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In an effort to improve my playing posture, I've recently moved from my right leg to my left in more of a classical style. In order to get the guitar as high as I wanted I was using both a footstool and my Dynarette cushion. It's really not ideal with one foot in the air and the guitar balancing on a slanted cushion. A strap probably could have done it for me but my shoulder gave up on that idea several years ago.
I really wanted to get both feet on the ground (like Steve Herberman) and now that I'm playing an acoustic a lot, I've been investigating a lot of different guitar support options. I decided on the Sagework Umbra (it uses magnets to attach). It comes in three heights and I had no idea which would work for me so I built a platform using both my smaller and larger Dynarette cushions stacked one on top of the other. It's not the most stable arrangement (nor the most elegant looking solution) but the height was perfect. It's probably going to take a couple of weeks to get the Sagework support so in the meantime I'm going to go with the leaning tower of guitar.
(And please excuse the mess. The office is the last room in the new condo that we're getting to).
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12-28-2023 02:24 PM
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If it works for you...
Why don't you use a classical guitar footrest with your left foot, then add the cushion if needed? Just a thought.
Segovia used a few different positions--even crossed his legs early on, resting the guitar on the higher left leg. There's a pic of him with his left leg on a stool that looks to be 6-8" tall.
Sorry I can't link to the actual photo since I'm at work, but here's a drawing:
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That's what I was doing but it's not really stable and having both feet on the ground feels much better and allows me to straighten my torso more. You can see in the drawing of Segovia, he's bent down and to the left.
Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
If it works for you...
Why don't you use a classical guitar footrest with your left foot, then add the cushion if needed? Just a thought.
Segovia used a few different positions--even crossed his legs early on, resting the guitar on the higher left leg. There's a pic of him with his left leg on a stool that looks to be 6-8" tall.
Sorry I can't link to the actual photo since I'm at work, but here's a drawing:
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Ahhh...
Yes Segovia always seemed to bend over when he played. You look MUCH more comfortable in the pic above than Segovia.
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More important to me is that I have less pain in my right shouder blade when I'm sitting straight up. I'm at an age where pain doesn't let go easily and that shoulder blade has been a constant sorce of pain in varying degrees for at least three years. I don't need to be more comfortable than Segovia. I just need to be more comfortable than I've been. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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A worthy effort, Jim, kudos for paying attention to your posture. I know you know John Stowell very well... as you recall, John usually uses a small pillow of sorts, along with his very upright guitar neck posture. Though I can't say this works for me, I do note that when I elevate the neck as John does, it does allow for an extra fret reach or two, which, while not making me into a Stowell clone, does make some of those seemingly impossible stretches that John does so effortlessly, seem possible. John tends to lean in a bit, as I recall, but not necessarily to either side. I wonder how that elevated neck position would work for you? Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
addendum: as I look at your pic above, I see that you are at least halfway to where John plays, so maybe this isn't helpful.
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Thanks. This is as vertical as I can get with this setup. The cushions are too bulky and they get unstable if I increase the angle much further. What I'm after is not so much Stowell's position. It's incredibly natural for John but I've tried that and I found it to be hard on my left forearm. Steve Herberman is more of a model for what I'm after. The concept is similar but not quite as extreme. He's much taller than me so the guitar will look higher than it does with Steve but the angle should be about the same. Hopefully the Sagework support with allow me to get there. I'm definitely optimistic. Originally Posted by yebdox
BTW, like most people I was really interested in the added comfort and and greater fingerboard coverage but what really surprised me when I began this change was how much it improved my tone. I immediate got louder and fuller without changing the amount of attack. My wife even noticed it.
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The guitar lift might be an option.
Just a moment...
My most comfortable positions are with my archtops on a strap while standing. On my 17” I have position the lower strap lock about 3” away from the end pin. This drops the guitar, allowing the guitar to center and making the reach with both hands much better. The nut is just below eye level and my right hand is at the end of the the fingerboard at about my solar plexus. A lot like Joe Pass’s position.
My Strat is the next most comfortable.
I’ve never found a seated position that is truly comfortable with any guitar, but solid bodies are better than archtops.
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I think I've looked at every possible product over the last couple of years. The Guitar Lift was my runner up. Stephanie Jones both uses and endorses it. I really like the way it works but it just seems a lot more difficult to carry along with a guitar and amp ... like I really do that many gigs Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Been thinking of getting the Sageworks for my acoustic guitars - please let us know how it works. Would really like to get out of the hunched over position and I don't care for foot stools. Looks like you're getting along well with the Martin; I'm almost quit playing electric guitars (sorry Teles
) and gone to my Brook and Martin acoustics.
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I'm absolutely shocked at how much I am enjoying this guitar. This really wasn't in my plans but sometimes life just gives you a different answer than you're expecting. Originally Posted by Skip Ellis
Been thinking of getting the Sageworks for my acoustic guitars - please let us know how it works. Would really like to get out of the hunched over position and I don't care for foot stools. Looks like you're getting along well with the Martin; I'm almost quit playing electric guitars (sorry Teles) and gone to my Brook and Martin acoustics.
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I am a short and stout person who plays archtops in a similar position to Steve Heberman. While I do use a strap my body is not generally taking any weight from it, it serves only to stop the guitar sliding forwards. The weight of the instrument is taken up by the lower bout resting between my thighs. This posture elevates the neck into a semi-classical position, relieves any shoulder stress [and I have major shoulder damage from a prior life] and also prevents the back/belly of the guitar from being muted by contact with my pot-belly.
Don't know if this would work for anyone taller than I am though.
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Yeah I can relate to that image in the op
When I put the guitar on my left knee im on tip toe even with the dynarette.
Long torso short legs?
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Very much so. Originally Posted by Christian Miller
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I was having a lot of neck and back and arm pain. I got this support about a year ago and am very happy with it.
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Great to see this. And you have the fancy one ! Originally Posted by icr
I was having a lot of neck and back and arm pain. I got this support about a year ago and am very happy with it.
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me too.. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
Very much so.
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