Do you flatpick primarily on an OM or 000?

[AZ Slacker]

As I get older, I enjoy the smaller guitars more and more, though I still play the dreadnoughts most of the time. Am wondering if anyone flatpicks -fiddle tunes & leads - on a smaller guitar like an OM, deep body OM, or 000? I'd like to know your thoughts and string gauge used.

[HHP]

I did for many years. No problem as long as you are in a small group, duo or trio, and don't need to cut through a banjo or resonator. They record very well.

I've since gone back to D's for the "power and glory" but wouldn't hesitate to use a 000 in the right setting.

[FolkMI]

I do also. I play a Martin OM-28V with the folk group I am in. We are primarily chord strummers, and the OM goes with the small body guitars the other two guitarists use. I use regular light .012" - .053" strings on it.

Roger

[Teleman52]

You can flatpick fiddle tunes on anything. And I mean anything. The reason dreads are preferred in bluegrass is mostly because of their rythym capabilities. I believe if guitars were only lead instruments, all kinds of guitars would be used. A bigger guitar isn't necessarily louder when it comes to flatpicking

I flatpicked on my gibson lg2 for a long time, which is closest to a 00. Eric Skye picks fiddle tunes on his eric Skye models, 12 fret 00s.

I believe you should choose your string gauge based on the guitar. A really lightly built guitar will sound great with custom lights, if you have a heavier built guitar, lights, bluegrass, or medium. You have to experiment is what I'm saying. No one can answer thag question for you because every guitar is different

[kydave]

Watch James Nash, of the Waybacks, on his Santa Cruz OM sometime!

Back when I owned smaller guitars (for a phase, I tried 0,00, 000/OM...) I flatpicked leads on my 000/OM in the band I was in, but we were plugged in. For acoustic jams, I still pulled out the D-28, usually.

[rmyAddison]

Nothing but OM's, using a Blue Chip 1.5 or heavier, and 13's tuned down 1/ step, been doing it for years, works just fine.........

[swsman]

Flatpick on my 00 size Blueridge.
Picks used are Wegen TF120 and BG140.
Also there is MiSi Duo soundhole pickup if I need to play plugged in.
I have moved away from larger instruments, not due to discomfort just personal preference.

[Wade Hampton]

Yep, I've done it for years. The OM/14 fret Triple O body is just about the most musically versatile steel string acoustic guitar design that there is: you can do anything on it.


Wade Hampton Miller

I primarily play Dreadnaughts, and I don't expect that to ever change. However, I do enjoy other sizes even though they are not front and center in my playing habits. I've owned a few 000's, some pretty goods ones, but currently own only two 000's, a 000-18 Norman Blake and a 1936 000-18. I'd take either one of those over a so-so Dreadnaught, but would prefer a very good Dreadnaught to those. I flat pick everything since that's the only thing I know.

A good 000 will hold it's own in most settings, even group settings unless it's purely acoustic and something like hard driving Bluegrass where the power of a Dreadnaught is required.

[DCannon]

I flatpick all my guitars (OM, 000, F-body, and slope)...actually flatpick/fingerstyle equally. My guitars have been chosen for their versatility of handling either and I often mix flatpick/fingerstyle.

DC

[Von Beerhofen]

I flatpick and play fingerstyle on all my guitars, even those primarily designed for fingerstyle. It usually takes some adjustment when swapping guitars but I use em for one or two days at the time, so after adjusting it'll be fine.
Still I prefer 1.75'' nutwidth and 2.25'' string spacing best for flatpicking and slightly wider for fingerstyle.
My preferred model is the OM but I do own two dreads too. Personally I think leads work better on the OM, their sound generally being a bit more focussed then the dreads with the same string thickness on them (.012).

Ludwig

[min7b5]

I only play fiddle tunes on my 00. I think in the clip below I had lights on the guitar, but most of the time I have mediums on it and it's a killer flatpicking guitar. And the size and scale is way better for my aging hands and shoulder.

http://youtu.be/tYek7wjuX1Q

[cu4life7]

A martin 000/om is my only guitar, so yes, I do flat pick on it. I've found personally that the om size is perfect as an all rounder based on the recommendation of many experienced players on this forum. I think in the age of amplification, the dread and jumbo are overkill if you are going to plug in anyway. I would definitely get a d-18 if I were to play in a bluegrass or old timey group, but if not than om all the way for me!!!!

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by DCannon

I flatpick all my guitars (OM, 000, F-body, and slope)...actually flatpick/fingerstyle equally. My guitars have been chosen for their versatility of handling either and I often mix flatpick/fingerstyle.
DC

The same here. I flat-pick everything - Dred, Slope, OM, Jumbos...... Every guitar has to be versatile to play everything I play.

[Yrksman]

Here's an even smaller guitar being played very effectively with a pick:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OeP4FFr88SQ