An intelligent guitar resource blog site made by a very good guitar player with almost 40 years experience playing guitar. It will develop into something that will cover all aspects of music, including chord substition, harmony, improvisation, equipment, guitars, exotic scales and much more.
Recent PostsHere’s a very very good Acoustic Blues Improvisation by Tommy Emmanuel. It’s only about two minutes long but he plays a lot in that two minutes, it has certain elements of jazz and boogie in it. Back in the early eighties I used to wa...
Here’s a solo acoustic guitar version of John Mayer playing ‘Waiting on the World to Change’. For me, hearing guitar players without all the production and all the other instruments. When we hear players without all the other fr...
Here’s the very brilliant Norman Blake who has influenced thousands of players across the globe with his awesome flatpicking. call into ...
I’ve always liked the texture of a nylon string guitar and voice together. One of my favorite acoustic nylon string singer songwriters is the Swedish based guitar player Jose Gonzalez. I find the nylon string guitar to be a very different instr...
Acoustic Guitar – Neil Finn Don’t Dream it’s Over It’s always great to see musicians with a sense of musicality be successful in commercial music. It is about 35 years since I first saw Neil Finn perform live with Split En...
In the 1980’s there was an incredible drought of male acoustic guitar players in commercial music. Fortunately the releasing of music by Eric Clapton and a number of others reopened the doorway for a lot of other acoustic guitar players ̵...
This blog is currently rated a 4.70 out of a possible 5 based on 10 comments.
BassnotesHey you all!! I am veteran musician/songwriter/guitar collector. I stumbled on to something that I think is very cool! It has got to be the coolest guitar stand ever...it fits in the headstock of the guitar and is totally portable. Not only that, it is beautiful! Please go to http://www.cooperstand.com You can get one in the mail like I did, or from what I hear they're going in stores. Gosh, why didn't I think of this?
shaun whittakerI would like some help I have a Dobro brand resonator guitar with a fishman pickup,I am having trouble getting a decent sound out of it when plugged into a conventional amp and I have tried running it through a pre amp pedal as well with no success,can anyone help.
I am about to buy a valve amp as ive been told this will help.
cheers
KierBrilliant guitar resource concentrating on all aspects of acoustic guitar playing.
lourokThis is a cool blog for those who like guitar playing!
JohnHey, when someone is playing acoustic guitar and they change cords, what is that little noise it makes called? The little kind of squell noise.
LaLove the blog! Looks like lots of really helpful information and great vids to watch.
Almost made me want to try to play the guitar, again!
Maybe I'll start small...I have a lovely pink ukelele!
Going to go play it now...later!
Tony HoganHi Bill
Sorry it took so long to respond. As stated in my other comment/ reply, I don't go for any particular brand. What I'm wondering is how long the strings have been on the Taylor and whether they were a bright string that died. You may find it's a combination of a few things, the sound of the guitar coming alive with a new set of strings that haven't been 'played in/out'. If you're a fingerstyle player and not a plectrum player, you might consider how you take cate of your nails, new strings and nails that aren't filed properly can have a horrendous sound, file them from underneath (looking at the back of your hand) and use really fine glass paper like the classical players do and get rid of the rough bits when you';ve finished by rubbing them on leather. This makes a massive difference, rough ends of nails sound aweful on a bright string. If you're using a plectrum, swap to a more flexible one, the dunlops are good (for me). Persevere and play them in, all the way up the neck, you may also find that during the night the guitar has a sweeter softer tone, the airwaves are different then. Sometimes I've bought strings, put them on, hated them and taken them straight off.
currently I'm using GHS, they're ok, but as I said in my other comment, I don't care so much for brands, I buy what I like the look of. And I use extra lights, not lights, but that's because oif the way I play. You might also try dropping the guitar down a semi-tone to Eb, it will have a lighter sound, can be a nuisance until you get good at transposition, but I prefer it that what, it's not as tense.
You might also like to ask at this guitar blog, i saw a discussion there today about strings. http://igblog.wordpress.com/ What's difficult is that everyone is different, the hands and the guitars. Try going into a big music shop, have a look around at the guitars, and see what has what sound. It takes a little while to sort out a new guitar.
Unfortunately it's difficult to give you a really clear guideline on the best strings for that guitar, but I'm hoping some of the info is useful.
regards Tony (not Ken..he was justt visiting as well)
Bill CookseyKen,
I was looking for reviews on acoustic strings and found this site. I have this pressing question. I purchased a used (in good condition)510 Taylor guitar two weeks ago. I broke the third string. This guitar sounded wonderful with these strings. They were old strings. A friend recommended A light gauge of __x___ brand strings. I put them on and they have a completely different sound quality about them (somewhat bold and harsh). What I had was mellow with a wonderful tonal quality and a long sustain. I am learning the fingerstyle method of playing. Currently learning some Happy Traum style playing (kind of folk, blues, country) and hope to swing from Union Station's type music to perhaps Chet Atkins style of playing at some point.
What strings would you suggest I try using? I do not have a heavy hand and no electronics installed.
Bill
Tony HoganKen
Strings: Every player you ask will undoubtably tell you a different story. What works for me may not be the same for you. I string all my acoustics up with extra lights, the reason being is that I have an extremely light touch and prefer mobility, with the amount of movement I do on the fretboard, if I used heavier ones I wouldn't enjoy playing because for me it would be work.
As for brands and string construction: What I like best hasn't existed for years, I loved laBella silk and steels, when they disappeared I swapped over to GHS from memory. If I could find silk and steels where I live and probably only use them. One of my friends that is in the studio all the time swears by Elixers, they are good and last a while, I tried them but haven't decided to change over to one specific brand. I went thru a Thomasik phase because they have a lot of flex in them. Often these days I'll end up with D'addarrio or Martins, although if they were "lucky' brandor something, if they looked and felt ok iI'd still get them.
i'm an annoying customer in a shop, I always ask the sales people to open the packets and show me what they look like, a lot of the younger guys in shops find it ridiculous and annoying but as there are new strings all the time I like to see them and get an idea what they 'feel' like. Every brand has so many packets, I can't keep up, I don't buy brand I buy what they feel like.
Regardless whether acoustic or electric, I will only use a wound 3rd, the intonation is better.
It really depends on style what you buy. If you want a big 'ringy' sound mediums are probably the go, but if it becomes hard work then go lighter.
As I do a lot of open tuning, if I find that the strings feel a bit floppy, I'll tune up a semi tone from DADGAD to Eb Bb Eb Ab Bb Eb (b = flat). generally for singing I'll have my guitar tuned down a semi tone in normal tuning to Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb, two of my acoustics sound great but the other sounds a bit loose, in that case if I was recording I'd go up a gauge.
If you are recording be aware that your strings go dead after a while, so if the recording is going for a period of time you may need to change strings, and then play them in and continio recording.
As for plectrums I use the Dunlop medium colored gray ones for rhythm, if I have to play very fast rhytmic songs I'll use the light gray ones, if I play lead guitar on acoustic I'll use the black ones. and in one song I could have two plectrums in my hand and actually swap at some point. What's important to me is that the pick is flexible and brushes nicely over the strings.
This is a long conversation. I reckon try a few guages and get a balance between good tone a comfort.
TH
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Hey "LearnFromKen",
regarding strings for acoustic:.... I am a Nashville songwriter/picker. I play a $4500 late '80's Taylor 815c LTD ED. I wouldn't put anything less than Elixer Polywebs on any of my acoustic guitars. Yes, they are more expensive, yes they do last longer, yes they are louder, yes they have awesome action, yes, yes, yes. Some guys like the Nanoweb Elixers, but I notice they are changing their strings more often than I am. I prefer the brighter sound of the Poly's on Taylor jumbo. They last... later dude.
Posted: November 19th, 2009 | Report This Comment