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  #1  
Old 08-27-2019, 01:45 PM
CarlE CarlE is offline
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Default Grrrrr....Demo Rant

I just watched yet another acoustic guitar demo video in which the entire video was done with a capo (in this case on the 5th fret). I really want to hear the low end response (at least as much as you can hear through YouTube compression and computer speakers or headphones), and no way that can happen with everything choked up the neck by a capo. As a bonus I want to hear drop D or other tuning where I really hear the low end capabilities and balance across the strings. Can I get an Amen? That's almost as bad as the demos where they show all fingerpicking and no strumming, or vice versa.

And don't get me started on effects pedals where they only show you what it sounds like with all of the knobs set at 12 o'clock.

OK, I feel better now.
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Old 08-27-2019, 01:48 PM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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A-a-amen, A-a-amen, A-amen, Amen, Amen. Okay, now I'll have that rolling around in my head for the rest of the afternoon.

Demo'ing a guitar with a capo makes no sense unless it is half with and half without to show that it sounds good also with a capo.

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Old 08-27-2019, 02:12 PM
Tnfiddler Tnfiddler is offline
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Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'm a bluegrasser and when I see a dread demo, I don't want to see it fingerpicked!! I want them to wear it out playing bluegrass rhythm at about 140 BPM with a blue chip TD50!! If you don't hear a G run on a dread, that's wasted time and opportunity!! Even flatpicking doesn't show the true potential of a dread! Freight Train is great and all, but Nine Pound Hammer has a killer rhythm part and it would let it all out!!
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Old 08-27-2019, 02:26 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tnfiddler View Post
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'm a bluegrasser and when I see a dread demo, I don't want to see it fingerpicked!! I want them to wear it out playing bluegrass rhythm at about 140 BPM with a blue chip TD50!! If you don't hear a G run on a dread, that's wasted time and opportunity!! Even flatpicking doesn't show the true potential of a dread! Freight Train is great and all, but Nine Pound Hammer has a killer rhythm part and it would let it all out!!
Yeahhhh baby!!! (He says in only a partial tongue-in-cheek manner)

I don't mind the finger picking or whatever, but the one way I was able to dismiss any interest in the Taylor 317 was when I heard Greg Koch beat on it in the demo he did. Clearly that instrument was not designed for at least part of what I use a Dreadnought guitar for.
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Old 08-27-2019, 02:52 PM
Goat Mick Goat Mick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tnfiddler View Post
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'm a bluegrasser and when I see a dread demo, I don't want to see it fingerpicked!! I want them to wear it out playing bluegrass rhythm at about 140 BPM with a blue chip TD50!! If you don't hear a G run on a dread, that's wasted time and opportunity!! Even flatpicking doesn't show the true potential of a dread! Freight Train is great and all, but Nine Pound Hammer has a killer rhythm part and it would let it all out!!
Yep, I'm primarily a heavy handed rhythm player and some guy strumming a couple of bar chords up the neck with the nail of his index finger just isn't going to tell me how the guitar will hold up to an aggressive rhythm with a flat pick.

And before anyone asks, yes I am basically a knuckle dragging neanderthal.
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Old 08-27-2019, 03:08 PM
llew llew is offline
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I like to hear a demo guitar strummed, flat picked, and fingerpicked. If the demo player uses a capo I prefer him/her to play the guitar without the capo as well so I can hear it open.
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Old 08-27-2019, 03:52 PM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by llew View Post
I like to hear a demo guitar strummed, flat picked, and fingerpicked. If the demo player uses a capo I prefer him/her to play the guitar without the capo as well so I can hear it open.
This - absolutely! I mostly fingerpick, but not always. I want to know what the guitar will do. If it's a guitar demo I'm happy to listen to a pretty song, but take a few seconds to show me what it can do.
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Old 08-27-2019, 03:57 PM
Cameleye Cameleye is offline
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It also seems to me that some demonstrators may be ego driven and only want to showcase their chops.
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Old 08-27-2019, 04:05 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Capo on = demo clip off.
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Old 08-27-2019, 04:09 PM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameleye View Post
It also seems to me that some demonstrators may be ego driven and only want to showcase their chops.
This isn't always true, but pretty often, it seems. Another aggravating bug-aboo for me - they call it a review and then just talk about the features (specs) for the whole video without playing it. Dudes, we can look up the specs (usually). The best revues are usually simple with almost no talking.

It's even worse with electrics. Dudes w/their amps cranked with distortion and delay heavy in the mix, nearly always.
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Old 08-27-2019, 04:44 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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A guy did an excellent comparison video of J45 vs. an LG2 in which he played every kind of style. You could at least get a pretty good idea what the differences were. And...he didn't talk at all. Yay!
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Old 08-27-2019, 04:53 PM
Tycobb73 Tycobb73 is offline
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Maybe I'm in the minority here but i find any guitar demo worthless. I'm supposed to figure out how a guitar sounds through a microphone that i know nothing about, plugged into a recording device i know nothing about, eq'd who knows how, played through my crappy tv or computer speakers?
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Old 08-27-2019, 05:01 PM
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Yrksman Yrksman is online now
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I’m never really influenced by any video demo, or audio for that matter, with a few exceptions. Generally it’s impossible to judge, what mics were used? room reverberation? players style? nails? picks? and then there’s the quality of the speakers at the user end. And a whole lot more beyond me. That applies to acoustic guitars of course.
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Old 08-27-2019, 06:50 PM
zmf zmf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rokdog49 View Post
....but the one way I was able to dismiss any interest in the Taylor 317 was when I heard Greg Koch beat on it in the demo he did.
Big amen on that. Really don't like the way he beats on Froggies and other very responsive guitars.
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Old 08-27-2019, 07:36 PM
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Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
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Wow - a whole thread from people disenchanted with other peoples demo videos. Let summarize the general consensus and I'm paraphrasing: "I don't like capos." "I don't like fingerstyle." "I don't know what they recorded it with." "It's worthless." "I don't like effects pedals." "They're just showing off." "They talked!"

Here's what I think: Some demo videos are great with really high quality recording equipment and a good player that plays well and demos all different styles. Then there's really bad demos where the guitar is barely in tune. And in the middle there is a whole bunch of people doing their best to show as best they can what a guitar they have can do within their means of playing skills and recording equipment.

Shame on them! Who do they think they are? Yes, that was passive aggressive sarcasm. Sorry, but the OP (and the rest that followed) get no 'AMEN' from me. I applaud those that at least try. To those that just lob criticisms from the cheap seats, let's see your demo videos.
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