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Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | Out resident PI has politely asked twice if anyone has tried this combination. When Moody pi last asked, Tony C indicated he might be giving Moody some GAStric distress with a loaner.
So...
Moody, do you have any update or has anyone tried this combo? If not is there any folk wisdom around these parts about the benefits one might expect tonewise by shifting to mediums. Do Ovations generally tolerate this change well? I know the guitar comes with .012's I put on some .011's and I'm not overcome with joy. I'm thinking that the action on this guitar is so nice that mediums (or returning to straight light guage at the least) is in the near for me.
Thanks for any input... |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I think my partner in crime, BrianT has mediums on his '05. We just have to wait for him to chime in. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Tony did loan me his 05 (thank you most kindly) and I took out one shim and put on mediums (.13-.56). The guitar became a canon, with a tone remeniscent (sp?) of an Adamas. Something about that tone......
My only complaint was that I kept thinking that the action at the nut was a little too high. But that is one great guitar. |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | it does play well with the mediums; as far as the nut, I'm very comfortable with the setup as is.
it does have a tone/projection similar to the Adamas. my wife was downstairs - asked her what guitar I was playing, she said Adamas referring to one of the Adamas I's...not bad for a wood top center hole. |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Paul, did you have to make any other adjustments besides pulling the shim?
I currently have my '05 tuned to open D. Would going to the mediums and then tuning to open D cause any tension problems on the neck? |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | No other adjustments. I wouldn't guess you'd have any problem with an open D tuning. Bass and treble E's would go down a note.
That new LX neck is solid as a rock. Let us know how it sounds. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Paul;
What you're describing is DoubleDropD.
OpenD would require a bit more re-tuning, but judging from what I'd seen of these guitars, I don't think Stephen'd have any problem whatsoever . . . . |
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Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | And all this time I thought Double-Drop-D was something else. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I know that D tuning involves retuning the G & B strings, but for the life of me, I can't remember what you tune them to. My point was that D tuning brings both the E strings down, negating whatever other tuning has to be done. It's not stressful to a guitar at all. |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Open D is DADF#AD. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Thank you, Charlie the Tunah. |
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Posts: 4413
| "He cain't tune a banjo but he kin shure tuna fish."
Byron Berline somewhere in London sometime around 72/73 |
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January 2004
Posts: 338
Location: SE Michigan | My 05C came with standard lights (12's) and sounded magnificent at concert pitch. I typically tune down 1/2 step to D#, when I tuned down the guitar lost a lot of that great tone it had. So I put a set of Martin SP 12.5's (half way between light and medium gauge) on the guitar this helped the tone a lot. I think I will probably go to mediums next restring. If I were staying at concert pitch the 12.5's would be perfect.
My experience is that any acoustic will sound better with heavier strings. Real men play heavier strings, It's no big deal when you get used to it. I even play lead solo's with two-step bends no problem. Stevie Ray Vaughan strung his Strat with 13's. Bigger strings = more tension = better sound. So all you girly-men out there quit your whining and put some decent sized strings on your guitars!
If you can't handle at least 12's maybe you should be playing a nylon string guitar or maybe even....gasp......a uke!! There I said it!! |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| "If you can't handle at least 12's maybe you should be playing a nylon string guitar or maybe even....gasp......a uke!! There I said it!!"
Wanna take it outside? |
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January 2004
Posts: 338
Location: SE Michigan | Any of you micro-gauge uke-strumming sissies ever pick up a bass guitar? Now there are some strings!! Do your wives have to help you open a new jar of pickles? |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| "Any of you micro-gauge uke-strumming sissies ever pick up a bass guitar? "
I tried but it was too heavy. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Brian speaks for me on this!
Schroeder, you don't want to force it outside with me! It would be in my backyard and it's made for drinking beer and I'd force you to drink weak American beer and teach me new guitar licks!
Don't mess with me now....... |
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| "I'd force you to drink weak American beer and teach me new guitar licks!"
Can't I opt to just take a beating? |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Wus. Just means more Coors light and Coronas for me. |
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Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | I like the sound of 13's on my Legend, acoustically, but when I plug in it seems that the bass is overwhelming. So I usually stay with 11's. Does anyone else have this problem or is it just my inability to eq? |
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Posts: 4413
| I think it's a problem with bronze strings when you go over 12. Even if the bass isn't booming and overpowering the whole thing sounds muddy to me.
The great advantage with an O is that you don't have to chase acoustic volume - you've got the best pickup already on board. Much better to chase tone. And that is as much down to how you play as what you play. On my archtop I use 12s, D'Add chrome flatwounds, and I think they're just perfect. Been playing 'em for 10 years or more. I use silk and steel Rotos on my Custom Legend and Hannabach 815s on my Country Artist. You have to match the string to your style and your guitar. JeffW is less than knocked out with the Rotos on his FD, but I'd probably love it. I haven't used a pick in years.
BTW - am I supposed to be scared of two overweight middle-aged guys in shirts that should be illegal drinking a Lite version of beer that's weaker than English tap water to start with? You'll have to try harder. Now, if al threatened to smile at me.... |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Well, you got me....... |
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Posts: 4413
| Although it would be really nice to sit on your porch drinking beer and playing guitars.... especially right now cos the humidity here is wasting me. |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Paul, what brand and type did you use? |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Elixirs. |
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Medium Gauge strings on an 05 Collector
