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@kenneth
Thanks for your question Kenneth!
Would you mind posting a picture of the left hand grabbing a chord that makes your pinky want to go on its side? This would help me in understanding what the problem might be.
Kind regards/Emil

@kenneth
Hi Kenneth!
Really happy you're here at our forum! We're all here to learn! Let me know if you ever have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them right here on the forum. Kind regards/Emil Ernebro

@brock-sirko No problem! :)

@brock-sirko
Hi there!
Emil here, thanks so much for your post!

I do play an EBG 808 Artist from 2007, and it is my main live performance guitars. It's definitely a great fingerstyle guitar. I have other high end instruments that produce more volume acoustically, but for live performance (when plugged into the amp/PA), the Artist is my choice. Very even in sound from lows to highs, and super easy to play. I do setup my instruments with help from a guy here in Sweden that really knows that stuff. Almost no instrument I've tried have had the right setup for me when coming from the factory so that's something that everyone should think about when trying guitars. The guitars can always (well.. almost always) be setup in a way that you like.

It's really difficult for me to say that you should or shouldn't buy a guitar without trying it. I've done that a couple of times, and it actually worked because I really knew what I was after, and I already tried the same models earlier. However, I have friends that have done that (from different guitar brands) and unfortunately some of them are not satisfied with the instruments.
I love Maton guitars so I'm pretty sure you'd like the guitars.. but you never know until you've tried an instrument.
I've had a Maton 808 Michael Fix model (with cutaway) in the past, and it was great too but I sold it to buy a Maton Custom Shop (beautiful 808 model as well), with my own specs that I use mostly for recording. I didn't need the cutaway really. For me, cutaway is cool, but not necessary for my solo live gigs. People say there's difference in sound with or with our a cutaway, but I'd say that's not a big difference.. it's really about the woods, and how the guitar is put together that makes it sound a certain way. And cutaway is a "look"-thing too.. some people like the look of a cutaway more, and some people prefer the standard model.

Hope this helps and good luck finding your new high end instrument!
Kind regards/Emil, ProGuitar team

@redmanx999
Hi!
Thanks for asking and I'm really glad you're working on the lesson and that it has helped you to reach another level! Great work!!
As of now, I don't have that recorded in a slower speed - sorry! Half speed should sound OK when changing the tempo in the player at our site, but I get what you mean when we change to 1/4 of the speed it's difficult to hear what's actually happening. Sometimes it helps to just practice using the metronome for awhile and then go back to the backing track. Try it in a slower speed using only metronome and then see how you do when going back to the lesson backing track. Kind regards/Emil

@bogn
Hej Björn!

Det är verkligen en smaksak med gitarrer, men personligen tycker jag om mindre gitarrer med OM (eller liknande)-kropp för just fingerspel. Det finns en tydlighet i fingerspel som jag upplever kommer fram på ett fint sätt med den typen av gitarr, om man jämför med större gitarrer eller Dreadnaught etc. Jag har faktiskt inte koll på hur Furch GC SR är, men en snabb googling så verkar det som en väldigt fin gitarr, och en av deras mer exklusiva instrument. Jag tycker Furch är ett väldigt bra val. Mycket gitarr för pengarna också!
Min som sagt, min smak för fingerspel är OM-kropp eller liknande. Det är viktigt att testa testa testa! :)
Ha en fin dag Björn!
MVH/E

@doug744
Haha exactly!
Most people know him from the films, but he is one of the greatest songwriters for the guitar in history! Incredibly talented, funny and musical. He saw himself more as a "guitar writer" than "guitar player".. he said.. "I wrote it, now YOU play it!" :) But man,.. could he play... amazing!

@doug744
Great to hear that you're working on those tunes! The Squirrel Chase Rag is one of the most difficult songs that I've written, and it takes a lot of practice to be able to execute that melody. You'll find a lot of similar techniques used by the great Jerry Reed. And if you want to keep digging in that style of playing, check out songs like "Jerrys Breakdown", "The Mad Russian", "Funky Junk" etc. Also, check out Jerry Reeds solo on "Cannonball Rag" with Chet Atkins (from the album "Me and Jerry". Awesome solo!

@jim-0
Hi Jim!

I use acrylic on my nails, and that's my solution and my way to get a good tone. The thicker the nail is, the better - and they never break. Go to a nail-saloon and put on acrylic on your nails, then tell them you shape it yourself, and it will be so much easier. Most saloons are used to guitarists coming in to do "guitar nails". (Usually classical guitar players), so they kinda know what you're after. I do this maybe 7 times/year and I couldn't play without the acrylic nails.
Kind regards/Emil