I hadn’t ever heard of Orangewood’s Oliver before - just looked it up & it looks SWEET! Did you choose the version with the electronics?
As you’re new to guitar, I advise you to buy a stand or wall hanger if you haven’t already! It’s so good to have the guitar accessible at a moment’s notice so you can just pick it up & play when you only have a few minutes… I like to practice when my coffee’s brewing in the morning - those 5-10 minutes really add up & it makes a difference!
Also, it’s not a bad idea to have your instrument gone over by a guitar tech or luthier & have a “setup” performed if necessary - I’m not familiar with the Orangewood brand, but many of the entry-level guitars aren’t as “playable” as they should be. When you’re just beginning you certainly don’t need for your guitar to make it harder for you to learn than absolutely necessary!
Good luck & don’t hesitate to ask for help if you run into any hurdles!
Hi Tod!,
I may need that first cup of coffee before picking up the guitar but love the idea of having it in view all the time! Also, thanks for the tip of having a setup completed too. Supposedly, Orangewood completes the setup before shipping but I’ll be honest, I’m not exactly sure what I should be looking/listening for. It does stay in tune during my practice sessions and only needs minor adjustments before I pick it up for the next session (I chose the one w/o electronics - a potential milestone award sometime in the future!).
Happy Holidays to all!
If the humidity where you keep it is in a safe range. I don’t know where you’re located. My house in frigid Minnesota gets too dry in the winter, and my guitars go into their cases with humidification devices when they’re not being played.
Do you have a music store that sells & services guitars close by? If you do, take your guitar in & talk to someone (preferably a guitar tech) who can advise you on what your Oliver might need to make it easier to play… they might tell you it’s perfectly fine, suggest a lighter gauge string set or lower you action a bit… tell them you’re new to guitar & have them explain things like fret rod adjustments, benefits to heavier/lighter strings, guitar maintenance etc… you’ll gain knowledge & some experience!
Another benefit is that you’d start to build a relationship with someone local who knows a lot more about guitars than you do… this is very valuable if you do encounter any problems later on!
This, to me, provides inspiration! I often don’t have time to play but just seeing it sitting there (I imagine that it is calling to me or playing Neil Diamond’s “Play Me”) makes me feel happy!
Welcome Paul, from another Old Dawg. I also bought my first guitar and found Justin Guitar at age 64, after dropping the trumpet I played in the school band at the end of high school. Strangely, no one ever said, “Hey, why don’t you break out your trumpet and play something so we can sing along.” Once you get some decent finger calluses, I’m sure that 10 minutes a day will jump to an hour or two or three. Have fun!
