Gary Nelson

Today must be the day for string questions. Seems there are so many other factors at play for electrics other than just the strings. Amp, distortion, etc. I use 9s on my PRS. Why? Because that is what came on the guitar and Paul Reed Smith and his engineers are a whole lot smarter than I am!

In a recent Live Lesson, Steve mentioned he uses Elixir 10’s on his Gibson J45. I know lighter strings and tone is purely subjective. But I was wondering if using very light strings would require any changes in setup. I use 13s on my Bourgeois dreadnaught, mainly because that’s what comes from the factory. If I were to drop to 10s would that require me to lower the action or could it negatively impact intonation?

Printing issues aside, I found this session to be one of the most beneficial I have had since joining the gathering. Perhaps my ability has finally caught up with some of the lessons. But it’s a great feeling when you can say to yourself that “this finally makes sense!” I’ll be traveling on business next week but I definitely plan to catch the replay for the minor triads.

I haven’t tried them yet but I am debating whether or not to replace the standard tuners on my PRS SE Custom 24. If you use a good locking wrap on a non locking tuner, It seems to me that the main benefit of locking tuners is the ability to change strings quickly. Just insert the string, tighten the locking screw and tune it up. But I haven’t really had any tuning issue with the standard tuners on my PRS so for the average player I’m not really convinced they are worth it. But Greg did seem to favor them.

I think @Blue Dog hit the nail on the head. Just accept Steve's challenge and learn all you can. For me, that means spending more time with L&M (more emphasis on the "master") and getting started on the Fingerstyle course. But most of all, just relax and enjoy the process.

Congrats @revster A 12 string is still on my list. But opted this Christmas to ask Santa for a new electric. Maybe the 12 string goes on the list next year. Enjoy!

Thanks @NueGene Yeah, I got schooled. Hope to see you in June.

No worries Steve. I have answered to worse! Looking forward to next June In the meantime working on those great workouts you provided as an early registration incentive! Up to eighth notes at 120 bpm. Working up my courage before trying 16th notes! Tough on an acoustic!

Not exactly sure who “Skip” Nelson might be. It could be William Gary’s evil twin. LOL

@fray I have looked at some of the Takamine’s on line. Look like great guitars but haven’t tried them out yet.

Thanks @Randy120 That new Taylor looks really nice. Gonna get my Shane’s on one the next time I am at Gruhns. And yes @Fretless the search is half the fun!

@Randy120 Since I play guitar and my wife has taken up the violin, trips to Nashville can get pretty expensive! @matonanjin Remind me to ask about your PRS Paul’s sometime. That is also on my list and I’m trying to decide whether to get the SE or bite the bullet and spring for the core. Oh yes, I do see a nice 12 string hollow body on the PRS site also. I’m sure that one would be awesome for an electric!

Thanks @Oldjock and @Randy120 I’ve seen some pretty good reviews of Seagull guitars as well. I just don’t find many of them around here. I haven’t played any of the lower end Martins but a couple of friends of mine haven’t been too complimentary of them. I’m sure I could find something on Reverb or Sweetwater but I like to touch and feel what I am buying. Besides it gives me an excuse to haunt the guitar stores in Memphis and Nashville.

So - I've been thinking about buying a 12 string acoustic. I have heard they can be quite temperamental, particularly the lower priced ones. Does anyone have any experience they would care to share? Things to watch out for? Recommendations? I'm not looking to spend a fortune, because I know this one will likely live in the case more than it gets played. But at the same time, I don't want to cheap out and end up with something that I am going to hate. The Taylor 150E seems to have good reviews for a moderately priced guitar. Thoughts?

So....based on the replies it seems Fishman is either the king of acoustic amps - or a lot of Gathering folks own stock in the company! Kidding aside - I took the time today to go by a couple of music stores here in town and used a couple of their guitars to play on the Fender Acoustasonic 40, a Boss Katana 50 (with the acoustic setting) and the Fishman Loudbox. I have to agree that the Fishman overall had the most "full" sound and if you are looking to invest in a dedicated acoustic amp it is probably the best choice. The Boss Katana was pretty close after a little tweaking of the EQ - and offers the flexibility of being able to support electrics. I'd have to rate the Fender last of the bunch - sounded "thin" to me. The next step is to take my guitar in with the K&K Pure mini and try them again. Tough decision - but enjoying the process!

Thanks for the feedback folks. Sounds like another excuse to head to the local music stores to play with different amps!

So, is anyone out there using an electric amp for an acoustic guitar? From what I’ve seen online electrics work but may not be as clean as a dedicated acoustic amp. Opinions? Suggestions?

@Mustafa, If you are not familiar with it, you might also listen to the song "This Old Guitar" by John Denver. I think it expresses some of the sentiments others have expressed here. I expect most everyone that has ever touched an instrument has felt periods of contentment along with extreme frustration. But I guess that is what makes it so rewarding. I "played with" a guitar during my school years, but never really learned to play it. I grew tired of it and lost interest. Now, many (many) years later, I have decided to truly learn how to play. Sometimes I feel I've waited too long to start. But I've been encouraged by many on this forum and I hope you will be as well.

Hi folks. Just registered for my first gathering. Trying to coax my wife into attending ,but alas, she is learning the violin. Is there a list of topics that will be presented as part of music theory and will those topics be general enough to benefit any musician?