minstrel: Re:musical Instruments

[Efenwealt Wystle]

I happen to play guitar (albeit not well) and yes, I do my fair share of 
OOP material, but I do plenty of Historical and SCA stuff too. I think 
it works just fine for accompaniment. I can pluck it like a lute. I can 
arpeggiate chords like you might on a harp. I can strum it like a 
zither. I can re-tune it to add a nice drone. I think people hear too 
much of the "ka-chung-ka-chung" of folk artisits and associate that with 
the instrument rather than the artist.

I envy anyone who has the means to purchase a fine period reproduction 
instrument of any kind. I commend anyone with the patience to tune a 
harp, dulcimer, or other multi-stringed instrument. I wonder about the 
sanity of anyone bringing a well made lute to a camping event. They 
start around $1,000 and can cost more than $2,500 and are pretty 
fragile. I'd be crazy to camp with a viola-da-gamba too. I'd probably 
break it. Sometimes we sacrifice authenticity for practicallity. This 
isn't an excuse, just a fact. I think striving for perfection is 
admirable, but we can't all afford that. (Morgan Wolfinger wrote the "I 
want to be in period but haven't got the money blues").

I know nobody is intentionally attacking us guitar players and folk 
musicians, but there are certain advantages to guitars. They are very 
affordable, very versatile, portable, easily replaced, easy to tune, not 
real sensitive to weather and can take lots of abuse. I only paid $130 
for my Alvarez, and I love it.

There's the beef
efen

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