# The Great Ongoing Guitar Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 31, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172 "2010-01-31T23:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 244
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4864 "2017-06-11T16:51:46Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > OMG! This thread is still going!!! > > Well, I’ve been busy. As you may (or may not) know, I quit smoking about 5 years ago. All that freed up money went to good use… > > In addition to the Les Paul, I now also have a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, an Epiphone 12 string, a Takamine acoustic, a Dean bass, and a classical. > > The lessons are still going and I have a nice little repertoire now (classical and contemporary fingerstyle). Very cool! Quite a nice set of tools! Which are you playing the most? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4865 "2017-06-11T17:02:08Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > A little reflection on the cognitive psychology of playing music. I just got a Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer this week. Time will tell if it’s a real artistic tool or just a toy. But I started playing using the Vibraphone model. And I realized that I was playing differently than I usually do. I’m still playing a guitar, but my phrasing and lines were different than what I would normally play. My theory is that my brain has a concept of what vibes should sound like, and so I was playing like that. (I’m talking about improvised lines, not tone or articulation.) > > For those of you who play more than one instrument, do you find that the music that comes out of each instrument is different because you conceptualize them differently? > If so, how I can I reprogram my brain to reconceptualize what a guitar sounds like? I think if I can do that I would get out of a rut I feel that I’ve been in for years. I think it’s guys with their own unique conceptualization that allow people to innovate and break the mold, like Sco, or local D.C.-area guitarists Paul Pieper and John Lee. We have to find the happy medium between listening and learning from what came before vs. bringing something new. I definitely play differently depending on the instrument and the way it sounds. I noticed this years ago when switching back and forth from acoustic to electric guitar. I’m playing the sound as much as the I’m playing the instrument, is how I think of it. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4866 "2017-06-11T17:41:52Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > OMG! This thread is still going!!! > > Well, I’ve been busy. As you may (or may not) know, I quit smoking about 5 years ago. All that freed up money went to good use… > > In addition to the Les Paul, I now also have a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, an Epiphone 12 string, a Takamine acoustic, a Dean bass, and a classical. > > The lessons are still going and I have a nice little repertoire now (classical and contemporary fingerstyle). I want to congrats you on beating old Nicky. It’s almost two years for me and not only I have money to spend but my health is much better. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4867 "2017-06-12T01:47:26Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Very cool! Quite a nice set of tools! Which are you playing the most? Acoustically, it’s the nylon, and for electrics the Telecaster has become the “go to” for now. It just feels so right. As far as music material, my “hit list” includes [ol] [li]Andrew York’s “Sunday Morning Overcast”, [/li][li]Brouwer’s “Un Dia De Noviembre”[/li][li]the first three sections of Pujol’s “Suite Del Plata Number 1” (the Preludio, Tango and theMillonga),[/li][li]Laurindo Almeida’s arrangements of “Over The Rainbow”, “Lara’s Theme”, “Green Leaves Of Summer”, and “Ebb Tide”[/li][li]Jose Luis Merlin’s “Milonga”, [/li][li]Jobim’s “Girl From Ipanema” [/li][li]George Yeatman’s Rio De Noche[/li][/ol] etc. On the lighter side, I just taught myself Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” and Creedence Clearwater’s “Up Around The Bend”. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4868 "2017-06-12T02:24:48Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I definitely play differently depending on the instrument and the way it sounds. I noticed this years ago when switching back and forth from acoustic to electric guitar. I’m playing the sound as much as the I’m playing the instrument, is how I think of it. Good point–I play differently when I’m playing a nylon-string fingerstyle vs. an archtop with a pick. Somehow when I play fingerstyle I just see the chords more, even if I’m playing one note at a time. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4869 "2017-06-12T10:09:43Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Acoustically, it’s the nylon, and for electrics the Telecaster has become the “go to” for now. It just feels so right. > > As far as music material, my “hit list” includes > > [ol] > [li]Andrew York’s “Sunday Morning Overcast”, [/li][li]Brouwer’s “Un Dia De Noviembre”[/li][li]the first three sections of Pujol’s “Suite Del Plata Number 1” (the Preludio, Tango and theMillonga),[/li][li]Laurindo Almeida’s arrangements of “Over The Rainbow”, “Lara’s Theme”, “Green Leaves Of Summer”, and “Ebb Tide”[/li][li]Jose Luis Merlin’s “Milonga”, [/li][li]Jobim’s “Girl From Ipanema” [/li][li]George Yeatman’s Rio De Noche[/li][/ol] > etc. > > On the lighter side, I just taught myself Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” and Creedence Clearwater’s “Up Around The Bend”. Whoa, I’d have to look up pretty much all of those. I assume they are technique intense. Impressive. I doubt you use the Tele for any of those 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4870 "2017-06-12T23:22:53Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Whoa, I’d have to look up pretty much all of those. I assume they are technique intense. Impressive. I doubt you use the Tele for any of those 😉 I can, and I do sometimes. As a friend says, “It’s just a stick with strings” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4871 "2017-06-13T00:27:35Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I can, and I do sometimes. As a friend says, “It’s just a stick with strings” 😃 With a 1 5/8" nut width vs a classical’s ~2" nut width. Just much narrower! ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4872 "2017-06-16T17:47:15Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > With a 1 5/8" nut width vs a classical’s ~2" nut width. Just much narrower! It’s funny, the wide “2x4” type of neck actually makes some things easier. Example: Classical makes use of open strings whenever possible. The wider spacing makes it easier to play them without accidental muting… especially when you need to play stuff while the root or “pedal tone” keeps ringing. That’s hard to do on a narrower neck. It also is easier to get in between the strings while picking. On the other side of the coin, the narrower and more arched electric fingerboard is easier for chord comping with a pick. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4873 "2017-06-17T10:22:19Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > It’s funny, the wide “2x4” type of neck actually makes some things easier. > Example: Classical makes use of open strings whenever possible. The wider spacing makes it easier to play them without accidental muting… especially when you need to play stuff while the root or “pedal tone” keeps ringing. That’s hard to do on a narrower neck. It also is easier to get in between the strings while picking. > > On the other side of the coin, the narrower and more arched electric fingerboard is easier for chord comping with a pick. Interesting. My two old Martins have 1 13/16" necks, bordering on 1 7/8", so I get what you’re saying about a Classical’s wide-flat profile and wider string spacing. But as a Tele player, I use the narrow neck for some of the same things you’re describing on your Classical, but I am sure coming at them a completely different way. When I play, I am trying to fill in the sound, so my single guitar sells the groove of a band. Hard to explain, but there’s a bunch of drone strings, partial chords, quick fills and bits of bassline tossed in. Since I am selling a Keith-y, Page-y, Whitford-y (Aerosmith) kinda groove, there’s plenty of room for slop…if its harmonically consistent. If you get it right, man it locks in. My drummer loves it even if he can’t figure out what I’m doing ;). Anyway, the narrow nut gets my fingers all mashed together. Easier to make quick changes, stub my finger into a quick double-stop, and pivot between low-end groove bits and leads. A wide nut rewards more precise fingerings; a narrower nut rewards playing that’s sloppy-within-the-groove. Interesting that Keith Richards and Jack White are both Tele players. Hmm, hadn’t really articulated this before; need to ponder. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4874 "2017-06-22T17:23:42Z")
Last week I got to visit our Corona factory. I took a handful of photos, I thought might be of interest here: [[20 new items · Album by David Schneider] Fender Corona Factory Tour ![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/S6LYgH3c6bY4Up1eQ5jm6AhkZF-WV8Fx69ZzFKcw6U2v3fFnA8sxKGc4S3afvSfzIpKhf-_r2Z5hapm1iicpyBcnRiLejfUG7KuS1lSMqhwgLK451ZNyhC9ImJu6ttWwnOWmv5lhwg=w600-h315-p-k "Fender Corona Factory Tour") ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNOwZ9NXEsAkX5QO-IcB02EpRYN-gDff3QQM6tBwqPIrfbSt9d9qVOgoyiwvwaGFw?key=WG5wdm81YkszSGlub2pPV1JaM1p4LTBsX2ZmbUl3) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4875 "2017-06-22T18:12:04Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > Last week I got to visit our Corona factory. I took a handful of photos, I thought might be of interest here: > > [https://goo.gl/photos/B6PRZDLiTExSyBdv7](https://goo.gl/photos/B6PRZDLiTExSyBdv7) Oooo! Cool! Remind me - you work at Fender? Doing what type of stuff? Thank you for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4876 "2017-06-22T18:26:45Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Oooo! Cool! Remind me - you work at Fender? Doing what type of stuff? > > Thank you for sharing. Yes, I work at Fender. I’m a video editor, for an upcoming project. More details soon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4877 "2017-06-22T18:33:34Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > Yes, I work at Fender. I’m a video editor, for an upcoming project. More details soon. 🙂 Yes please! ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4878 "2017-06-22T21:52:32Z")
I finished watching [Kaki King](https://www.ted.com/talks/kaki_king_a_musical_escape_into_a_world_of_light_and_color) play on a TED talk last night. The stuff she does makes me slack jawed, and half the time I’m trying to figure out how the hell she’s pulling that much sound out of one instrument, not to mention the utterly amazing light show. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4879 "2017-06-22T22:58:38Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I finished watching [Kaki King](https://www.ted.com/talks/kaki_king_a_musical_escape_into_a_world_of_light_and_color) play on a TED talk last night. The stuff she does makes me slack jawed, and half the time I’m trying to figure out how the hell she’s pulling that much sound out of one instrument, not to mention the utterly amazing light show. All I wanna know is how she can stay on the right frets with that lightshow happening on her fingerboard like that? I struggle if the markers aren’t dots! **swampy** , I totally see how KK would fit you, given your interest in rule-breaking designs for avant guitars and such. I respect her technique hugely, but from a distance since what she does overlaps so little with what I call guitar playing. But musically I only find her mildly interesting. I enjoy a good “soundscape” for a while, but then want more melodic complexity. But I see the craft in what she does and it’s damn impressive. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4880 "2017-06-23T02:00:51Z")
I’ve seen a bluegrass player use hammer ons/pull offs to play with only his left hand. His right hand waving at the crowd. It was only for a few bars and he went back to normal playing. King’s performance was incredibly complex. Especially with the light in her eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4881 "2017-06-23T04:44:30Z")
Kaki’s all about the songs and the songs are really nice. She loses me when she starts mistaking the guitar for a bongo drum, but that’s my problem. Anywhat, this seems like as good a place as any to drop a Stanley Jordan plug. Never gets enough love, genius though he be: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cI_RL_Eg-M) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4882 "2017-06-23T10:02:01Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > Kaki’s all about the songs and the songs are really nice. She loses me when she starts mistaking the guitar for a bongo drum, but that’s my problem. > > Anywhat, this seems like as good a place as any to drop a Stanley Jordan plug. Never gets enough love, genius though he be: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cI\_RL\_Eg-M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cI_RL_Eg-M) Fascinating contrast of how, even within a subcategory like this, there are completely different variants. Each of them is playing two hands on the fretboard, but with a very different approach. Listen to Jordan’s first track, a cover of Yesterday. It’s \*all \*about the melody. The tone of the notes of the main melody is just gorgeous. Full and round and hornlike. KK is much more about laying down a soundscape and dropping a melodic riff within it. I don’t know many guitarists that play both conventionally and this way. I suppose EVH is a variant where his tapping heads in this direction while he is mainly conventional(ish;)). Committing to a two handed, poppy-slappy approach is its own thing. As a solo guitar player these days, there are SO many ways to fill in the sound and be the whole band: - classical and flamenco, with all fingers and strong percussiveness - a looper - two handed poppy slappy stuff - weird effects chains like Tom Morello or The Edge with cascaded delays. - open tunings (and slide) - steel string fingerstyle, like old blues - jazz guitar with complex chords and passing notes that put the melody in front - etc, etc, etc Such a versatile instrument. Honestly, I look at single-note instruments and wonder what the appeal could possibly be. (Then I listen to Miles, or Ben Webster, and shut the fuck up ;)) But I have committed to some of those approaches and simply accepted that I won’t be as good on the others. I play with no effects because it feels like they require a completely different focus and expertise. Oy! ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/4883 "2017-06-23T14:11:52Z")
I hear what you’re saying **WordMan** , there are other vids like[Pink Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UqV_5rVTNc) where she uses more traditional techniques and mixes it up a fair bit. That’s what I love about Guitar the most is the fact you could be, say, Chet Atkins and have someone like Stanley Jordan show up and go “Wow, how did you come up with doing that?” Spend a year getting competent, and the rest of your life learning. I love that. **EtF** , thanks for that. I keep forgetting about him, and I really shouldn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=243) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=245)