Electric vs. Acoustic Guitar

You don't need to play acoustic guitar for forty-two years to know that electric is better, but it helps ツ Here are 101 reasons why!

New Fingerpick Day!

It's New Fingerpick Day! That after 15 years of usage, no filing and still perfectly fine!

So today I tried a fingerpick from my new supply. They are narrower than before, which makes them difficult to mold in hot water. I re-mold them so that I am free to touch the strings directly for multiple harmonics, tapping, percussion, etc. Yes, I wear them "wrong" - I have done so for 35 years without regret :)

That said, several years ago I switched to using bare flesh. Initially, it took more effort to project notes and produce tone, but the benefits are truly astounding. Now many fast, single note lines are easier and far more defined than when using a thumbpick. The increased exertion also greatly improves technique. And with virtually no risk of damaging the guitar top, you extend the life of your Golden Era '45 ;) It is a wonderfully liberating experience, and I have no intention of ever reverting.

Still, I just had to try these new fingerpicks for old times' sake ;)

Offshore Faith

I happened across this little test recording I made while setting up one of my project studios in 2002. This was my private musical retreat situated a safe distance away but still on the same premises as the Cancer hospital my mother and I ran for eighteen years. I laid down the instrumentation with wires coming out of everywhere, tracking the improvised guitar solo in one take while bending about 45 Degrees over the studio workstation. This is as close to distortion as any unplugged acoustic guitarist can get ;)

Process: Taylor 510 > AKG C 1000 S > Logic Audio > Nuendo, with
Timeworks ReverbX on the guitar and Waves TrueVerb on the drums > sampling and MIDI programming.

► More Recordings

Martin 000X1 Review

[Updated November 2019]

In 2008 I chose a Brunner Outdoor Guitar Deluxe over the 000X1 for travel purposes, but I still maintain that this could be Martin's best fingerstyle guitar below $1k and even somewhat higher. Regardless of the HPL back and sides and absence of finery. To my ear it is very well balanced with sweet and substantial first and second strings, making it more ideal for fingerstyle. Strong fundamentals from these two strings with enough overtones are mandatory for me nowadays, and the primary reason I consider the 000-28EC, OM-42 and 00-28 to be the ultimate fingerstyle guitars in Martin's lineup. The updated 000X1AE also has a more comfortable 1 3/4" nut, as does the new 2020 000-X2E equivalent, with more refinements.