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  #16  
Old 05-21-2015, 11:36 AM
Betelgeuse Betelgeuse is offline
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I think there's a lot of us mavericks out there....
Agreed. It's probably the best way to be when playing guitar

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Nice - I've been a long time DG fan too (getting to him via the Donovan-Jansch route back in the 1960s), but I never saw that clip before.
There's not enough clips of Davey (playing solo) on the net and of the ones that are up the quality isn't always the best but this is excellent quality in all possible senses. I don't think it solves the "blues on nylon strings" issue because even though it is a blues type of tune in the sense that it contains a bluesy shuffle riff at times as well as having some deliciously original bluesy turnarounds. However he doesn't use any bends (although neither did Mississippi John Hurt) that the blues is synonymous with and as you'll be well aware Davey can certainly bend strings as well as anyone when playing steel string, so I presume that he also agrees that nylon strings is not the best sound for the blues; but it still didn't stop him giving it a good shot.

I was just reading the post on Boubacar Traore and was reminded of this clip I found of Salif Keita playing a nylon string guitar which demonstrates brilliantly one of the uses for nylon strings that I love which is imitating the Kora (African harp), I think that the nylon strings suit this style as well as they suit Spanish and Brazilian music. The music starts at about 1 minute in.

Last edited by Betelgeuse; 05-21-2015 at 05:10 PM.
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  #17  
Old 05-21-2015, 07:32 PM
NewGuitarist NewGuitarist is offline
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I find this nylon string blues inspiring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIAXzkZcnpQ&hd=1
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  #18  
Old 05-23-2015, 09:31 AM
pf400 pf400 is offline
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After playing for decades I came across a crossover nylon string guitar and immediately loved the tone, the response to hard picking, the fact that it doesn't wear down my fingernails... I also find I can play longer with less fatigue. Add a good bit of reverb and a touch of chorus and you get a room-filling sound. For blues or other lead styles involving stretching though, you really have to stretch those strings to get a good stretch. Most of my playing now is on nylon strings, but my steel string still sounds better for some songs and my electric gets a good workout a couple of days per week...but I have to say that my nylon string (Yamaha NTX1200R) is my favourite. Oh and nylon strings last a really long time.
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  #19  
Old 05-24-2015, 07:23 PM
lovefsguitar lovefsguitar is offline
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Sorry for the late reply, thanks a lot everyone!

I notice that the nylon string guitar gets a lot of love from jazz players. Why is that? Could someone explain it to me?

I find it surprising since, the way I see it, the nylon guitar's wider fretboard should become a hindrance when you consider all those big stretch jazz chords..
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  #20  
Old 05-24-2015, 07:40 PM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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Originally Posted by lovefsguitar View Post
Greetings everyone!

Hope you're all doing well.
The other day I was chatting with a really good guitarist ( well to me at least ), he said to me that for playing jazz, blues, soul, R&B or funk.. and when it comes to acoustic playing, a nylon string guitar is the way to go!

Didn't comment at all since I've got almost no experience when it comes to playing on nylon strings, as all of my playing is on steel string acoustics.

But do you agree with that? And why or why not?

Would really love to hear all of your thoughts.

Thanks
i would guess that electric guitars are the most common in those genres.
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  #21  
Old 05-25-2015, 12:35 AM
perttime perttime is offline
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Originally Posted by lovefsguitar View Post
Sorry for the late reply, thanks a lot everyone!

I notice that the nylon string guitar gets a lot of love from jazz players. Why is that? Could someone explain it to me?

I find it surprising since, the way I see it, the nylon guitar's wider fretboard should become a hindrance when you consider all those big stretch jazz chords..
I'm sure the mellow tone that is easy to get from a nylon string guitar plays a role there. Jazz guitarists seem to favor mellow tone.

The wide and "flat" fretboard seems to make single note runs easier and some chord fingerings may be easier too because there is less chance of your fingers interfering with the next string - and there are nylon string guitars that are too narrow to call classical.
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  #22  
Old 05-25-2015, 02:01 AM
Paultergeist Paultergeist is offline
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I notice that the nylon string guitar gets a lot of love from jazz players. Why is that? Could someone explain it to me?
Actually, no. No one can explain it to you. Can anyone explain to you what chocolate tastes like? How about vanilla?.....The guitar is such a versatile instrument that one could easily find examples of different sorts of guitars being used to play many styles of music. With respect to jazz: yes, quite a number of guitar players like using nylon stringed instruments......but then again, there are many jazz guitarists who prefer a steel-strnged instrument (both acoustic and electric). There simply are no rules -- just many individual preferences. Your friend -- described in the first post of this thread -- simply expressed his personal *preference*, but there is no definitive, objective reason why one type of guitar (nylon vs. steel) is better than the other for playing jazz. It comes down to sound and feel. What do YOU prefer the sound of / feel of for playing jazz guitar? Chocolate or vanilla?
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  #23  
Old 05-25-2015, 03:12 AM
Betelgeuse Betelgeuse is offline
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Chocolate or vanilla?
Please don't force me to choose between chocolate or vanilla... Life is stressful enough as it is...

Can't we come to some kind of compromise... please.
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  #24  
Old 05-25-2015, 08:27 PM
lovefsguitar lovefsguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paultergeist View Post
Actually, no. No one can explain it to you. Can anyone explain to you what chocolate tastes like? How about vanilla?.....The guitar is such a versatile instrument that one could easily find examples of different sorts of guitars being used to play many styles of music. With respect to jazz: yes, quite a number of guitar players like using nylon stringed instruments......but then again, there are many jazz guitarists who prefer a steel-strnged instrument (both acoustic and electric). There simply are no rules -- just many individual preferences. Your friend -- described in the first post of this thread -- simply expressed his personal *preference*, but there is no definitive, objective reason why one type of guitar (nylon vs. steel) is better than the other for playing jazz. It comes down to sound and feel. What do YOU prefer the sound of / feel of for playing jazz guitar? Chocolate or vanilla?
Well, I can't play any jazz to save my life, but I agree..

Was actually hoping to hear from the jazz players who do prefer the nylon string guitar.. like why they'd pick a nylon string guitar over a steel string acoustic when it comes to playing jazz. I'd love to know about their thoughts or their own reasons, what they do like about the nylon string guitar so that they find it good for playing jazz.

Certainly not looking for definitive or objective reasons here. That's not the point of this thread (along with a quite a number of other threads maybe for that matter)
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  #25  
Old 05-31-2015, 12:43 AM
Dark Eyed Junko Dark Eyed Junko is offline
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I do a pretty wide variety of styles in any one gig, and no one guitar is perfect for all of them. But I just play everything on a nylon guitar, mostly for the convenience of not hauling more hear. Been doing it for years, and although I do sometimes get reactions ("Blues on a classical??"), so far no complaints.
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  #26  
Old 05-31-2015, 08:09 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Chocolate or vanilla?
Both. And strawberry too, please...
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  #27  
Old 05-31-2015, 08:17 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Originally Posted by lovefsguitar View Post
Well, I can't play any jazz to save my life, but I agree..

Was actually hoping to hear from the jazz players who do prefer the nylon string guitar.. like why they'd pick a nylon string guitar over a steel string acoustic when it comes to playing jazz. I'd love to know about their thoughts or their own reasons, what they do like about the nylon string guitar so that they find it good for playing jazz.

Certainly not looking for definitive or objective reasons here. That's not the point of this thread (along with a quite a number of other threads maybe for that matter)
As someone who has played jazz occasionally on all kinds of guitars (steel-string acoustic, electric, nylon string, bass!), my usual reason for picking nylon string would be when I wanted that mellow, sweet tone, and/or if I was playing Latin jazz (ie, bossa mainly). It may be a boring (obvious) answer, but that's how I see it - nothing deeper than that.
Ie, it's simply about wanting that unique tone at particular times.

If I was forced to choose just one guitar type, to play any kind of jazz... I guess the traditional answer would be "big body electric", but actually I might go for nylon string; simply because it's capable of so much expression. (And the fact that it's an unusual sound in some jazz would be an advantage, helping it stand out.)
The only thing it can't express very well is aggression - so it would be hard to make it work in full-on fusion, or to cut through in something loud and funky (although I'm sure a good player could do that).
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  #28  
Old 05-31-2015, 10:22 AM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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An enigma with a classical doing rock n roll. "Check it for yourself..."



By the way, that song was produced by George Martin. I worked with Larry in the '80s and saw him in the '70s. Never saw him play anything except a classical.

Bob
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