EBow eh Art? Never heard of that, looks pretty damn cool. I guess I can say my guitar has a built in EBow. Of course sustain/feedback can be controlled by the guitar player with my guitar, just control it with your arm that is already on the soundboard, with more or less force, or take it off, easy. And also, as Art mentioned, dampening the strings, or letting them ring, at the right times, for any given song.
Steve Howe was a monster guitar player, Art did you do sound engineering for him? Plus Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs, wow, will never be able to play like these guys. I need to revisit more of their acoustic guitar playing.
JJ the strong soundboard vibration is not necessarily from the horns (likely some I am sure), but from the light yet strong soundboard, which is a feature in addition to the horns. The soundboard is much larger, and is lighter and stronger, hence the added benefits. I know for a fact that if this guitar (producer and reproducer) is loud enough, it will feedback. It can not handle 30 watts of power from the amp, but my guess is it is handling about 26-27 watts just fine, and the drivers can handle 40 watts total, so that is OK. I also like how good it sounds without the tone controls being used at all, great! If I turn the tone controls up about halfway, I can kiss my jamming on 8-1/2 or 9 goodbye, 8 will be the max without feedback.
Art, I had a sympathetic note frequency problem on my FHAG, with every A7 chord I played, was definitely the 7th note I played with my pinky, could not get rid of it. It was a major frustration, could not play that chord above volume 6 or 7 without a ring/squeal that totally ruined any song. Thankfully when I changed my design for another reason (blew the two big chambers holes through both chambers), it went away. Just pure luck that another sympathetic frequency did not wreak havoc.
I said an electric guitar has "almost nothing" to do with the sound of the guitar, I did not say nothing. Compared to an acoustic guitar it is very low. The first Les Paul was a stick, Les added the remainder of the body to make it look better. Check out Johnny Winters stick guitar, it rocks. Electric guitar players with great equipment and power can do amazing things, no doubt, acoustic guitar players, not so much, yet.
I want my acoustic guitar to have more power, like an electric guitar, but I still want it to sound like an acoustic guitar.
JJ, I had a great old SG back in the day, loved it, one of my favorite Gibson guitars.
So maybe I am beginning to hone my marketing skills, and yes I know this can be dicey. If somebody can prove me wrong on any specific topic with my FHAG, have at it. I am hoping my YouTube video will get all kinds of comments, it will not all be good I know, that is OK. When I finally post this video, I will welcome comments from anybody on you YouTube and also diyAudio people of course, that will make the YouTube discussion far more interesting.
Now some things very well may not be "fully understood" by some people on YouTube, but I don't care. I am not trying to sell my guitar to the general public anyway, but to the big guitar manufacturers. Yamaha and Martin have already responded with "comments of interest", so I am on the right track, I hope.
The most important part of any acoustic system is the human ear. If this comparison from a standard acoustic guitar to my FHAG acoustic guitar can be heard well on video, great! If not, oh boy, I might have some explaining to do. That said, I challenge anybody to play a standard acoustic guitar, acoustically, next to my FHAG, it will pass the laugh test (I always laugh when I her the difference).
Now a great acoustic guitar in a studio with great equipment, I admit, that will be hard to beat. But that can be done with my guitar also.
This is a guitar players guitar. I can set it up in a minute and start rocking! Battery power to play literally anywhere is also an option, but I admit that still needs work.
I have not doubt that any high end guitar company can improve this guitar. I designed and built the damn thing myself, at work with nice CNC equipment, and the rest in my basement shop. It works far better than I expected. Hell, I didn't even know if it would come off the CNC machine in one piece!
The way I see it: the potential of this guitar design/build and concept is very big. Thank you much for the comments gents, keep them coming!
Steve Howe was a monster guitar player, Art did you do sound engineering for him? Plus Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs, wow, will never be able to play like these guys. I need to revisit more of their acoustic guitar playing.
JJ the strong soundboard vibration is not necessarily from the horns (likely some I am sure), but from the light yet strong soundboard, which is a feature in addition to the horns. The soundboard is much larger, and is lighter and stronger, hence the added benefits. I know for a fact that if this guitar (producer and reproducer) is loud enough, it will feedback. It can not handle 30 watts of power from the amp, but my guess is it is handling about 26-27 watts just fine, and the drivers can handle 40 watts total, so that is OK. I also like how good it sounds without the tone controls being used at all, great! If I turn the tone controls up about halfway, I can kiss my jamming on 8-1/2 or 9 goodbye, 8 will be the max without feedback.
Art, I had a sympathetic note frequency problem on my FHAG, with every A7 chord I played, was definitely the 7th note I played with my pinky, could not get rid of it. It was a major frustration, could not play that chord above volume 6 or 7 without a ring/squeal that totally ruined any song. Thankfully when I changed my design for another reason (blew the two big chambers holes through both chambers), it went away. Just pure luck that another sympathetic frequency did not wreak havoc.
I said an electric guitar has "almost nothing" to do with the sound of the guitar, I did not say nothing. Compared to an acoustic guitar it is very low. The first Les Paul was a stick, Les added the remainder of the body to make it look better. Check out Johnny Winters stick guitar, it rocks. Electric guitar players with great equipment and power can do amazing things, no doubt, acoustic guitar players, not so much, yet.
I want my acoustic guitar to have more power, like an electric guitar, but I still want it to sound like an acoustic guitar.
JJ, I had a great old SG back in the day, loved it, one of my favorite Gibson guitars.
So maybe I am beginning to hone my marketing skills, and yes I know this can be dicey. If somebody can prove me wrong on any specific topic with my FHAG, have at it. I am hoping my YouTube video will get all kinds of comments, it will not all be good I know, that is OK. When I finally post this video, I will welcome comments from anybody on you YouTube and also diyAudio people of course, that will make the YouTube discussion far more interesting.
Now some things very well may not be "fully understood" by some people on YouTube, but I don't care. I am not trying to sell my guitar to the general public anyway, but to the big guitar manufacturers. Yamaha and Martin have already responded with "comments of interest", so I am on the right track, I hope.
The most important part of any acoustic system is the human ear. If this comparison from a standard acoustic guitar to my FHAG acoustic guitar can be heard well on video, great! If not, oh boy, I might have some explaining to do. That said, I challenge anybody to play a standard acoustic guitar, acoustically, next to my FHAG, it will pass the laugh test (I always laugh when I her the difference).
Now a great acoustic guitar in a studio with great equipment, I admit, that will be hard to beat. But that can be done with my guitar also.
This is a guitar players guitar. I can set it up in a minute and start rocking! Battery power to play literally anywhere is also an option, but I admit that still needs work.
I have not doubt that any high end guitar company can improve this guitar. I designed and built the damn thing myself, at work with nice CNC equipment, and the rest in my basement shop. It works far better than I expected. Hell, I didn't even know if it would come off the CNC machine in one piece!
The way I see it: the potential of this guitar design/build and concept is very big. Thank you much for the comments gents, keep them coming!
Well marketing is about delivering satisfaction (real and/or imagined) so streeetching the truth some to achieve sales is ordinary practice. I mean you could use your "yellow highlight" graph in the context of how happy you're going to be busking with this guitar; just look at the difference shown on this graph when you turn on the horns! Some large percentage of end use customers will simply "believe" in what it shows - just like in Yamaha's 3D graph showing the longer decay times resulting from their engineered bracing. Like most guitar players actually understand what that graph is showing.
I dont know how to market to a group of sophisticated manufacturers and I for sure would assume the typical marketing "BS" wouldnt quite work in the same way. I'd assume in that case you'd really need to have your ducks in a proper row. Like a solid technical basis of operation in addition to some demonstrated viral response shown in a "player community" on YT, Meta, X. Both those boxes checked, I'd have to believe some established manufacturer wouldnt just leave your deal on the table. Unless of course you wanted your name etched on the truss rod cover and a per unit royalty they'd be unwilling to pay
I hear that JJ, the Yamaha graph is likely good data, and it does show some improvement, but not much, as expected for some bracing improvements.
Good to see you mention my "yellow data", look at the difference indeed. Why would customers need to "believe" what it shows? It is real measured data.
I hope you are right about manufacturers being interested. I don't need my name etched on the guitar, I know what I did, I am willing to consider offers, and will negotiate. If somebody buys the intellectual property, they probably don't want my name anywhere near their new product. What I really want is to keep one guitar, or have the rights to build one for myself, I need to keep playing this guitar, pretty much forever!
Good to see you mention my "yellow data", look at the difference indeed. Why would customers need to "believe" what it shows? It is real measured data.
I hope you are right about manufacturers being interested. I don't need my name etched on the guitar, I know what I did, I am willing to consider offers, and will negotiate. If somebody buys the intellectual property, they probably don't want my name anywhere near their new product. What I really want is to keep one guitar, or have the rights to build one for myself, I need to keep playing this guitar, pretty much forever!
They need to believe it'll make a difference for them, in whatever gig they're playing. Like the Yamaha graph, since you cant hear what the actual instrument sounds like, you have to stretch that abstract indicator into motivation enough to buy or "try", to see if it really does it for you.
I just bombed tonight at the open mic. Mistakes throughout the second song I was able to correct, but then dropped it complete at the last song. The people there are so nice, folks told me I did so much better than before (microphone skills) and I even got invited to a new years' eve jam at one of the other musicians place. Reluctant about driving that time of the year...
I'd bet you'd get invited too - with the folded horn guitar of yours!
OK thanks JJ - I like the "believe it'll make a difference", that sure is important. Don't worry about the open mic, those are dicey anyway, just keep doing it and get better. I love to play live, but the open mic does not give you much freedom, or time to develop into your groove, but they do give you a chance to jam with others, so that is great, keep going!
I bought a new book for some light reading "Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics" REV2 by Arthur H. Benade. Looks great for the more casual audio person such as myself. I need to brush up for sure, plus I love to learn and read, so all good.
Another thing I observed about the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar is the difference from string noise. There is not a guitar player in the world that does not get some type of string noise. Of course on a professional recording most of it is eliminated, which is great. Great guitar players really work the entire fret board, with lots of movement, you can especially hear the fingers along the strings on the lower bronze wound steel strings, not so much on nylon. Plus some fret buzz at times, maybe a pop from a hammer off, it happens.
I was playing my low end Martin in my hotel room (nice guitar). I have Little Marth down 100%, so progress, but I am still a little choppy, need better flow. That said, I can hear the string noise on that guitar. Part of course is my technique that needs improvement, but part is the guitar, any acoustic guitar, if rocking hard, or playing up and down the fretboard. I mean playing G,C and D all day long in the first three frets will not get you much noise, but it will not get you much of an audience either.
When playing the FHAG at rocking levels, it just drowns it out, you can't hear it much, that simple. Nothing fancy, but I like it!
I was rocking out to some Heartsfield driving home last night, that band never ceases to amaze me. Great guitar playing, beautiful harmonies, great song writing (all originals), great studio and live sound. When they played live, it sounded like somebody just put on one of their albums. One of my pet peeves is when I hear a band live, and they don't sound much like the studio work, almost always not as good. What did they do in the studio they can't reproduce live? Anyway, everybody consider their first four albums, they are by far the best: Heartsfield (1973), The Wonder of it All (1974), Foolish Pleasures (1975), Collectors Item (1977). All available on iTunes. Any stories from Art about this great band he worked with are always welcome!
I bought a new book for some light reading "Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics" REV2 by Arthur H. Benade. Looks great for the more casual audio person such as myself. I need to brush up for sure, plus I love to learn and read, so all good.
Another thing I observed about the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar is the difference from string noise. There is not a guitar player in the world that does not get some type of string noise. Of course on a professional recording most of it is eliminated, which is great. Great guitar players really work the entire fret board, with lots of movement, you can especially hear the fingers along the strings on the lower bronze wound steel strings, not so much on nylon. Plus some fret buzz at times, maybe a pop from a hammer off, it happens.
I was playing my low end Martin in my hotel room (nice guitar). I have Little Marth down 100%, so progress, but I am still a little choppy, need better flow. That said, I can hear the string noise on that guitar. Part of course is my technique that needs improvement, but part is the guitar, any acoustic guitar, if rocking hard, or playing up and down the fretboard. I mean playing G,C and D all day long in the first three frets will not get you much noise, but it will not get you much of an audience either.
When playing the FHAG at rocking levels, it just drowns it out, you can't hear it much, that simple. Nothing fancy, but I like it!
I was rocking out to some Heartsfield driving home last night, that band never ceases to amaze me. Great guitar playing, beautiful harmonies, great song writing (all originals), great studio and live sound. When they played live, it sounded like somebody just put on one of their albums. One of my pet peeves is when I hear a band live, and they don't sound much like the studio work, almost always not as good. What did they do in the studio they can't reproduce live? Anyway, everybody consider their first four albums, they are by far the best: Heartsfield (1973), The Wonder of it All (1974), Foolish Pleasures (1975), Collectors Item (1977). All available on iTunes. Any stories from Art about this great band he worked with are always welcome!
Depends on who's G C and D it is. I've noticed if it's Chrissie Hynde's...well, she'll make you cry with those chords. Maybe it's just me, but I doubt it. I've thought lately, here's what a girl does with GCD (Angel of the morning, well, actually written by a guy) and here's what a guy does with it (Blue on Black). I'm sure there's a 100s of other pairs in that kind of comparison.I mean playing G,C and D all day long in the first three frets will not get you much noise, but it will not get you much of an audience either.
They got lucky - and the recorder was running. I recently watched some YT video where they showed Neal Peart drumming on tour, but they substituted the studio track of the song over the video, just to show his fidelity to the original track. It was titled something like "Neal totally nails it (of course he did)". Who works as hard as that guy on the replaying the original recorded details, when playing live?
Now Zappa would have the opposite view. I think the Dead would too. Those tried to make each and every performance of some recorded piece unique to the moment; never just a CC of the original album track..
Thanks. That's the plan.
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JJ - yeah I agree, anybody with a great voice can take G,C,D pretty far and sound good. Truth be told, I am jealous of people with great voices. You can get really great with an instrument if you have some talent and put in mucho time, but a really great voice is something you are born with, in my humble opinion.
I have the pitch down, I have the ear, but I just do not have the tone, the really great sound that all great singers have!
My guitar needs to stand on its own, without voice, hence the need for guitar work.
And yes, I appreciate musicians try to offer something better in concert. That is great IF it is as good or better.
I loved the Pretenders music, sounded great, and they always looked like they were enjoying rocking together so much!
I have the pitch down, I have the ear, but I just do not have the tone, the really great sound that all great singers have!
My guitar needs to stand on its own, without voice, hence the need for guitar work.
And yes, I appreciate musicians try to offer something better in concert. That is great IF it is as good or better.
I loved the Pretenders music, sounded great, and they always looked like they were enjoying rocking together so much!
As noted before, I have a date booked with Round Table Recording Company in January, and sent them mucho info about my Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar. They recently contacted me, and want to record my music and video in "Studio A", their best, see attached, pretty happy about this!
The only thing I am going to change on my guitar is the strings, it is working so well now, I dare not change anything else.
I am jamming on 8-1/2 gain, just love it. I really like to push the envelope, but 8-1/2 rocks just beautiful, and finger picking sounds wonderful.
Yeah I like to hit 9 and rock, then go 9-1/2 and rock with controlled sustain/feedback, until the limiter circuit saves the amp and shuts me down, but really no reason to do this, def not on a video. I will mention this situation, truth be told is the way to go.
Now I may go to 9-1/2 at the very end, just for fun, be careful!
I changed my video presentation plan. I had too many long sentences, was "reading" not "talking", way to stiff. Use bullet pints and be yourself, and play the damn guitar, so standard guitar and FHAG very big difference can be heard, easy! (I hope).
The only thing I am going to change on my guitar is the strings, it is working so well now, I dare not change anything else.
I am jamming on 8-1/2 gain, just love it. I really like to push the envelope, but 8-1/2 rocks just beautiful, and finger picking sounds wonderful.
Yeah I like to hit 9 and rock, then go 9-1/2 and rock with controlled sustain/feedback, until the limiter circuit saves the amp and shuts me down, but really no reason to do this, def not on a video. I will mention this situation, truth be told is the way to go.
Now I may go to 9-1/2 at the very end, just for fun, be careful!
I changed my video presentation plan. I had too many long sentences, was "reading" not "talking", way to stiff. Use bullet pints and be yourself, and play the damn guitar, so standard guitar and FHAG very big difference can be heard, easy! (I hope).
That implies a conceptual fork; the horns are actually making the guitar sound more like a guitar and are an integral part of this guitar's sound. The other, the horns are a HiFi speaker and play well with anything you put through them. I cant guess which one would be the most fruitful to initially pursue.
It's like the guitar as an encapsulated sound that's unique, or someone busking and has vocals, backing track, his buddy behind him on a solid body guitar or keyboard - all coming out that center of attention, the FHAG the performer is playing. Hey, I'm sure both flavors could be built eventually.
Happy New Year!
You got that right JJ, many ways to play this. I should say I need somebody with a good voice, not my voice. Anything can be pumped through the horns, theoretically.
The recording studio owner called me, and the talk was great. He said how about if we showcase your guitar with a professional guitar player doing the jamming also? Oh yes, I like that, get me out of the picture after I do my thing, then let her rip with a pro!
The recording studio owner called me, and the talk was great. He said how about if we showcase your guitar with a professional guitar player doing the jamming also? Oh yes, I like that, get me out of the picture after I do my thing, then let her rip with a pro!
That's going to be interesting. I'm sure you'll learn a lot about what said professional will be looking for in your guitar's playability and sound. Maybe worthwhile to have another pro look at the setup, get a tune up from someone who does it for a living's perspective, before bringing it into the studio. Just as a way of further investing in giving it your best shot.
The pro player may have something else in mind for amplification, of course you could plug anything into the FHAG with an external speaker output, as it looks like you're setup with 1/4" out and in.
JJ - yes, the setup, the life blood of guitar "ease of playing". I learned this at Chicago School of Guitar Making, Ian taught me well.
My neck is dead nuts straight, with the slightest upward bow (relief) that is desired. The action is standard acoustic guitar height, maybe a slight bit higher for rocking.
Any saddle is adjustable, plus my nut is pocketed, not glued. I can adjust that height very slightly if needed, and of course I have a good truss rod for neck adjustment, if required.
I love the setup for myself, but of course others may have different ideas for this, and if they do, easy to change. Rocking tonight, ready for the studio, happy with everything!
That said, the Fishman magnetic pickup is great. The Fishman piezo is a bit more tricky. I now am in the habit of pulling the battery, the preamp can drain it, even unplugged. I have seen this noted many times online.
I don't dare replace it, because I love the sound. I know for sure I was not getting all the power, all the time, before I started pulling the battery.
Now I test every time, no need to go to 9 on all, and blow the limiter. I am sure before I knew this, the piezo was weak, and I cranked the mag, and blew the limiter, no more!
I test with just the mag, not bad, but to much "electric guitar" sound. I test with just the piezo, where is the warmth?
Use them both, BAM, wonderful sound! A powerful acoustic guitar sound, on 8 only if all working, plenty of headroom , great sustain, zero feedback, lets rock!
My neck is dead nuts straight, with the slightest upward bow (relief) that is desired. The action is standard acoustic guitar height, maybe a slight bit higher for rocking.
Any saddle is adjustable, plus my nut is pocketed, not glued. I can adjust that height very slightly if needed, and of course I have a good truss rod for neck adjustment, if required.
I love the setup for myself, but of course others may have different ideas for this, and if they do, easy to change. Rocking tonight, ready for the studio, happy with everything!
That said, the Fishman magnetic pickup is great. The Fishman piezo is a bit more tricky. I now am in the habit of pulling the battery, the preamp can drain it, even unplugged. I have seen this noted many times online.
I don't dare replace it, because I love the sound. I know for sure I was not getting all the power, all the time, before I started pulling the battery.
Now I test every time, no need to go to 9 on all, and blow the limiter. I am sure before I knew this, the piezo was weak, and I cranked the mag, and blew the limiter, no more!
I test with just the mag, not bad, but to much "electric guitar" sound. I test with just the piezo, where is the warmth?
Use them both, BAM, wonderful sound! A powerful acoustic guitar sound, on 8 only if all working, plenty of headroom , great sustain, zero feedback, lets rock!
Recently acquired a Yamaha thinline hollow body with the F holes. That's steel string, but with a piezo in the bridge and a mag up by the neck. Those can mix nicely too with the guitar's balance pot.
Hey Chris ABC, I received an email noting you responded to my thread. I could open the link: http://www.kisoacoustic.com/the_inside.html
Thanks! I could not respond to your message however, and do not see it here, please jump into the conversation if you so desire.
Really like those "guitar like" speakers, some what similar to my guitar, but without the horns of course.
My walls are .250" thick to mimic a driver enclosure. These are only .100" thick, but seem to be very well braced, that must work. How do they sound? Any data?
Thanks! I could not respond to your message however, and do not see it here, please jump into the conversation if you so desire.
Really like those "guitar like" speakers, some what similar to my guitar, but without the horns of course.
My walls are .250" thick to mimic a driver enclosure. These are only .100" thick, but seem to be very well braced, that must work. How do they sound? Any data?
JJ - that Yamaha is my kind of guitar! I am highly interested in hearing what you have to say about it, after you have time to rock.
Any interest in doing some REW measurements with piezo only, mag only, and then both pickups? I would love to see that data, if you are so inclined my friend.
I think back to my limiter circuit problem days, what a mess that I created.
Now that I understand it, I test with those problems purposely recreated.
How does the piezo go out? Could be jack, tuner switch, phase switch or battery being drained, jeez. How many times did one of those things happen to me, and then I cranked up the mag to make up for it, and limiter blows.
The mag is very robust, put I can have a jack problem once in a while (need a more robust mounting really).
I played with the piezo off, mag is good, but not great, just not quit enough power. Tone pretty damn good actually, but not quit there.
Then I play with the mag off, piezo only, man the tone just does not cut it, I guess quacking is the word most people like to use. I actually had to crank up my bass and mid amp controls to keep it from sounding so damn tinny. Does not cut it.
For the life of me, I can not understand how a professional guitar player can play a guitar with a piezo pickup through an amp, sounds like **** if you ask me.
I guess maybe the singing takes over, or other instruments. I get it, do what you can given the situation, but don't tell me it sounds good.
In the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar, with both pickups on, wow! I just love that rich, deep, full, bright sound, it is great! Tone controls on zero! I can see if somebody might want to sneak a little reverb in, OK keep it on 2 or 3 max. Keep the damn chorus off, not required! The horns do so much work for you!
But just one thing goes wrong, and bye bye great sound, be careful! I can hear it immediately if it happens.
When I play a song in the key of D with drop D tuning, the guitar goes wild, because the 6 string is dropped to D and always open, always played (I play chords up to the 15th fret - octave D chord). The 5 string is an A string as usual, which is a 5th in the key of D, so both strings are never fingered in this song, always pounded on, and driving bass through the horns. I think some people may say this sounds honky, but not me, it sounds like a bass player is playing with me, I love it! Anyway, when I end the song, if the controls are correct, the chord will sustain, pretty much forever, close to feedback, but none. The 6 string vibrates I think with sympathetic vibration to either the soundboard, or something, the string just vibrates so much it almost hits the fingerboard, and the action is high. You can see it move like crazy, love it!
In fact when I go piezo 7, master 9 and mag 9, it will sustain without feedback, and without tripping the limiter. About as much power as this guitar needs, or can handle. Did not have time to measure, but based on my experience, I would say SPL was at about 115 dB peak, just incredible. I mentioned this to the recoding studio owner, and he paused and then said, wow, really? Yep!
Speaking of Round Table Recording Studio, when they offered to have a professional guitar player play my guitar also for the video, I mentioned that I met Doug Henthorn a few times, jammed with him once briefly at a mutual friends house years ago. I don't really know him, be he recorded at Round Table. I asked if he was available, and Tim (the owner) said he would inquire. Doug did lead vocals (not sure how many songs) on a Joe Bonamassa record, they are buds.
Sorry for the ridiculous name dropping, just trying to get in the door and do some marketing! Can't remember if I posted this before, but check out Doug's song "Walk". I just love that song, great guitars, singing, rocking, full of soul. Pic attached, download it and rock!
So studio price is $80 per hour. I see maybe 8 hours total spent in the studio, maybe 20 hours of editing? Plus I think a video fee. I can see this costing about $3,000 or $4,000 dollars tops? I will get a ballpark quote of course. Anybody with studio time experience, please let me know if this sound roughly accurate?
Tonight the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar will rock again!
Any interest in doing some REW measurements with piezo only, mag only, and then both pickups? I would love to see that data, if you are so inclined my friend.
I think back to my limiter circuit problem days, what a mess that I created.
Now that I understand it, I test with those problems purposely recreated.
How does the piezo go out? Could be jack, tuner switch, phase switch or battery being drained, jeez. How many times did one of those things happen to me, and then I cranked up the mag to make up for it, and limiter blows.
The mag is very robust, put I can have a jack problem once in a while (need a more robust mounting really).
I played with the piezo off, mag is good, but not great, just not quit enough power. Tone pretty damn good actually, but not quit there.
Then I play with the mag off, piezo only, man the tone just does not cut it, I guess quacking is the word most people like to use. I actually had to crank up my bass and mid amp controls to keep it from sounding so damn tinny. Does not cut it.
For the life of me, I can not understand how a professional guitar player can play a guitar with a piezo pickup through an amp, sounds like **** if you ask me.
I guess maybe the singing takes over, or other instruments. I get it, do what you can given the situation, but don't tell me it sounds good.
In the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar, with both pickups on, wow! I just love that rich, deep, full, bright sound, it is great! Tone controls on zero! I can see if somebody might want to sneak a little reverb in, OK keep it on 2 or 3 max. Keep the damn chorus off, not required! The horns do so much work for you!
But just one thing goes wrong, and bye bye great sound, be careful! I can hear it immediately if it happens.
When I play a song in the key of D with drop D tuning, the guitar goes wild, because the 6 string is dropped to D and always open, always played (I play chords up to the 15th fret - octave D chord). The 5 string is an A string as usual, which is a 5th in the key of D, so both strings are never fingered in this song, always pounded on, and driving bass through the horns. I think some people may say this sounds honky, but not me, it sounds like a bass player is playing with me, I love it! Anyway, when I end the song, if the controls are correct, the chord will sustain, pretty much forever, close to feedback, but none. The 6 string vibrates I think with sympathetic vibration to either the soundboard, or something, the string just vibrates so much it almost hits the fingerboard, and the action is high. You can see it move like crazy, love it!
In fact when I go piezo 7, master 9 and mag 9, it will sustain without feedback, and without tripping the limiter. About as much power as this guitar needs, or can handle. Did not have time to measure, but based on my experience, I would say SPL was at about 115 dB peak, just incredible. I mentioned this to the recoding studio owner, and he paused and then said, wow, really? Yep!
Speaking of Round Table Recording Studio, when they offered to have a professional guitar player play my guitar also for the video, I mentioned that I met Doug Henthorn a few times, jammed with him once briefly at a mutual friends house years ago. I don't really know him, be he recorded at Round Table. I asked if he was available, and Tim (the owner) said he would inquire. Doug did lead vocals (not sure how many songs) on a Joe Bonamassa record, they are buds.
Sorry for the ridiculous name dropping, just trying to get in the door and do some marketing! Can't remember if I posted this before, but check out Doug's song "Walk". I just love that song, great guitars, singing, rocking, full of soul. Pic attached, download it and rock!
So studio price is $80 per hour. I see maybe 8 hours total spent in the studio, maybe 20 hours of editing? Plus I think a video fee. I can see this costing about $3,000 or $4,000 dollars tops? I will get a ballpark quote of course. Anybody with studio time experience, please let me know if this sound roughly accurate?
Tonight the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar will rock again!
Getting that other Joe (Bonamassa) to play your guitar would really be something, if that could be hooked up through Doug Henthorn, if you can get him as the "professional" player. Maybe Doug calls Joe and says "I got this job playing this really unusual guitar and I swear I was thinking of you the whole time".
You got that right JJ, I sure will try for Doug and Joe B. Likely a long shoot for the famous one, but you never know, he likes acoustic guitars as well as electric. Check out his acoustic guitar work out on YouTube, man can he play!
Any interest in measurement data from your new Yamaha?
I am moving forward on my Sitka Spruce soundboard for the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar. This one will be carved by hand, mucho work. The only wood large enough I could find that will work, that is high quality, is for large archtops.
Since those are made to be angled up, I need to square them up to go down. Using a huge file clamped to a work bench to get the correct 90 degree angle, then file them way down to size, then will do ribs in solid.
The big file is easily 1/2" thick with teeth that are about 1/8" high. Then go way down to standard wood working tools. Fun to work on, but time consuming. I really need to test a Sitka Spruce soundboard. Will still be the light yet strong concept, with ribs cut in solid, all originated from the bridge back plate cut in solid!
Any interest in measurement data from your new Yamaha?
I am moving forward on my Sitka Spruce soundboard for the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar. This one will be carved by hand, mucho work. The only wood large enough I could find that will work, that is high quality, is for large archtops.
Since those are made to be angled up, I need to square them up to go down. Using a huge file clamped to a work bench to get the correct 90 degree angle, then file them way down to size, then will do ribs in solid.
The big file is easily 1/2" thick with teeth that are about 1/8" high. Then go way down to standard wood working tools. Fun to work on, but time consuming. I really need to test a Sitka Spruce soundboard. Will still be the light yet strong concept, with ribs cut in solid, all originated from the bridge back plate cut in solid!
I admit it, I am addicted to this guitar. As soon as my wife had the garage door down, I plugged in and started rocking. I never play my other acoustic guitars any more, except my low end Martin travel guitar, just because I am on the road every week.
My new technique is to adjust the piezo preamp at certain times during a song. I can play with no feedback, but getting close, great sustain, and on the correct level, certain open strings will vibrate like crazy, pretty much forever if you don't stop them, without feeding back. So of course I let them ring when needed, and mute them when required. This is mostly from the light yet strong soundboard vibrating so much, it is putting slightly more pressure on the piezo. You have to be careful, but a great technique you could never do on a standard acoustic guitar.
Plus I love chords that sustain long for a good song ending. I do a final strong strum and then put my finger on the strings over the saddle, with a very light touch. That lets you control the sustain of course, says Mr. Obvious. I had a chord sustaining strongly for about 30 seconds, then touched the strings a little heavier as it goes, for a fadeout ending.
No problems at all anymore, I am ready for the studio on Friday. I am still a little nervous, but my confidence level is high after all these great jams without any problems, and great tone with loads of power. I don't see how it will be possible to not tell the difference between my Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar with drivers off and drivers on, and also compared to a standard guitar.
I am going to explain how horns work in general, the high efficiency, low distortion, wide dynamic range, acoustic transformer, impedance matching from driver to air, same concept as brass horns. Plus 1/4 wavelength rule, which mine follows for length, but of course can't do for the mouth, no way that would fit. If I **** something up in this explanation, please let me know, you will not hurt my feelers!
If it goes well, I would consider doing a series of YouTube videos, if there is interest and questions, but not sure how well it will be received. I know for sure that young guitar players love it. Recently I met a guy in his twenties at a customer event, he is a guitar player. I told him about the FHAG and he was like WTF! Send me pictures, send me info, send me your link, so cool!
See attached picture for scale. I usually play acoustic sitting down, but with the strap, it does not feel to heavy really, and big, but easy to play. The action is a little high, but I can adjust that as needed. She Ain't Pretty, But She Sure Can Sing!
My new technique is to adjust the piezo preamp at certain times during a song. I can play with no feedback, but getting close, great sustain, and on the correct level, certain open strings will vibrate like crazy, pretty much forever if you don't stop them, without feeding back. So of course I let them ring when needed, and mute them when required. This is mostly from the light yet strong soundboard vibrating so much, it is putting slightly more pressure on the piezo. You have to be careful, but a great technique you could never do on a standard acoustic guitar.
Plus I love chords that sustain long for a good song ending. I do a final strong strum and then put my finger on the strings over the saddle, with a very light touch. That lets you control the sustain of course, says Mr. Obvious. I had a chord sustaining strongly for about 30 seconds, then touched the strings a little heavier as it goes, for a fadeout ending.
No problems at all anymore, I am ready for the studio on Friday. I am still a little nervous, but my confidence level is high after all these great jams without any problems, and great tone with loads of power. I don't see how it will be possible to not tell the difference between my Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar with drivers off and drivers on, and also compared to a standard guitar.
I am going to explain how horns work in general, the high efficiency, low distortion, wide dynamic range, acoustic transformer, impedance matching from driver to air, same concept as brass horns. Plus 1/4 wavelength rule, which mine follows for length, but of course can't do for the mouth, no way that would fit. If I **** something up in this explanation, please let me know, you will not hurt my feelers!
If it goes well, I would consider doing a series of YouTube videos, if there is interest and questions, but not sure how well it will be received. I know for sure that young guitar players love it. Recently I met a guy in his twenties at a customer event, he is a guitar player. I told him about the FHAG and he was like WTF! Send me pictures, send me info, send me your link, so cool!
See attached picture for scale. I usually play acoustic sitting down, but with the strap, it does not feel to heavy really, and big, but easy to play. The action is a little high, but I can adjust that as needed. She Ain't Pretty, But She Sure Can Sing!
Now there's one thing I know nothing about - how to do a YT video. Perhaps too much 'splainin drives people away? I'm already well at the point where "first I look at the purse" or how long a video is; at times thinking "I dont have 48 minutes to **** away watching octopus maze navigation, just out of curiosity"...
One other thing I cant stand is when they play high level background music during someone talking to the video. I was actually watching an ADHD video where they were simultaneously talking about distractions and with this loud, distracting music going on behind the talker. When that happens, I just shut it off. Whoever made that video must be idiots.
Unsure if you want the sounds of your FHAG playing in the background while you describe how it works.
Thinking about styro bean bag filling somehow suspended just at the horn mouths, so a video could capture them moving with the sound coming out. That would show the YT crowd "how it works". Or little thin paper strips that you can see vibrate at the horn mouths. Unsure of it would blow out a match with a hard strum; sure impress me if it did.
You can see which way I'm leaning, away from a more technical explanation. I remember the old BIC "Venturi" speakers, where they had a showroom demo piece, complete with see through tract, mouth, the Venturi - and little paper pieces that vibrated along the line from a low tone provided by a speaker in it. Of course, the ones around the "Venturi" part vibrated more, which was supposed to illustrate to the customer how the Venturi made much more bass in those speakers. Marketing
Guys and gals were great at the open mic last night; hard acts to follow. I told the sound guy if he made CDs of each evening, I'd buy tonight's! I couldnt clamp my Bm to save my life. Played the Yamaha SLG200; sound guy said it was a nice sounding guitar. The sound guy is an excellent player; he goes on first, does this smokin set, then leaves it for the rest to follow. Fortunately I was about 8 players back in line - I cant play anything like him. Soo too bad you couldnt have been there...you would have enjoyed it!
I posted an FR of the SLG200 sometime back in this thread; it was flat to 1kHz, then took a linear dive cutting off completely before 10k. The bridges on the two guitars look suspiciously similar, only the steel string has this trapeze contraption that butts the back of the saddle; I suppose necessary to keep the steels from ripping the saddle right off the top. When I got the guitar, whoever had it last put the strings through the trapese, but didnt know to thread them through the saddle as well. Thought it didnt work, never even played the strings. I fixed it. I'll put an investigation of the other guitar on my imaginary to do. Pretty boring when it's too cold to even go outside! Cant even imagine midwest these days.
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