Thanks

In the three years I’ve been lucky enough to be back into playing stringed instruments, I have been fortunate to amass quite an eclectic collection.

Starting from the left:

1. Kala California Ubass (more bass, less space) 
2. Utah Plates Electric 4-String Guitar
3. Fender Telecaster Custom Guitar
4. Fender CD60CE Acoustic/Electric Dreadnought
5. Fender 1964 DuoSonic Guitar
6. Cigar Box Guitar by Milton Cable
7. Kala KA-CG Acoustic Concert Ukulele
8. Kodakaster4 3-String Electric Canjo

Note: Click on the links above to read more about each instrument.

I am finding that each one brings me happiness through playing them in their own individual way. I try to practice at least once a day with one or more of these instruments. Along with all my great family members, friends, experiences, and occurrences in my life, I find it particularly meaningful and humbling to recognize, especially during the holiday season, the many advantages, both spiritually and physically, that I have had.

In short, I've got it made and I know it.

I hope you all have a wonderful time this holiday, and see that most of us have much to be thankful for.

Fender CD-60CE Dreadnought

Picked up a nice acoustic electric guitar, a Fender CD-60CE, this week from a local music shop. It sounds great either as an acoustic or electric guitar. I have to admit it's about as big an instrument as I can manage, but it really fills a room with mellow tones without amplification. 

The reason I bought it was primarily that this dreadnought cutaway boasts features you’d expect on much more expensive instruments, with a spruce top and choice of natural, sunburst and black finishes.

It also has upgrades including a new black pickguard and mother-of-pearl acrylic rosette design, rosewood bridge with compensated Graphtech® Nubone™ saddle, white bridge pins with black dots and smaller (3 mm) dot fingerboard inlays. Other quality features include scalloped X bracing, black body binding, 20-fret fingerboard, dual-action truss rod, die-cast tuners and Fishman® pickup system with active onboard preamp, tuner, volume and tone controls. It also came with a nice and correspondingly huge hard-shell case with a cool wooden Fender logo on it.

It is made and sold as an entry-level guitar by Fender, and of course, is made in China, but that doesn't mean it isn't build to last. And, since I purchased it for $269.99, which is the same as it goes for in all the online music stores I checked, got to play it first before I bought it, didn't have to wait for 5 days to get it through the mail, and believed the salesman (who showed me three other guitars with comparable prices) when he said he would buy this one himself (he is also a luthier and does repairs at the shop), I am a happy camper.

Maybe after a few years of practicing scales and arpeggios I'll outgrow this pretty beast, but until then, I think this Fender CD-60 will fulfill my needs very well.