Build advice for light touch player.

[OKCtodd71]

So if you were to spec out a OOO/OM size guitar for a primarily electric player who utilizes a pretty gently touch (worked hard to cultivate that touch), what top & back woods and scale length would you go for. Would perhaps a jumbo give more volume while still having the waist that a dread does not have?

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by hatefulsob

So if you were to spec out a OOO/OM size guitar for a primarily electric player who utilizes a pretty gently touch (worked hard to cultivate that touch), what top & back woods and scale length would you go for. Would perhaps a jumbo give more volume while still having the waist that a dread does not have?

Hi hatefulsob...

What is your price point for the build, and what voice/tone/response are you thinking you want in your guitar?

Are you thinking factory custom shop, boutique shop...like Collings, Santa Cruz...or solo luithier.

Answer those questions and we can give you a better idea

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[v32 finish]

I think a jumbo wouldn't hurt, necessarily, but when I think of light touch, I think of a smaller-bodied guitar. I'm thinking of a Collings OM with a torrefied German top, on top of cocobolo or rosewood. Wide nut, wide string spacing, light bracing. Never-you-mind that this also happens to be the exact guitar/build that I've had on my own mind lately.

2nd one that popped in my mind would be a Cedar-topped Goodall (sorry, I'm just going literally by the imagery that pops in my head, and the 2nd one after the Collings was a Goodall ) ... maybe cedar on top of EIR or blackwood? I'm just kind of freestyling here, but I think those would be fantastic wood combinations for fingerstyle and/or a light touch. Cedar is very responsive and I have been very fond of the few experiences I've had playing upper-end cedar topped guitars.

Last one that popped in my head was a Taylor, but I think their 322ce would be a fine guitar for this situation.. mahogany top with blackwood b&s..

anyway, sorry if I went outside the bounds of what you're actually looking for, but I can relate to this post as I play almost exclusively with just my hands and also would consider myself to have a somewhat of a lighter touch.

Good luck and let me know your thoughts!

[jim1960]

Get whatever you want for the back and sides, but get cedar for the top. For the light touch, it's really wonderful.

[printer2]

The larger the guitar the more mass in the top that the strings have to move. From what I have gathered in my quest to learn from our splendid luthiers is an OM might be as big as you would want to go for a light touch guitar. A cedar or Engelmann would be my choice.

[stringjunky]

Cedar topped, deep body (4.75") 000 (24.75") with whatever b&s wood takes your fancy.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by stringjunky2

Cedar topped, deep body (4.75") 000 (24.75") with whatever b&s wood takes your fancy.

I agree.

Another refinement, if you go with that design of a deep-bodied Triple O might be to pair a redwood top with black walnut back and sides.

Although deep sides - while satisfying for a solo player - do tend to cut into the acoustic projection of this size instrument. It’s counter-intuitive, I realize, but normal depth Triple O’s tend to project better than deep- bodied examples.


whm

[JohnW63]

I was going to jump in with a Cedar top suggestion too. Smaller bodies would be best to get loud easier, but they won't get AS loud as a bigger guitar. A deeper than normal small body might add some bass back in that the smaller body loses.

What guitar is that ? I guess it depends on the over all tone you want. Taylors will sounds like Taylors, the same goes for Martin or most other big brands. My Walden sounds similar to my bigger Guild, which isn't a bad thing.

[AZLiberty]

When I think light touch, I think the person wants a responsive guitar.

To me that means a Cedar topped Breedlove

[Erithon]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Another refinement, if you go with that design of a deep-bodied Triple O might be to pair a redwood top with black walnut back and sides.

Cedar is a great choice, but I'll second Wade with Redwood: you see it on more and more builds, and in the hands of an experienced luthier it really shines. (The sinker stuff is hit or miss so play before you buy in that case especially.) My personal favorite tonewood combination is Redwood over Cocobolo.

As for the light touch, I'd say a guitar with a 15"-15.5" lower bout width. Perhaps a 12 fret design with short scale length, but that's really up to you. Same with the deep body: it's however your ears perceive "balance." I like deep bodied OMs and 000s myself, but some do not. What really matters is the guitar was voiced for a light touch, aka its bracing, top thickness, etc. were designed to responded to the smallest nuances.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Erithon

Cedar is a great choice, but I'll second Wade with Redwood: you see it on more and more builds, and in the hands of an experienced luthier it really shines. (The sinker stuff is hit or miss so play before you buy in that case especially.)

Yeah, I wasn't recommending sinker redwood. I'm not a fan of that stuff, not from a sonic standpoint, anyway. Regular old redwood is definitely more musically reliable.

Originally Posted by Erithon

My personal favorite tonewood combination is Redwood over Cocobolo.

Interesting. I haven't had the opportunity to play or hear any guitars with that tonewood combination, but I can see where it could work nicely.

Originally Posted by Erithon

As for the light touch, I'd say a guitar with a 15"-15.5" lower bout width. Perhaps a 12 fret design with short scale length, but that's really up to you. Same with the deep body: it's however your ears perceive "balance." I like deep bodied OMs and 000s myself, but some do not. What really matters is the guitar was voiced for a light touch, aka its bracing, top thickness, etc. were designed to responded to the smallest nuances.

Right.

One of the reasons why I've been focusing on smaller body designs in this thread is that it takes less energy input to drive a small top than it does a large top. So if you're still reading this thread, OP, having a big body cavity like a jumbo guitar is not necessarily the best way to achieve what you say your musical goals are. Having a lightly braced smaller guitar is almost certainly going to be the more efficient way to get what you're looking for.

Hope this helps.


whm

[lkingston]

The trouble with a larger bodied guitar and a light touch is that you have to turn the pickup volume up more with the light touch and a larger guitar in that situation is more likely to feedback. I would recommend a smaller guitar.

[OKCtodd71]

Thanks everyone, great info; 2 quick ?? please.
Does a 12 fret add volume/project a little better due to the bridge being placed further back?
Is a mahogany top generally "quieter" than spruce?
I'm primarily an electric player so it won't be a Santa Cruz or Collings level $$$ I'd be perfectly happy with a factory guitar if I could find what I want, but most necks I come across are some variation of rounded V shape with no shoulders, rather than fuller C shaped. I was thinking cedar, which I love on a classical, are Breedlove neck carves more similar to mlo/Taylor or fuller like Gibson?
Again, thank so much for the replies.

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by hatefulsob

So if you were to spec out a OOO/OM size guitar for a primarily electric player who utilizes a pretty gently touch (worked hard to cultivate that touch), what top & back woods and scale length would you go for. Would perhaps a jumbo give more volume while still having the waist that a dread does not have?

For primarily fingerpicking I'd say a cedar top and rosewood back and sides.
The scale length should be whatever you're comfortable with.

A jumbo might give you more volume but not necessarily. But keep in mind that the larger the instrument, the more power it takes to drive it, generally speaking.

If you truly have a light touch and you're fingerpicking I'd stick with a 000, OM or small jumbo size.

[downtime]

Not much to add here except from personal experience a Cedar / EIR Lowden
F body size has been the most responsive to a light touch that I've ever played.