Lets talk Acoustic Guitars

Thanks again Tony. Cowboys started a songwriting thread, where we can offer supportive but straightforward suggestions and impressions. I'm looking forward to getting feedback of some newer tunes. so I'll do something soon. It takes me 3 or 4 days to readjust to 13's after playing 12's. I do tend to high pass a little, even now, but nowhere near as much as these tracks needed.next time out, I'll see if I can track it right the first time.

Did you hear the Guru Guru Wahe track? big ass D-41 on the left there.

soundcloud.com/martin-john-butler

Hi John, you might want to look into Mandolin Bros. 40th Anniversary D-41 Turbo.

mandoweb.com/Instruments/Martin-D-41+Turbo+Mandolin+Brothers+40th+Anniversary/3292

Don't I know it! I'm trying to learn not to accent too much on certain acoustic tracks. Cowboy's really good at that, getting the acoustic strum to sit in the track. My friend Andy Shernoff did some recording with a few Nashville cats he's friends with recently. He needed an acoustic part changed, (tracking problem), but wanted it played exactly the same way, then doubled. I did the tracks using the Martin, but they jumped out a little too much. He brought over his Collings acoustic, and I did the tracks again, and it sat better in the track. So, sometimes less really is more. The Collings is a lovely guitar, but no match for 'The Cannon'.

Man, trying to play tracks exactly like someone else was really difficult, every little suspension on exactly the same beat, aarrghh..

It'll be an LP or a CD, so I'm glad to be a small part of what will eventually be a published project again. It been a while since I got out of demoland.

Have you played one JK?

I have...Artisan Guitars is just sick...I invited those guys to come post over here - I know them - and got a lovely email back saying...well, NO. Ha...people are strange. I figured they could've made a few sales here. I don't know whether they thought I was just trying to get them to come dilly daddle on the internet...I was trying to hook some brothers up...

Here ya go bro, the Martin's on the left, the Doyle Dykes on the right (slide): dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Public/Guru%20Ram%20Das%206%3A24%3A13%20MASTER.wav?w=AACJQgjS7wY3V8PflabXNQdKMmRlDemcG0jDwTaVyI0z1Q

This is some New Mantra music, so be prepared, it's repetitive..

Not too many John :-) I'm actually from South Africa, currently live in Australia, Soon to return home.

Martin John Butler Here is the site www.coleclarkguitars.com/products_innovations.asp#

Face brace pickup system. Same type of pickup system as Maton Guitars. just a bit more advanced.
On stage I have heard these School many Gibson, Taylors, Martins etc.... Off course in the studio its a different story.
Would love to get a Gibson as a studio workhorse.

Thanks lolo, that was fun to see. I'd like to know more about the "face brace" at Cole Clark. They only had one photo there, and not much more info.

When I got the Turbo, I had a pickup system installed. At that time, the best I'd heard came stock in certain Martins. It was the one that combined an internal pickup plus a miniature little mic. The one I'd heard previously was on a $1,600 single cutaway Martin, meant for performing, I forget the model number. I figured I'd put the same one in my Turbo. Strange thing, it sounded very different in mine, the mic only amplified the brightness, so I never use it at all. Eventually, I'll pull it out and put in a different pickup, but I'm in no rush, I don't use the Martin live very often. One aspect of this that bugs me a little. If the Turbo sounds incredible now, you should hear it without the pickup, yikes. The pickup system dampens the action of the face a bit as it is.

Not too much info on the website
Little boutique company. But they make fantastic sounding guitars. But again, more for live/stage use

Since we're talkin' acoustics. I did a slide take on the tracks I posted with my Taylor Doyle Dykes. I wanted something that sounded quite different than the Martin. The Taylor's way brighter, and I used a U87 clone instead of my Blackspade. It's a little shimmery, ( on the right in the sound files).

When I began these tracks, before I even had a DAW, I stuck a Blue USB mic into my computer, and played into Garageband. I used a new Gretsch Rancher. It's the one with the little sound hole, kinda like Django Reinhardt style. When I played slide with it, it seemed to sound really good. It really was barely a mid-level, OK guitar, sounded more like an arch top Jazz guitar. I sold that, and my Takamine 341, ( the black one, of course), to fund the purchase of the Taylor. I was glad I did, the Taylor's my working guitar, and it's got a loud, balanced, tight bottom, even though it's bright. It was made that way on purpose for singer/songwriter gigging situations. I did a gig in Seattle for a war veteran bike club, and it worked beautifully.

The thing is, the Gretsch sounded way better as a slide guitar. It was perfectly crappy, almost like a classic dobro. Now, when I get some really extra cash, I'll buy another one, just for the occasional slide track I may want to do, it was that good.

Dude, I would love to hear it!!

I have a Taylor Big Baby. It cost $400 and I have never heard a better sounding guitar for under $1500 but I can see why a lot of people don't like the Taylors.