Tips to make a Grand Symphony size guitar more suitable to finger style

[Tremolo Arm]

I love the strumming voice of my Taylor GS. It's lush and full, but I find it lacking in the finger style department. It just doesn't project single notes like a small body guitar and ultimately playing finger style on it is not very inspiring as the tone is too dispersed.

Granted that no guitar is a swiss army knife, what have other GS users done to increase single note projection suitable for finger style?

I have found that fitting a sound hole plug reduces the boominess and brings a better level across the strings (albeit it at reduced volume), but it's still not on par with a GA or GC in terms of finger picking projection.

Any particular strings recommendations?

[gerardo1000]

You will find this answer a bit weird: you need strings that tame the bass frequencies. Try D'Addario half round electric strings, they make it in the 12-54 gauge. They look like Martin retro, but are not monel, are nickel. They are very popular among acoustic arch top players.

[Tremolo Arm]

Originally Posted by gerardo1000

You will find this answer a bit weird: you need strings that tame the bass frequencies. Try D'Addario half round electric strings, they make it in the 12-54 gauge. They look like Martin retro, but are not monel, are nickel. They are very popular among acoustic arch top players.

I admit - I never thought of that. Would these strings help focus the sound?

[TBman]

I have an Avalon L2-320c. It's the "jumbo" size and has a lower bout at 16 or maybe its 16.25. I play it in dadgad and lower tunings, finger style and its fine with medium strings. Light gauge strings are good on it, but it really sings with the heavier strings. You might want to try blue grass gauge, light tops, medium bottoms if you don't want to go all mediums.

[Tremolo Arm]

Originally Posted by TBman

I have an Avalon L2-320c. It's the "jumbo" size and has a lower bout at 16 or maybe its 16.25. I play it in dadgad and lower tunings, finger style and its fine with medium strings. Light gauge strings are good on it, but it really sings with the heavier strings. You might want to try blue grass gauge, light tops, medium bottoms if you don't want to go all mediums.

Great playing. The bass on yours sounds very deep and complements the rest of the strings in a very balanced way. Om my guitar, the A and D strings seem to overpower the other strings when finger picked.

[jkilgour2000]

Originally Posted by Tremolo Arm

I love the strumming voice of my Taylor GS. It's lush and full, but I find it lacking in the finger style department. It just doesn't project single notes like a small body guitar and ultimately playing finger style on it is not very inspiring as the tone is too dispersed.

Granted that no guitar is a swiss army knife, what have other GS users done to increase single note projection suitable for finger style?

I have found that fitting a sound hole plug reduces the boominess and brings a better level across the strings (albeit it at reduced volume), but it's still not on par with a GA or GC in terms of finger picking projection.

Any particular strings recommendations?

Are you using light string? I have 12’s on my 818 (GO size) and it’s a great for finger style abs strumming

[Bax Burgess]

A corian saddle shortens sustain and levels string imbalances. Paired with nickel electric strings, I don't know if there's a better way to simplify the sound.

[pukematrix]

Welcome to the forum, Tremolo Arm! I'm also interested in which strings you've tried and found lacking. I personally lean toward medium John Pears Phosphor Bronze strings on my GS and find the fingerpicked experience as equally satisfying as when I'm strumming.

Austin

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Tremolo Arm

Great playing. The bass on yours sounds very deep and complements the rest of the strings in a very balanced way. Om my guitar, the A and D strings seem to overpower the other strings when finger picked.

Thanks Tremolo. The strings I have on are the Pierre Bensusan DADGAD strings made by Wyres. They are 13 17 22 32 42 56 and coated.

[Tremolo Arm]

Originally Posted by pukematrix

Welcome to the forum, Tremolo Arm! I'm also interested in which strings you've tried and found lacking. I personally lean toward medium John Pears Phosphor Bronze strings on my GS and find the fingerpicked experience as equally satisfying as when I'm strumming.

Austin

Thanks for your wisdom.

I note we have almost the same guitar. Mine is a 2011 Fall Ltd Cocobolo

So far I have tried D'Addario EJ17 medium PB uncoated, DR Sunbeams PB light uncoated and the strings which came with the guitar when I bought it (not sure of brand but they were lights). When finger piecked none of these projected the sound like my Chinese made PRS SE A60e or the two Taylor GA 214 I had before.

For strumming it's great, but fingerpicking it just lacks.

[Tremolo Arm]

Originally Posted by jkilgour2000

Are you using light string? I have 12’s on my 818 (GO size) and it’s a great for finger style abs strumming

Yep, currently strung with DR Sunbeams lights. I might try Elixir HD lights - medium top strings and light bottom strings

[jemartin]

One thing i have done with my Custom GS7 (cedar/rosewood) ... that gives it a wonderful open clear sound is to use GHS Contact Core Bright Bronze strings in medium gauge. The bass strings sing with a piano like clarity ( true to their advertising)... and they last a while without going dead like most 80/20 strings do. And they are a cheap trial for you.

[jkilgour2000]

Originally Posted by Tremolo Arm

Yep, currently strung with DR Sunbeams lights. I might try Elixir HD lights - medium top strings and light bottom strings

I just checked and these are what I have on my 818. Amazing tone! IMG_1553463787.470761.jpg

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Tremolo Arm

I love the strumming voice of my Taylor GS. It's lush and full, but I find it lacking in the finger style department. It just doesn't project single notes like a small body guitar and ultimately playing finger style on it is not very inspiring as the tone is too dispersed.

Any particular strings recommendations?

... Yep, currently strung with DR Sunbeams lights. I might try Elixir HD lights - medium top strings and light bottom strings

First, what the guitar lacks is articulation. The first step to increasing articulation is by simply replacing the ebony bridge pins with Blackhorn Buffalo pins. https://www.lmii.com/bridge-pins-and...alone-dot.html Buffalo horn pins create a piano-like quality that ebony pins lack.

And while DR Sunbeam strings are my favorite strings on my Martin D35, they are not as articulate as other strings. I would recommend D'Addario Nickel Bronze 12's. They tend to have a little more mid range presences and I find quite articulate without being over the top. I'd recommend trying something like those, or John Pearse or Santa Cruz strings before an odd-ball set like half-round electrics.

BTW... Elixir HD lights are not medium top/light bottom but he opposite. HD lights are 13/17/25 on the higher strings and light gauge for the lower strings. But that might not be bad either. Elixir does make a 12-56 hybrid set but it's different than the HD lights.

Check out the buffalo pins. [In my Taylor's I have buffalo pins in the 6th string slots (usually) with the rest of the set being ebony]

[Tremolo Arm]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

First, what the guitar lacks is articulation. The first step to increasing articulation is by simply replacing the ebony bridge pins with Blackhorn Buffalo pins. https://www.lmii.com/bridge-pins-and...alone-dot.html Buffalo horn pins create a piano-like quality that ebony pins lack.

And while DR Sunbeam strings are my favorite strings on my Martin D35, they are not as articulate as other strings. I would recommend D'Addario Nickel Bronze 12's. They tend to have a little more mid range presences and I find quite articulate without being over the top. I'd recommend trying something like those, or John Pearse or Santa Cruz strings before an odd-ball set like half-round electrics.

BTW... Elixir HD lights are not medium top/light bottom but he opposite. HD lights are 13/17/25 on the higher strings and light gauge for the lower strings. But that might not be bad either. Elixir does make a 12-56 hybrid set but it's different than the HD lights.

Check out the buffalo pins. [In my Taylor's I have buffalo pins in the 6th string slots (usually) with the rest of the set being ebony]

Thanks for the advice and for the link.
It's interesting that you think bridge pins would make such a difference. I did tinker with with some brass bridge pins, but didn't really hear any difference whatsoever.

What I meant by medium top / light bottom on the HD Light set was medium treble strings and light bass string. To be absolutely technical about it, the G string in the HD lights is also a custom gauge specifically for this set.