How to pump up the volume?

[GBS]

I used to play with the traditional metal finger picks, plastic thumb pick. For a long time now, I practice without, and prefer it. Just have a bit of nail on the fingers, nothing on the thumb. But, try as I might, I can't seem to get enough volume to even be listenable to someone 6-10 ft away from me. I mean, it is really quiet! Have tried pretty long periods of pushing it hard, but that just interferes with right hand speed and dexterity - and I unconsciously clamp down with the left hand, leading to poor playing on that side, too. Have tried various hand and guitar positions to see if I can improve it, but no substantial change. I don't expect to get to the sound level that picks (even gently) can produce, but I would like at least some listenable level!
Guitar is a Taylor LKSM 6 string, a jumbo using Elixr mediums. Just too much guitar for me? As counterintuitive as it may seem, would lighter gauge strings be an assist? Frustrating watching the YouTube clips of several others with that guitar playing "nekid". Just go back to the picks? Any suggestions?

[DukeX]

I have callouses on all my right hand fingers, especially the thumb. Volume is not a problem, nor is speed. Flesh only will never achieve the "attack" of fingerpicks and thumbpicks, but good callouses make a big difference--at least for me.

Not sure how responsive that guitar is, but Lights might work or they may not be able to drive the top.

I'd go play a bunch of other guitars for comparison.

[jseth]

First of all, yes, I think light gauge (12's) would help, certainly at first...

It's definitely possible to generate enough volume from your fingers; with a little bit of nail on the fingers, it's just going to take some time to learn how to play more firmly with those fingers instead of picks. As far as the thumb goes, without any nail, it's probably always going to sound a bit muted - which may not be a bad thing, depending on the style of music which you play.

I began playing with my flatpick and using the remaining fingers (with just a bit of nail) back in the 70's... got tired of forgetting my thumb pick, or dropping one or the other onto a dark stage, so I decided to use the flatpick like a thumbpick and work on the rest of the fingers.

I still remember that it took me a LONG time to get any sort of a handle on Travis picking, back in the 60's... and it's taken a while to learn how to balance the volume between the flatpick and my fingers. It took consciously working on it; backing off the flatpick volume and bringing up the finger volume.

Nowadays, it's second nature to me; feels right as rain and easy-peasy. A lot of other players watch me play and it takes them a while to realize what I'm doing, and then they are intrigued and a bit amazed at how fluid the motions have become.

For my part, I never was willing to "give up" fingerpicking, but switching back and forth between thumbpick and flatpick just didn't make any sense to me... especially, because now I switch back and forth within a song, between an ersatz Travis-style of picking and single note lines or strumming.

So, it's doable... just gonna take some time and effort to pull it off.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by GBS

I used to play with the traditional metal finger picks, plastic thumb pick. For a long time now, I practice without, and prefer it. Just have a bit of nail on the fingers, nothing on the thumb. But, try as I might, I can't seem to get enough volume to even be listenable to someone 6-10 ft away from me. I mean, it is really quiet! Have tried pretty long periods of pushing it hard, but that just interferes with right hand speed and dexterity - and I unconsciously clamp down with the left hand, leading to poor playing on that side, too. Have tried various hand and guitar positions to see if I can improve it, but no substantial change. I don't expect to get to the sound level that picks (even gently) can produce, but I would like at least some listenable level!
Guitar is a Taylor LKSM 6 string, a jumbo using Elixr mediums. Just too much guitar for me? As counterintuitive as it may seem, would lighter gauge strings be an assist? Frustrating watching the YouTube clips of several others with that guitar playing "nekid". Just go back to the picks? Any suggestions?

The guitars I choose to play must be able to project well with a thumb pick and bare fingers (with a bit of nail), unplugged. If they can't do that then they are not contenders.

I think there's some urban myth-thinking regarding correlating volume and string gauges. If the guitar does not project well no string theory will fix that. Another guitar will.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by GBS

I used to play with the traditional metal finger picks, plastic thumb pick. For a long time now, I practice without, and prefer it. Just have a bit of nail on the fingers, nothing on the thumb. But, try as I might, I can't seem to get enough volume to even be listenable to someone 6-10 ft away from me. I mean, it is really quiet! Have tried pretty long periods of pushing it hard, but that just interferes with right hand speed and dexterity - and I unconsciously clamp down with the left hand, leading to poor playing on that side, too. Have tried various hand and guitar positions to see if I can improve it, but no substantial change. I don't expect to get to the sound level that picks (even gently) can produce, but I would like at least some listenable level!
Guitar is a Taylor LKSM 6 string, a jumbo using Elixr mediums. Just too much guitar for me? As counterintuitive as it may seem, would lighter gauge strings be an assist? Frustrating watching the YouTube clips of several others with that guitar playing "nekid". Just go back to the picks? Any suggestions?

I would tell who ever is standing 6-10 feet away to move closer

Get an amp and a mic. Problem solved. I'll send you a bill for the consultation