|
|
#1
08-20-2005, 11:12 AM
|
|||
|
|||
Fingerpick Guitars....101
Been a flatpicker for all 20 years of playing. I can do some limited fingerpicking, but the more I try the more I want to learn.
I have a couple of Taylors, a Takamine and a Carvin. Three out of the four are dreads, and one a jumbo. I read a lot about the spacing and its benefits to fingerficking vs. flatpicking. I am a guy who likes to do what he can with what he has, so, is the dread going to fit the bill while I try to get my arms around the fingerpicking deal? I plan to start taking some lessons soon. Thanks all. 
|
|
#3
08-20-2005, 12:39 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Many dreds have a 1 11/16" wide nut. This yields close to the most narrow string spacing that can be tolerated. I think that the average person will benefit from a little more string spacing than this average for flat picking or finger picking. I think that is why the custom made really expensive steel string guitars (and some less expensive) mostly come standard with 1 3/4" nuts now (Goodall, Breedlove, Taylor, Tacoma, etc. etc.) Most 1 11/16" nut guitars can usually benefit from a new nut (still 1 11/16" obviously) with a wider string spacing depending on your playing style. I did this on one and got a big improvement. I moved the bass string much closer to the edge and the treble string a little closer to the edge and then re-spaced everything. It really helped and only cost the price of a new nut instead of a new guitar. Your Taylor likely has the 1 3/4" unless is it 1999 or older. Taylor spreads the strings more than any maker I know. So pick away on that Taylor. Good luck.
__________________
Best regards, Ed
|
|
#4
08-20-2005, 12:49 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Depends. You looking for an excuse to buy a new guitar? "But honey, I NEEDED a guitar with a 1 3/4" nut toplay fingerstyle!"
__________________
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
|
|
#6
08-20-2005, 01:04 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
__________________
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
|
|
#7
08-21-2005, 05:45 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Hi Mike,
I play and teach fingerstyle, open-tunings and bottleneck in Huntington Station, NY, so I have some opinions on your situation. Doc Watson is not only a legend in flatpicking, but he's also a great fingerpicker and he does both on a dread with an apparently narrow neck! The 'concern' that you'll often find in several forums regarding the need for a wider neck, and OM'ish kind of body is largely unfounded. How it came to be that way is anyones guess, but the truth is that if you have fingers that are slender enough to play dense chord forms, on a narrow neck, then you don't need a wider one. Even flatpickers have to play chords at any given moment, so again same thing applies. As far as the body shape goes, there's a little to be said for going smaller, but once again, remember Doc Watson, okay? Dreads have more bass by design. If you're learning fingerpicking and you have a strong thumb, and are playing with only the flesh of your fingertips, the bass notes might not be balanced versus the melody notes. Obviously this can be controlled by the player adjusting their attack. My preference is for good volume, less bass, fatter trebles and overall balance across the strings. I use the flesh on my thumb, and acrylic & tips on my 3 fingers. I will sometimes use a thumbpick on 12 string. I play smaller guitars like 00 size Martins and Gibsons. For me, tone is paramount above all else. My students tend to play smaller guitars as well, but I've had some take lessons with dreads. If the larger body isn't comfortable physically, then it's foolish to stay with it, however. Hope that helps somewhat. Best regards, Howard http://howardemerson.com/index.html
|
|
#8
08-22-2005, 02:12 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
__________________
1990 Taylor 710 (Rosalinda) 2001 Martin DCME
|
|
#9
08-22-2005, 07:22 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
Barry My SoundCloud page Avalon L-320C, Guild D-120, Martin D-16GT, McIlroy A20, Pellerin SJ CW Cordobas - C5, Fusion 12 Orchestra, C12, Stage Traditional Alvarez AP66SB, Seagull Folk Aria {Johann Logy}:
|
|
#10
08-22-2005, 09:21 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
A dread will work fine for fingerstyle.
You don't really need anything else but smaller bodied guitar can have a more focused balanced voice that lends itself well to that style. A few flatpickers use OM/000 bodies and some fingerstylists (think Michael Hedges) use/used dreads. I guess its ultimately about the comfort and the tone.
__________________
Derek 14fret 0 12fret 000
|
|
#13
08-24-2005, 10:04 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
There are exceptions (my buddies Taylor 110 for example) but I do tend to find that dreads don't have the note separation I'm looking for in a fingerstyle guitar. That said, I'd say there's nothing wrong with playing fingerstyle on a dread if is sounds good to you.
__________________
Neil
|
|
#14
08-24-2005, 10:53 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Oh, you might be surprised. Can feel like a mile. Personally, 1 7/8 is like a King Sized bed with feathertop !
__________________
Slightly off key, and a little bit late, but definitely in tune... "Now these three remain, Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love" <>< McPherson 4.5W RW/ZI Taylor 812ce - Taylor 514ce - NS32-ce Adamas W-597, Epi John Lee Hooker Sig #23 of 220, Squire Black Strat Jay Turser Maple OM Taylor W14ce / 422-R Babies x 3 Fishman 130W Tri-Amped Performer Acoustic Amp
|
|
#15
08-24-2005, 02:14 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
See this thread http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ad.php?t=67207 Its the one entitled "String Spacing ... I don't get it"
|
