Phil Taylor
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,415
Mini-Profile Name Color: 680908
Mini-Profile Text Color: 121311
|
Post by Phil Taylor on Aug 14, 2013 18:27:11 GMT
|
|
andrewjw
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,737
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":""}
|
Post by andrewjw on Aug 14, 2013 18:45:39 GMT
Yes....a lovely guitar It would be interesting to know why the commissioner wanted to have the Baggs Anthem system....shame he/she doesn't post here.
|
|
ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 34,107
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 182a3f
Mini-Profile Text Color: 733a1c
|
Post by ocarolan on Aug 14, 2013 21:59:34 GMT
Ben Walker has been using a Fylde Alchemist for some time now, and though his new guitar isn't exactly to my taste visually, it'll no doubt sound great, especially in his hands when accompanying Josienne Clarke - I love their stuff.
Here's Ben with his Alchemist, and Josienne -
Keith
|
|
Phil Taylor
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,415
Mini-Profile Name Color: 680908
Mini-Profile Text Color: 121311
|
Post by Phil Taylor on Aug 19, 2013 20:05:42 GMT
I've decided that aesthetically fan fret guitars look very odd - could not live with it I'm afraid.
Phil
|
|
benwalker
Sore Fingers
Posts: 1
My main instrument is: Fylde fan-fret...
|
Post by benwalker on Feb 17, 2014 19:42:14 GMT
Hello! Finally I've joined, and can answer...! Not sure how I found this post, but anyway... The long-ish story is, as Keith's mentioned I used (and still do) an Alchemist for a number of years. It's a 2003 model I bought 2nd hand from Hobgoblin in London, and haven't really looked back. Shortly after getting it, I got into Pierre Bensusan, and started doing a lot more things in DADGAD, to the point where almost everything is/was in DADGAD... Owners of Fyldes will know Roger likes his shorter scales and the Alchemist is no exception, weighing in at 24.75". Strung up with 12-56 Newtones, it just about holds up. Fast forward, and I found myself doing more things in CGCFCD and CGCGCD - the Simpson and Canadeeio tunings. Taking one guitar to a gig, changing tunings all the time (up to 7 tunings per set) started getting awkward, and dropping to C on a short-scale guitar with anything less than 62-gauge strings was tricky. So, I got into a conversation with Roger who basically said he'd make something as long as it wasn't run-of-the-mill. I like the idea of fan-frets (my background is actually Maths, so variable scale makes perfect sense...), we did a few measurements of what I could feasible stretch to and would need to do at a gig, I asked for a bevel since I tend to move my right-hand forwards (besides, top-end classicals have had bevels for ages..) a cutaway for the dusty end, and something deeper to complement the Alchemist. I tried a few guitar shapes out and settled on the Falstaff, then many, many, many months later had an email that it was finished. The fanning does look weird but you barely notice it when playing. The body can push huge amounts of bass when needed (handy for dropped C tunings..). Ironically, despite being bought for C tunings, it slays in DADGAD As for the pickup: I had a Headway in the Alchemist, and dabbled with a fishman blend at one point. I always found the piezos plasticy/quacky, even after EQ - I have an LR Baggs ParaDI which helps but still felt artificial. The Fishman sounded too much like a jazz guitar and was flaky. Headway don't like internal mics, something I was keen to try out, and Roger suggested the Anthem. I had a listen to a few demos, spoke to other musicians, liked the sound of it so took the plunge. I know there are other systems out there (Highlander for one), but for now the Baggs is great. Now I'm here I suppose I'd better post some more..?! B
|
|
Martin
Administrator
Posts: 11,890
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"http://mandocello.org/lytebox/images/adirondack.jpg","color":""}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 0a530b
Mini-Profile Text Color: 4f3517
|
Post by Martin on Feb 17, 2014 20:33:07 GMT
Hello Ben, and welcome! It's great to have you here
|
|
ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 34,107
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 182a3f
Mini-Profile Text Color: 733a1c
|
Post by ocarolan on Feb 17, 2014 23:12:56 GMT
Hi Ben - really pleased to have you here And ye, you'd better post some more! Hope you'll soon feel at home on the Forum - there's a fair bit of enthusiasm for Fyldes here! All the best to you and Josienne for the Folk Awards this week! Has she got a posh frock sorted yet? Keith
|
|
|
Post by clydeslide on Feb 17, 2014 23:27:17 GMT
Hi Ben,
You don't know me from Adam but I've heard your music thanks to Keith. Two nominations, that's very good!
Welcome to the forum.
|
|
|
Post by sigmadel on Feb 18, 2014 1:13:40 GMT
Like wise per everyone else , welcome to the forum Ben . Keiths been raving about your stuff and i must admit ive become a bit of a fan myself . Look forward to hearing more from you and about your experiences with the guitars in question.
|
|
|
Post by vikingblues on Feb 18, 2014 8:20:13 GMT
Ben. Beautiful tone and wonderful delicate soulful playing on that video - a perfect match for such a beautiful voice. A made to measure guitar for how you can stretch sounds a great solution (though I fear I would end up with a scale even shorter than 24.75"! ). The fan frets on a guitar do look weird, but I suspect when you're playing you don't really see them anyway - and if it makes it better to play then it's well worth having. These days I notice what other peoples guitars look like much more than I do my own, so I try not to be swayed too much by appearance when it comes to my own choices. I've read quite a bit on Fyldes since joining the forum here ... and I can well understand the enthusiasm for them. I've gone down to DADGAD on a 24.75" scale with 12s and that's fine - but I was suspecting CGCFCD and CGCGCD, which I want to try out in the future when I summon up the courage, would need a step up in gauge - but maybe the 13 to 56 set wouldn't quite do it, judging from your remark on 62s! I have old tired twinging fingers so short gauge and as little tension on strings as I can get away with is priority. Can I be young again please! Look forward to hearing more about you and your guitar playing. Mark
|
|