Acoustic Guitar Maintenance and Tips: Got Any?

Discussion in 'Guitars' started by superliquidsunshine, May 29, 2018.

?

What percentage do you play your acoustic compared to your electric?

  1. 100% I only play acoustic/classical

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  2. 80%

    30.4%
  3. 75%

    8.7%
  4. 50%

    43.5%
  5. 25%

    8.7%
  6. 10%

    8.7%
  7. Never, I just play electric guitars.

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. Jaymz

    Jaymz Audiosexual

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    Yes they tarnish quick exposed out of the pack..I love their brilliance tho I'm a huge Martin SP fan on darker sounding guitars...I know a lot of people love the plastic coated strings like Elixers but personally I do not...they may last longer but to me can sound lifeless even new lol....I mostly use Martin SP extended life strings on my boxes \m/
     
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  2. digitaldragon

    digitaldragon Audiosexual

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    Been a big fan of the Elixirs. I love how they sound and feel, and they last a really long time. They're like 3 times as expensive, but last 3 times as long and don't suffer being left out. So it all evens out I guess. Good deal of you don't like changing strings (who does?)
     
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  3. Your totally wrong, it's more like 45 seconds.:rofl:
     
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  4. Strings.

    I just in the last few days have put on a string that sounds vastly different that I have ever used before onto the D-15M, the regular 13 to 56. The G string is NOT wound!!! Martin Monel are a nickel/copper alloy blend and the wrap...

    "Martin’s proprietary SOLID Nickel/Copper alloy blend provides for a reduced pick attack which allows the guitar’s tone woods to be heard, not overshadowed. It offers a uniquely mellow, yet crisp, sound. Martin’s wrap is a solid Nickel/Copper blend, not nickel-plated, meaning there is no chance for defects in the plating to allow for corrosion. Instead, Martin’s proprietary wrap wire is naturally corrosion resistant, so much so that it has been used in various marine applications, including use in the propeller of Dreadnaught battleships. It is also incredibly strong, even stronger than pure nickel, and has been used in machinery and tooling applications.

    They are louder on Maybell the Hog than a Saturn rocket at liftoff, and supposedly will last a good long time because they won't corrode. The guitar sounds different, there seems that there is greater separation of notes, and nicely the guitar has a finer intonation for some reason. Interestingly right after I put them on and gave a tiny stretch, they stayed in tune without having to keep adjusting up until the strings kept their tension and no longer slacked. The negatives are that they are really noisy and scratchy sounding, even on the B and E strings. I need to really concentrate on technique in order not that the sound get in the way. They feel rough, tough and ready to rumble, and if I was playing next to a banjo, mandoline, standup bass and a singer and another guitar, these would help any guitar carve out a space. But since I'm not, this might be the last I use them. I wouldn't even think of stringing up the Noble or the Ibanez with these as it just simply feels like a wrong fit, sort of like Pamala Anderson dating Albert Einstein, or Mike Tyson married to Kamala Harris. Some things are not meant to be.

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. Seedz

    Seedz Rock Star

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    I'm real fond of Nick Drakes music, playing and tone and as far as I know he used old dull strings.

     
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  6. It does sound like old strings strung on an old guitar. I dig Nick Drake too.

    Mark O'Connor playing a broken D-28 that he hadn't played in 20 years with the same strings on them before he hung it up on the wall. And then his new Bandendale dreadnought with 14 to 59 gauge strings (whoa!).



     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 31, 2018
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  7. Seedz

    Seedz Rock Star

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    I think I prefer the warmth of the old strings...........then again I'm listening on a laptop..

    Then again you can always head in that direction with a little detuning.........mostly I'm down a tone DGCFAD.....Blackbird territory
     
  8. electriclash

    electriclash Guest

    been having fantastic writing sessions with this tuning for almost a year now :cheers::cheers:
     
  9. Jaymz

    Jaymz Audiosexual

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    Im a Martin String man too bro ! ive used them all but my choice is Martin Extended life ! Depends on the Guitar and personal preference but i dont like coated strings much at all... to me taking a perfectly good set of strings and coating it with plastic is like covering the top of your guitar with plastic kitchen wrap lol ...but to each his own i guess... HAHA
     
  10. Jaymz

    Jaymz Audiosexual

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    if im finger picking i like newer strings but if im using a pick and also strumming i like my strings in good shape but broke in ;)
     
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  11. I too use Martin strings and have been for long time, though last summer while in Florida visiting family I bought a few Elixer sets because they were a bit less expensive that around here in Basel , a couple each of 12 and 13's to try out on different instruments. What I like about them is the slide, an ultra quiet and fast feeling without a doubt, but the drawback is that they have such a strong sound of their own that they almost overwhelm the native sound of the guitar, and in doing so dictate a softer, less aggressive tone. This is not necessarily a bad thing on my spruce/maple jumbo Ibanez whereas it somehow rounds out the unbalanced (to me) high end that can bother me. Since I put them on that guitar I have been playing it more. The first set I put on the D-15 frayed. I didn't like that, not one bit. Those Martin Retro monel strings are like the Furry Freak Brothers of strings, dirty down and no subtlety.

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. Jaymz

    Jaymz Audiosexual

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    @superliquidsunshine thats hilarious bro lol... good explanation of the Strings bro ! i Agree with you...main reason i never like them on an electric guitar either...The wound upper bass strings just bring out that crunchy woody sound of the top of an Acoustic guitar... coated strings just IMO take away from that an reminds me of the way flat wound strings sound lol
     
  13. digitaldragon

    digitaldragon Audiosexual

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    I think I want to try changing the nut and saddle in my six string Yamaha out to bone. How would you rate the difficulty level of this modification (anyone who's done it). It's acoustic electric so I imagine the piezo is there directly underneath the saddle.
    I tried brass pins, but found that evidently the Yamaha pins are a different size form standard pins as the new brass one's would not fit (too large).
     
  14. Seedz

    Seedz Rock Star

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    Thats a difficult question @digitaldragon as it really depends on your skill level and whatcha got in the way of tools.

    I wouldn't be happy tackling it without a decent vernier a set of rifler files and a range of wet and dry.

    Why not modify the brass pins to start with?
     
  15. digitaldragon

    digitaldragon Audiosexual

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    I assume you mean sand/grind them down to size? Rather modify them than the guitar itself I'm thinking.
    I've got decent woodworking skill, I suppose. Haven't used it on an instrument, but I did build my dog this posh doghouse! :rofl:

    upload_2018-6-1_13-25-28.png
     
  16. Seedz

    Seedz Rock Star

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    Yeah just bring em down to size with some wet an' dry or a small file to start with and see what sonic results you get first, then take it from there, I can help with advice along the way if ya want.

    Nice dog house............is that for you when you've been a bad boy?
     
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  17. digitaldragon

    digitaldragon Audiosexual

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    Nah, no central air. I've completely taken over a room in the house with music gear so at this point the missus and I are discussing building an outlying building for my studio. That will be a huge win as I can design it from the ground up in terms of what's needed treatment wise, and also build in space for storing equipment, and some recording booths/rooms.

    That's the dream dog house for me, anyways!
     
  18. Jaymz

    Jaymz Audiosexual

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    Hey bro i wrote you a book on how to do these upgrades and then lost connection it didnt save it LMAO !!! maybe i can do another page or 2 wen i get time but yes ive done alot of repairs to my guitars and others...the ones you a referring to the saddle and nut are not that difficult if you have time and patience \m/ im in the middle of a recording session right now but if no one else chimes in ill get back here in the next day or so lol \m/ hope you guys have good weekend ! ROCK \m/
     
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  19. The nut will be easier than the saddle because the saddle probably needs to be compensated so that the guitar is intonated as perfectly as can be, that is if you are creating it from a blank. They do sell compensated bone saddles though.
     
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