How to Brighten your tone and make your high end crisp??

[themachinist]

I've long been trying to make my notes more crisp. I've heard that some people prefer a warm, muddy sound over a bright tone and vice versa. I've tried playing nearer the bridge (perhaps too close) I've been reinforcing my nails with Ping Pong Ball cutouts and tried to make my attack a little more aggressive and shrill - but it still never sounds how I want it to! Has anyone any thoughts to share on this, or any techniques, string brands, etc?

A few months ago I bought a Tanglewood TSM 2, lovely guitar and was only obtainable thanks to an unexpected wad of overdue salary from a film I worked on a while ago. I feel like it's taken me a lot closer in sound to where I want to be. I've been stringing it with Medium Gauge PB D' Addarios (spelling?), so I'm wondering if perhaps there's a better sting choice out there?

[ewalling]

I like my guitars to have some 'zing' on the trebles. The only time I've ever used medium gauge strings was on my Larrivee SD-50 just after it arrived. While the trebles seemed very powerful, they lacked shimmer for me, and when I changed the strings, I put on Martin SP Medium lights 80/20s. This was an improvement, but I got an even better response by keeping the medium lights - 55, 43.5, 33.5, 25.5 - on the wound strings and two lights - a 16 and a 12 - on the plain strings. This combination gave the guitar a lovely shimmer - the opposite of the 'muddiness' you describe.

[ljguitar]

Hi machinest…

• The right instrument
• Your technique with the right instrument

Those two things will affect the tone more than anything. If you have a guitar which is incapable of producing the tone you desire, or the wrong string formulation, or the wrong technique...you will not end up 'happy'.

It may take playing guitars till you find the right one which produces the desired tone you want with your normal style...then is ceases to be 'work' and becomes music.

[donh]

I'm hoping you are wanting fat trebles more than shrill ones, but that's just me.

Three things occur to me immediately.

Strings: try a bluegrass set, a set of lights, PB and 80/20. Some guitars choke on mediums, some love them. Others change their preference mid-cruise. Strings are cheap compared to the guitar and the guitar's preference will become obvious. Keep notes.

Tuners: lose the tone-sucking Grovers and put on a set of openback Gotohs. The lower mass (and better metal) can open open up the top end a bit.

Keep Playing!: the guitar will come your way. and you will find it's joy-spots.

[themachinist]

Originally Posted by donh

I'm hoping you are wanting fat trebles more than shrill ones, but that's just me.

Three things occur to me immediately.

Strings: try a bluegrass set, a set of lights, PB and 80/20. Some guitars choke on mediums, some love them. Others change their preference mid-cruise. Strings are cheap compared to the guitar and the guitar's preference will become obvious. Keep notes.

Tuners: lose the tone-sucking Grovers and put on a set of openback Gotohs. The lower mass (and better metal) can open open up the top end a bit.

Keep Playing!: the guitar will come your way. and you will find it's joy-spots.

Haha yes I guess fat trebles is a better term than shrill (being in it's definition unpleasant to the ear I think?)

I want my guitar to ring like a bell, like the one in this video did. I'm sorry to namedrop my guitar hero again (I think this is the third time I've brought this video into a thread somehow).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqTLkgImAdU

That's very interesting, I didn't know the tuners could have an impact! That's certainly worth a try.

I'm in love with Mediums, which is a problem as well - I've just strung my guitar up with some Ernie Ball Earthwood Mediums and the improvement is incredible - they sound completely different to the D' Addarios I've been putting on there.

[donh]

Originally Posted by themachinist

Haha yes I guess fat trebles is a better term than shrill (being in it's definition unpleasant to the ear I think?)

I want my guitar to ring like a bell, like the one in this video did. I'm sorry to namedrop my guitar hero again (I think this is the third time I've brought this video into a thread somehow).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqTLkgImAdU

That's very interesting, I didn't know the tuners could have an impact! That's certainly worth a try.

I'm in love with Mediums, which is a problem as well - I've just strung my guitar up with some Ernie Ball Earthwood Mediums and the improvement is incredible - they sound completely different to the D' Addarios I've been putting on there.

Excellent! Ernie Ball makes fine strings. I like 'em. I happen to prefer John Pearse strings, but no strings are for everybody - ain't it wonderful?

Best of luck/skill with your search - it'll work out fine :-)

[Sombras]

In addition to strings, I'd recommend a John Pearse bone, buffalo horn, or coconut-wood pick. Those help create a VERY bright tone.

[rlouie]

Originally Posted by ewalling

I like my guitars to have some 'zing' on the trebles. The only time I've ever used medium gauge strings was on my Larrivee SD-50 just after it arrived. While the trebles seemed very powerful, they lacked shimmer for me, and when I changed the strings, I put on Martin SP Medium lights 80/20s. This was an improvement, but I got an even better response by keeping the medium lights - 55, 43.5, 33.5, 25.5 - on the wound strings and two lights - a 16 and a 12 - on the plain strings. This combination gave the guitar a lovely shimmer - the opposite of the 'muddiness' you describe.

are those the Martin MSP-3150??? I just bought a couple of sets.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by rlouie

are those the Martin MSP-3150??? I just bought a couple of sets.

Those are the ones. I'm sure you'll really like them, Louie; I think they're great-sounding strings. I've only used the 80/20s, but no doubt the phosphors are really good, too.

[Cue Zephyr]

Random suggestion:
D'Addario EJ26 (or whatever gauge you prefer) strings and ProPik Fingertone fingerpicks. I use my nails. They seem to be tough enough to hold up for one to two weeks, over time they bend a little bit then at some point they kind of break (OH I BROKE MY NAIL), and then I cut off just enough so I can still play with my nail. For the thumb I tend to use a thumb pick (since I play a lot of fingerstyle).

Oh, and yes, my saddle upgrade improeved the brightness of my guitar too.