Acoustic Guitars & Equipment

Coated strings?

feeds@yuku.com (Bikewer) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:33:47 GMT

Having gotten into playing more fingerstyle on my new Yamaha, I find that the strings that came on the guitar turn my fingers black. No idea what they are; they look like standard "brass" item, light gauge.

For years, I've preferred D'Addario phosphor bronze strings, but I've been wondering if the new line of coated strings wouldn't prevent the finger blackening? I realize they are more expensive, but most folks report longer life as well...

Not sure about how to attach strap

feeds@yuku.com (gcpicken) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:15:06 GMT

Embarrassed to post this, but I bought a nice strap (El DOrado) for the Taylor 414CE Rltd I bought last week. It deserves a nice strap. I don't deserve a nice guitar, but that's another question.

1. The button at the bottom of the guitar is larger that the button under the heel, and the strap will not fit over it. I do not want to "go animal" on it, or hack a larger hole in the leather. Is there something I'm missing?

2. It has a buckle on the strap...

New Acoustic Steel Soundfont

feeds@yuku.com (LKay) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:16:28 GMT

I've uploaded a new acoustic steel guitar soundfont for those that have SoundBlaster soundcards. There is also a sounfont bank that includes my Nylon, Acoustic Steel, and Godin Nylon fonts you can download and use as your default soundfont bank.

Instructions for using the soundfonts are on the "How To" page. For those that don't have a SoundBlaster or want to improve the midi playback on a laptop, follow the instructions on the "Software Soundfont Synthesizer"...

accurate hygrometer found, cheap

feeds@yuku.com (hemet) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:28:47 GMT

We all know about the importance of humidification. As an owner of a fine, all wood guitar and living in the desert I am constantly concerned about my guitar drying out. I have had a good hygrometer in the case as well as a sponge/baggie and Oasis but I have been concerned that the hygrometer is working correctly. On another forum a guy named Larry recommended the Springfield model at Walmart. I went ahead and got one and it agrees with the one that is in there that cost me a lot more so my...

affordable fingerstyle guitar

feeds@yuku.com (hemet) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:03:07 GMT

My daughter gave me an early Christmas present, its a long story, so I have some cash to finally get a real fingerstyle guitar. I am talking to a guy about an Eastman AC308 for $700. 1 3/4 nut with 24.9" scale neck. I dont know what the string spacing at the bridge is but someone said theirs is 2 1/8. For me that would be a dealbreaker. I have seen the brand in the past and they are pretty but the sound has been less than spectacular. I talked to a guy that has watched their development...

source for Propik thumbpicks

feeds@yuku.com (hemet) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:35:13 GMT

That pretty much says it, I am wanting to try Propiks as an economical first step toward trying Red Bear thumb picks which are way expensive. I can buy Propiks from several places but all the ones I know of have ridiculous shipping charges. Any ideas related to any of this?

Carbon Bit Again

feeds@yuku.com (kelleygraphy) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:04:14 GMT

I just recently purchased another C.A. guitar. This time it's the Gxi from Carbon Acoustics. I'm loving this guitar for it's great bass response. It has a 1 3/4 inch nut and lends itself to fingerstyle very well. It seems very well balanced and has a unique sound in some ways similar to wood yet it has some differences also. One thing I like about it is it requires less maintenance ie; moisture control. It's just another nice addition to my arsenal of guitars. Kelley

Best rig for the money starting out

feeds@yuku.com (DigittyDog) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:29:50 GMT

Hello. My guitar is an OM w/piezo. I have a Roland acoustic chorus100, but it cuts in and out and reverb is strange. I want to know what is a low priced comprehensive rig for playing coffee shops and small gigs. Any recomendations? Should I try to get my existing amp fixed?

I was thinking about:

Guitar--> good cable--> Fishman Aura preamp DI--> Carvin PA system (or other cheap one)--> multi effects processor on ext loop

Voice-->PA system-->...

Alternate tunings and broken strings

feeds@yuku.com (whoa) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:16:40 GMT

I break a lot of strings at the tuning machine towers when I tune between alternate tunings. For instance, my high E goes from D to F for different tunings, and it often breaks even when I am tuning down. Any advice for this, or is it just inevitable given metal fatigue?

Would it help to have tuning machines with a greater radius peg (or whatever they're called)?

Thanks,

Mark

Finding a guitar with these specifications:

feeds@yuku.com (Alexander Coe) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:21:16 GMT

My local stores don't have much in the way of unique guitars. I want to try something with these specifications and I was wondering if you could point me in that direction. I'm looking for a classical guitar (nylon stringed) with a shorter neck length and width (somewhere between 3/4 and full size and less that 2" respectively). I find that the 2" necks are too hard to wrap my thumb around and fret the 6th string and also I have trouble (or should say, I think it might be...

Playability

feeds@yuku.com (Alexander Coe) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:04:53 GMT

I have been playing the for 7 years or so but I've been consumed with my playing ability, never really paying attention to equipment technicalities. I've been reading lately about the differences in guitars but most literature has talked about the sound of the guitar rather than the function (if you can imagine them being separate things!) In short, I am wondering if I can be helped to learn the specifics of guitars that help playing ability rather than the sound produced by that...

Turner Compass Rose

feeds@yuku.com (tabl10s) — Mon, 25 May 2009 01:32:28 GMT

Has anyone played/seen one?

McAlister Guitars - An Announcement

feeds@yuku.com (Rick Ruskin) — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:19:22 GMT

I am pleased to announce that I have joined Roy McAlister in the capacity of Customer Service & Relations Manager for McAlister Guitars. Until a link from mcalisterguitars.com is established, kindly direct all inquiries regarding warranty issues and new, existing, and potential orders to me at rick@liondogmusic.com. I can also be reached via phone @ 206-322-1601 or 206-501-9716.

$500 & Guitar Center's Memorial Day Sale

feeds@yuku.com (ItsTheMatthias) — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:23:56 GMT

So I'm 16 years old and I just got a job this year. I've been saving up money for an acoustic guitar and I finally got $500 (maybe around $600 by the end of this week). Now it's almost Memorial Day and Guitar Center has a special sale on that day every year (as you probably already know). I've honestly never gone to this sale, so I have no idea what type of items are going to be discounted, but I want to try and buy my guitar on that day and get a good deal.

I am...

Classic or Flamenco for fingerstyle ??

feeds@yuku.com (phlox) — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:49:22 GMT

Hi,

I'm in the process of choosing a new fingerstyle guitar. I prefer nylon strings.
What would be the best choice for fingerstyle ??
The classic or the flamenco guitar ??

I have read a lot of information on the net and I think important properties of a fingerstyle should be:
sharper sound
shorter sustain
small body
width neck (2")
(this are all properties of a flamenco guitar)

Am I correct in thinking so ??

...

Ibanez AW15 Artwood

feeds@yuku.com (sebagr1987) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:34:44 GMT

Do someone knows this guitar ?
I'm about to buy this one but i wanted to hear some advices before... i can get her for €247, do you think it's ok ? I want to play some slow rocks and songs like fields of god, beatles in fingerstyle, and after trying some models i thought a dreadnought is wich i like the most, but i don't know anything about models :s
some help won't be bad

Thanks !

Folk guitar types

feeds@yuku.com (sebagr1987) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:17:42 GMT

Hi everyone, i'm looking for my first fingerstyle guitar and i would like to know a little about the different types of folk guitars.
The guitar is for playing songs like the guns and roses (slow ones), beatles, aerosmith, and fingerstyle is what i want to play. I was looking for info in some webs, but i couldn's find the difference between jumbo and dreadnought guitars. There is another type of folk guitar ? and what's the diff between them ?
thanks a lot

...

Martin OMC 28 Laurence Juber finish Problem

feeds@yuku.com (fingerpickerdude) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:03:52 GMT

Anyone have ideas why my neck finish on top where the fret board connects to the neck has the finish like a bubble that's 3" long and looks like it coild crack open? It started about 3 months ago and is geting worse.

$20 for a Froggy Bottom...

feeds@yuku.com (Paul Kucharski) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 06:21:46 GMT

I saw this when visiting the Froggy Bottom web site recently and couldn't resist buying at least one chance to win it. I know I'm weak...
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This winter we have built a very special H-12 guitar to raffle as a fundraiser for the Wellspring Waldorf School in Chelsea, Vermont. The guitar is a unique instrument, a Custom Grade of 5A Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce. Two Petria Mitchell engravings adorn the end graft and heel cap, a slotted headstock carries...

Anybody know of a jumbo with a wide saddle string spacing?

feeds@yuku.com (Mississippi Rick) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:53:35 GMT

I'd love to try a jumbo for fingerstyle, but most of them have much narrower string spacing than I like. Now that I have OM-style Epiphones with a 2 3/8 saddle string spacing, I just can't stand anything else. So - - the question is -- are there any jumbos with a 2 3/8" string spacing at the saddle? That don't cost $4000????

Thanks.