Blues Week or an MM Lightning, the $64K question.

[ken1953clark]

Hi,

OK, the subject says it all, Should I go to blues week or buy an MM Lightning (or one of the new models) ? Which would improve me most (if at all possible)?

I know the ideal answer, I know the logical answer, but what does the team think?

#The 'ideal' answer is both.

#The logical answer is Blues Week. I think tuition from some of the best guitarists in the world would make my command of my quite ordinary guitars better. The Lightning (as lovely as it is) is an attack of GAS, and probably would not improve my playing.

Cheers

[honeyboy]

Excuse my ignorance but what is Blues Week? Where is it, when is it and how much does it cost?

[Michael Messer]

Hi Honeyboy & Ken,

Blues Week is an event organised and run by Michael Roach (Euroblues.org and on my website on Euro Blues page). It is held at Northampton University and is a whole week of lessons, jamming and socialising. It has been going since 2000 and I have taught at all of them. It is a BRILLIANT week! Michael Roach recruits well known musicians from the USA & Europe to teach acoustic blues guitar, acoustic slide guitar, harmonica, piano and vocals. All I can say is that it is the best fun you could have, and.....it is educational. Very highly recommended.

Ken, yours is a difficult decision and one that I cannot answer without selling you a guitar!

Blues Week is a wonderful event.

Shine On
Michael.

[Deleted]

Hi Ken, I went to my first Bluesweek in 2002 with an old acoustic, then became hooked on resonators and vintage style guitars! As Michael says it is great fun and I can say for certain that if you go, you will get a lightning in the future; it may not be the next week or the next month but you will get one!

[blueshome]

No brainer!

Go to Bluesweek!

You can buy a guitar later or stick it on a credit card and suffer the pain, but with Bluesweek you buy yourself enough in the lessons and the jams to move your playing on several years in a week, plus it's great fun. You'll end up with lots of new friends and the world's biggest hangover.

[Gerry C]

"Go not to the Elves for advice, for they will say both No and Yes..."

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[fitchmeister]

Hi Ken

I have been to blues week 4 times and it really is a great experience - and yes i wondered at the same dilemma when i first went. The value of blues week is really good when you consider the food accomodation etc.. , but then what about the guitar.

Personally i went to bluesweek and played guitar from 8am til 2am each day and had a ball, a lot of JD , if not a lot of sleep - i'm still in touch with a couple of people i met there. I think i have played slide for about 6 years, got my first reso after 2, and finally my NRP after 4.

Now i cant afford blues week but dont regret it.

Life is full of such troubles eh?

Enjoy which ever you choose

Roj

[ianz]

I've been to the last two EuroBlues weeks, primarily as Lucy's guardian and as a non-musician I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A lot of people I have met and kept in touch with as a result, some wonderful teachers and musicians grace the week, you step out of your comfort zone in a fully supportive atmosphere. Sadly can't go this year and think we both are going to miss it like crazy.

[stevie]

Buy the guitar mate, Blues week will last,er a week ,the guitar a lifetime, also a whole weeks worth of lessons is a lot to digest and remenber, if you buy the guitar you could also get MM's slide tuition vid and I would also rcomend this guys vid to for picking and slide
www.deltabluesguitar.com/ now you've got the guitar and a whole years worth of tuition and can learn at your own pace. Best regars Steve

[ken1953clark]

Thanks Guys

[Gerry] Nice piece of JRR wisdom.

[Honeyboy] about £600 for the week with food and board, about £400 tuition only. More details on this link... www.euroblues.co.uk/bluesweek2010.htm

[Michael] Like many, I won't be making a purchase decision until I know what the new models are. Maybe I'll like one of these more than a Lightning, and get an oh-so-collectable low serial number as well

The general advice seems to reflect what I was thinking. now lets see if there are any spaces left...

Cheers

[Bob Stockton]

"Go not to the Elvis for advice, for he will say both No, Yes.and Uh-hu-uh.."




I'll get me coat.

[blueshome]

With all respect to stevie, a tuition video is no match for even one face to face lesson with one of the world's leading experts in the field where your progress can be monitored and questions answered.

At Bluesweek you get up to 20 lessons plus tutors willing to give one to one assistance. Yes it's intense but it stays with for a long time.

[slidenpickit]

Bluesweek is excellent value for money. Tuition videos are great but you can still practice 'wrong' and get in to all sorts of bad habits which are hard to break once ingrained in your muscle memory. There are also a lot of very accomplished students who can help you avoid the pitfalls of buying the wrong guitar for your needs, playing technique, tunings etc. Also you can gain valuable experiences playing with and in front of an empathetic audience in a gig situation and jamming. I went in 2001 and intend going this year. I don't think I paid much more for the week in 2001 than it is this year.
This an investment....................guitars come and go. Its great getting a nice guitar, but if you can't play it in the style you want the novelty soon wears off.
Regards

[Steverb]

I've been battling with the same dilemma for months. In the end I've decided to get myself a cosmetic second Busker Delta which, when you take other spending (eg drink) into account, will work out at least £250 less than Blues week.
I have no doubt that Blues Week is a fantastic experience and that I would learn loads but it's just a bit too much outlay for me this year.
I will be attending Pocklington Blues Weekend (near York) in November, which is a lot cheaper, and then start saving for next year's Blues Week!

[Deleted]

The other great thing about Bluesweek is "the stuff money can't buy". My great moments were having lunch with John Cephas & being enthalled with his stories, sitting in John Jackson's lesson and just being blown away by his playing and recollections (all with sea-gulls screaming in the background - this was at Exeter!). And from a personal point of view by actually playing something that sounded RIGHT! ;D