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Improving Technique


Buc McMaster

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Having hammered on the J-35 for a week now, I've made an observation........

 

The 35 is brighter than the 45 and this brightness translates to articulation.......more clarity than the 45. I am sometimes a little sloppy with my pick attack and the 35 makes this abundantly clear. This circumstance is making me be more aware of angle of attack. Parallel to the strings, straight up and down attack. Sounds simple enough......and it is with a bit of focus. The tone of the 35 under proper attack is very, very powerful and balanced........another fine Bozeman built instrument. [thumbup]

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Buc, isn’t that similar to how a Telecaster behaves in the electric world? The brighter the more revealing, it seems.

Well perhaps to some extent, but not to the degree in acoustic guitars. An electric instruments' tone is certainly modified by the amp it's plugged into and unpleasant, annoying levels of high end can be tamed........the tone of an acoustic guitar is what it is.

 

Anyone else have a guitar now or in the past that made you think about technique in this manner?

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Buc - listening to my recordings got me to work on technique. Hearing how muddy, or not differentiated notes are got me really paying attention to my strumming, attacks on certain licks, trying to go straight up and down. That's lead to paying more attention listening while playing. I think I'm better for it, the chickens seem to appreciate it.

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One of the pleasures of owning numerous guitars is realizing that each guitar responds and sounds a bit different, which in my case, serves to help me hear new things and work on techniques that a specific guitar enhances...and, then transfer that enhanced technique to another guitar. That’s how it works for me...

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

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Buc, if your picking is sloppy, I don't know what-in-hell to call mine. The word probably hasn't been invented yet. You play at an upper level where you quickly notice articulation while guys like me are just feeling-around for the right notes...lol.....and might I add, you are very humble in regards to your playing.....Keep it coming. I'll be listening. [thumbup]

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When I was selling guitars and PA/audio, I'd have customers want the VERY best microphones for recording. I'd point them to the Neumann's of course but warn them that great microphones are a double-edged sword. You might have the best recording mic in the world (say a Neumann U67) but that mic will hear EVERYTHING! Do you really want your mic to hear EVERYTHING? Think about it.

 

It is the same with an acoustic that is so responsive it hears EVERYTHING you do with it. It makes you totally aware of your own shortcomings!

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a lot of the same holds true for a "true" Class A guitar Amp. Very unforgiving, responds to EVERYTHING you do immediately. but on the other side of that, no Class A/B will give you a more pure raw straight out tone.

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Anyone else have a guitar now or in the past that made you think about technique in this manner?

 

Yep, the AJ is exactly like that. Its highly projective, its very clean and demands pefect pick placement, otherwise it sounds sloppy. Probably why i cant bond with it as ive gotten away with too much sloppy playing with the SJ and the J-150

 

But ill tell you one thing though, after a while this precision play becomes tedious and boring. Hence, i still reckon you will get rid of that 35 within six months. [biggrin]

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.....after a while this precision play becomes tedious and boring. Hence, i still reckon you will get rid of that 35 within six months. [biggrin]

Ha! NFW the 35 is going anywhere.........how about we wager a drink?

 

And I think the "precision play" becomes unconscious habit after a period of focus, not tedious nor boring, but technique to draw the best tone from the instrument.

[flapper]

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