Fingerstyle Guitars

Started by ElJefe, August 12, 2007, 07:27:27 AM

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I play with a flatpick most of the time but last night, I sat outside and played fingerstyle.  I can see why so many play fingerstyle exclusively.

Current fingerstyle guitar?      Larrivee 000-50  (It does it all)

Next fingerstyle guitar?        Maybe a Huss & Dalton 00-SP 

Your turn.
Larry

<1 or 2 nice ones>

I'll confess to having little interest beyond dreads and my Tele, but the scratched NOS OMV I picked up is really growing on me, and I'm playing fingerstyle and all styles with it.

No interest in new guitars right now or in the foreseeable future because my HD-28 (Martin) and OMV are getting all the play. I'll probably sell my D-03. The D-03 is beautiful, but no dread plays and sounds like my aging HD-28 and the OMV keeps growing on me.

Basically I have an appreciation for fancy guitars, but I'm trying to concentrate on playing more than on stuff.

I absolutely love my new Martin D-18V for flatpicking, and it also sounds good for some kinds of fingerstyle, but it gave me a useful lesson the other day in why balance is such an important thing for fingerstyle playing.  I used it to play Bruce Cockburn's "Sunwheel Dance," one of my favourite fingerstyle tunes.  That tune sounds great on each of my six-string Larrivees -- the 00, the OM and even the D.  But on the Martin it was ridiculously bottom-heavy, which kind of ruins the tune, since so much of the melody happens in the mid and upper ranges.
D-03RE
D-03-12
00-50 TSB
OM-02

...and several other guitars.  Former Larrivees: P-01, OM-03R SH (Twelfth Fret special edition), P-01 Chris Hadfield special edition

Quote from: ElJefe on August 12, 2007, 07:27:27 AM
Maybe a Huss & Dalton 00-SP 

I'm still haunted by an 00-SP I played at a store in Wash. D.C.  Really great guitar.

I love to play fingerstyle and have a blueridge br-183.  I also have a martin and the blueridge blows it out of the water, in fingerstyle at least.  I'm getting an L-10 soon and someday I would love to own a stonebridge or a Bashkin guitar.  The stonebridge is a little more reasonable however. 
2002 L-10 Special Edition
2002 Martin D-15
2005 Blueridge BR-183
2006 double sound hole 12 fret handmade guitar

Next fingerstyle guitar I'll get will have:

A 2 1/4" spacing at the saddle.  That's the most important thing, much more than the nut.  Most acoustics are 2 1/8".  I can fingerpick those but barely.

A response that'll give you a decent volume with a light pluck, also essential for fingerstyle.  Sample variation dictates that no particular model or body style will necessarily be better.  In other words, I'll be trying it first.

Actually, a Strat with the vintage style bridge (about 2 1/4") makes a great fingerstyle guitar.  Mark Knopfler and Richard Thompson have had pretty good luck with them.


I have a Recording King RO-16 that was not only very cheap but has turned out to be a terrific guitar for fingerstyle due to its short scale, wide nut and saddle spacing, and a pre-war sound that just zings with life.   Of course, this is my opinion of the sound.  I'm sure that someone else out there would disagree because what sounds and plays good to one person may not be the best answer for everyone.    How did I find this guitar???   When I travel on business I tend to locate all the decent guitar stores in the area and try to visit at least one.  I just got lucky and found it.  Would I have purchased one without playing it first, NO.  Too much variability between guitars even from the same manufacturer. 

My point.................. try to play as many guitars as you can so that you can make as educated a purchase as you can "for your own particular needs".

I wonder if Larrivee has a guitar similar to the Martin 000-15S.  Its a great fingerstyle hog top with 2 1/4 saddle spacing, 1 3/4 nut spacing and a 12 fret 000 body.  Great balanced bottom end and a woody, percussive tone for jazzy blue finger work.

I like it.

However, I do have an L-03 on the way for a more resonant, blooming tone.

:donut

As far as I know, Larrivee doesn't make ANY guitars with the wider saddle spacing. Only the nut width varies. I agree that 2-1/4 (or 2-5/16) makes for much more comfortable fingerstyle playing.

I love my OMs for fingerpickin blues....works just fine for me....in fact its all I play...I tried to strum a song the other day with a pick...it was a nightmare...like starting over again from the beginning... :blush:

:cheers

Blue

OM-05MT "Mary Helen"
Silvercreek T-170
Harmony Herd (1203, 162, 165, 6362)

I got it covered, guitar-wise. If only my fingers would co-operate.

Quote from: JasonA on August 13, 2007, 11:54:25 AM
As far as I know, Larrivee doesn't make ANY guitars with the wider saddle spacing. Only the nut width varies. I agree that 2-1/4 (or 2-5/16) makes for much more comfortable fingerstyle playing.

My 000-50 has 2 5/16" spacing, as do all the traditional series.
jeff

Larrivee 00-03MT Forum IV  #30 of 29

Really?? Glad to hear it!  I inquired when those first came out and was told that they were still 2-3/16. Don't know if Larrivee made a change or I was misinformed, but either way that's great.

Oh, and the traditional series OM-50 I used to have definitely did not have that spacing...

Take a better look or typo? OOO's have a one 1 and 13/16th inch nut width.

http://www.larrivee.com/flash/products/guitars/OOO-50/ooo50.html

Quote from: ducktrapper on August 13, 2007, 03:24:43 PM
Take a better look or typo? OOO's have a one 1 and 13/16th inch nut width.

http://www.larrivee.com/flash/products/guitars/OOO-50/ooo50.html

Duck
I believe they were referring to saddle spacing rather than nut width unless I read the posts incorrectly.

Well alright then. Just ignore the man behind the curtain.  :arrow

Quote from: bhika on August 13, 2007, 01:01:37 PM
My 000-50 has 2 5/16" spacing, as do all the traditional series.

Quote from: JasonA on August 13, 2007, 11:54:25 AM
As far as I know, Larrivee doesn't make ANY guitars with the wider saddle spacing. Only the nut width varies. I agree that 2-1/4 (or 2-5/16) makes for much more comfortable fingerstyle playing.

My SD50-MT measures at 2 3/8ths at the saddle.  It does however have a 1 7/8ths nut width which many find a tad wide.
Andy Perkins banjo
Epiphone Bluesmaster Sb
Gold Tone PBR Deluxe
Larrivee SD-50 MT TSb

Quote from: Blue in VT on August 13, 2007, 12:13:46 PM
I love my OMs for fingerpickin blues....works just fine for me....in fact its all I play...I tried to strum a song the other day with a pick...it was a nightmare...like starting over again from the beginning... :blush:

:cheers

Blue



I can't use fingerpicks, thumbpicks, flatpicks or any picks.  I fingerpick with my nails and for strumming I have this bizarre technique of holding my index finger between my thumb and second finger - so my index finger nail becomes a kind of flatpick.  I like the control you get from feeling the strings.  When I tried fingerpicks my fingers slid all over the strings, hitting the wrong ones, etc.  I like to feel that string as I pluck it.  Fortunately my nails seem to remain intact.
Larrivée Limited Edition Rosewood Parlor (2003)
plus various other acoustic guitars and one ukulele

Quote from: noyage on August 12, 2007, 11:26:03 AM
I'm still haunted by an 00-SP I played at a store in Wash. D.C.  Really great guitar.
I used to use my Huss & Dalton 00-SP as a fingerstyle guitar. But then it took over for all my acoustic playing. Simply a monster guitar. Nothing small sounding about it.

-Jonathan

What do I use for Fingerstyle ?

Huss & Dalton 000
Santa Cruz OM

H&D make some fantastic intruments

10 Larrivee 00-03R 
09 CA Cargo
09 Taylor GA SS
06 Taylor 714CE
05 Santa Cruz OM S
04 Baby Taylor

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