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Post by surfguy13 on May 30, 2022 7:08:51 GMT
I am in the process of trying to decide whether to buy an Avalon Dreadnought made back in 2006. My only slight concern is the bracing which is described as:
"Lighter braced on the back than newer Avalons and more akin to the ‘Dolphin’ Lowden bracing, so nigh on the spec of a Lowden D32 also made in the Newtownards factory a few years previous."
I know little or nothing about bracing but am aware how important it is. I wondered if anyone is aware what 'dolphin bracing' is and whether it will have an effect on the bass response? The above description suggests it may have. The main reason for considering a dreadnought again is for a deep and rich bass response and don't want to compromise. This particular Avalon D has a spruce top and rosewood back and sides.
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Post by surfguy13 on May 25, 2022 7:44:29 GMT
I've used a G7 Performance for as ling as I can remember. Wouldn't use anything else. This one has been used virtually every day and it still looks like new and works as well as it did day one. Amazing engineering. It has fitted every guitar comfortably.
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Post by surfguy13 on May 18, 2022 6:35:28 GMT
There must be loads of places in London that could fix that... Have you tried squirting some switch cleaner down the socket and then pushing the jack plug in and out maybe twenty times... I took an amp with similar problems to John Gosland at Orchid Electronics in Exeter .. OrchidHe did just that and cured the problem while I looked on... He could also make you an AB ? Y switch of the type you are looking for .. Agree totally. It may be that the socket needs to be replaced but far more likely you have accumulated gunk in the socket. A can of Servisol is a great investment and it is amazing stuff. Good luck!
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Post by surfguy13 on May 18, 2022 6:31:58 GMT
I have tried quite a few over the years with mixed results. I eventually came to the conclusion that I really didn't like having a lump in the soundhole so fitted a K&K mini and have never looked back! However, the best soundhole pickups I tried were the LR Baggs M1 or M1A (Active). I used both and I think I preferred the passive model. These are them: www.lrbaggs.com/acoustic-guitar-pickup-systems/m1-series/reviewsGood luck with your search!!
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Post by surfguy13 on May 14, 2022 8:09:44 GMT
Just an quick update. I changed the Heritage 12's to 13's and tension wise they do feel like 12's Elixirs. They sound reasonable but after a month they are quite dirty and the tone has lost it's sparkle and had gone a little dull which tells me they are nearly ready for replacing. I've had Elixirs on the Torridge for 3 months and are still very clean, have lost none of their tone and from past experiences they will last another 3 months easily. Both guitars have been played a lot. So the conclusion is I'll stick with the Elixirs because of longevity and less string noise. Having said that if I do feel my left hand/wrist problem goes worse sometime in the future the Heritage low tension 12's will probably be my string of choice. It's been a worthwhile exercise I'm really interested to hear how you have got on with the Heritage 13s Phil. I found the Heritage 12s far to light and was a little worried that the 13s might be a little too heavy after speaking to Niel at Newtone. I too find that the Newtones I have tried get very dirty very quickly and have no idea why. This was the case with both the Heritage and the Masterclass. I also found that a month was the maximum life for either of these sets. I have been trying the DR Sunbeams which are round core and very nice strings indeed. They did not get anything like as dirty as the Newtones but I have to say I found that after a month they are pretty much dead like the Newtones. In a month they get quite a lot of play time. Both Newtone and DR are about the same price and I definitely prefer buying the Newtones as the are made in the UK but I feel that the DR Sunbeams have the edge. I have never tried coated strings so maybe that is the next step.....however, having settled on 11-50 as my preferred gauge I have found that there are very few companies that make them. I will check out Elixir and see if they do 11s. Glad you have given the Heritage strings a try and even though they haven't worked out, at least it has confirmed that Elixirs are the right choice.
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Post by surfguy13 on May 1, 2022 7:31:04 GMT
I have never heard of her before either but her solo videos were superb; I don't think I have ever seen anyone play a 335 like that before and get those incredibly subtle nuances that she does.
No, I wasn't that keen on the trio either but I think a lot of it was to do with the recording medium.
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 26, 2022 7:38:51 GMT
Spent some more time with the SM57 today, and though still no louder than the 58, I've managed to get it coming through loud and clear... some operator error going on, plus a cable change made a world of different. Now got it so I can easily get the AER and microphone to feedback... so plenty of volume finally. This leads onto my second question which I will create a new thread for, around a mini-mixer (or whatever). Cheers Derek Really pleased that you've managed to get a decent amount of volume with the SM57. Yes, there are cables and cables and the quality/performance of cheap cables is extremely unpredictable. I have always bought decent cables for everything as they pay you back 100 times over. One thing I had meant to mention in my previous post, and forgot, was using a mike preamp. I use a cheap and cheerful ART tube preamp and they are superb. Make a HUGE difference to your overall sound and you have masses of control over the signal. You can spend a fortune on preamps but you don't necessarily have to as many of the cheaper units are great.
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 25, 2022 6:54:14 GMT
Not sure which came first, suspect the OM but could well be wrong.
In terms of which is a better guitar I think they're fairly difficult to compare. One the hand the sound is quite similar as a good OM will give you masses of volume and projection, and the scale length is the same, but they really do feel very different to play. I love both but as I only now have one guitar these days I have gone with an OM as, for me, it covers all the basses better. However, a round shouldered dreadnought would be my firm choice for a second guitar.
Yes, the OM projects amazingly well, as does a dreadnought, but an OM seems to have a slightly more articulate sound? However, must stress that these are very much personal views!!
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 24, 2022 14:23:53 GMT
An update... Based on this thread, and also from reading about the preferred mics for resonators over on Michael Messer's forum, I've bought myself an SM57 from Cash Convertors - great price, and it looks brand new. First impressions are it has a lovely sound. But volume-wise it's no different to the SM58 i.e.I have to be within a few inches of the guitar and play pretty hard, and still have the volume turned way up on the AER 60. And this is with my gypsy jazz guitar and my resonator - both of which are pretty loud guitars. I shall experiment further, and maybe I am expecting too much. There are a few compact condenser microphones out there in secondhand world at the moment so I might try one just for experimentation, but I shall first see how I get on with the SM57. Thanks for all the advice. Derek I am really surprised to hear that Derek. Although I move a fair bit when playing my SM57 is probably about 12" from the guitar on average and pointing directly at the 12th-14th fret. Whether I am plugging into a deck or a combo I have absolutely masses of volume and if I got anywhere near 3" to 4" it would be just too boomy. I am using 130 watt combo with the gain at around 9 o'clock and the channel volume at 12 o'clock and the master volume around the same. If the AER is a 60 watt combo then maybe it's the combo rather than the mike? I don't currently use a condenser mike, and I have never thought to compare the SM57 to a condenser, but I have always felt that the SM57 gave me masses of volume and probably more than a condenser, and my last condenser was a SE2200. Don't give up on the SM57!!!
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 21, 2022 7:42:25 GMT
surfguy13 . Guy, I have found that Fast Fret can reduce string squeaks somewhat if you apply it beofre playing. It is basically a perfumed light mineral oil so that's hardly surprising I suppose. I rarely use it before playing though - more likely after a session in the hope of removing at least some sweat and skin debris. Occasionally if the strings are really dead I'll maybe use FF before playing as it does seem to brighten them up a little for a a short while. Keith Keith, Yes, like you, I always use FF after playing and not before. Never been that keen on the slippy feel just after it's been applied. However it really does remove loads of crud from the strings and if you use the white cloth to go over the strings after you've applied it it's incredible how black it is. It's interesting that you have found it reduces squeal a little; I suspected it might do but as I seem to be alone in having zero squeal I have never been able to put it to the test! Guy
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 20, 2022 16:44:50 GMT
Yes, agree, it's impossible to get any sort of idea how they would sound on an acoustic being played acoustically! One thought.....I have just swapped some strings and ended up with a couple of packs of Monel strings. To be honest I had seen them listed on the Newtone strings site but knew nothing about them. One of the two packs was the Newtone Masterclass Monels (the other was Martin Retro Acoustics) but I haven't yet tried either set yet. However, I did a bit of a search online to get a bit more info on Monels and two people suggested they didn't get any squeal from them. Also, virtually everyone who had tried them loved them and said they'd never go back to 'standard' acoustic strings. I will let you know once I get a set on the guitar. This is a link to the Newtone Monels: newtonestrings.com/shop/master-class-monel-6-string-acoustic-guitar-strings/Well I'm currently using Martin Monels and they still squeak, though I do like their tone and feel on the Fender Dread (they don't work so well on the Tanglewood super folk though, lighter guage needed for that one I think) That's good to know. As I said, I haven't tried the Monels yet but look forward to doing so. I mentioned that I have not had any squealing from either the Newtone Masterclass or the DR Sunbeams I use and since I first read your post I have thought about it every time I play and definitely no squealing whatsoever on either set. So, it may be worth trying a set? I have used Fast Fret for many years and although I can't imagine that it has the ability to suppress string noise it also may be worth a try?
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 20, 2022 6:55:52 GMT
Yes, agree, it's impossible to get any sort of idea how they would sound on an acoustic being played acoustically! One thought.....I have just swapped some strings and ended up with a couple of packs of Monel strings. To be honest I had seen them listed on the Newtone strings site but knew nothing about them. One of the two packs was the Newtone Masterclass Monels (the other was Martin Retro Acoustics) but I haven't yet tried either set yet. However, I did a bit of a search online to get a bit more info on Monels and two people suggested they didn't get any squeal from them. Also, virtually everyone who had tried them loved them and said they'd never go back to 'standard' acoustic strings. I will let you know once I get a set on the guitar. This is a link to the Newtone Monels: newtonestrings.com/shop/master-class-monel-6-string-acoustic-guitar-strings/
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 18, 2022 7:36:00 GMT
As a bass player I have used flatwound strings on and off for decades. Also, many jazz guitarists use them in order the get that very mellow sound. However, if you're considering putting them on an acoustic they will give you a very different sound and probably not in a good way! Of course you may love them but you will probably find that you loose more than you gain and I'd be tempted to turn a blind ear to the squeal. Recently I have been using DR and Newtone phospher bronze acoustic strings and I honestly can't remember the last time I had any squeal at all so it might be worth trying one of these two brands.
You will probably find that flatwounds are considerably more expensive too. To give you an idea I normally pay around £12-£14 for a set of medium gauge roundwound bass strings but La Bella flatwounds cost around £40.
I'd be tempted to check out some roundwound/flatwound comparisons on Utube. I couldn't find any for acoustics but this is one comparing flats to rounds on a semi-acoustic|:
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 15, 2022 7:34:20 GMT
SM58s are really great mikes but not the best option for an acoustic straight into a combo. There are some superb reasonably priced condenser mikes out there but my go to no-nonsense mike for acoustic is an SM57. I have used my ancient SM57 for countless years for miking up guitar and bass cabs as well as miking up acoustics and it does everything so well. Very easy to set up and tough as nails. It is one of the very few dynamic mikes that work well for acoustics. I have never had any problems with volume with the SM57 and I normally place it around 10" from the guitar, pointing diagonally at the 12th-14th fret. At the moment I am using it straight into an ACUS for strings acoustic amp, without a preamp, and for what I want/need it is perfection.
You can pick up a SM57 for peanuts and they are definitely worth trying.
Although they are not necessarily thought of as the ultimate acoustic compatible mike I have always had great results with a SA2200 and they are not expensive. In fact there are numerous great condenser mikes between £100 and £200.
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Post by surfguy13 on Apr 14, 2022 8:46:24 GMT
I love the look of the Frontier and I bet it sounds lovely. I recently tried an Epiphone 'inspired by Gibson' J200 and I was genuinely astounded how good it sounded, and I am not a huge fan of J200s! All solid woods and it looked and felt very well put together. For around £700 new and quite a lot less used they seem to be the bargain of the century.
Hope you enjoy it Martin, looks like a great buy.
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