Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- 231.8K All Categories
- 22 >> Start Here <<
- 12 New Members
- 8 FAQs
- 83.3K Gear
- 37.9K Guitar
- 3.2K Acoustics
- 1.3K Bass
- 14.1K Amps
- 16.7K FX
- 157 Digital & Modelling
- 730 Other Instruments
- 7.9K Making & Modding
- 406 Gear Reviews
- 100 Guitar Reviews
- 72 Amp Reviews
- 119 FX Reviews
- 84 Other Reviews
- 734 Made in the UK
- 932 Theory
- 1.8K Technique
- 2K Live
- 3K Studio & Recording
- 2.1K Making Music
- 202 Events
- 15 Guitar Show 2018
- 762 Plug My Stuff
- 100.6K Classifieds
- 39.2K Guitars £
- 2.6K Acoustics £
- 132 LH Guitars £
- 836 Basses £
- 10K Parts £
- 17.6K Amps £
- 32.8K FX £
- 2.6K Studio & Rec £
- 5.8K Misc £
- 443 Personnel
- 52.7K Chat
- 35.3K Off Topic
- 987 Tributes
- 6.3K Music
In this Discussion
Become a Subscriber!
Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
My YouTube Channel
Most are fine with 11s, which I use, but I think some will need thicker strings to bring out the best sound (12s or 13s - always best to ask).
Because I use 11s, when I drop the bottom E to D, it loses tension, and the tone, so I use thicker gauges for dropped strings when I use alternate tunings, or instead of DADGAD, I use one semitone up from DADGAD: which maintains roughly the same overall tension on the top
As a dramatic example of this, my tenor guitar (23 inch 4 string) arrived tuned CGDA, which is the standard tuning, the dedicated set for which is: D’addario J66 Bronze: 10, 14, 22, 32 (v. high tension on A and D). This set is so tight, that I broke 50% of the top 2 strings I fitted whilst tuning up for the first time (I never break any strings normally, I have electrics with the same strings on for years). In addition, the tension is so high that those 2 top strings are much louder than the 2 bass strings, and are very shrill and piercing, which could work well in a pub jam, but sounds pretty awful on its own. Changing to 32 / 20 / 12 / 8, the strings stop breaking, and it sounds better. However, it sounds much better tuned down 2 semitones to: A# F C G (using 32/34, 22, 13, 10), much woodier and balanced
Also, shops can't afford to restring acoustics frequently, so many on display have strings that have gone dull, so when trying out brands, keep an eye out for that. Some brands come with coated strings, so are more predictable, e.g. Taylor I think.
As a consequence I currently have a lovely Avalon tuned in DAAEAE
I like to have a few guitars left in different tunings, I find it very inspiring to just wing it with each of them, instead of playing in one tuning that I know well all the time.
If it's good enough for Joni Mitchell....
Speak more of your commission! What specs did you go for?
I love Brook Guitars, played about 10-15 of them and they have all been wonderful.
Good choice @ThorpyFX ;
Adam
I will say this: Around 12 years ago I had been playing other guitars (- think well-respected small-workshops) and decided to "go for it" and bought a Sobell. Overnight the amount of time I spent playing steel-string went through the roof. My playing and enjoyment benefitted tremendously (and I pretty much gave up electric - haha). A really top-flight guitar is well worth the investment. It changed my guitar-playing life.
Since then I've had 5 Sobells; still have one (a 2009 madrose model 1). There are definitely other builders out there that make instruments in that category but few do what the Sobell does - incredible clarity and separation that is impossible to overdrive (rather like an archtop). Ultimately I grew away from that sound and moved towards something more vanilla, but when I fancy that type of sound, it has to be a Sobell.
“First and foremost - It’s a tool for making music”
the first sentence spoken by Dana Bourgeois in this video a maker I particularly respect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=HMGtTD4bH-w
yup, says it all in a mater of fact workman way, cause thats what he does (very well), he makes ‘tools’ / instruments for us to get creative develop playing technique and computational skills and make our own music on.
I'm sure I caught a glimpse of one (Sobell) being (lightly) thrashed last night by some retro folk hipster on a hogmanay show last night.
btw - spell checker don't recognise hogmanay - ah the erasing of culture.
Probably the best "how we make a guitar" video I have seen:
I OD'd on that stuff back in the 00's doing the building course - one persons vids stand out in my memory, our own Nigel. like DB above refreshingly matter of fact and b*s*t free. I found his vids quite therapeutically relaxing.
From a building point of view things that get my attention is the 'jigs' and ingenious ways of going about 'procedures' to maximize accuracy and repetition.
Oh and their tools
Not many about, but when bought used, they are often better value over here since few people are aware of them
you a smile of satisfaction!!
I agree there's diminishing returns with acoustics over the approx. £3K level. At this point the subjective judgement of the player kicks in. If you look around you can pretty much find what you want musically without paying more.
(I did once pay £4K for a classical but that market's different.)
i.e. Some makers sell top-notch instruments starting at £3k, whereas others start at £5k, usually it's because the brand name is stronger