[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by ukejon

Good thoughts and I will add that sometimes it is less about the tuning than the type of song relative to the guitar. So hearing a blues tune on an old parlor guitar or a Gibson J-45 can be very informative, as can hearing a more modern type of fingerstyle on guitar voiced for that style of playing. Of course, all styles of music can be played on all guitars, so this is not meant as a hard and fast rule. But when I'm trying to evaluate the tone it helps for my ear to hear a type of music that is especially befitting that instrument. For the video in question, I also would have liked to hear a fuller and more ringing song the really played up the tonal complexity and the sustain that is characteristic of so many of your guitars. Just my two cents....

Thanks ukejon,

I'll keep that in mind. Since my guitars usually are designed with some sort of theme in mind I'll remember that a sound clip may also be supportive of that theme when applicable.

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

I concur with this statement, in fact Mark and I have had this conversation. I will expand and say that for me, what I have told Mark is I want to hear the guitar not the player. I am not going to a concert here and listening to a great player showing how well he can play and impress me with the complexity of his tunes. This is about the guitar, it is the star. So a simple tune where I don't notice the player and am focused on the guitar is what I look for.

I think the solution to Mark's question more specifically is one tune in standard and one in alternate tunings...

Thanks Tom,

I do try to mention that with someone doing a clip. It helps when the discussion starts by me asking them what they look for when first hearing a guitar. Sometime performers just want to perform though.

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

The tuning doesn't really bother me but if I had to choose I'd say I prefer to hear the guitar in standard. More importantly, for a demo I'd like to hear something from the "standard" repertoire, a tune that people can relate to.

There is one guitar reviewer in particular who writes excellent reviews -- but he always takes the opportunity to introduce one of his (very unusual) originals in some weird tuning which provides no reference whatsoever. I'd prefer that he sticks to something a bit more "standard".

The other question that comes to mind is sound processing. Many folks think it's best to leave the track unaltered with no effects, no EQ, no nothing. They feel it's more "honest" and "representative" of the guitar.

I would argue that recording a guitar in itself already alters the sound and provides one perspective (among many others). When we audition a guitar in person, it doesn't sound weak and dry like on recordings that haven't been further processed. And in a more "artistic" context, when we listen to guitar music it doesn't sound weak and dry either.

I'm not suggesting that demos should have a ton of reverb and delay -- but a fair amount of processing (e.g., the recordings on Michael Greenfield's channel) would receive my vote.

Thanks for that. I am putting plans together to redo my website and will be sure clips in that are done much more professionally.