The last couple of days I've been playing and thoroughly enjoying my first guitar, a Washburn D11 dreadnought, tuned to Open E and played with slide and fingerpicks. Great sound and feel. Got home this afternoon and pulled out my Gibson SJ-200 Pete Townshend Limited Edition that I won off of their sweepstakes a couple of years ago and haven't gotten to play much because my boy hid it under his bed. (He's gone now and I've got the guitar back.) I'd deemed it a lousy slide guitar because it came strung with 10s, Gibson Phosphor Bronze Light Acoustic, and when I tuned it down to Open D or G it just sounded thin, rattly and squeaky. Well, tuning up to Open E really brings it alive even with those light strings! I am absolutely loving playing this thing now! It's got the widest sonic range I think I've heard out of an acoustic, and while it booms in bass as you'd expect, it has a very bright, trebly sound when picked with the fingerpicks. Didn't hear that with meat picking, of course. Overall it's just a very loud guitar, much more so than my Johnson tricone reso, and with more sustain. The vibrations from the open lengths of string between the nut and tuners ring out as a steady whistle while I'm playing, and ring like a bell when I hit the strings and instantly damp them. You can hear that on the reso and dreadnought, but the jumbo amplifies that to a higher level. Damping behind the slide doesn't stop that, either; it's just part of that guitar's sound. I still have yet to try plugging in the pickup to an amp; bet I'll have to replace the 9V battery that came in the preamp by now. But I am having great fun with this thing now, and its neglected days are certainly over!
8)
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Most cool Ric! I wondered what you did with that thing. Glad to hear your making it work for you.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
That's a beauty Ricochet!!!
Like the shirt....lol
Dang that's big. Not as long as my pink Johnson, but girthier.
And those jumbo Gibsons have huge bottom end, too. ;)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
She a beaut Clark!
You still got a ways to go before you make up for leaving that under a bed for so long. I would have flown to wherever you lived and did a string change for you just so I knew someone was playing that.
http://www.daughtersandsons.net -Cincinnati CEA Award winners for best original RnB/Funk band! (Bragging is in the user manual and encouraged)(Hi Mom)
That's a beautiful guitar, I like the light blondes; By the way, where can I get a shirt like that?!? :D
Just beautiful! (The guitar...you're OK, too, Ric... :lol: ) I can't believe that was under a bed! Also can't believe you won it in a sweepstakes! Lucky you, and I'm glad you're enjoying her so much now. Sorta reminds me of the Emmylou Harris model I always had my eye on...Looks like your boy treated her right, too. Good for you...play on! :D
Love and Peace or Else,
CC
Yeah, there's definitely some missed playing to make up for! :D
The shirt came from The Music Box, I think. Musically oriented gift store that puts out a catalog around the Christmas season. I'll bet they've got a web page, but I haven't looked for it. I've got another new shirt I just saw in the closet with more electric guitars on it. Got to start wearing it before it gets cold, it's silky and short sleeved too. My wife finds these things.
The Gibbie needs restringing, and I'm about to put on a set of 12s to match my others. I've pretty much standardized on .012-.052" strings on acoustic, reso and electric. Works well on all, and there's not so much change in feel switching from one to another as when widely disparate gauges are used. Gibson must think 10s are optimal, though. They sent along 10 extra sets. I'm keeping my Epiphone Bluesmaster a non-slide fingerpicker, and I'll keep using the 10s on it.
My new "discovery" is how great finger picks sound for fingerpicking on acoustic and electric guitars, not just for resos where I started using them. Takes getting used to the feel, and a different method of strumming using the thumbpick for the downstroke and index finger pick for the upstroke. A thumbpick can also be pressed into service as a temporary flatpick by gripping the tab between thumb and index finger.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Wow, thats one beauty of a guitar, Ric!
Mind you, I'm more jealous of the nice weather you seem to be having. Any chance you can send some to the UK? :lol:
Pete
ETD - Formerly "10141748 - Reincarnate"
Actually my daughter took that picture 3 years ago when the guitar came in. Same time of year, and it's equally beautiful now.
The original story and discussion are still on the board here: https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9744
This is a big guitar, very deep bodied as well. I can feel it in my repaired shoulder again when I'm playing this one, because it holds my arm out at a greater angle from my body. Brings back memories of when I was starting to play and my arm could only take a few minutes of it.
I put a set of 12s on this afternoon, and I do like 'em a lot better.
I also plugged into my Valve Junior. This thing sounds terrific amped! The pickup in it is some sort of Fishman active piezo, supposedly a custom setup. At the time I got it I looked at their site and it looked like a mashup of bits from their standard offerings. It's got no adjustments on it, just a hidden battery pack inside the soundhole and a jack in the tailpiece. Turns on when you plug in. Battery's still good. I have an Epiphone Bluesmaster with a Dean Markley passive piezo installed that doesn't sound good amped with slide, as the pickup seems to resonate with a high frequency excited by the slide. Makes very shrill squeaky noises. None of that from the Gibson/Fishman combination. It just puts out great sound that sounds like the guitar does acoustically, only louder.
_________________
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I remember that shirt from one of their catalogues. I think it's called the The Music Stand.
Very impressive Ric! 8)
Mitch, LMAO!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Dan
"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge
Almost like being reunited with a lost love, eh, Ric? Better watch Mrs Ric doesn't get jealous....
I also recently got a Woody....although in my case, it's a Seymour Duncan acoustic pick-up - works great through my cube amp on the acoustic setting. With a bit of chorus, sounds almost like a 12-string!
I think you'd better find a hiding place - maybe under YOUR bed - for that guitar next time your son's home!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
