Guitar doesn’t complement voice

[foxo]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

BTW, Neil, I just listened to a few of your tunes and you have a nice, strong voice and good playing style. Really enjoyed listening.

Best,
Jayne

Thanks Jayne!

Originally Posted by bufflehead

A lot of singers don't like to feel they're competing with their guitars. Taylors can tend to do that for those of us who are baritones, because they're bright where we are not. I notice that a lot of baritones tend to go with Gibson guitars, because they tend to accompany well and not fight the singer. You might want to try that line.

I am not, by the way, a Gibson owner. But I love to listen to them in the hands of a good singer. There's a good meld there for baritones.

I can’t really justify buying another guitar right now but the G45 really took me by surprise, it’s a beauty. When I see a second hand one come up I probably will buy it. The D28 is the best I have played full stop but I don’t want a guitar I would feel terrified of leaving unattended for five minutes in a pub.

[foxo]

Originally Posted by L20A

Do you like the Martin in alt tuning?
How do you like the Taylor in standard tuning.
Perhaps you could try reversing the roles of the 2 guitars for a better sound.

I don’t like the Taylor much in standard tuning. The Martin I love doing absolutely anything, it’s about as close to perfect as I could ask for in my opinion. It’s getting fret wear seen to right now as I have played it so much over the last two and a half years, it was near mint when I bought it second hand.

[Brent Hahn]

I know exactly what you mean. Besides being a singer/songwriter I also do studio recording and FOH mixing, and for me one of the goals is to mix the guitar and voice so that they mesh nicely. So they're not two separate things coming out of the speakers, they're one thing.

Sometimes, with certain voices and guitars, it's really hard to do that.

One odd discovery I've made is, in a live setting, it's often it's easier for me to achieve the "one thing" with a well-installed good quality piezo than it is with a magnetic or a piezo/mic hybrid. And while ToneDexters do get rid of piezo quack, it's tougher for me to blend the guitar with the vocal almost every time.

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

A lot of singers don't like to feel they're competing with their guitars. Taylors can tend to do that for those of us who are baritones, because they're bright where we are not. I notice that a lot of baritones tend to go with Gibson guitars, because they tend to accompany well and not fight the singer. You might want to try that line.

I am not, by the way, a Gibson owner. But I love to listen to them in the hands of a good singer. There's a good meld there for baritones.

Woah, it's almost exactly like you're talking about me! Except for the good part.

Op, as someone with a deep voice who bought a Gibson after too much Taylor fighting I can say that bufflehead talks much sense.

One thing I have found helps a bit with my GS mini is to tune it to D or D#. Gives it a bit more bottom and less top and seems to balance it better for my voice. It also means I can sing a semi tone or two lower, which often helps. My Hummingbird really doesn't seem to like a lower smthab standard tuning though. It's perfect at E and anything else is less balanced.

[roylor4]

I find that my voice fits best with a Hog top too, followed by Spruce/Hog and least favorite is Spruce/RW.

Amplified, there is less difference but I don't think it's too unusual for a voice or singing style to pair better with some woods than others. My 02.

[L20A]

It sounds like you just don't like the Taylor.
That happens.
Sell it and get a guitar that you will enjoy.
Life is too short to play a guitar that you don't like.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by RalphH

One thing I have found helps a bit with my GS mini is to tune it to D or D#. Gives it a bit more bottom and less top and seems to balance it better for my voice. It also means I can sing a semi tone or two lower, which often helps.

The mahogany GS Mini is almost its own separate category of instrument. Kinda like a full-range steel-string ukulele. Maybe. I've become a real fan, and I don't care for Taylors. :-)

[foxo]

Originally Posted by L20A

It sounds like you just don't like the Taylor.
That happens.
Sell it and get a guitar that you will enjoy.
Life is too short to play a guitar that you don't like.

My friend wants the Taylor and I have just found the Gibson G45 for £760... gas attack incoming

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by foxo

My friend wants the Taylor and I have just found the Gibson G45 for £760... gas attack incoming

I don't know whether to apologize or to congratulate you. In baritone solidarity, of course.

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by foxo

My friend wants the Taylor and I have just found the Gibson G45 for £760... gas attack incoming

Do it, do it, do it!!

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by foxo

I bought a second hand Taylor 114 as my guitar for alternate tunings. I really like it but for some reason I don’t like singing with it, only use it for instrumental stuff.

I think playing it with "alternate tunings" might have something to do with it.

[foxo]

Originally Posted by RalphH

Do it, do it, do it!!

I’ve done it! Hopefully doesn’t bite me, never bought a guitar online before.

[archerscreek]

I listened to your Soundcloud recording. I occasionally play a brew pub with a guy with a similar sounding voice. He plays a Taylor 114, I believe. Plugged in and EQ'd the guitar is a good match with his voice. But at the end of the night during tear down, he'll have his former teacher who sold him the guitar play the 114 unplugged while he sings. Unplugged, the guitar sounds like a shell of its plugged in self and doesn't match his voice well at all.

[foxo]

Originally Posted by guitar george

I think playing it with "alternate tunings" might have something to do with it.

Nah, it wasn’t that, I tried it in standard plenty times.

On the plus side my friend loved it and I have given him a good price so hopefully this G45 is as good as the one I played in store.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by foxo

I’ve done it! Hopefully doesn’t bite me, never bought a guitar online before.

Excellent! I look forward to hearing what you discover with this new guitar.

Best,
Jayne