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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | I played at a service tonight with a guy who has a Guild D-40. We ran through a few songs before the service, and I noticed something about his guitar. It seemed to sound alot better to me if it had the capo on the 2nd or 3rd fret than it did with no capo at all. After the service I played the guitar for awhile, and it just did not sound as good playing chords like G and D, as it did when you put a capo on it. With the capo at the 3rd fret, the guitar was bright and full, but without the capo the bass was weak, and the guitar sounded kind of dead to me. Any one else ever find that using a capo at different positions makes certain guitars sound fuller? :confused: |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Paul,
I've got to say that i've never run into that of late. Several year ago I owned a fender acoustic jumbo guitar that sounded ok to me, but it did sound better with a capo. The Guilds that i have played have never had that problem. They are usually the Jumbo ones though.Not sure if that has anything to do with it. also the Guilds I have played all came out of the Rhode Island Plant before the fender aquisition.All the Ovations I've played sound pretty full all the way around. Go Figure... :D
Leave it to me to have a sense of humor this late in the evening. |
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February 2004
Posts: 116
Location: Freeport, IL | Steve,
It truly is late if you think your post is funny.
Jon
just kidding |
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Joined:
September 2004
Posts: 96
Location: Eugene, OR | I was playing my Guild D-40 just a couple of minutes ago and I don't have the same phenomemon. It sounds just as brilliant without the capo. Perhaps he needed new or different strings.
I can see where that might produce what you experienced. |
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September 2004
Posts: 96
Location: Eugene, OR | BTW, I think my D-40 was built in January of '78. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Legend-LX-fan
In my many years of playing I have found that some guitars will go from what could be called pretty dismal sound when playing melody, to a bright interesting sound when capoed up to the 4th or 5th fret. It is something I suggested to one of our members who felt the guitar he bought was not sounding very good. All keys can be played at higher frets, and if a guitar is bland and you have other guitars for the open pickin', then stick a capo on it, the bland one , and use it for variety.
I particularly like high capo for finger picking.
Bailey |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Bailey,
Have you had a chance to play a Tacoma Papoose?
It starts out at the 5th fret already. |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i wonder if it could be the nut. by using a capo the string vibration is transfered to the fret above the capo. how is the string ht at the nut, and is the nut is in good contact with the neck. the neck is often overlooked as a source of acoustic sound.
twang a tuning fork and touch it to the neck, the nut etc and youll see what i mean.
also the capo at the 5 th fret is much closer to the heel contact to the body, and isnt vibrating the headstock as much. get too high with the capo and the string is short enough that the vibrations seem to sustain less.
just my observations. probable a few sp@@ stains here and thers. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Woodster;
D'ya know if they make a 12-sring Papoose??
This could be the HummerMando that I'm looking for . . . |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | 12-string...check out:
Papoose 12-str |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | The hyper steroidal Uke or fat-fingered mando, your call!
I have played the papoose in 6 and 12 and it has a definite place in the musical world. It is bright and joyful and i didn't have to read a cofee mug to figure out new chords.
I have heard that the 12's pop a few bridges but its not anything that Ovation couldn't figure out (nod, nod, wink, wink)! |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Tony
That is interesting, I sure would like to try one. I'll keep my eyes open to see if anyone around here deals in them.
Mwoody
How did the 12 string sound, guitar like or like a mando?
Bailey |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Sounded 85% like a guitar capoed at the 5th but because of the size/wood/position of the sound hole it had a 15% "like it had a roundback" presence.
It's like trying to describe cheese - you just have to try it!
A search tells me there is a Dealer in Alberturkey(sp?) and Los Cruces. If they never invented Ovations I would no doubt be a Tacoma nut. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | MWoody
Thanks, I,m in Las Cruces, I'll see if I can do a search and find who is the dealer. I can't afford one right now but would like to try one out.
Bailey |
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Better with a capo?