onewilyfool Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Most folks consider them more as strummers, or flat pickers.....but which ones have you found to be the best for fingerstyle or fingerpicking???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Im generally a beginner fingerpicker, but can still have a crack, and I found my J-150 sounds wicked fingerpicked. That big bass response and vanilla trebles are quite intoxicating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchristo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I use my J-200 for fingerpicking cause it has more bass, to me you need more bass for fingerpicking ( at least for Travis style ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I only play with my fingers and I don't real give much thought to body size. What I do care about is nut width. The wider the nut the happier I be. Most of mine are -1 3/4" and 1 7/8". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTheSilver Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I play a lot of pre-war fingerstyle blues. I love fingerpicking on a J-45! I know the original blues guys tended to play small body guitars, like L-00s, but I like that the J-45 has more bass and a fuller overall sound. Also, I like mahogany for its clarity and focus on the fundamental notes. Rosewood has too many overtones for this style of fingerpicking and sound can get cloudy, so to speak. J-45 - Hey, if it's good enough for Lightnin' Hopkins, it's good enough for me! Now, for other styles of fingerpicked music, you may prefer rosewood over mahogany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I bought my Southern Jumbo, because all the samples and recordings I heard suggested that a mahogany slopeshoulder would be a fine all-rounder for somebody who mainly fingerpicks solo, but likes to break out the flatpick and strum as well. My favourite sample for tone happens to be a Woody Guthrie flatpicked, but it was hearing John Thomas's vintage SJ fingerpicked and Robi Johns playing classical on a new J45 Standard which really convinced me. My own WG more than lives up to my expectations as a flatpicker, strummer and above all as a fingerpicker. When I was buying I didn't expect to play much blues on it, as I like a bit more treble bite for fingerpicking in that area, but it delivers what I wanted for old-time country, jazz, various shades of folk and the occasional classical piece. If I want to play blues, I'm more than happy to dig out my beater, and when that dies I'll look to buy something cheap and smaller bodied for that purpose. That said, when the SJ was strung with a medium 1st string and all other strings from a light medium set, it really did do blues pretty well too. So I know where GTS is coming from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Yamaha's LL26 and 36 do a wonderful job for finger picking, a nice top end with a clean clear bass. If you were to go into a proper jumbo sized guitar though I'd have to say the Guild F-512 I played recently, made my hack job version of Last Steam Engine Train sound wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Tricky..... Any guitar can be fingerpicked BUT If you want a top-driven sound like a lot of blues fingerpickers, you will need to work really hard to drive the top of a dreadnought or even a jumbo, which is one of the reasons fingerpickers normally like smaller guitars. Fingerpicks would help. A J45 is borderline because it does have its own baseline (growly, throaty Gibson sound). To an electric guitarist, this is the sound as the tube amp distortion just kicks in gently..... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I think one of those 12 Fret Jackson Browne models might be an excellent experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 ZW, with respect, says nut width. For me, balance. Ideally, you want to hear the bass line and the treble both ring clear. In that respect, maple and hog serve well; with rosewood, you have more low end rumble and sustain. An exception: the Martin M-series (shallow box dials back the bass/sustain). As for the shape of the box, the right hand reach around tends harder on a square D-box, unless you come in a size long and tall. David Bromberg, Maple Leaf Rag (Martin M42) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 ... which ones have you found to be the best for fingerstyle or fingerpicking???? My answer: The Gibson J-200 My evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGDZdy8lDmc -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 My answer: The Gibson J-200 My evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGDZdy8lDmc -- Bob R Hmmmm.... hard to argue with that one. I was waiting for someone to come up with that. Helps if you are RGD, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Tonight - Played Me and the Devil Blues on a pre-Gibson Epi jumbo. Switched over to a Harmony Sovereign for Tommy Johnson's Big Road Blues. Then broke out my old J-200 for Bessie's Electric Chair Blues. Lawdy, though, I could not pick a winner out of the bunch if I tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I was just fingerpicking my AJ .... so-so on the blues (not rough enough for me) but really really nice on those old folk songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louhikaarme Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 J-200, it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Tricky..... Any guitar can be fingerpicked BUT If you want a top-driven sound like a lot of blues fingerpickers, you will need to work really hard to drive the top of a dreadnought or even a jumbo, which is one of the reasons fingerpickers normally like smaller guitars. Fingerpicks would help. A J45 is borderline because it does have its own baseline (growly, throaty Gibson sound). To an electric guitarist, this is the sound as the tube amp distortion just kicks in gently..... BluesKing777. here he comes again with his stupid questions ...... BK , can you tell me what you mean by 'driving the top ' ? is it easier to 'drive the top' of a small guitar or a big one ? i just dont know what that expression refers to ? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I think it means 'giving the top a good shake' to get the vibration you want from the top to get the fingerpicking tone one ddesire. With the smaller mass of the top it argouably it is easier to 'drive the top'. Of course, my explanation could all be bollocks also ... here he comes again with his stupid questions ...... BK , can you tell me what you mean by 'driving the top ' ? is it easier to 'drive the top' of a small guitar or a big one ? i just dont know what that expression refers to ? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I think it means 'giving the top a good shake' to get the vibration you want from the top to get the fingerpicking tone one ddesire. With the smaller mass of the top it argouably it is easier to 'drive the top'. Of course, my explanation could all be bollocks also ... Thanks EA - just what I meant! I like a Blues King L-00 or a LG size guitar for those reasons mentioned above. After a few years of practice, I can get the top on my Blues King or my LG3 'humming' along with my bare fingers. It is a touch of distortion. I have to play harder to get my J45 to get this sound, while my Martins will give me a few blisters before this will happen. (000-15 mahogany top is a different story). Gary Davis above can get his J200 buzzing, but he also is a different story! He has very strong right hand and very strong left hand fingers like pistons. My Metal skin Dobro is another example - I can play quite softly and still get the Dobro 'reso' sound. I can only say that it is a bit like playing both a Stratocaster and a Les Paul throught the same amp with the same settings - the LP has a 'baseline growly sound' while the Strat is very clean and has to be worked very hard to get a sound like the LP. Phew??? I suppose the best way to demonstrate is for someone (else) to play a row of guitars with the same left hand force and record the process. I don't have the time at the moment, sorry! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I think it means 'giving the top a good shake' to get the vibration you want from the top to get the fingerpicking tone one ddesire. With the smaller mass of the top it argouably it is easier to 'drive the top'. Of course, my explanation could all be bollocks also ... lol well ... thats kinda what i thought, but my head seems to think that a large top would be easier , less effort , i dunno small guitar - quieter ... jumbo guitar - louder is how it is in my head , but just like you say , sometimes my head just talks bollocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 lol well ... thats kinda what i thought, but my head seems to think that a large top would be easier , less effort , i dunno There are arguments to that effect.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 lol my head seems to think that a large top would be easier , less effort Simple physics. The bigger the top area relative to the bridge, the more attack needed for the bridge to get the top moving. So an OM or and LOO can get moving with a light touch. Even without picks and with light strings. Whereas with a J200, it takes a stronger attack, picks, and heavier strings to get the sound out. Which is what Gary Davis did with his J200s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Simple physics. The bigger the top area relative to the bridge, the more attack needed for the bridge to get the top moving. So an OM or and LOO can get moving with a light touch. Even without picks and with light strings. Whereas with a J200, it takes a stronger attack, picks, and heavier strings to get the sound out. Which is what Gary Davis did with his J200s. so a small guitar makes less noise but its easy to get noise from it, but a larger guitar is harder to get noise but its louder when you do get noise ? that makes no sense to me at all , but then again, i was rubbish at physics at school :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 so a small guitar makes less noise but its easy to get noise from it, but a larger guitar is harder to get noise but its louder when you do get noise ?. Sure. Small top area= easier to get vibrating (rh attack) but the small body cavity limits output. Jumbos and dreads and dread get more air moving but need more attack/bigger string/picks to get the most out of them. Similar principle on resophonic guitars: the cone moves a lot of air but to get the cone to move , a bigger string and picks are needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 A lot of finger pickers also prefer a wider string spread at the bridge - 2 5/16" minimum. Check it out in the guitars you are trying to see what the measurement is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 A lot of finger pickers also prefer a wider string spread at the bridge - 2 5/16" minimum. Check it out in the guitars you are trying to see what the measurement is. That can be hard to find in modern Gibsons, which almost all use the "Gibson standard" 2 1/8" pin spacing. I have two candidates for my "now or never" efforts at learning how to fingerpick properly: my 000-28 EC, and my L-OO Legend. They are chalk and cheese both sonically and playing-wise, but both are 1 3/4" at the nut. The Gibby is 2 3/8" pin spacing at the bridge, and the Martin 2 1/4". Both are light years different from my J-45 playing-wise. I greatly admire anyone who uses a J-45 as their primary finger-picking guitar. As someone famously said, "it ain't me, babe....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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