Maton and Cole Clark

[noledog]

Originally Posted by Marshall

His signature has a link that can get you to facebook and beyond.

Originally Posted by rb1591

Noledog, for the benefit of everyone on this thread, please post some links to your gigs. May be a combination of your style, touch, song selection, etc., but in my opinion your live sound is as good as I’ve ever heard in a small venue.

Thank you gentlemen!! I'm just seeing this coming off a six show run over the last 5 days, including two small cruises. So I have a day off to rest my voice and catch up here. Let me preface that my simple rig of just me my Tak and a Loudbox works well for me, but may not be everyone's cup of tea. So I selected a few vids to demo this combo... please read the YouTube video description for full details. I hope this helps even though they are still just iPhone recordings.

1) Thessalonia is a fingerstyle original... Tak P3NC



2) Missin' You acoustic cover... Tak P3NC



3) Wild World reggafied acoustic cover... Tak KC70



4) Seminole Wind acoustic cover... Tak KC70. This stage is actually on the beach and the waves of the ocean are only yards behind me. Too bad it was dark at night, however, perusing my Facebook page you can see this stage during the day if your interested.



On all videos, no pedals or outboard gear is used, just a touch of delay that is built into the amp. The Tak onboard preamp is the CT4BII on both models.

Again, not for everyone, but I enjoy the tone of this combo.
Enjoy and be well,

eric

[JackB1]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What people need to keep in mind is "Noledog's" playing style...he fingerpicks very softly and that assists any undersaddle pickup to sound good. He also plays way up towards the neck, which also changes the tone. If you are a heavy strummer, you may get totally different results from the same system/guitar. I have watched/heard many reviews where the player fingerpicks a plugged in guitar and it sounds lovely...and then they strum some big cowboy chords and the sound just goes way downhill. Know your style and what works best for YOU.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Dunno. Used Cole Clarks aren't that expensive, and they use sustainable forestgry practices. One of the guys at the Telecaster forum has been gigging with one for years, and he swears by it.

And what gain do you get from retrofitting? Clarks and Matons are designed with the pickups in mind, which as any luthier knows, should count for something.

[mtm]

I have tried many options over the years, but I have never been as happy as with my Matons. I'd also put Cole Clark and Takamine in the same category (although based on more limited experience).

For me, the main selling point of those three is: Unless you're a rock star with elite equipment throughout, they probably won't ever be the weakest link in the whole chain of amplification (including the PA system, the room acoustics and the player). If you have a very good PA system in a well-treated room potentially with a very good sound engineer, then you might benefit from having another guitar/pickup combination that also exactly matches your style of playing. For most of us, this never happens. And in every other (i.e., not perfect) setting, Matons will sound as good as an amplified acoustic guitar possibly can in that setting.

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by JackB1

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What people need to keep in mind is "Noledog's" playing style...he fingerpicks very softly and that assists any undersaddle pickup to sound good. He also plays way up towards the neck, which also changes the tone. If you are a heavy strummer, you may get totally different results from the same system/guitar. I have watched/heard many reviews where the player fingerpicks a plugged in guitar and it sounds lovely...and then they strum some big cowboy chords and the sound just goes way downhill. Know your style and what works best for YOU.

Oh, I don't know. I see examples of him strumming full chords. Sounds quite fine. And he's a great performer. - BRAVO !

[martingitdave]

Agree with Marshall. I think most guitarists know which frequencies, notes, volume levels, etc. annoy audiences. Good players avoid them however possibly. That’s where the tone is in the fingers quote comes from. Know what’s pleasing and play that.

[noledog]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Oh, I don't know. I see examples of him strumming full chords. Sounds quite fine. And he's a great performer. - BRAVO !

Thank you Marshall, so kind of you!!

Yes I do strum full chords from front to back of soundhole using as much tone variation that that technique provides. I play hard sometimes a la Pete Townsend, Cat Stevens, and I use heavy triangle Ultex 1.14 picks or heavier. The thing is, is that Takamine's Palathetic pickup is not a simple UST, it has six individual transducers underneath the metal strip that sits under the saddle. This contributes to the percussive tone that picks up the soundboard and also helps eliminate the majority of any quack. This is one reason I prefer MIJ Takamine guitars... again others may not find they like them as much for their style.

FYI note, most of Tommy Emanuel's early albums were recorded with MIJ Takamines and he still has a bunch of them he still plays and records with at home despite now touring with Maton Signature guitars.

Cheer!

[slimey]

I've been gigging with a Cole Clark Angel for the last two years and like many others I'm delighted with the instrument.
Never a fight for good tone regardless of how big the venue is, I've used it in small places and open field festivals.
It has a very comfy neck and notes don't compress when you dig in or go higher up the neck.
No feedback issues playing with a 5 piece band a higher volumes, I don't bother with a sound hole cover as I've never needed it.
Reliable and a work horse kind of instrument.
Acoustically it sounds crap, if you don't gig enough to justify a dedicated gig instrument I'd suggest spending your money elsewhere . But...if you want to stop spending money on finding after market pick ups that may work in an instrument, or may not you should try to demo one.
If you don't get one of the higher end models with the bling, they're reasonably priced and have a value that you don't have to worry too much about the abuse a guitar can take gigging. Which always used to make me nervous using a nicer acoustic with a decent pick up in it.
For me and my needs it's a great solution.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by noledog

Thank you Marshall, so kind of you!!

Yes I do strum full chords from front to back of soundhole using as much tone variation that that technique provides. I play hard sometimes a la Pete Townsend, Cat Stevens, and I use heavy triangle Ultex 1.14 picks or heavier. The thing is, is that Takamine's Palathetic pickup is not a simple UST, it has six individual transducers underneath the metal strip that sits under the saddle. This contributes to the percussive tone that picks up the soundboard and also helps eliminate the majority of any quack. This is one reason I prefer MIJ Takamine guitars... again others may not find they like them as much for their style.

FYI note, most of Tommy Emanuel's early albums were recorded with MIJ Takamines and he still has a bunch of them he still plays and records with at home despite now touring with Maton Signature guitars.

Cheer!

Yes, my impression of Erick's (your) playing is that I would sit down, have a beer, and listen all night. He's got the touch. As a musician sometimes I see a show and think "man I want to be up there and do this or that differently." Not in your case.

[noledog]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Yes, my impression of Erick's (your) playing is that I would sit down, have a beer, and listen all night. He's got the touch. As a musician sometimes I see a show and think "man I want to be up there and do this or that differently." Not in your case.

If you ever get over this way in NE Fl coast, beer is on me buddy, thanks for the kind words! CHEERS!!

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by noledog

If you ever get over this way in NE Fl coast, beer is on me buddy, thanks for the kind words! CHEERS!!

Thank you! This little place on the internet is a siblinghood of musicians who try to make someone smile, tap a foot or shed a tear with a song. Gotta support each other.