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  #1  
Old 11-07-2013, 02:49 PM
ceciltguitar ceciltguitar is offline
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Default Can you get a Parker Spanish Fly to sound like a real classical guitar?

I am very happy with the playability of my Parker Nylon Fly. Plays like a dream, 24 easily reachable steel frets. Good tone with custom installed RMC pickups.

But, sometimes I want it to sound like a classical guitar.

Maybe impossible, but any suggestions? Effects, other gadgets?

The guitar also has synth access. My synth is an old GR 33. There are no sounds on the GR33 that even remotely sound like a classical guitar. What about the newer generation of guitar synths / samplers / modeling? Do any of them have realistic believable classical guitar sounds?

Does anyone here know of anything that can create a good, believable classical guitar sound out of an electric nylon string with under the saddle piezo pickups?

I am not too hopeful, but you never know unless you ask.

I do know that nothing will equate to the sound of an unamplified Dammann or Hauser etc, but how close can I come?

Best regards,
Tom

Last edited by ceciltguitar; 11-07-2013 at 03:11 PM.
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  #2  
Old 11-07-2013, 10:07 PM
Special B Special B is offline
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Pics, please?

I have no experience with Parker Nylon guitars, but I have tried their Fly electrics (steel). Awesome guitars.

I doubt you can make such a modern design sound like a true acoustic classical. I'd start with finding the right set of strings, and tweeking your amp settings from there.

Sorry, no advice here. I was just hoping for some nice "real" pics; way better than stock/official photos.
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  #3  
Old 11-08-2013, 09:17 PM
ceciltguitar ceciltguitar is offline
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Special B, thank you for your response.

I took a couple photos of my guitar for you, then found out via the site FAQ that posting photos in a response requires uploading the photos to a website, such as Flickr, which in turn would require creating an account that I would probably never use.

Anyway, I see that there are a lot of decent photos of Parker Spanish / Nylon Flys on the Internet that can be easily found by googling "nylon fly photos".
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  #4  
Old 11-09-2013, 01:13 AM
Special B Special B is offline
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No problem. Sorry you took the pics for nothing.

Good luck dialing the tone in. Hopefully someone else can post with some better advice. I'd just recommend trying different sets of strings (and tensions) until you find a winner for your Spanish Fly, and then tweeking your amp and settings from there. It's all about what your expectations are.

I like medium tension on my classical, but have heard that higher tension strings work better with piezos.

I have a Roland guitar synth, and I think it is the GR-33 like you have (but I can't remember the model offhand, and it is in a box in the garage). Yeah, the nylon string patches are pretty unrealistic. I think you'd have more luck with the piezo and real nylon strings rather than using nylon strings to trigger a synth which is basically a recording. Fly's have good resonance for a thin body, try to capitalize on it.
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  #5  
Old 11-09-2013, 09:25 AM
brad4d8 brad4d8 is offline
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You might look into a Fishman Aura classical. You can dial in what purports to be the sound of several well known concert classical guitars. I bought one years ago, hoping it would help the sound of my Chet Atkins nylon, only to discover that there was a problem in the pickup. Haven't tried it since as the Chet was okay and I've reprogrammed the Fishman to hopefully eliminate the piezo quack in one of my steel string guitar pickups (haven't had to try it out yet).
Brad
http://www.fishman.com/products/view/aura-sixteen
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  #6  
Old 11-09-2013, 09:35 AM
XISTH XISTH is offline
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You could try the Roland VG-99. It does some very good classical emulations. Much better than the GR-33 because it's not triggering samples but actually doing real-time COSM modelling on the actual guitar sound. Therefore no glitches. Obviously it's all in the electric/tronic domain so it won't have the 'gut and wood' sound of a real acoustic, but for an electronic emulation it's pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2cBvwTW4M
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Old 11-09-2013, 04:23 PM
dweezil dweezil is offline
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First off, I had a Bronze Fly, ie like the Spanish Fly but the steel string version, minimal and boy what an a great guitar. I've always wanted to try a Spanish Fly.

You say you want it to sound "like" a classical guitar. I guess the key to the answer is the word "approximate".

Yes you can approximate the sound of a real classical with all sorts of electronics and what nots and it will 'fool' a lot of ears but if you want an authentic sound, response, tone, timbre etc then the only solution is the real thing.

Depends how "like" you want it to sound.

Not to be a naysayer of these sorts of things but I've had DTars, Line6 pseudo classical guitars, zoom effects units that emulate, even a Taylor NS, in fact all sorts of "approximate" doodads but for me the sound I wanted, and I wasn't after a classic classical guitar, was only achieved by the Lowden S32J and an Avalon Fusion A2-20N. They're 'crossovers' but are built with the voice and character of a nylon string acoustic.
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