singer songwriter acoustic fingerstyle guitarist
I use Elixir (elixirstrings.com) Phosphor-Bronze Nano-web, .012”-.053” on all my guitars. They may not seem to have the initial “brightness” of other brands, but they retain their tonality far longer. I was using a new set of strings for each gig, on each guitar, as my sweaty fingers would take all the “zing” out of them. I find that the Elixirs easily last 4 or 5 2 hour gigs, and all the noodling and practice time in between!
I guess my favourite stage guitar is my Lowden O10 (georgelowden.com). (S/No 5479) I like the neck width, the overall “feel”, the response, and the fact that it’s not tiring on my fingers, and to be honest, I suppose I’ve got used to it… It’s a hand-made Northern Irish model which I’ve had it for about 15 years, and we’ve done a whole lot of playing and travelling together! Acoustically, it has a rich and warm tone – the cedar top and mahogany back and sides give it a beautiful softness, though it can provide a powerful “ballsiness” when provoked!!
I had it fitted with an EMG under-saddle piezo pickup when I bought it, and it’s still there. It’s a great match with the guitar, and a real gem at soundchecks.
I also use a dreadnought, hand-made by David Oddy (sorry – no internet stuff available) (S/No 0704374) which I’ve had for 5 years. A thoroughly beautiful instrument – and a finger-pickers dream. Rosewood back and sides, sunburst finish spruce top, purple heartwood inlaid neck, ebony fingerboard, arrowhead headstock, and inlaid with more abalone than you’ll find on a Mexican seashore…. It’s capable of a more delicate and lighter tonality than the Lowden, probably down to the smaller body and spruce top, but don’t be fooled by that – it packs a punch!! I have had problems with getting the right pick-up for it. I’ve tried Asworth, and various Fishmans, with marginal satisfaction… At present I’m using one of the new EMG under-saddle piezos, and so far I’m pretty happy with it!
My “back-up” guitar for stage use is an Avalon A-100 Gold Series (S/No A00525)
Avalon Guitars has added my profile to their ‘Avalon Artists’ page. avalonguitars.com). I suppose you could call it a Lowden look-alike, though sonically, it’s quite different. Mahogany back and sides and a lacquered spruce top make this a very bright and zingy guitar, a little “leaner” than the Lowden, though it plays extremely well. The neck is somewhat slimmer and faster than the Lowden, and it’s a very comfortable and easy guitar to play. Currently fitted with a Fishman1 under-saddle piezo pickup and a Fishman “Rare Earth” soundhole pickup for a big, blended signal.
Any of the above, depending on how their individual sonic characteristics suit the particular song! I never use the pickups, but experiment with microphones – quantity and placement. However, if I had to choose, it would be my 1976 Gurian C Series (guitarnotes.com/gurian). (S/No JR C2595) I have yet to find an acoustic guitar with anything like the immense sound the Gurian produces. Rosewood (3-part) back and sides, spruce top, ebony fingerboard. The neck’s a bit on the “chunky” side, and the internal bracing seems a little over-engineered, but the sound is breathtaking! It’ll sustain for about a week, and sounds more like a piano!! Rich, vibrant, encompassing and involving. Perfect (for me). Only about 2000 of this model were made, before the workshop caught fire! Apparently Paul Simon uses one, Jackson Browne and Bob Dylan both have them, so I reckon I’m in good company!!! Mine was made circa 1975. Saw one on Ebay recently with a £1000 price start… I reckon that’s a bargain. I can’t think of a single guitar currently on the market at that price that would come anywhere near it on sound quality!!
It has always amazed me that acoustic musicians spend a vast amount of money on their instruments and the electronics that go into them, then “plug in” using what is effectively a £5 jack lead. Duh!! It’s a bit like buying a £50,000 car and bunging a set of Ford Fiesta wheels and tyres on it… Wouldn’t happen!! All my cables, from guitar to pedal board, between the pedals, from the pedal board to the d/i box, and from the d/i box to the mixing desk are made by Matt Scott at Movement Audio in Poole (movement-audio.co.uk) using Atlas Quadstar, (atlascables.com ) Which costs about £6/metre, and provides a high quality, continuous signal path from my guitars to the desk. On my own rig, I also use Quadstar from the desk to the power amp, and Atlas Hyper2 speaker cable (£17.50/m) from the power amp to the loudspeakers. I KNOW I’m producing an extremely high quality sound so it’s one less thing for me to worry about!!!
18 August 2010
Just finished re-furbished my first proper acoustic guitar – Yamaha Red Label FG140 circa 1970… £39 19 shillings and sixpence…. Its a beauty – plays a dream!!! What a sound!!! Big Smiles Here!!!
Had it re-fretted 10 years ago at Andy’s in Denmark Street, then put it away for a while.. Was chatting to Alex Roberts about guitars on a trip back from London and he mentioned red labels and I thought… I’ve got one of them… got it out and gave it some TLC and the merest set-up strung it with some 12’s and it sings like a bird!!!! :0)