I bought a new acoustic in January. My main reason for changing guitar was to get an easier to play action. I tried lots of guitars and earmarked a couple. When I was making my final decision I tried another guitar and everything felt right and I bought it on the spot. I've got the easy low action I was looking for and can now play as long as I like the problem is the sound. I noticed it straight away but thought maybe I needed to adapt, three months on and it still sounds poor. The problem is that the sound produced is drowned out by the noise of the pick when strumming. I know you have to have some pick noise but it dominates the sound. Any thoughts ?
if you hadn't said this was an acoustic guitar, i would be tempted to say you need to plug it into an amp. :wink:
i've never heard of an acoustic guitar that was drownded out by the sound of the pick on it's strings.
perhaps a heavier gauge ?
#4491....
what is the model or brand?
The make and model is http://www.leihinstrumente.com/index.php?SearchTerm=TANGLEWOOD+TW15-CE-B thats not the price I paid, I paid £400 around $800 (roughly)
Im using the strings recommended by the manufacturer Elixir custom light 11 - 52
Are you using a very thin pick?
Maybe try a thicker pick.
I tried really thin ones a while ago and they sort of skipped across the strings making a clicking sound that was fairly load but weren't moving the strings enough to get any decent volume out of the guitar.
yours is not a bad guitar. there should be plenty of volume. I like the lighter pick idea.
one thing that has bothered me is that the soundhole faces away from he playe; me. I can't hear as good as I wish.
once I put the guitar in my lap face up and played slide. holy cow, tmy guitar sounds gorgeous.
maybe in your case you need to get used to the guitar. also, when playing you could face a corner so the sound is projected back towarsds you. then evaluate.
I ended up trading it in, everyone was saying it sounded fine but it didn't feel or sound right to me. I've lived with the new one now for a week and it sounds so much better to me. I went back to the shop I bought the original from and they gave me a good price and I ended up adding some more money and getting a better guitar. I tried Takamines and Martins but rather suprisingly went for another Tanglewood. I had tried it out a week before but gave myself another week to try out other guitars just to make sure. I even took my old guitar in to play and compare and this time I think Ive got it right.
Too late now but.... it could have been as simple as old crufty strings. A change of strings can do wonders.
Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)
