NGD - McPherson Sable

[Earl49]

We've been to Kramster's house and can attest that he has the digital piano sound nailed down pretty well. (speaking as a former Steinway owner).

Originally Posted by byudzai

....I LIKE nice-sounding guitars, but I just think tone is irrelevant compared to musicianship, voice, etc.....

For the majority of our non-professional purposes (jams, songwriting, practice) I'd agree that acoustic tone is a secondary consideration. Playability and intonation are vital, with sound quality somewhat secondary. At home, personal enjoyment of stellar instruments is a wonderful thing. But few of us have the need for the "best of the best" in a recording studio or a concert hall.

[GuitarLuva]

Originally Posted by byudzai

I know I'm a heathen, and a minority, but for the sake of a little tongue-in-cheek here's my dissenting opinion:

I think this depends on the purpose. For playing at a farmers market, give me the well-designed guitar that just sounds okay ANY day. No one cares about the guitar's inherent tone, they just want you to play in time and sing well, and you can modify it through your amp. I want something easy, comfortable, tunes well, good tuner placement, good neck, good place to hook a capo, sweat and humidity proof, etc etc.

For sitting at home writing songs I don't care about tone either. I write almost everything on a Chinese knock-off at my wife's apartment.

I LIKE nice-sounding guitars, but I just think tone is irrelevant compared to musicianship, voice, etc.

Of course if we're talking about pianos I suddenly change 180 degrees.

Yeah I get what you're saying but we're all different regarding what features are most important to us whether it be tone, comfort, playability, yada yada. All features of a guitar are certainly important to me, though, I do weigh tone a little bit of above others as that's usually what inspires me to pick up a certain guitar. Comfort and playability are a close 2nd. I have friends who couldn't care less what a guitar sounds like. I realize other people have different preferences which is totally fine. Thankfully, there's lot's of choice these days. This current era is often referred to as the golden age of guitars and I won't argue with that one.

[jdinco]

Originally Posted by byudzai

I know I'm a heathen, and a minority, but for the sake of a little tongue-in-cheek here's my dissenting opinion:

I think this depends on the purpose. For playing at a farmers market, give me the well-designed guitar that just sounds okay ANY day. No one cares about the guitar's inherent tone, they just want you to play in time and sing well, and you can modify it through your amp. I want something easy, comfortable, tunes well, good tuner placement, good neck, good place to hook a capo, sweat and humidity proof, etc etc.

For sitting at home writing songs I don't care about tone either. I write almost everything on a Chinese knock-off at my wife's apartment.

I LIKE nice-sounding guitars, but I just think tone is irrelevant compared to musicianship, voice, etc.

Of course if we're talking about pianos I suddenly change 180 degrees.

Yeah, that explains a lot about where you are coming from, I understand now, but I do disagree with you about " No one cares about the guitar's inherent tone". That's BS.

I'm the opposite, I don't play out, I can't sing, I play at home for myself, the wife, the dog and the geese out on the pond, tone is everything to me, I get great enjoyment out of a great sounding guitar, stereo system or live music with great sounding instruments. Right now I have 2 GREAT sounding guitars, the Sable and a SCGC D-12. Those are my keepers. Unless I change my mind.

To each his own, and that's a good thing. Glad we have the options to do what we want.

[David Eastwood]

Interesting thoughts expressed here.

I think, after half a century trying to be a guitar player, the most important thing I want from an instrument is for it not to get in my way.

I want to be able to pick up the instrument and just play, without feeling that I need to blame my shortcomings as a player on some aspect of the instrument itself - whether it's sonic, or physical.

I've whittled a 13+ guitar collection down to 5.

Three of them fit the "don't get in my way" criterion perfectly, and two of those are my Emeralds. Could a Sable fit in the mix? Of course, but right now, I have no need to consider it.

Golden age, indeed!

[steelvibe]

One thing about that Sable though- it's heavy. Once you have owned a RainSong you really appreciate a light guitar.

[jdinco]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

One thing about that Sable though- it's heavy. Once you have owned a RainSong you really appreciate a light guitar.

LOL...oh yeah ! When I pick up the X20 after playing the Sable, it feels like it's full of helium. Very light. But the Sable is not neck heavy or body heavy, it's just heavy and well balanced.

[esimms86]

Originally Posted by kramster

I gotta have it sound rich and full and deep... weighted keyboard new Privias work well enough... one of my Macs ... Focusrite as interface and a few different headphones... Can't swing real expensive studio monitors yet.. have old Adams and new M-Audios... Favorite actual real piano is the bigger Ravenscroft and kinda like the 1927 player Steinway Grand (one of 2 made) at the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix.

Kramster, you’re a man of wealth and taste. I have a Privia 870 and also Ravenscroft, Bechstein and Steinway D plug ins. A real Ravenscroft or Fazioli would be nice, sigh.

[byudzai]

i just dug up this old photo of my Kawai in my apt in St. Louis. tragically it wouldn't fit in the apartment here in bloomington, so it lives at my dad's in chicago now. ugh how i miss it, esp now that i'm playing a bunch of fun non-classical stuff for the first time, elton john and dave brubeck etc.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

One thing about that Sable though- it's heavy. Once you have owned a RainSong you really appreciate a light guitar.

That's why I didn't buy one when I first tried the Michael whatever version. I'm glad I didn't let that stop me now.