Sweet rosewood Guilds

Jeff

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Gentlemen,

I've been picking my big Westerly Guilds this AM for a couple hours having a great time.

If I can't sound really good playing alongside Taylors & Martins it surely isn't because of my guitars.

These things are sweet, just a little bit of skill & they sing.
 

Jeff

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Dred,

They're different, I changed the Martin mediums on the DV 62 to D'Addario medimus. Not a dramatic change in sound. The DV 62 I think has a bit richer tone, more different than better, The neck on the DC5 is verry nice, & it iit has a little more punch maybe. DC5 likes a thumbpick but then the DV62 does too, except a pick changes the whole nature of the DV62, Haven't chosen a favorite, not going to if I don't have to either.

Experimented with the DC5 a little with the electronics "door" open. I'd guess if you took the fishman unit out the git would be a bit louder & tone would change some. With the battery it's quite heavy & a good size mass.

By the way, I bought some pro pick, nickel fingerpicks, couldn't find any brass. How the devil do you keep those things on your fingers. I keep popping the darned things off, I have developed the habit if downstroking little licks with the back of my nails & it pops the finger picks right off.

Is it me or the picks? What a dumb question.
 

dreadnut

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yeah, you can't do that with those :( you can only pick toward yourself with them. Did you find the double-wrap version, they stay on your fingers better. Are you used to playing with any kind of fingerpicks or no? They take some getting used to, but once you get the system down you can get vast improvements in tone and volume and continuity of sound from string to string.
 

Jeff

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Dred,

I have tried fingerpicks a time or two & always felt real clumsy & uncomfortable. It's no different this time, actually worse because I'm using my thumb & 3 fingers on my right hand now instead of just one finger a while back. Kind of feels like I'm playing with a food processer whirling around on the end of my fingers.

Here're the picks I'm using, don't know if they are the double wrap version or not. Pretty darn uncomfortable. Brass might be a bit softer & form to your fingers better.

I use the little orange thumbpicks because the slot arrangement stays put lots better without cutting off circulation to your thumb. Doesn't look like much of a difference but it's like a 300% increase in the gripping edges. Maybe a bit too flexible for your tastes.

Some of you guys are talking about using some serious stiff picks, I'm guessing you don't have to turn the amps up much to be heard.

[img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid210/p02230c1c96f9ea00da70fa6af9f1b8a4/edda10aa.jpg[/img]
 

dreadnut

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wow, I haven't even seen that style of pro-pik. I use the brass 1-ANG double wrap,the pick is solid, not "hollow" like the ones you have there. Pro-pik has pictures on line of all their different types.

If you get some of those I can guarantee they'll feel better. Now, I've gotta confess the only reason I started using fingerpicks is because I took up the banjo some twenty odd years ago, I built my first banjo from a Saga kit, but I digress.

The fingerpicks were uncomfortable as hell, but I sat there with that banjo in open "G" and picked mindlessly even when watching tv, just to get used to it and get a pattern going. Once it started feeling and sounding ok, I applied it to the guitar too. Suddenly, volume from a fingerpicked acoustic!

I liken it to the one wood. If you leave it in the bag, you'll never learn how to hit it properly. 8)

I like the little orange thumbpicks too. Another trick from the Earl Scruggs book to keep your thumbpick from flying off is to carve little cross-hatch marks in the plastic with your pen knife or an exacto on the part that contacts your thumb, it enhances the grip greatly.
 

Jeff

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The theory on the fingerpicks with the holes is you can feel the strings with your fingertips.
 

West R Lee

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Dred and Jeff,

Very interesting discussion. You mention all the reasons I don't use them.....I just never could get comfortable using them. Heck, I don't even use a flatpick well.

I've often thought about how much sound I'm missing by not using them. Dred, I remember when I was a kid doing just what you are talking about, without the picks. Just endless finger picking patterns. I just never took the time to really apply the same technique to fingerpicks. Maybe in my old age :wink:

West
 

Jeff

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West, for years I couldn't use any kind of a pick. Just got in the way & made poor pickin louder.

Lately I catch myself trying to get the guitar to say something, & the thumbpick makes it speak right up. Instead of having to hit a string hard with your bare thumb to get it to articulate just pluck it solid with a thumbpick & she lights right up.

I still have trouble with flat picks, they keep falling out of my fingers. Dunlop flatpicks have a knurled like gripping surface & are easier to hang on to. Should I ever had to play seriously with a flatpick I'll have to super glue it to my fingers.
 

coastie99

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Jeff.

I'll be darned if I can get comfortable with a pick either.
I've been meaning for ages to try a thumb pick - next time I'm in "the city" I must remember to get one.
 

dreadnut

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Yeah, I use Dunlop flat picks, the black one, 1.0 thickness. Its stiff, but it makes the Guilds sing. As you are probably aware, the tone changes considerably as your pick moves closer to the bridge as opposed to picking directly over the soundhole.

I posted about this elsewhere, but check out mojo picks, they're made from old solid silver US quarters. I bought one (1954 of course, it was a good year, Stevie Ray and I and the Telecaster were all born that year).
Anyway, great tone from this pick, metallic but not harsh. Darn thing cost me $11 though. Hey, you only go around once, right? 8)
 

dreadnut

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yeah, Coastie, I'm with you, I'm not real big on Tele's :D
 

West R Lee

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See Coastie....there you go with that "ho ho ho". Tell me the truth, you really are Santa, aren't you?

West
 

West R Lee

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Dred,

Don't feel bad...........................I told an 87 year old man recently that I hoped I looked as good as he does when I'm 87. He told me, "Hell son, you don't look as good as me now!" No respect! :)

West
 
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