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Guitar tweaks you can do!

3/26/2015

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Here are a few tweaks you can do to your guitar to improve the play-ability and even improve the sound. In many cases it makes sense to leave the major stuff to an experienced guitar tech – I recommend using one who is certified by one or more of the major guitar makers, but with careful research you can sometimes find a local tech who does fine work. But simple fixes can be done yourself if you do your homework.

In that regard, I highly recommend the Stewart McDonald web site (www.stewmac.com). You’ll find an absolute wealth of information there including some great videos by master luthier Dan Erlewine and his book “Guitar Player Repair Guide” is the best general overview of guitar repair I’ve seen. They also offer just about any tool or part you could possibly need.

All guitarists are very particular about the “action” (distance between the strings and fretboard) on their guitars. Some like myself like the action as low as it can be without producing string buzzes, but I am primarily a finger-style player these days and if I were strumming forcefully the action would need to be higher. There are also humidity (or lack of) issues that affect action so it’s not uncommon for a guitar that played perfectly for a while to develop buzzes or go in the opposite direction – high action – as the seasons change. Different string gauges affect action too. So what can we do to ensure perfect action?

Many players will keep an assortment of saddles that they change out on a seasonal basis as needed. Changing a saddle is easy – just remove the strings and pull the saddle up and out. It makes sense to keep an assortment of saddle shims too (available from Stew Mac and also from master luthier Bob Colosi at www.guitarsaddles.com ). These thin strips are placed beneath the saddle to raise it up slightly if needed. Some guitarists feel that shims negatively affect the sound of the guitar and I generally agree with this but if you have sanded down the saddle too much and need to raise it up – and don’t have a new saddle to use – it is a stop-gap (no pun intended!) solution.

Regarding sanding or filing saddles: be very, very careful if you decide to do this. Make a sanding block with a short piece of 2x4 wood and glue or staple a piece of medium or lighter grit sandpaper to it, then move the BOTTOM of the saddle back and forth on it, being absolutely sure you keep the saddle bottom flat and level. It even the slightest curve is the result of your sanding the saddle will not make firm contact with the slot in which its placed and you will kill the tone of your guitar. This is why having a few saddles with different depths makes sense. Avoid sanding if possible, and never, ever sand the top of the saddle where the strings cross.  One more thing – never glue a saddle into the slot. There is no need for this and when the day comes that the saddle needs to be replaced you will surely need to go to your guitar tech for an expensive fix.

One other issue that can be annoying or downright painful is sharp fret edges. Most high quality guitars don’t suffer from this but even the best ones can develop sharp edges as the neck dries out. First try humidifying the guitar, that will often solve the problem, but if not you can do a bit of filing. Sounds scary, right? It kind of is, but with careful prep and the right file it can be done quite easily. First, buy a small fret file from a supplier like Stew Mac or even through the Martin web site. Next, remove the strings and carefully place strips of masking tape on each side of each fret you will be filing. I use painter’s tape, which adheres well to the fingerboard but is easy to remove later and does not leave residue. Be sure to wrap the tape slightly down and a bit around the neck. Next, gently run the file downward at about a 45-degree angle on each corner of the fret. Apply very little force and usually just a couple draws of the file will be enough to smooth the edges. One or two gentle strokes in the center area on the end of the fret may be needed too – again on a 45-degree angle – but use great care to avoid gouging the wood of the fretboard or the neck. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use the right file, carefully prep the neck, and proceed gently and carefully. You will find a great video on the Stew Mac site showing the procedure.

There are a few other tweaks that guitarists sometimes attempt like reglueing a lifting bridge (this involves special clamps, careful prep and the right glue) and filing string slots in the nut but I recommend leaving those things to a qualified tech. Replacing tuning machines can be very easy or a bit challenging, especially if you have to rout out the holes to accommodate the new machines. I’ve replaced many tuning machines and it usually goes just fine but don’t be disappointed if your new machines aren’t a good fit. Just put the old ones back on and take the guitar to your repair person to install the new ones.

Removing and replacing a pick guard is supposed to be easy (involves the use of a heat source like a hair dryer) but I’ve been too chicken to try that one – yet! In any case, do your homework before attempting any repairs or adjustments. There is a wealth of great information on line. Just go slow, be patient and know the limits of your ability – and courage!

Peace & good music,

Gene

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Performance curiosities

3/23/2015

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Sooner or later you will play in front of someone. You should – because it forces you to concentrate in a different way, no matter how meticulous you are about perfecting your music in the comfort of your home. I am always surprised by what happens when I play in front of people, whether it be just friends in a casual setting or on a paid gig. I also am constantly aware of what I see in performances by others. It is very instructive, to say the least!

Audience reaction is really just one way to gauge our performances. What I mean by that is accepting the fact that you can play flawlessly and get virtually no reaction at all, or you can make more than a few mistakes and still get a positive response. Don’t take either of those things too seriously. There are just too many variables in the way listeners respond.

Start with the venue. I clearly remember the first times I played in bars when I moved to Cape Cod many years ago after spending a couple years playing in listening rooms in Boston. The audiences on the Cape were neutral at best and often paid no attention whatsoever to what I was playing. This was frustrating and sometimes infuriating but I finally accepted the fact that my function was often no more than background noise to fill in the gaps in conversation. Cynical? Perhaps but it was a valuable lesson. I learned to spot the people who WERE listening and made believe I was playing just for them. I still employ that strategy, to tell you the truth.

Sometimes though it’s possible to bring an otherwise disinterested audience over to your side. On my recent annual trip to the Florida Keys I heard many groups and individual musicians in the many bars in Key West and it was truly the good, the bad and the ugly, music-wise. On the extreme end of “the good” was a group of brothers called The Doerfels, who are regulars at some of the better places in Key West. They are primarily a bluegrass group but also do their own arrangements of a wide range of popular and original music. Superb musicians all, they immediately grab the attention of their audience with tight arrangements and excellent musicianship. There is good reason why they are the Number One group in that town where live music is everywhere.

On the other extreme were some of the many single guitar player/singers that are the most common live music alternatives in the bars and restaurants. Tired repertoire, repetitive arrangements (and I use that term loosely – loudly strumming medium tempo songs in the same keys invites disinterest in an audience pretty quickly) and the single most deadly buzz kill – taking way too long between songs – were their modes of operation. For goodness sake, don’t fiddle around between songs and waste time. If you’ve gotten some good response to your music, keep that interest. No one wants to hear you tune up or talk up the pretty girl at the front table. Timing is EVERYTHING in live performance. It’s good to play in tune of course and a bit of banter between songs can get the audience involved but if you’re spending more time between songs than actually playing you will surely lose the interest of your listeners.

Then there are the times that the venue itself works against you. In a popular bar in my hometown the owner insists the performers use his house P.A. system, which sounds just awful. In another popular place nearby the owner insists on leaving the wide screen TV on while the musicians are playing – and the TV is directly above the heads of the performers! Why the heck does he even have music?! And some rooms are just a disaster, sound-wise. Actually, this is more common than not. So musicians turn up the volume to be heard, which naturally makes the crowd talk/yell louder and chaos ensues.

But then there are those times when everything just seems to come together. You play well, the audience responds, the owner is happy (and you don’t have to chase him into some secret back room to get paid!) and you get asked back again. Just remember that the next gig at the same place may or may not go as well! Let the little stuff roll off, keep on keepin’ on as we used to say back in the day, and you will have some great times. Playing in front of an audience is like nothing else. There can be a connection that you will never forget and that keeps you coming back for more.

Peace & good music,

Gene

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New guitar, barre chords, recording

3/6/2015

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Friday miscellany from The Land of Snow, aka Cape Cod, where the local Chambers of Commerce once advertised our little sand bar as a place where you could “play golf year round!” Yeah, right.

I am about to receive one of Taylor’s new 600-series guitars, the 614ce specifically. Although long-time readers of this blog know that I am a Martin guy to my bones, I certainly respect and have interest in and experience with Taylors. What attracted me to this new series from Taylor are their “torrified” tops (a process to dry and season the wood used for the tops, which is supposed to yield a broken-in sound) and re-voiced bracing system. Bodies are made of maple, which is not my favorite tone wood but Taylor claims the re-voicing combined with the torrified tops yields a much more complex and resonant sound compared to the sometimes dull sounding maple bodied guitars of days past. We’ll see. Also, maple is a sustainable and readily available wood compared to what’s happening with premium rosewood and mahogany and this can only be a good thing from an environmental standpoint. In any case, I’m psyched to try this one out.

Boutique guitar maker Dana Bourgeois introduced his aged-top guitars a year or so ago using what I understand is a similar process and the reports on those guitars are very positive. Unfortunately, with a price tag north of $5000 those guitars are out of my price range but one of these days I’d like to play one. Perhaps this treatment of wood used on guitar tops is the wave of the future?

A reminder to budding guitarists attempting to learn barre chords. I’ve written about this before but it bears repeating as I see it on a weekly basis with some of my students. Always remember to DROP your wrist and place the pad of your thumb directly beneath your 1st finger, centered behind the neck. Then of course the other fingers used in the barre chord you’re attempting must arch and separate, just as they do with regular first position, non-barred chords. This way your 1st finger will be straight, not bent. This is vital for a clear, clean sound. Ideally – although the human hand was not built to do this! – that 1st finger is slightly turned toward its side rather than being flat. This makes use of the harder side of the finger, which in turn makes for a more solid application of force. But remember – those other fingers still have to arch and come straight down using only the tips of the fingers, and those tips need to be close to the appropriate frets. See what I mean? Totally unnatural and downright painful at first! But learning barre chords is absolutely vital to becoming a more advanced player. Look, we all hate them. But they open up the rest of neck beyond first position so if you’re serious about taking your playing to the next level, struggle through. They will get better, if not easier, I promise!

And finally, a request. I have begun delving into recording via my MacBook Pro, using Garage Band. I have a Tascam DP-03 on which I made my first three CDs but from everything I’ve learned in researching computer based recording I should have better control of the recording process in Garage Band, especially in the mastering stage. I have good quality mics and a decent space in which to record but any tips from long-time users of Garage Band are greatly appreciated, keeping in mind that this old dog is somewhat technology-challenged! Thanks in advance.

Peace & good music,

Gene

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