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chasAK

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Posts posted by chasAK

  1. I agree our ears have a lot to do with it but I have a question concerning the physics. I am not a scientist nor have I studied the physical properties of wood, so my question resides in the popular level of ignorance. Here is my question, “Just because something is dead and not in active growth or repair does that mean it is not reactive?” I believe what we are talking about is the reactive properties of sound wood to an extended period of inactivity. Plastics and even our metal strings have memory. A piece of car molding when heated will often return to a relative normal (previous) shape. Cold that not be so concerning wood in reference to vibrations, whether the memory is the old stiffness or new looseness?

    Concerning humidity causing sharpness, the physics of the wood swelling would support that proposition.  

    Jt, that sounds like another interesting book!!

  2. Awhile back there was a thread on one’s favorite, or least favorite descriptive terms. It was an enjoyable thread. It looked a lot like this one.

    Nonetheless I am going to make an attempt to define or describe some usable terms. These descriptions are my poor unscientific attempt. You may call me an idiot if you like, but please don’t kick me off the forum. I enjoy it. 🙂

    Some descriptions’ have at least some validity, I think?

    Overtones – these are measurable on an oscilloscope; they are harmonic sound waves that accompany the fundament note.

    Note clarity – The fundamental is very strong with the complementing harmonics further in the background.

    Note separation – The fundamental notes of a complex series have a high degree of separation form the other fundamentals and have a high degree of distinction. They are less overlapping or bleeding into each other. This is related to note clarity. I believe this as well could be seen on an oscilloscope. (one description of less clarity is fuzzy)

    Quick decay – This obviously refers to how much or how little sustain a note and or its overtones have. The j45 has a quick delay and I believe it attributes to the so called thump.

    Bass and Treble – These are common terms: that guitar is bright; of course, all of these descriptions are comparative.

    Strong or strong highs etc. – there is a low, mid, and high range. Generally speaking, wooden stringed instruments that have a stronger (louder) mid have lower highs and lows and visa versa.

     

  3. Here is something I copied from a post several years ago. I can't remember who posted it. 

    Guitar Humidity

    100%; You shouldn’t really be playing your new guitar out in the rain

    95%; This is dangerous for your instrument; glue joints are compromising right now and the thin wood plates are highly stressed and buckling due to their swollen condition

    90%; This is far too humid for your instrument; the action of the strings is very high; maybe it’s time for some air conditioning for both of you? Bad things are possibly going to start happening to your instrument

    85%; Too humid; your wood plates are beginning to swell with the moisture; this isn’t good

    80%; A little too humid I think (plus, aren’t you getting uncomfortable?); soundboard movement is starting to affect the action (making it higher over the frets)

    75%; Probably getting too humid; if it keeps up you may actually notice the soundboard movement; sort of OK for awhile

    70%; OK for awhile but don’t let the guitar get too warm; more wood movement with the soundboard bellying out somewhat perhaps

    65%; A little too humid; there might be a small bit of wood movement but don’t panic

    60%; Still sort of OK

    55%; Not too bad

    50%; OK

    45%; PERFECT

    40%; OK

    35%; Time to think about humidifying your guitar; the soundboard is starting to sink in; probably will be OK for a few days so don’t panic (yet!)

    30%; It is really time for humidifying your guitar, (a few days might be ok); action starting to get low; maybe you can start to feel the ends of the frets beyond the edge of the fretboard (which has shrunk back due to moisture loss); install the Planet Waves Guitar Humidifier when you are not playing the instrument

    25%; Time to be really concerned; time is not on your side; take corrective action now; use the Planet Waves Guitar Humidifier and put the guitar in the case until the dry conditions are over; cracks are planning their assault; frets are hanging over the edge of the fretboard now

    20%; Danger Will Robinson!!! You are living on the edge now; huge stresses are building up in the plates of your expensive instrument and; cracks may start to appear at any moment; the soundboard is sunk in and you have string buzzes

    15%; Give me a call and we can discuss a time slot for your repair

    10%; Now we need more time to fix all those cracks and glue the thing back together

    5%; It’s over!

  4. 50 minutes ago, E-minor7 said:

    Sure - though a rectangular Banner-style bridge suits them too. 

     

    50 minutes ago, E-minor7 said:

     I like b-up (something I learned after 20 years behind a Martin) - but not on a Dove. 

    Agreed on both.

    Tom you're a hoot!

    My j45 is an August 08 build just before they changed over from the MC to the Black nut Standard of today.  I put a batwing pick guard on it. I would like to change the groovers to creaming white button but the groovers are working fine. It has a rich mellow tone that also knows how to growl. The highs are sweet as opposed to harsh.

  5. The method mentioned in the instructions is how I was taught to put on strings when I first started playing; more years ago than I care to recall!

                The Sunbeams have been the strings I use on my j45 for about ten years now. They have the sound and feel I want. There have been a couple of times the 3rd string has given me some intonation problems. The strings are not that expensive so it has not been a great problem.

                There was another brand of round core strings that sounded very similar to the Sunbeam. I think they were Pyramids or something. They had the same warm tone of the Sunbeams and had a bit more clarity. In my opinion they sounded better than the Sunbeams but not enough to justify the added cost.

                Like J45Nick I have found them to last a long time. But again I like the thumpy sound and quick decay of old strings.

                Another observation is that they sound played from the get go.

  6. I’m glad to here he is still around and kicking! I have not seen him on the forum for a long time and was afraid to ask. He was a great asset to the forum!  He had knowledge that is missed. Is there a workable path of restoration? Anyway let him know he is missed.

                As to the 95 J45, I agree with the others. It is not anything unusually special, though a nice instrument! I think Gibson returned back to their nitro finished by 95.

    chasAK

    • Like 2
  7. 7 hours ago, EuroAussie said:

    Its a Dove with serious attitude.

     

    I like that description. The attitude it has is sober verses obnoxious. It blended well. I assume it would do well with vocals. I think it would also work well with solo pieces. It is a very nice instrument. My wife like it but the price tag was daunting. Good instruments are expensive but well worth the price.

  8.            Gibson’s have been back in Anchorage for a while. Guitar Center came in. I don’t go in much as I want to support our local B&M shop and I am not in a market for a new guitar.

                Long story short, I went in the other to just to see what Gibson acoustics they had. I want to play a baked top j45 sometime. Well, they still did not have one but they did have a Firebird! That is another guitar I have long wanted to play.

                It was beautiful! Compared to the Dove my son’s former viola teacher had it was definitely bolder. That was my first thought, this thing is bold for a maple dred. It actually took me back some. It was loud and had a strong rich bass and nice highs and even middle. Even with the strong bass I would say it was still on the balanced end of the ledger. It sounded as beautiful and it looked!

    chasAK

  9. I agree that there does come a point when deed strings have intonation problems. I like the sound of broken in new strings.  As they start going dead I kind of like the punchy sound. I change them when I get tired of the dead sound and want to liven things up a bit, or when they start having intonation problems.

     I would be interested in hearing some of the bass stories. I am not familiar with them. When I was a bass player I would clean my strings with alcohol (not Jack Daniels). It would get me a couple more weeks. I would typically do it twice before I got new strings. I played a lot back then but don’t even have a bass anymore. Unfortunately I have not been playing my j45 much lately.

    chasAK

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