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FDP Forum / FDP Unplugged - Acoustic Instruments / And the secret to great acoustic tone is.....
(This message was last edited by 6L6 at 05:49 PM, Aug 19th, 2016)
(This message was last edited by 009 at 08:52 AM, Mar 25th, 2018)
FDP Forum / FDP Unplugged - Acoustic Instruments / And the secret to great acoustic tone is.....
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tuninguitars
Indiana
lets take it apartAug 12th, 2016 11:09 AM Edit Profile
Have a friend who gets his strings from players who change strings often because he doesn't like the sound of NEW strings
as far as what we like it tone and feelings of guitars and amps and speakers my likes change daily it seems I guess its the reason for GAS
6L6
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San Francisco, CAAug 19th, 2016 10:28 AM Edit Profile
Fingerpicks.
Many people have complimented my acoustic guitar tone over the years and credited it to some nice instruments I'm lucky to own. Truth is, my tone is 90% fingerpicks and 10% guitar.
It takes some practice to get used to them, but once you do there's no going back! I credit my college roommate for turning me on to them back in the 60's.
I use a plastic thumbpick and two National 0.013 metal fingerpicks.
stratcowboy
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USA/Taos, NMAug 19th, 2016 12:10 PM Edit Profile
"Many people have complemented..."
"Complimented." Sorry...couldn't help myself. English is a pretty screwy language.
6L6
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San Francisco, CAAug 19th, 2016 03:50 PM Edit Profile
HA! Corrected stratcowboy!
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tuninguitars
Indiana
lets take it apartSep 27th, 2016 08:53 AM Edit Profile
when I worked in a music store people asked "Do you have any good sounding guitars?"
replay was "It depends on who is holding them"
which has more bearing on sound then name tags or price in my many years of experience.
Bigfoot
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Indy
The floor is getting farther away...Nov 4th, 2016 09:55 PM Edit Profile
I once bought a cheapo acoustic (solid wood though) for $50 at an antique store because it sounded so soulful. Strings were likely original and could have been more than a dozen years old. Made me sound like Robert Johnson. Worse thing I did to it was change the strings.
But my Guild F50 loves new strings. Go figure.
Chris Greene
FDP Host
Idaho, USA
I need a drink and a quick decisionDec 24th, 2016 04:49 PM Edit Profile
I was reminded of this today when I pulled out my now two year old Martin HD28V. I hadn't changed the strings in awhile (I hate the process) but it was not sounding like a two year old HD28V should so I pulled out a set of Martin Lifespan SP medium phosphor bronze strings and did the deed. I have GOT to do it more often. What an incredible difference.
stratcowboy
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USA/Taos, NMDec 24th, 2016 06:14 PM Edit Profile
Amazing what a $7 upgrade can do to a $2800 guitar.
6L6
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San Francisco, CAApr 2nd, 2017 04:18 PM Edit Profile
Taylor 214's made prior to 2007 have solid back and sides as well as the top. It's a good reason to buy your 214 used!
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Tony Salieri
Houston, Texas
I'm a tone deaf hack.Apr 10th, 2017 05:46 AM Edit Profile
Sometimes you have to experiment.
Strings made to be bright might give a player the extra zing they're trying to get from a solid cedar top,
yet identical strings might sound almost ice-picky on a solid spruce top (or a carbon, which can be even trickier).
Ayns
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UK
England's Sloppiest GuitaristMar 14th, 2018 05:42 PM Edit Profile
Just to update.......
I restrung my Walden acoustic today with extra lights, for playability reasons, and put the almost new original strings, lights I'd guess, on my Cimar.
The result is........both guitars now sound appreciately *worse* than they did :-(
Maybe heavier strings *is* the way to go.
009
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USAMar 25th, 2018 06:34 AM Edit Profile
I was so pleased recently with my Baby Taylor, with its new bridge/saddle and strings. So, I’m trying to learn a fingerpicking song, and as I pluck a C note (A string, third fret), it sounded awful. Checked the tuning/open sting - OK. Checked the C note - flat. Checked at the twelfth fret, flat. It seems that nothing is accurately in tune other than the open strings. I really was beginning to like the easy, fun-to-play acoustic, but I think I’m going to have to, again, set it aside, and probably use a hollow-body electric, with its adjustable tuning....
PS - It just occurred to me that my shimming the neck to get a decent action probably contributed to this. Tipping the neck rear wards sort of lengthens the nut-to-saddle string length / scale slightly. Rats.
Peegoo
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UNpopular music
superstarMar 25th, 2018 09:35 AM Edit Profile
Take that A string up one gauge step. It will help solve the problem.
009
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USAMar 25th, 2018 10:20 AM Edit Profile
Thanks. I sat down this past half hour with a tuner trying all sorts of notes & frets. The sky really isn't falling -- the main problem seems to be, yes, that A string. Right now I have Light Elixirs on, with the A string being .042 in (1.35mm).
Peegoo
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UNpopular music
superstarMar 25th, 2018 10:47 AM Edit Profile
If you're stuck on that gauge of A string (or Elixer sets), the best option would be to install a very small shelf on the nut to extend the A string's slot--and string breakover point--toward the first fret.
A little goes a long way. 1mm will probably do it.
That will bring up the pitch of notes when you fret that string.
If you're unfamiliar with shelf nut stuff...
009
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USAMar 25th, 2018 01:24 PM Edit Profile
That's a cool idea. However, I gave you some bum information. After fooling around with my tuner, it *seems* as though the C is a little sharp, rather than flat. (I blame my lousy hearing as well as my tinnitus.) I couldn't pick up a true, definite reading on the C note -- I was just going to tune that A string to Fretted-C and allow the open A to be a little off -- but none of my three tuners capable of acoustic tuning could really get a bead on that note. Open A - OK. Fretted fifth on A /= D note -- OK. Try to play a third fret C --- often get a D, sometimes a G, rarely a C (and only with my original inteletouch tuner).
Well, I'm going over to Guitar Center in a few minutes, now that most of the weekend landscapers have probably already made their trips to the nearby Lowes; fewer people. They don't have the Elixir 80/20 Bronze single strings in stock, but they do have D'Addario phosphor bronze singles; close enough. I'm going to buy one gauge up and also one gauge down; going to fool around and see what happens.
Peegoo
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UNpopular music
superstarMar 25th, 2018 01:30 PM Edit Profile
That is a good plan.
If you have a single string that's sharp when fretted, you can cut back the nut at that string slot with a Dremel.
El Kabong
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NJArmpit of Universe
A-Ahhl do the thinnin' around here!Mar 26th, 2018 01:44 PM Edit Profile
MARTIN D-18
009
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USAMar 27th, 2018 12:44 PM Edit Profile
"New strings ;-) "
...at least one, anyway.
Went back to GC and bought an .042 like original -- tuning = no problem. Must have had a bad string.
Bubbalou
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USA
THE LOW END OF UPPER TEJASAug 3rd, 2018 10:42 PM Edit Profile
I inherited my mom's 1979 Takamine F-349. I used a few different brands of strings and the guitar just sounded a little dull to me. My son-in-law recommended Elixer Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze 12's and after playing a couple of his guitars I like them so I put a set on it and Wow did it wake this guitar up. Funny thing I tried a set of them in 11's (largest size the guitar would handle) and it sounded dull so I can say what sounds good on one many not on another.
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