Assistance, please, if possible

[C-4]

Thank you both Chuck and lefty12357 for your thoughts. I do sincerely appreciate it from both of you, as well as the instant help I received from Kronos, ALS and Scruffydog777.

I am finding that a lot of the wonderful pictures of Alizée which were posted here have gone away after a period of time. I do not know why this is happening, but it continues.

I am thankful to members here that understand where to locate these photos and help me out.

I try to keep up with reading here, but I usually do not just post to see myself in print. If I have a specific question, or wish to thank members for their contributions, then I post. This place almost keeps up with Alizée's goings-on in realtime. It simply amazes me how soon after she does anything at all that this forum posts it.

I live vicariously through the travels and experiences of the members here as all I seem to do is work all day and then at night.

I continue to support the French economy and small business there as I am able. I just recently received a custom hand built French guitar from Vigier in Grigny, which is a suburb of Paris. All the woods are grown, harvested and dried in France. Most of the parts are built there as well. I only had to wait 17 months to get it, but it was truly worth the wait. I also use guitar plectrums hand built by a French player, Jean Charles Dugain. At least this way, in my sick, twisted mind, I feel that I am holding France a bit in my hands. So far it is as close to France as I am able to get.

My amp builder in Germany is a very close friend that I have known for 11+ years, but have never met in person. We have conversed via phone and email regularly all this time. He emailed me recently to tell me that in the spring, or when his schedule allows, he is going to fly me to Europe to meet him, his wife and child, and spend some time together at his shop. I am hoping to save what little I can and possibly see France while I am there, if possible. I would sleep in the street or in a field just to have that opportunity.

Thank you again for your kind thoughts and super help.

Stephen

[Aldighieri]

fell free to ask if you need any help from Italian stuff..

[C-4]

Aldighieri,
Thank you for the generous offer. I appreciate it.

Just a coincidence, but the only other guitars I use currently come from Milan, where they are made by hand of carbon fiber, like the Formula One race cars use.

Stephen

[Aldighieri]

Originally Posted by C-4

Aldighieri,
Thank you for the generous offer. I appreciate it.

Just a coincidence, but the only other guitars I use currently come from Milan, where they are made by hand of carbon fiber, like the Formula One race cars use.

Stephen

Interesting.. Next time try some italian wine..whithout carbon fiber..of corse

[lefty12357]

@Stephen, I know how you feel. I have a 1965 Hofner 500/1 "Beatle Bass", hand made in Germany way back in the Fab Four days. A feeling comes over me each time I pick it up and play it that is hard to describe. Sort of like you said, it's like holding a bit of Germany, history and tradition in my hands, and it influences how and what I play.

[C-4]

lefty12357,
Wow, that is a very valuable bass, and probably similar to the one Paul mcCartney has. You know he is not going to play one of those replica basses. I'm sure the bass you have is far superior to the regular Hofner manufactured basses being made today.

Funny that you mention that! My amps have been hand built in Germany for the last eleven years in Bavaria by Diezel Amplification in Bad Steben.

I have been close to Peter Diezel for all these years and several other German people in the Diezel universe (as Alizée would say ).

Between my French, and Italian guitars, and my German amps, as you said, it brings me closer to the ones most important to me and influences my emotions and tastes.

I gave up playing american made gear years ago after finding these companies, and sold my collection of american Gibsons and Fenders. I had been playing american guitars for 50 years and just got tired of repeat buying the same stuff over and over again. I am actually the happiest now that I have ever been with my working gear, and the funny thing is that I only have three electrics now, whereas before I had close to 50.

Of course, should my finances improve at any time, more Vigier guitars, one more Italian XOX Audio Tools Handle, as I have two currently, and of course more Diezel amps.

Playing different gear does make me play differently from one piece to the next, but I feel closer to France and so happy playing the Vigier. I have wound up dividing my time equally between the Handle from Milan, and the Vigier.
It's knid of like hopping over the boarder between France and Italy.

I found a site called Cafe Press on line and bought "Property of Alizee" stickers and other French stickers of cities, including Paris (of course), which I applied to my guitar cases. I would never have done that in the past, but one of my Calton cases is covered in French stickers. I bought several for the Vigier case, including Alizee stickers, and the Vigier coat of arms sticker.

One sticker I have says "I would rather be in France" I love it!

Lefty, do you use picks, or mediators as the French call them for some bass playing?
Have you heard of Dugain picks at DjangoBooks.com? I had purchases some last year when I found out about them. Of course they are hand made in France by Jean Charles Dugain. I only used them occasionally before, but after my operation, I started using them almost exclusively, and really like them. they aren't cheap, but the place I listed has them less expensively then any other site I have found.

[lefty12357]

Wow, you had a lot of guitars! I currently have 5 guitars, 4 basses, 3 acoustics, 2 mandolins, 2 bouzoukis, a zither and a dulcimer. I also have a number of keyboards.

Yes I do use a pick sometimes with bass. And of course I also use picks for my 6 string electric and acoustic guitars. For guitar, I'm currently using some Dunlop .71mm picks which work OK for me. I also have a variety thicknesses and styles that I use with the bass. I'll have to check out those Dugain picks. It sounds interesting. Thanks for the heads up.

[C-4]

Lefty,
You have a really nice variety of gear!

I used to play on 11 gauge strings until last year when I had nerve damage to my left hand (and I'm left-handed as well, but play right-handed guitar). I lost a LOT of power to be able to play after that and had two operations on my left arm to correct it. One for the radial nerve and one for the ulnar nerve.

Now, after my back operation for two crushed discs, I have it again. I am going in for another operation to try and restore power to the ulnar nerve in a couple of weeks. As a result of this, I am forced to play on strings .007-.034. It still is a pain in the arse doing this.

I have, over the years, switched to heavier picks from .071's to now using 3.mm picks, even on the light strings. I, as you, keep a variety of different material and gauge picks for when I might need them, which is a smart thing to do, as you already know, but I really find the Dugains to be what I prefer for most stuff.

That site has other foreign made picks as well, and the prices are better for those too, then I have found elsewhere. The man who owns the store is Michael Horowitz and he is a gentleman and very nice to deal with. If you do happen to buy something, mention that you found out from me. I don't get anything for it, but he treats me very well, and I'm sure he would do the same for you.

[lefty12357]

Interesting, because even though I am left-handed, I also play right-handed.

For strings on my electrics, I use nines and tens. Thanks again for the info on the picks. I've checked out the site and it looks interesting. I might buy a few picks to try them out. May I ask, which pick model are you using?

[C-4]

Originally Posted by lefty12357

Interesting, because even though I am left-handed, I also play right-handed.

For strings on my electrics, I use nines and tens. Thanks again for the info on the picks. I've checked out the site and it looks interesting. I might buy a few picks to try them out. May I ask, which pick model are you using?

I have been using the standard Dugain contoured picks (size) and I have one glass, one horn, one acrylic, one agate, and have ordered just today, one rose quartz. I am not fond of wood picks, as I had tried them before and just didn't prefer the lack of clarity they put forth compared to the harder materials available. I also have two mini acrylic Dugains, but I bought them in the beginning, thinking that the standard size might be too big. They are nice, but I still prefer the standard size as it is the same as a standard Fender 351 pick.

I do plan to continue buying Dugain picks until I have all the ones I desire.
While most of the stone picks are similar in volume, tone produced, and hardness, but for the hemetite, which is a touch softer then agate at 5-6 mohs. The agate and other stone picks are 7 mohs.

I am excited to try a mother-of-pearl Dugain, as it is said to have a more slippery feel against the strings, but at $35, I can get two other Dugains for that first.

I tried a Niglo also made in France of brass, but the pick area that hits the strings was just too small. It made picking an effort that I felt is wasted for my personal right hand technique, so I sent it back and decided to stick with the Dugains. I have not tried any of the other picks from foreign makers on the site. I was going too, but decided that I am happy enough with the Dugains to leave well enough alone.