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Location: SE Michigan | I know I have asked this question before but I still have not found a good solution. Brad (Slipkid) and I have been working on an acoustic-duo for awhile now. We have been playing various open-mics, we almost are ready to do our own gig or split a show with another performer. But I still have a vexing problem with lead solo’s on my Adamas W597. I know I have posted questions about lead solos here before and many answers have been offered, and I have tried many of them. But at the risk of sounding like U2, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”.
The problem is that the lead solo’s sound plink-plinky and tinny. If I do multi-string bends or triad chords, things get a little better, but individual notes lack the balls and growl I would expect in a lead solo. As an example we are working on the Beatles “Let it Be”, the double note bends and slides sound good, but the single notes still sound tinny.
I have tried a Boss Compressor, works well at controlling the level and brings up the sustain some, but single notes still sound plink-plink. Also tends to make things sound “crispy” and thin.
A Boss EQ pedal, makes things louder or softer, higher or lower in tone, but still plink-plink, only louder with more or less bass or treble, but still plinky-plink.
Bought a Fishman Aura, and I have to say this things rocks! I loaded the images for a 1778 LX (closest thing they have to a W597 so far), and this thing cleans up Piezo Quack and makes my guitar shine like the sun when amplified. But still when I play lead it sounds like lead played on an acoustic, plink-plink but fuller with more expanse and headroom. It has memory areas to go up or down in volume level and compression, but still doesn’t do quite what I want. I love the Aura and plan to keep it but it hasn’t quite solved my lead solo problem.
A Boss Blues driver – set moderately low, I like the way this sounds, definitely adds some growl and sustain. But the sound guy at the last open mic said it sounded poorly because of the Piezo pickup in my guitar. He said the piezo-quack problem gets worse the louder and harder you play, that’s why it sounded good to me at home testing it.
Which has me thinking; maybe I am expecting too much out of an acoustic. Maybe I should get an electric. But how do you do open mic’s with an electric? We mostly just plug into a PA. From what I understand electric’s suck through a clean amp. Plus, I still want to strum chords and chops on my acoustic. Ideally I would like a simple one box compact solution, battery powered, that I can carry up on stage with my guitar with minimum fuss. What do you guys do for lead solos? Any other ideas?
Thanks for your advice |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | As to the edges of your problem, you might want something to make the sound fuller. Take a look at Matt Smith's set up, he mentioned it the other day in his section, or check out the pictures I took of Kaki King's set up in my photo gallery. You need some kind of delay or reverb. But boxes are just fiddling with the edges, more than anything you need a better speaker. Look into an acoustic amp. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Check out one of the acoustic vipers. I have heard that they can rock out on leads but still have a good acoustic sound. |
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Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | While all of these approaches take on the processed sounds allow me to offer another solution. Grab a Mandocello .078 and set it as your 1st string. Take your heavy gage "E" and make it your2nd string. Et Cetera, et cetera.
Matt Smith does this with one of his Adamas'. This puts you 5 frets lower with the ability to down turn 2 more frets. Now your leads can be done with more "Growl".
String tension is the same if your 2nd string is "E".
More Power to Ya! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | So does that make it sound like a baritone guitar? |
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Location: SoCal | Nope. Baritone takes it down another 1 1/2 notes. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Poor man's baritone, if you will. |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | At the risk of getting a lot of baloney thrown at me, I would suggest you might want to be thinking Epiphone Casino (complete hollow body) or Epiphone Dot or Sheraton (semi-hollow body). I would think those P90 pickups might be the solution. I used to own a Casino, and am pretty sure it will do what you want. After all, John, Paul, and George used to play Casinos (Lennon the most well-known).
Roger |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I agree with OAO. it sounds like you are searching for more of an electric guitar sound out of an acoustic.
generally I am primarily an electric player. It is a challenge for me to play an acoustic and make it sound good but I accept that challenge and realize that acoustic guitar and electric guitar are 2 entirely different animals and you need to adjust your playing style for that.
playing open mics with an electric is usually frowned upon. keep experimenting and develop the tone that sounds like the one in your head. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Yep I'm somewhere between the Alpep/OAO and the Mwoody solution, in that you should consider re-arrangment of the material to match the sound the instruments are meant to make. |
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Location: Scotland | 3 suggestions which may help and don't involve electronics. Go up a string gauge (maybe just the unwound strings) raise the action slightly and/or increase neck relief very slightly and use a stiffer pick. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Wow....a heavier pick. I can't believe I overlooked that one. Great suggestion Paul! |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I saw Al DiMeola play his signature ADII with the lead boost. He sure made it sound like a real lead electric guitar when he wanted to. He also used a foot pedal. I don't know what it was but it added sustain and a bit of distortion.
Hey, Alaskan Fly Guy, can us ordinary folks without Dimeola-like skills make the ADII sound like a lead guitar? |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I didn't even think about that, but Paul's suggestion is the best. I've played around with different string gauges and that's a real good solution. |
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Location: Scotland | I just played a festival stage today. I used a nylon Viper, a "Book" mando & a shitty MOB (set up for slide) The FOH and monitor engineer got an acceptable sound in seconds flat and tonally I PISSED all over every other "acoustic" instrument. Some guy with a Yamaha Compass asked me why my ""plastic" guitars sounded better than his. My suggestion that it was down to his lack of talent rather than anything to do with equipment seemed to piss him off somewhat. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
I saw Al DiMeola play his signature ADII with the lead boost. He sure made it sound like a real lead electric guitar when he wanted to. He also used a foot pedal. I don't know what it was but it added sustain and a bit of distortion.
Hey, Alaskan Fly Guy, can us ordinary folks without Dimeola-like skills make the ADII sound like a lead guitar? 
AD uses Roland's VG and GR guitar synths. |
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Location: Australia | It's interesting that he's using a non cutaway model. |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | It's probably an older guitar, or maybe a custom Custom Legend(????)......
Roger |
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Location: NJ | I'd guess that it's an older unit as well that he decided to fit with the Roland set-up to synthesize the voices of other instruments in some of the orchestral passages as opposed to some of the more stratospheric guitar parts . . . |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | When he was with the trio he had us put a switch on his guitar that boosted the volume(allowed it to go to max) so he could be louder than Paco and John. He also didn't want us to let the other guys know. |
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Location: NJ | They had explained to us last year at the Factory that there was such a "volume proliferation" (and ensuing rivalries among the 3), that the lawyers got involved (naturally) and there were clauses made into the tour contracts that once they were done with the soundchecks, they weren't allowed to reach for the volume control . . .
. . . hence, the lil' "button" hidden at the heel of the neck ;) |
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Location: SoCal | 
In November of 2004 someone asked, "Anyone know about Al's amplifier and effects when he's playing his ovation guitar (1769-AD5) ?"
Ben wrote, "This question gets asked alot... So I will now give you all the breakdown of Al's current rig.
Al Playes his Ovation thru 3 Roland guitar synths, the VG 88, VG 8, and GR30. the 30 is MIDI controled by the VG8, and the 88 stands alone, so he can blend the 88 sounds with either the 8 or 30, which sometimes combine sounds so he is actually running all 3 at once (depending on the patch)... Hope this helps you understand Al's Acoustic rig better.
Keep listenin', keep shreddin', and we'll see you on tour this year!!!! Ben" |
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Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | Nice photos, but the time that I saw Al DiMeola he didn't have any wires, boxes or other devices attached to the top of the guitar. The foot pedal he was using looked like a standard volume pedal, but it seemed to do more than just increase the volume. |
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Location: SoCal | I cannot take any credit for the photos... they are from Al DiMeola's web site from various perfomances.
I probably should have looked on his site to see if it was ok to scarf the pictures...
:confused: I was not thinking... that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The VG88 and GR33 came out with an expression pedal built in. The earlier VG8 allowed for connection of an expression pedal.
Go to his site and ask Ben. He is very responsive. |
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Location: closely held secret | I use a GR33. Takes a lot of practice getting the pick sensitivity right, but the sounds are worth it. |
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Need help with lead solo sound
