I have been trying different guitar strings, I tried mediums on my Collings OM1A from Martin but did not really like them. I am trying light gauge again from Elixer nanos. Hopefully they will last longer.

The Web Cam has been very helpful in arranging also because it helps me remember things I wrote rather then have to write out a note at a time which takes forever.

Recording of new Hymns CD coming along great. Using my Collings OM1A and am going to use Medium strings for more bass and depth. Using a KM184 mic and Rode mic which is working. Wish I had a better preamp but am using Mackie 1604 which is pretty good and clean but a bit cold sounding, not bad though.

We ran out of NorthWest and Wood CDs at Amazon but I am going to send a bunch more to Amazon shortly. So thanks for emails on that and the interest out there on those 2 CDs

Got to take tour of Gibson Guitar Factory.  Heard some great Blues guitar including some great fingerstyle blues

and Delta Blues. Great stuff.

Got a few requests for tab on my Hymns including " A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" I am working on the tab and a song book that will be for sale on my web site later this year along with CD.

Steve Massey

Holy Holy Holy which will also be in my song book (that I have been working on for 6 years but will get it done

one of these days)

Our church is Westminster Presbyterian Church 
2000 Oakwood Drive
Medford, Oregon 97504
Tel:  541-773-8274  

The service is at 10:00 AM in the smaller informal room. Come up and say hi if you happen to come!

Steve Massey

One of my great guitar heros for DADGAD is Pierre Bensusan at http://www.pierrebensusan.com/  I had a chance to see Pierre here in Ashland Oregon this year 2007 and it was just amazing. I got to talk with him which was just great. Also I am using Pierre's DADGAD guitar strings all the time now and just love them.

Speaking of guitar heros - Alex De Grassi!  He is just great and a very nice person too. I hope to take another 3 day guitar seminar with him maybe even this year! Alex is just great with DADGAD.

Anyway I am finding that putting the standard notation in first and then creating tab is working much better in G7 because I can put multiple voices in like a dotted quarter note and eight note for bass string D as voice 1 and then triads and such on top of that as voice 2. Then G7 creates the TAB from the standard notation and thus you have both voices. G7 will allow up to 4 voices which is very helpful.

I was trying to input tab first and then create standard notation but that is hard to do because TAB does not really "understand" note rhythms. So starting with standard notation first works much better.

Takes some time to do but should be pretty nice for guitar players that want to learn the arrangements for Hymns in DADGAD to perhaps play at churches and such.

Thanks for the emails from a few of you that requested TAB for my DADGAD Hymn arrangements. I will put one of my Hymn arrangements as PDF as free download once completed to give an example of what song book will look like.

I wish everyone a great Christmas and Happy new year.

By the way I got my Collings OM1A back from Eugene this week - had the neck worked on and is just great!

I recommend Charlie at McKenzie River Music in Eugene for Guitar repair. He is great.

Steve

Anyway it was a great weekend and got to play a few amazing guitars. My Collings OM1A I believe is pattered after my Collings.

I am going to try and post a photo of it now.

Steve

I played Al Pettaway's arrangement of the old Celtic "Arise My Beloved" on Sunday at church.  I played by Collings guitar direct to mic and I think it turned out fine.  Al has wonderful DADGAD arrangements and fun to learn from TAB.

I am getting my guitar neck adjusted some in a month or so, the Collings OM1-A. I think it will play better after that. 

As noted I have a few Hymns recorded now for new CD and am waiting for Southern Oregon Sound to do some mixing for me. Then I will stick MP3 example on this website.

Check out Alex DeGrassi great article at FingerStyle Guitar Magazine this month. Alex is the best. I got to study for 3 days with Alex in a Guitar Class a few years back and it was so great. I would like to attend again. It is a 3 days seminar every year in Summer.  Let me know if you have questions about that, it is really a great class.

That is if for now! Thanks for stopping by.

Steve

I am playing live a week from Sunday at our church Westminster Pres in Medford Oregon at 10:00 AM service.  I will be playing a new arrangement I learned recently.

I am starting to work with Oregon Sound Studio in Medford Oregon on my new Hymns Fingerstyle Guitar CD. Most of the songs on this CD will be in DADGAD tuning. Let me know at steve@stevemasseyguitar.com if you would be interested in this new CD or perhaps even a TAB book on the arrangements for the DADGAD Hymns.

If you would like to join my mailing list also let me know at steve@stevemasseyguitar.com