Greetings from the Hudson Valley!

Hello everyone:

I recently returned to the guitar after a failed attempt back in my early 20's. Fast approaching 40, I'm excited to have picked it up again.

I'm also a sufferer of Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI. Everyone is familiar with the term carpal tunnel syndrome which is a type of RSI. Specifically, I've suffered from Dequervain's which is a form of tendonitis in the right hand thumb area. This is a result of years of working in information technology.

This injury, as well as years of chronic back pain, has led me to an interest in the subject of ergonomic instrument design. As a result, I embarked on building an ergonomic guitar based on the Klein Electric guitar. It's been an exciting process and the guitar is finished except for some final details.

As far as musical tastes, I enjoy blues, rock and gypsy jazz listening to players such as SRV, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore and Stochelo Rosenberg.

I'm looking forward to participating on the forum.


Rob

Welcome to GT, Rob! Akira (one of the members here) has some sort of tendon problem in his hand as well, I wonder if it's the same thing.....

Hi Rob, welcome to GT, glad i'm not the only one who left it a little late in life to learn guitar, sure wish i'd started 20 years ago :eek:

Originally Posted by: earthman buckWelcome to GT, Rob! Akira (one of the members here) has some sort of tendon problem in his hand as well, I wonder if it's the same thing.....

It could very well be a similar issue. Ultimately, the best thing is to have it diagnosed.

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by: strat-manHi Rob, welcome to GT, glad i'm not the only one who left it a little late in life to learn guitar, sure wish i'd started 20 years ago :eek:

Welcome to GT! I echo the sentiment. It is good to know that there's another one who waited a little while, got a little seasoning to them :) , before starting up on the guitar! Me too! Good luck with the injury!

I also started when I was 18 but didn't stick with it and didn't pick up another guitar for 15 years. Now I'm obsessed with it.

Welcome to the boards! You should stick around its the best thing since hard candy.

welcome aboard buddy :cool:

Originally Posted by: hunter60Welcome to GT! I echo the sentiment. It is good to know that there's another one who waited a little while, got a little seasoning to them :) , before starting up on the guitar! Me too! Good luck with the injury!

A little older, a little wiser? Well, that's debatable in my case but I hope it will stick a bit better at this age. :)

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by: ririzarryA little older, a little wiser? Well, that's debatable in my case but I hope it will stick a bit better at this age. :)

Regards,

Rob

Oh yeah, I know that one too. I keep waiting for all of this wisdom they promised me when I was a kid. "Just wait until you're older. It will all make sense...."

Hmmm. Still waiting.... :)

Howdy Rob. Where in the Hudson Valley you from? I got relatives in that area.

Originally Posted by: AkiraYour guitar looks interesting, what made you decide that design was the most ergonomical? What makes it so different from the average guitar? Sure looks funky!

It's based on the Klein Electric Guitar which was designed with ergonomics in mind - particularly when sitting which is how most of us spend our time.

Some of the things that contribute to a more ergonomic experience include the following:

1. Better balance - in classical position, the neck assumes a 45 angle without any support from the guitarist. It literally sits in that position on your lap.
In casual position, the neck lacks ANY kind of tendency to dive which is, in part, attributable to its headless design.
2. Low weight - the resulting guitar weighs a mere 6 lb.
3. Neutral sitting position for the guitarist - unlike conventional guitar designs which typically require you to raise a foot to place the guitar in an appropriate position , everything sits at the right height. You sit with both feet firmly planted on the ground.
4. Encourages the guitarist to sit up - That's a function of the wide body.
5. Excellent picking arm support

Standing, the guitar's low weight and excellent balance work well.

Just a few quick things. I've been meaning to take some pictures to illustrate further on my blog - just haven't had the time with holidays, a brief vacation and a recent promotion. :) Meanwhile, I hope that answers some questions. Regardless, I'm happy to field more.

Regards,

Rob

Welcome Rob. I put the guitar down 20 years ago (when I saw I wasn't going to be a Rock Star) and picked it back up 8 months ago. Now in my 40's I plan to just enjoy it.

Your guitar looks great. Looks cumbersome to play but from your explanation the design makes sense. It looks like you left the Humbucker out. How come?

Originally Posted by: Bar Chord NickWelcome Rob. I put the guitar down 20 years ago (when I saw I wasn't going to be a Rock Star) and picked it back up 8 months ago. Now in my 40's I plan to just enjoy it.

Your guitar looks great. Looks cumbersome to play but from your explanation the design makes sense. It looks like you left the Humbucker out. How come?

I wasn't going for a strict replica of the Klein thus there are a number of things I decided against. I prefer a simple arrangement. As far as the pickup selection, I like the sound of Strats and single coils so I made some choices around that. The body is alder and the single coils are Lace Sensors I happened to have laying around.

The next one, may very well have humbuckers and piezo pickups.

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by: grizzlymintHowdy Rob. Where in the Hudson Valley you from? I got relatives in that area.

I'm in Saugerties near Woodstock.

Regards,

Rob

Yep, I've been to Saugerties a time or two. My grandparents live in Marlboro, right next to Newburgh. I spend a lot of time in that area.

Welcome Rob! Don't scare me dude.. I work in IT and play guitar every night. That equals up to about:

8 hours cpu time at work
plus
3 hours cpu time at home
plus
2 hours guitar time in the evening.
Equals
Lots of time using the many tendons and muscles in my hands and arms.


Ergonomic sounds good!

Originally Posted by: LeedoggWelcome Rob! Don't scare me dude.. I work in IT and play guitar every night. That equals up to about:

8 hours cpu time at work
plus
3 hours cpu time at home
plus
2 hours guitar time in the evening.
Equals
Lots of time using the many tendons and muscles in my hands and arms.


Ergonomic sounds good!

As a population, we're spending increasing amounts of time exposing ourselves to potential Repetitive Strain Injury. We're also aging as a population which likely increases our risk as well. Eventually, ergonomics will have to become a more important subject if we're to continue along this path.

Regards,

Rob

Originally Posted by: AkiraI got diagnosed with tendonitis last August, and it still troubles me now...[/quote]

:) I'm sorry to hear about the tendonitis. I find it is tough to get under complete control. Like other chronic conditions, you have your good days and your bad days. What are you doing to address it?

[quote=Akira]...oh, you didn't want people scaring you? Ohwell! :p

I do hope that at least I'm getting some to think about it. There's actually quite a lot out there about musician's health and injuries but it's not sexy - sort of like trying to sell car safety I suppose. Unfortunately, to many of us learn about it or wait until its too late.

Regards,

Rob