For sure JJ, I agree, tone really is everything as you noted below. "Sounds like" an acoustic is just not good enough, tone needs to be great with every note you touch on the fretboard. Any acoustic guitar tends to get a little thin up in the higher frequencies, hard to fix that really. Great guitars can sound really warm, so very cool, but you need it all. I can't say I fully understand why my horns improve the tone greatly, but they do, and of course the efficiency and power they add completes the picture. It seems the combination of great tone and power is a winner for an acoustic guitar.
Thanks Art - the Go Acoustic Audio pickup looks excellent, on my list for sure. Time for some football. Motor City vs. Silicone Valley, tough call who to root for, but I am an old car guy at heart, so GO LIONS!
Thanks Art - the Go Acoustic Audio pickup looks excellent, on my list for sure. Time for some football. Motor City vs. Silicone Valley, tough call who to root for, but I am an old car guy at heart, so GO LIONS!
JJ - yes these are only my iPhone recordings, and I am very happy with the sound. Can't wait for the real thing from the studio engineers. Casey makes it shine even on an iPhone. He did not do a singing and strumming tune, but I agree a song like that is needed.
However, he did do a song with more chords, so I am going to upload that with a few other iPhone short tracks, that should help, uploading soon.
For the next studio session, I will get more for sure. First time was a learning lesson for me.
I will play some songs myself that are chord heavy, but they will NOT be included in the final product for YouTube, just for some listening.
I bet it is not easy to tell the guy that is paying for the session, we don't want to use your playing to showcase the sound of your guitar (which we really like) coming from our studio. I read the room, and thought to myself, they are 100% correct, use the great playing from the pro!
However, he did do a song with more chords, so I am going to upload that with a few other iPhone short tracks, that should help, uploading soon.
For the next studio session, I will get more for sure. First time was a learning lesson for me.
I will play some songs myself that are chord heavy, but they will NOT be included in the final product for YouTube, just for some listening.
I bet it is not easy to tell the guy that is paying for the session, we don't want to use your playing to showcase the sound of your guitar (which we really like) coming from our studio. I read the room, and thought to myself, they are 100% correct, use the great playing from the pro!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QTAyDcDMU_hb1Jvnz1fKWzIdwYVK82z6/view?usp=sharing
Ian Schneller Chicago School of Guitar Making and Specimen Products.
Ian Schneller Chicago School of Guitar Making and Specimen Products.
It keeps happening, when I removed my strings and bridge saddle to lower the action, the results were great, BUT the damn guitar would not stay in tune for about 20 -30 minutes of playing (not horrible, just slightly annoying). When it settled in, the damn thing would just never go out of tune, the day after...just sounds beautiful.
The soundboard is so light and powerful, it shows you everything, good and bad. I thought, do I have an intonation problem? NO! When it settles, wow, just beautiful.
Last night I tried playing with all tone on both channels turned up, did not really like it, but tested.
Then today I start playing and everything is in perfect tune, but man it just sounds a little muddy with the amp tone up (bass, mid and treble) all still turned up to about four. I turned those pots to zero, and BAM, the tone was beautiful, jammed for an hour with complete joy!
I know for a fact that turning up all the tone controls equally is not the same as turning up your volume. Not that I understand it 100%, but just that I tested it and learned. I think (hope) that my guitar with the horns cranking is just so clean you don't need the tone turned up!
Anybody care to comment?
The soundboard is so light and powerful, it shows you everything, good and bad. I thought, do I have an intonation problem? NO! When it settles, wow, just beautiful.
Last night I tried playing with all tone on both channels turned up, did not really like it, but tested.
Then today I start playing and everything is in perfect tune, but man it just sounds a little muddy with the amp tone up (bass, mid and treble) all still turned up to about four. I turned those pots to zero, and BAM, the tone was beautiful, jammed for an hour with complete joy!
I know for a fact that turning up all the tone controls equally is not the same as turning up your volume. Not that I understand it 100%, but just that I tested it and learned. I think (hope) that my guitar with the horns cranking is just so clean you don't need the tone turned up!
Anybody care to comment?
The Gibson L-5 played by Wes Montgomery is what I consider to be one of the greatest guitars ever made, and of course played.
The lower bout is 17" inches wide, mine is 3/8" per side wider, and is 3" longer to hold the horns, very similar in size, both very playable.
I can get archtop wood just barely big enough for my guitar. AAA Sitka Spruce, like the L-5 soundboard.
The L-5 back and sides are hard maple, just like mine.
I dare anybody to tell me they can find a graphite or plastic back guitar that sounds anywhere near as good.
I really like CNC machines, but I don't want to take advantage of my company letting me use theirs, time for hand carving.
I really like wood with the bracing hand carved (or CNC) from a solid piece of wood, as opposed to gluing the bracing on the top. Nothing wrong with that, works well, just a personal preference.
Attached shows work in process, May work well, may not. Let's give it a try!
The lower bout is 17" inches wide, mine is 3/8" per side wider, and is 3" longer to hold the horns, very similar in size, both very playable.
I can get archtop wood just barely big enough for my guitar. AAA Sitka Spruce, like the L-5 soundboard.
The L-5 back and sides are hard maple, just like mine.
I dare anybody to tell me they can find a graphite or plastic back guitar that sounds anywhere near as good.
I really like CNC machines, but I don't want to take advantage of my company letting me use theirs, time for hand carving.
I really like wood with the bracing hand carved (or CNC) from a solid piece of wood, as opposed to gluing the bracing on the top. Nothing wrong with that, works well, just a personal preference.
Attached shows work in process, May work well, may not. Let's give it a try!
I guess I'd remark surprise in not getting to try other amplifiers when you did the studio trip. In sympathy, I'd probably forget to ask in being so nervous about just going through the day. Like ask the performing guitarist to bring one of his favorite small amp heads. One would think the Studio would have a Fender Bassman head just hanging around...
You're not. They're glad to have another in their employ who can run the thing successfully!
Thank you JJ for the CNC comment, and other amps, sure. When, not sure 
I think I posted this link before, but worth it again. Paul Simon in 1975 with a big Guild into a mic, man do I love this tone!
I hear this song with violins in the background on other recordings, I think why? I love the violin, but Paul Simon's song writing, guitar playing and singing stand on their own, no "improvements" needed! Let the acoustic guitar work it's magic! Few other instruments beside the piano can play this role, in my humble opinion, comments welcome!
I think I posted this link before, but worth it again. Paul Simon in 1975 with a big Guild into a mic, man do I love this tone!
I hear this song with violins in the background on other recordings, I think why? I love the violin, but Paul Simon's song writing, guitar playing and singing stand on their own, no "improvements" needed! Let the acoustic guitar work it's magic! Few other instruments beside the piano can play this role, in my humble opinion, comments welcome!
Website not ready yet, just a peak above, sound mastering from studio complete, video from studio soon. iPhone videos links added here again for any new views.
JJ has mentioned room, room many times, yep I get it. The videos below are Casey, who is a great guitar player, that helps big time of course. These were recorded on my iPhone 15 in the studio, great room obviously. The recording sounds like what I heard in the room, love it!
I recorded at home again on the same phone, guitar sounds great, rocking! Video sound, not so much, it must be room, thoughts? Or maybe me!
Hearing this in the control room was phenomenal, can't wait to post the final product. I have my Klipsch computer speakers now, **** laptop speakers. The only reason I am not hooking them up tonight is my wife is out of town, it is all live guitar jamming tonight, man does this baby sound great! I started to push down on the soundboard, behind the bridge, at the end of song, let it ring. I mean push that light soundboard up and down, directly over the drivers, man that does not sound like an acoustic guitar, It whines with power like an electric guitar, almost heavy metal ****, but man I like it!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z6ASXM2kiWWapYRRyBYppHblHLY871jX/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ynT4R-nta9mMnhekKE7k-ic5-FqGtpaC/view?usp=sharing
JJ has mentioned room, room many times, yep I get it. The videos below are Casey, who is a great guitar player, that helps big time of course. These were recorded on my iPhone 15 in the studio, great room obviously. The recording sounds like what I heard in the room, love it!
I recorded at home again on the same phone, guitar sounds great, rocking! Video sound, not so much, it must be room, thoughts? Or maybe me!
Hearing this in the control room was phenomenal, can't wait to post the final product. I have my Klipsch computer speakers now, **** laptop speakers. The only reason I am not hooking them up tonight is my wife is out of town, it is all live guitar jamming tonight, man does this baby sound great! I started to push down on the soundboard, behind the bridge, at the end of song, let it ring. I mean push that light soundboard up and down, directly over the drivers, man that does not sound like an acoustic guitar, It whines with power like an electric guitar, almost heavy metal ****, but man I like it!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z6ASXM2kiWWapYRRyBYppHblHLY871jX/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ynT4R-nta9mMnhekKE7k-ic5-FqGtpaC/view?usp=sharing
Partial video for YouTube, just a start, need to add more about acoustic horns, jamming with my guitar and another at same recording level, details...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m00EzCFzYxukzmXaLc9Tr5RozExDszTF/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m00EzCFzYxukzmXaLc9Tr5RozExDszTF/view?usp=sharing