How many of you use a dread for fingerstyle?

[pieterh]

I play fingerstyle on all my acoustics (electrics too for that matter). Far more than body size I think neck profile and string spacing makes more of a difference. So while I can happily play fingerstyle on my Guild dread and Furch OM I prefer it on my Taylor 414ce. The Guild is excellent for strumming and flatpicking, the Furch is great for flatpicking and pretty good for strumming too. But as I said, they all work for fingerstyle.

[sumokids]

Three words: Kelly Joe Phelps.

[musicman1951]

My last dread was a D-28 Authentic with a very powerful, beautiful strumming tone. I did finger pick it, but it was not nearly as satisfying as my 000.

It had heavier strings, which were wonderful for the flat pick, but required more RH finger pressure than I like for finger style, as opposed to the short scale 000 with 12's. The other problem was the lack of balanced tone. That thunderous bass was wonderful when I needed lots of volume sans amp, or for tunes that fit that sound, but it required a lot of management to make balanced sound when fingerpicking.

These are personal choice, so if you don't particularly care about balanced tone and like to play with plenty of RH finger pressure a dread could be the perfect choice. It simply was not for me.

[DBW]

I do fingerstyle on all of my acoustics. For me it's not the size of the body but the size of the nut. I like 1.75" for fingerstyle and my acoustics have that. I also use extra light strings. I've been doing fingerstyle versions of Elvis, Beatles, and Eagles most recently.

[AndrewG]

I use my dread for all picking styles-hybrid pick and fingers, flatpicking, bare fingers. Likewise my parlour and jumbo. I scratch my head when the frequent requests for recommendations for a 'fingerstyle guitar' crop up. There's no such animal!

[zombywoof]

Way back when I was starting off I was advised if I wanted to fingerpick to go with a smaller body guitar because it sits lower in your lap so your right hand comes at the guitar from a different and more comfortable angle. I guess you could have filed that under the "Conventional Wisdom" heading at least at the time. Problem was a guy in my first band played a Harmony Sovereign. I sure did like that guitar and I seemed to have no problem fingerpicking it.

These days when it comes to dreds or jumbos I tend to grab my Banner Gibson J50 or Fairbanks Smeck. Being the lazy sort, if I am sitting in a room where my wife's Gibson J200 happens to be I will reach for it. And yeah, I still play a Harmony Sovereign.

Based on the guitars in the house though when playing with bare fingers the best I got is 1932 Gibson L1. The notes just leap off the strings. Then again this guitar clocks it at only 2 3/4 pounds. When playing with just my fingers it does take a bit more work to pull the music out of a big bottom guitar. But in the end no matter what guitar I am playing I just sound like me.

[RP]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Yeah, I've never understood the idea of not using a dread for finger style...

Me either. I'm partial to larger bodied guitars, and those are what I strum and play figerstyle...

[J Patrick]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

Based on the guitars in the house though when playing with bare fingers the best I got is 1932 Gibson L1. The notes just leap off the strings. Then again this guitar clocks it at only 2 3/4 pounds. When playing with just my fingers it does take a bit more work to pull the music out of a big bottom guitar. But in the end no matter what guitar I am playing I just sound like me.

…..the Gibson L1 is the most under the radar acoustic guitar design there is in my opinion….I have a Kevin Kopp RJ which is his interpretation of the L1…. it’s insanely responsive and capable of a lot more than the “blues box” reputation that L1’s are known for….

[6L6]

All of my acoustics are dreads. SO... I play fingerstyle on them.

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

I do.

Only in recent years did I learn from the forums that there were “fingerstyle guitars.” I even bought one out of curiosity. I didn’t get it, dreads work just fine.

Plus 1000.

We spend a lot of time (lost) in the weeds here. Actual pro players just play.

[fartamis]

Dreads are my favorite and I find them very versatile to do anything, I have been playing my dreads with my fingers since 35 years.

[Mike McLenison]

I play a HD-35 Martin. I only play fingerstyle to accompany my singing. Love big-sounding dreadnaughts.

[dnf777]

For me, string spacing and overall set up and comfort are more important than body style. I play equally inadequate on all my guitars.

[drumstrummer]

By now it should be obvious that yes, it works to play a dread with your fingers. I'll go one further. There are certain sounds and fingerstyle techniques where a dread may even be preferable. Listen to Stephen Stills plucking what is likely a D-28 or D-45, HARD, with bare fingers. A small bodied guitar will work, but won't give you this kind of power.

https://youtu.be/tee61YGheaA

[donlyn]

How many of you use a dread for fingerstyle?

More Urban Myth. I did when I owned a six and a 12 string dread. I fingerpick all my guitars, using my nails as picks.

Don't currently own any dreads, but a dread is a guitar isn't it? So why not fingerpick it? It says right here on my fingerpicking license that dreads are not excluded.

Back in the 60s, it seems that all the folk acts that came to town were toting dreadnought guitars. And so were the native acts, like Jim Kweskin and Tom Rush. There was no ordinance against fingerpicking dreads, so they did.

Don
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