Plum Studio

05/21/2020

A lot of people stop by and check my page out, I moved a year ago and don’t currently have a studio space unless you count the front porch. I’m not doing lessons anymore but I still play and am glad to help with general questions etc.

04/21/2016

After quite a long hiatus Plum Studio is accepting students again for evening guitar lessons. I teach beginners and focus on the core basics of guitar in a laid back low pressure environment. I love music and love sharing it with others. PM me with interest and we can discuss further. Happy Strumming.

03/10/2015

Time to change your strings? I get asked a lot about when to change your strings. It's not a simple every month kind of answer. Body chemistry, how the guitar is stored, how much it's played and the humidity all play factors in string life. When I play every day I find my strings corrode and tone out in about 3 weeks. If your strings have dark spots or leave grim on your fingers when you play it might be time to change them . Here is a photo tutorial on how to change up your string if you have a peg acoustic 😊 happy strumming.

02/11/2014

The studio is a bit of a mess but I look forward to getting it cleaned up and ready to put it to good use.

12/26/2012

Did you get a guitar for Christmas?

11/24/2012

It’s time to talk about humidity, or lack thereof and temperature changes and how they affect your guitar. This time of year we should focus on making sure our guitars are not subjected to long periods of dry heat. As you know your guitar is made from wood. Wood shrinks and swells depending on the environment that it is in. That is why it is important to care for the wood of your guitar and try to keep it at an ideal temperature and humidity so that it is always ready to sound and look its best when you want to play it.

Let’s talk about temperature. In the many articles I have ready the ideal temperature for guitar storage seems to be around 60 degrees give or take. The biggest issue with temperature really has to do with quick changes in temperature. If your guitar is in a cold room take the time to warm your guitar up slowly for an hour, same with if you take it from a hot room to a cold place. The expansion and contraction caused by an extreme temperature change can crack your finish.

Humidity, the concentration of water in the air can also expand and contract your guitar. Acoustic guitars can be affected more often with humidity changes than a solid body guitar but it is always good to keep both stored in range of 45-55% relative humidity. That is why if you go to a music store you will see humidifiers going in the winter and dehumidifiers in the summer. How much money you spend on caring for your guitar is limitless. It’s always good to keep an eye on the temperature and humidity but if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on fancy gadgets there are a few things you can do to keep your guitar protected. Storing guitars away from heat sources, wood stoves, heating vents etc, and keeping them cased. For an inexpensive way to keep humidity at a good level in your acoustic guitar you can use a device like the one I have pictures. It’s very primitive and fairly inexpensive, but worth every penny when it comes to the play-ability and look of your guitar.

You have spent the money and invested the time in your instrument so take a little time to protect its finish and play ability.

11/24/2012

07/03/2012

I love giving guitar lessons! Had a new student today, and given the challenge to learn some country songs. :)

06/19/2012

It was my 16th birthday - my mom and dad gave me my Goya classical guitar that day. I sat down, wrote this song, and I just knew that that was the only thing I could ever really do - write songs and sing them to people~
Stevie Nicks

06/18/2012

“If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.”
― William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

06/02/2012

Plum Studio will be closed while I take a mini vaca and visit with some relative. Opening back up for lessons June 18th. Accepting new students for the summer Tuesday's , Thursday's, and Fridays available.