anyone ever not like the sound of their custom?

[cotten]

Ah, yes. Communication. It's vital, but it's also difficult. Putting into words what one's ears long to hear seems to be a real challenge. Two questions:

1. What are some words or phrases that communicate well a particular guitar tone?

2. What are some words or phrases that while often used, are too vague to be of much help?

For instance, "smokey." I'm not quite sure what that is. "Balanced," does this mean the trebles and bass are equally strong but the mids are weaker, or does it mean that a guitar is equally strong in every register?

I, too, am hoping to commission my first custom guitar before long, and need to know how to communicate my desires clearly. But, as one of our member's signature line says, talking about tone is like dancing about architecture.

cotten

[cpabolting]

Can't you just say "build me a killer guitar" and have that cover it? Klepper, you would know what that means don't you???

[Fliss]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Is that the yew?

Yes.

Just to show how subjective it is, here is a clip of the guitar being played by someone who plays much better than I do! http://www.acousticmagazine.com/acou...c/song/id_512/

Fliss

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by cpabolting

Can't you just say "build me a killer guitar" and have that cover it? Klepper, you would know what that means don't you???

I would need to ask a few questions. Like who or what are you planning to kill?

[cpabolting]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

I would need to ask a few questions. Like who or what are you planning to kill?

And then you would build a killer guitar I have no doubt.

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by cpabolting

And then you would build a killer guitar I have no doubt.

Oh, fer sher!

[gitnoob]

[riorider]

Originally Posted by cotten

For instance, "smokey." I'm not quite sure what that is.

Ya just gotta learn the language... and then find someone who also speaks the same language!



To the OP's question, though, there are so many variables in play for me that I don't know at any one time which sub-group of them are dominant! String changes, playing style or holding the guitar differently, playing in this room or that, how much playing time a given guitar gets, subtle differences in how I feel in general, my emotional "battery power" on a given day, what I've been reading, eating, hearing, watching, loving, newsing, etc. -- just off the top of my head I think all of these (and more) are in play when I sit down to try to "listen" to my own playing.

My enjoyment of that luthier built is also very visual. I remember seeing the pictures of how those bindings and purflings looked while being glued up. I know that inside both Baraniks are a little wood plate lasered with pictures of a sailboat - one with my daughter sitting on the windward rail with her hair flying (no - the detail isn't in the plate, but I have the picture handy and think of it when I see or imagine the plate itself).

And I remember - and anticipate - the guitar in various public settings, and how it sounded, or, rather, how I felt it sounded.

I guess what it boils down to for me is that other than very general groupings of tone - lush or limited overtones, for example - I'm just so full of subjective elements that to make an objective statement about tone would be next to impossible. I know what I like when I hear it, but I never know if I'm going to like it before I hear it, and it's also a big question as to whether it will generate the same reaction - positive OR negative - the next time I hear it!

An old saying came to mind: "Familiarity is hard on beauty, but is helpful to plainness."

Now if I could just organize my thoughts coherently...!

rr/Phil