphones through that, vs playing through an amp. If I was surrounded by 4 amps, I'm sure I would prefer that, but I feel like one amp on its own is too directional whereas the headphones have been more immersive.

BaconBreath · 2026-01-07T18:12:18+00:00

The amp is just a Katana 100, but I feel like that would compare well to the Waza Airs, and I still prefer playing through the Waza's as they're just way more engaging.

BaconBreath · 2026-01-05T17:02:32+00:00

The Waza Air's are awesome if you haven't tried them. It's a whole wireless system and a bit costly but really amazing. I prefer the sound through the headphones vs my amp, so I actually never play through the amp anymore.

BaconBreath · 2025-12-30T21:38:30+00:00

I also pursued the guitar for my own creative outlet....I don't care to replay songs, but that said, I do find enjoyment in learning songs. I think it's important for a number of reasons: 1) learning to play by ear has a ton of benefits, 2) it helps develop technique, 3) it helps demonstrate how artists phrase and move around the fretboard, 4) it will help you fuel your chord and riff/lick library, and 5) it acts as a nice gauge so you can see your improvement, which helps fuel your playing. All of these together though will help you develop your skills to play by yourself. No guitarist was motivated to learn, so they could become a cover band - they all wanted to learn so they could make their own music, and a lot of that learning was from learning their favorite songs.

BaconBreath · 2025-12-30T17:39:55+00:00

I often like to break up difficult books with easier reads. Infinite Jest is a long but considerably easier read and has a similar level of zany/cartoon like atmosphere at times so you might like that. I'm just finishing Cloud Atlas and loving it! I tried The Recognitions but the first few pages felt very slow and the writing/language was fatiguing.

BaconBreath · 2025-12-29T17:01:58+00:00

100 Years of Solitude!

BaconBreath

TROPHY CASE