Newly Joined- Girl who loves guitars and REAL music

[tippy5]

Welcome to the Jangle!

Hope you continue to write and bring acoustic flavors to the world.

[fitness1]

Just spent about 20 minutes listening to your YT videos.....so far this is my favorite:



I enjoy the ones that are mostly you and your guitar the most.

In regard to your pickup woes.....as my buddy Tim Mcknight commented - the K&K with a good quality preamp (I like their Pure XLR) and a good quality external condenser mic is hard to beat. My current fave mic is the sE Electronics SE5 (now the SE8)

Keep following your dream - there are times I wish I'd done that at your age.
I performed a LOT but real life got in my way.

[Matthjs]

Welcome to the Forum. You’re a great talent. Look into a K&K pickup.

[Charmed Life Picks]

All great suggestions on fixing your pickup woes.

As an inflexible principle, however: NEVER use a pickup where you can easily use a microphone. In any recording situation, outside of live performance, ALWAYS use a microphone. I own some of the most expensive pickups in the industry, installed by the top people in Los Angeles, and not a single one of them sound as good as a $100 Shure sm-57 or sm-58. They just don't.

You've got great talent! Use the best tools to separate yourself from the competition.

BTW, your dad probably turned you onto a guy named Stephen Bishop, who wrote "On and On" and the wonderful ballad "Separate Lives," with which Phil Collins had a huge hit. Anyway, I was reading an interview with Bishop recently. He struggled for ten years, working the worst menial jobs. He was rejected by every major label and A&R man. It was finally through a connection with Leah Kunkel (former wife of legendary drummer Russell Kunkel) that got his songs to Art Garfunkel. Anyway, Stephen said he wrote 650 songs before he became an "overnight sensation."

My advice: Believe in your vision and ignore advice. My writing only got better when I stopped listening to everyone and dove deep into my own heart. That's where the gems are.

Best,
Scott

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Merak

That was lovely, I am colorblind but take no offense.

Same here. Indeed, I've never seen more than two colors in a rainbow.

[AshleySofia]

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind, warm welcome here! This was not anything I expected, but my friend Dave (a member here) assured me you were wonderful people, that this forum was a good place on the internet, that I should introduce myself, and you were the type of folks I needed to chat with. He was so right.

You've restored my faith in something here. Seeing your overwhelming support and encouragement proves that people are still mostly kind and good (and not just snarky and sad like many other places online.) You don't know much about me at all, but your kindness has truly touched me, and I'm very grateful for that. For you. For all of your comments and expertise and advice, constructive criticism and support.

For those of you who dug deeper on my social media and YouTube to find other music I'm so grateful that you took the time to do so. There's nothing cooler as an artist. This song is just a teeny tiny piece of me. (In fact, this wasn't even the song they said was too intelligent. It was my catalog as a whole.)

Thank you for all of the information on pickups/ recommendations/ remedies! I have a great foundation of where to head next. Your wisdom will be a great guide moving forward. I want a good sound when I head out on the road again.

I look so forward to reading more of your thoughtful posts, hearing your music, and continuing to learn from you! Keep in touch with me. I like you all an awful lot.

Love always,
Ashley Sofia

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by AshleySofia

.

For those of you who dug deeper on my social media and YouTube to find other music I'm so grateful that you took the time to do so. There's nothing cooler as an artist. This song is just a teeny tiny piece of me. (In fact, this wasn't even the song they said was too intelligent. It was my catalog as a whole.)

It would be very easy for some of us to simply share a couple of your songs on our Facebook page (I'm doing that as I type here) I think if the internet were available when I was starting out I'd have had a better chance.

Hoping for the best for you!

[reeve21]

What a fun tune! I grew up listening to all of your influences, and what am hearing in this one is the great Paul Simon. Very well done!!

[AgentKooper]

That's a catchy tune and an entertaining video. Special props for fitting "ROYGBIV" into a rhyme scheme! You're talented -- best of luck to you.

[Triumph1050]

Very talented... enjoyed that opening video.
Would like to see one with a Gibson J-45. Surprised? lol

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Cool tune, Ashley. Glad you joined!

[Kalani]

Welcome to the quest for the holy grail—-that ideal acoustic sound you hear in your mind! Most of us have been on it and are still on it, lol! Amplified sound, especially the acoustic guitar, is a tricky business and a whole different ballgame from the natural acoustic bliss you hear acoustically (unamplified). Sounds like you’re at the point in your journey where you should learn about outboard preamps—-tools that enable you to tailor your sound more precisely—-like the Radial PZ Pre, LR Baggs Para DI or Venue, Fishman Platinum Pro or Aura and the like. They’ll enable you to notch out unwanted frequencies and enhance desired ones. Any one of these should enable you to get a much more pleasing sound out of your guitar amplified. I’d take your guitar (a great one at that) to a good guitar store and try some of them. Also try an acoustic amp while you’re there—try plugging direct into a Fishman Mini or AER (expensive), etc... if your sound is still tinny then try going thru one of the preamps I mentioned.

Also, check out the local musicians playing Taylors, find someone’s sound you really like, pick their brains and see what they’re doing—-you’ll acquire great info this way too.

Good luck in your quest!

[Kalani]

There’s a great thread in the ‘Acoustic Amplification’ section where the OP is trying to get a better amplified sound from his Taylor 814 & 614 with ES1 and ES2 pickups: “Interesting first blush comparison Baggs Para DI vs Fishman Platinum Stage”. Lots of great info in this thread!

Further in the thread Rogerduck had this to say: “If you like the Platinum stage, you'll like the Fishman Platimum pro eq better. Its made to set on the floor and sounds great with my Taylor guitars with ES2.”

[Godfather]

First...WELCOME to the AGF!
Very well done! As reeve21 said, I too hear a pronounced Paul Simon influence, which I like. As for "Winter Prayer" simply beautiful... I am still drying my eyes. I will be looking up your work on YT.

Glad to hear you did not "sell out". Stay true to yourself and follow your heart, it will lead you where you want to go.

[hat]

WOW! This has got to be the longest 'introduction' thread in history! lol - Good luck with your music, I hope you have all the breaks go your way!