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A local kid (approx. 10 yrs. old) told me today that Taylors were better than Martins because Martin kiln dried their wood and Taylor let theirs dry naturally.

I thought of a thousand things to say but finally just walked away.

Amazing what I can learn from the neighborhood kids.

Jay

Suppose he read it on the net, or heard it from someone in his family?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

You didn't know that?

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Doesn't Taylor have some sort of super kiln that they use to bring their wood down to practically 0? Maybe I have them confused with someone else, but it would make even funnier.

I was about to offer to change the crusty, rusty strings on his Taylor 110 for him before he started dropping these little pearls of wisdom. Another was that Paul Reed Smith makes the best acoustic guitars in the world. They make electrics, too. Apparently I'm the only one that didn't know this already.

Did ya'll know and haven't told me?

Glad to know you don't need to be educated to be an expert

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I have made that mistake , saw a guitar across the room that had a scratch , went over and it was the clear pick guard

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We're talking about a little kid here, right? Man, this is a tough crowd. :-)

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George :-)

As a middle school woodshop teacher, I notice kids of this age learn through odd means. My favorite is when they feel they can use a tool without instruction because their granddad has one. They know all they need to be overconfident and dangerous. I demoed building some parts of the challenge uke I did in class, a teacher came in to inquire to me about buying a uke, a student jumped in and offered to build her one, must have been an informative 30 min. lecture. On the other side, when they slow down and practice on a tool, achieve some proficiency and complete a project, the smiles are just the best.
If you offer to show him how to change those strings, he would love it. Likely would be willing to sweep and clean a bit, play with some sawdust, scrub and oil his fb, and let him cut the string ends. Enjoy this kid while you can, he will become a teenager soon.
Rob

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What Rob said.

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jw ( o)===:::

Kids say the darndest things! I'm trying to think what my excuse would be? Hmmm.... senior moment?

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

10 yr olds say stuff like that. Seems pretty age appropriate to me. They are trying to figure it out and rarely get to be the "expert". In my experience, Rob's approach is dead on. The know-it-all attitude usually (not always) goes away pretty quickly if you simply say something like, "Actually, Taylor does kiln dry their tops. It's pretty hard to have the time or space to air dry tops when you build 500 guitars a day". Change his strings, show him some cool stuff around the shop and next thing you know, he's telling everyone you build the best guitars in the world

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Rob and Kent have very good advice, it's easy for us to sit at our computers and laugh at this, but kids that age are very shape-able and not very firm in their beliefs. The kid might really appreciate hanging around with you a little and could learn some valuable lessons.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Think of all the things you knew at 10 years old - SHeesh I knew everything - of course, I wish I had of written it all down because somewhere along the line I forgot....
Now I dont know anything about anything..... 10 yr old me please enlighten me...
ANyway - next time smile, ask him if he's sure about that... and change the strings...
wait a couple years - he'll be back, and asking questions this time.
Cheers
Charliewood

Geez Charlie, you were smart. I didn't know everything till I was at least 15

When I was a kid, I joined the military and when I left home, my Dad was just dumber than a fencepost. I used to marvel at the fact that he managed to survive that long, not knowing anything. I looked upon it as a miracle that he survived World War II and came home alive.

Well, the military sent me overseas, forward deployed as they call it, and I did that tour. They must have liked me because when it was time to go, they gave me another set of orders to stick around in the same general vicinity.

I finally came home after two back-to-back tours overseas, and I don't know what the old man was doing while I was gone but he was so much smarter than he was when I left that I just couldn't believe it. I think he must have been taking some sort of smart pills or something.

I wish he'd have told me where to get them, because I'm old and gray now, and just dumber than a bag of hammers myself. I can remember knowing everything, but I don't know anything anymore. It's like some sort of "Flowers for Algernon" phenomenon.

I need some of those smart pills my father was taking while I was overseas.

Rick

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Rick

Oubaas, don't waste anymore time looking for the smart pills. To me, you seem okay just the way you are; I'd hate to have you turn out like Algernon or Charlie. Do you have kids? Send 'em out in the world, you'll be as smart as your old man in no time. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Must be why they only offer a 1 year warranty on the $4500 Grand Tonare I saw in a store...they don't need warranty

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

You teach that kid how to scrub and oil his Facebook, he'll think you're the coolest!

Funny, while you were writing this, I was touting Facebook on the challenge thread.

Thanks Kent, to me it sounds like he is fishing for info to take back to the source and just wanting to be engaging so he can learn to participate in the adult world in a meaningful way.
If you do want to help with strings, contact the parents so they know your contact info and where he is. Establish the rules outside of the shop, and the consequence that any messing around and done. Then when you are in the shop, if there is a slight deviation, remind him on the agreement, "remember the agreement?" works much better then "Don't do that or I will . . ."
Rob

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http://www.kalimbakit.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/comfyfootgr ... ature=mhee
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If you're really bored and you want to set that 10-year straight, on one of those Taylor factory videos on Youtube, Bob Taylor says that he cooks his tops in an oven, just like muffins.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Hey what did I do?

Cheers
Charlie

Oops, was referring to Algernon's friend Charlie; he took the smart pills but it didn't turn out so great. You're okay in my book too

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I think you know exactly what you did!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Jay: I agree with George L.,this was a 10 year old. None of us come into this world knowing anything ,let alone guitar stuff. We all get it from some other source or hard work. This kid appears to be very keen about guitars.Lets hope you tried to further his education in a constructive way. We never know he may be here in a few years doing the same thing for others.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!