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Fingerpickin
Lokahi
117 Posts |
 Posted - 05/20/2010 : 8:20:26 PM
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Hey fellow Slackers.
Gotta chime in on dis one.
I have to agree with Fran--the overall quality that Martin puts out, particularly in the past 15 years or so, just can't be beat. Having said that, the guitar that speaks to you, no matter what the brand is the one for you.
I always ask myself a few questions when playing or listening to a guitar...Is the bass prominent and complex sounding? (overtones=good) or is the bass dull and monotonic? Is the overall sound balanced, meaning you can clearly discern bass, midrange and treble? Is the treble "twangy" or "tinkly?" (a sure sign of an inferior instrument.)
One error I see commonly these days is players mistaking playabilty for tone quality. That is, players pick the guitar that is easy to fret and play rather than the one that sounds superb. Playability is adjustable by changing your setup. Tonal quality can only be influenced slightly (bone saddle, bone bridge pins, etc.) My suggestion is to find a guitar that sounds great, then take it to a luthier (my fav is Ty Sharoma on Oahu) for a custom setup.
A few more minor points: 1) One of the best sounding guitars I've ever heard is the guitar that Danny Carvalho's dad made for him. You just never know. 2) The ability of the guy playing the instrument is more important than the quality of the guitar. Ozzie can make a fender acoustic sound great. 3) Guitars are really a matter of personal taste. However, certain types of guitars are suited for one form of playing or another--dreadnoughts do well for strumming, whereas OM type styles are more suited for fingerpicking styles like slack. However, I play a dreadnought for slack and it sounds good to my ear.
Just a few random thoughts. I suggest you play a lot of guitars and find one that speaks to you. Make sure you play some Martins, though!
-Lance
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"Hey Lance, try watch." -Ozzie |
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Guitar question ?
