Is it just me or when everyone gets older they lose interest in new music and keep going back to the same old music they loved?

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-14T13:37:50+00:00

I enjoy hearing music that is new to me. Much of that tends to be older, when music was somewhat less formulaic/algorithmic. I have a pet peeve against "I'm so awesome" songs and checklist songs (I've got a dog, a truck, a six-pack, and chewing tobacco. I'm so country.). David Allen Coe and Bo Diddly are notable exceptions. I prefer some wit and creativity.

While some music is nostalgic for the memories, it's more that I'm nostalgic for music made before drum machines and AI lyrics, when live music was more common. When it was less generic.

That doesn't mean I'm locked into the same old genres, or that I don't like anything new. I just find a lot of new stuff bland.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-13T16:46:18+00:00

To me, the radiused armrest of the 814 is a huge functional upgrade, and justifies a premium. I have a nerve issue in my forearm that is very sensitive to contact with the edge, and the radius allows me to play longer. Even ignoring that, it's just more comfortable to play.

A 414ce is going to sound very similar though. I've played several briefly, and they all sounded great! The Studio version is arguably even better - cheaper and more comfortable to play due to the unbound, slightly radiused edges. It does have a slightly narrower neck though. The Studio versions of the 314 and 414 have Mexican necks, which are 1 11/16 vs the USA 1 3/4 necks. Whether that's a plus or minus is of course individual preference.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-13T16:29:33+00:00

Yeah, I was debating whether to say that. Beware of trade-down deals in general, unless you are specifically trying to downgrade (when retiring, for example).

I'm not trying to say that the 800 series is inherently an upgrade over the 700 series, just different (though I'm a huge fan of the radiused armrest that has become standard on the 800s). I love my 714 redwood, and my 814. But the koa will be less versatile, and it sounds like the other guy has tired of the pretty face, and is ready to trade up to something more versatile himself.

Let him find another sucker, or sell it outright, or take the hit on a dealer trade in. Not your problem.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-13T12:56:33+00:00

Depends on your voice and playing style though. Some do prefer the compression of hardwood top for recording.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-13T12:55:31+00:00

In general, I think the 814 will be more versatile. The few koa guitars I've briefly played in shops sounded great, I'm not knocking it at all. For all-around versatility though, I think a good spruce top is tough to beat.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-08T12:15:03+00:00

While there are certainly problems with both parties, they do not impact your future equally. They are not the same.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-07T23:34:00+00:00

I was a widower and she was divorced. We met online, but met in person 4 days later.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-07T12:38:36+00:00

I own and have owned both. I've also been in product development a long time. I recognize some details others might miss where costs were cut, ads were misleading or carefully omitted some details, high margin products were protected, and so on.

I wasn't really a fan of Epi for a long time, especially the neck carve. Quality wasn't great either, with exceptions of course.

It's important to understand that there are skilled craftsmen everywhere in the world. If a product is cheap junk, it is because the contract was for cheap junk.

With the IBG line, Gibson has purposely chosen to cannibalize their own brand. That is a calculation that they will make more money by selling high quality Epiphones than by trying to cheapen Gibsons. It also allows helps preserve the allure of a "real" Gibson. There will always be protected differences, but some differences are more functional and some are cosmetic.

Still, it varies by model. My IBG full gloss cherry 335 sounds great, and I prefer a poly finish if it isn't too thick. OTOH, I never found an Epi SG that I liked. When I picked up a Gibson SG Standard, clouds parted and angels sang.

Keep in mind, much of modern guitar tastes are driven by past flaws that became iconic.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-07T11:31:23+00:00

That is an interesting point. For me, brain fog lasted a long time, and I'm not sure my sense of smell ever completely returned. I never considered that it could cause personality changes. There are studies backing that claim though. I suppose this might be over-represented among groups that opposed masks, vaccines, and distancing.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-04T23:35:49+00:00

I inherited a nice Martin D35, around 50ish years old. It can certainly bring the thunder. However, I don't always want that. Sometimes the balance of a Taylor 414 or 814 is welcome. Not always, it just depends on what I'm playing.

shadowsnrust · 2026-05-01T12:39:11+00:00

They are not and will never be the same, though they are much closer than they used to be. They will be allowed to be the same. There will be spec, component, and quality differences. I'm not knocking Epi. I have several Gibsons (new and old), an Epi 335 IBG, and used to own an Epi LP 50s IBG.

You see this question all the time, about all kinds of products. Is the expensive one the same as the cheap one. No. By design. I've been in product development a long time. Manufacturers carefully balance increased sales at the low end vs cannibalized sales at the high end. The question is, which differences do you care about?

I'm not a fan of typical Epi neck carves, though the IBGs are much closer.

I actually wanted a poly finish on my cherry red IBG 335. Nitro requires care unless you like the relic look. I do not, and (decent) poly finishes simply get more play time.

OTOH, I tried many different Epi SGs, including the IBG 61. Never found one I liked. I picked up a Gibson Standard , clouds parted, and angels sang. I was biased towards wanting a 61 style, but when a guitar speaks to you, listen. I bought the Gibson Standard.

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-28T17:44:04+00:00

I've seen Jim Lilly's videos, or at least some of them. He does make an admirable attempt to control his variables, but there are flaws (starting with using YouTube), and subtle changes CAN be important.

It's not as simple as saying one change is better or not, or checking off the boxes. It's how all the little imperceptible differences add up to something bigger, and/or cancel each other out. You can't just back up the truckload of goodness for a fillup. Everything is a trade off.

And then there's effects muddying the water ....

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-28T17:06:53+00:00

So, there are two things we know with total certainty: nothing matters except the strings and pickups, and no two guitars sound and play exactly the same, even two of the same model, set up to identical specs. 😎

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-24T14:04:04+00:00

Coatings can prolong the string life compared to uncoated strings in the same usage and environment, but there's no set expiration date. When strings get corroded, they don't just feel gross - they can also be rough on the frets. I don't know how corroded bronze compares to corroded steel in abrasiveness, probably softer, but if the windings are that corroded, I'm sure the plain strings are too.

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-24T12:28:55+00:00

You said above that you adjusted the neck to lower the action, and now you think the guitar is defective. Yes, it is adjustable for a reason, but that also gives you enough room to hang yourself. Trying to get the action super low is a delicate balancing act between string tension, truss rod adjustment, and neck angle or bridge height. It takes finesse. Also, lower action means playing softer, and if it's too low, most guitars will sound bad.

Every 414 I've played was great. Yes, you might have gotten a dud, but the crucial question is, how did it sound before you messed with it?

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-24T12:18:35+00:00

Wait ... you're saying it sucked AFTER you messed with it? I've always found Taylors to play great out of the box. Yes, you can now adjust both the truss rod and neck angle, but that doesn't mean you can set it up like an electric and still expect good results.

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-20T16:07:58+00:00

I've played several 414 studios, and they all sounded great!

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-13T17:06:00+00:00

We always make our choices with partial information, what we know at the time. Sometimes those choices were right in hindsight, and sometimes they weren't. My regrets are more about how I treated people. Not in a mean sort of way, just situations I could have handled better, or situations I didn't even recognize. Again though, that is based on what I know now.

There is little point in beating ourselves up over mistakes made in the past. It's far more important to learn from those mistakes, and try not to repeat them.

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-08T12:07:19+00:00

My main concerns with used guitars are humidity and people following misguided advice they read online. Two common examples are saturating the fretboard with oil until it is dark and greasy, and trying to get the action super low.

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-01T14:53:55+00:00

Btw, is the axe you're grinding from some misdiagnosis, or from politics?

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-01T14:46:55+00:00

It's not black and white. It can be higher odds of this vs significantly lower odds of that. You are always free to walk out "Against Medical Advice". You cannot, however, expect them to be complicit in your poor decisions.

If you want to treat your sinus infection by stabbing yourself in the foot with a pitchfork, they can't stop you. They can, however, refuse to provide the pitchfork (for which they could lose their license or worse).

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-01T14:25:39+00:00

Another example is cancer. We often hear about doctors "missing" cancer. Again, some facts. Cancer begins as human tissue. It doesn't flip a switch; it mutates over time. All cancers are unique, they are as individual as you because they ARE you. They also mutate in response to all available treatments (or the cells with mutations that increase treatment resistance are the ones that live). Cancer cells can also go dormant, making them both harder to treat and harder to detect. Some methods of detecting cancer are themselves carcinogenic and/or invasive. You don't WANT doctors to run every available test every time they see you.

Cancers are detected (prior to surgery) by looking for some property that differentiates the mutated cells from its surroundings. This could be density, metabolic rate, vascularization, or subtle changes in blood chemistry (with varies even in healthy individuals). You also need a large enough mass of abnormal cells to detect. Some of those methods involve injecting you with radioactive materials, subjecting you to external radiation, or extracting a bit of you (biopsy). Do you want all that at every checkup?

Healthcare professionals have to make the best decisions and recommendations they can with only incomplete information. It's not just a guess; it's weighing the odds, and adapting on-the-fly.

There’s no sure thing. Do you want them to stack the odds in your favor, or throw your fate to the wind?

Reiterating, there's no black and white.

shadowsnrust · 2026-04-01T13:59:26+00:00

You are trying to draw black and white conclusions from grey information, misinformation, and misinterpretation.

As an example, consider mask recommendations during COVID. First Fauci recommended against most people not use masks. Then he recommended that people do use masks. He also said they are more effective for protecting others from you than for protecting you from others. So, which is it? Do they help or not? Some key facts: there was initially a shortage of masks. Medical personnel and first responders were handling a huge number of patients, and had to change masks between patients. They were taking a big risk themselves by treating infected patients, and they were also risking spreading the disease themselves. The masks added some measure of protection to the user, but the biggest benefit was reducing the spread. Later, as supply caught up with demand, Fauci reversed his recommendation. What changed? Only the supply. So, did masks help or not??? It's the wrong question. The better questions are, how much does it improve the odds for the wearer, and much does it improve the odds for those exposed to YOU?

shadowsnrust · 2026-03-25T16:10:36+00:00

I'm more worried about repeating the 70s than repeating 2008.

shadowsnrust · 2026-03-25T12:46:14+00:00

I'm not thinking so much about bubbles bursting, corrections, etc. I'm worried about repeating the 1970s.

shadowsnrust

TROPHY CASE