Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with acoustic

Do worn peg holes affect acoustic guitar intonation?

davidriley — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:45:44 -0800

Guitar filter: Will worn-out peg holes affect the intonation of a steel string acoustic guitar? If so, what should I do? My old $250 Washburn has terrible intonation these days. The twelfth fret is almost a half-step sharper than the harmonic. I sanded a new bridge and a new nut, but there is not a noticeable difference between the old set-up and the new one. Then, I noticed that the peg holes are dramatically worn away from string tension. Then I realized that this might be bringing the breaking point of the string closer to the twelfth fret. Is this what might be affecting my intonation?

If this is the case, can I fill the holes with putty and re-drill them?

Ima let ya finish but what kind of guitar are you playing?

cazoo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:51:08 -0800

Taylor Swift Filter: Did anyone catch Taylor Swift on last nights SNL? I'd like to know what kind of acoustic guitar she was playing. I believe she used it twice, in the opening monologue and then for her musical numbers.

It looked like it was made of Hawaiian Koa wood. I didn't get a good look at the headstock to see the manufacturers name but maybe someone else caught it. Thanks.

Sorry, I don't have any pics.

Acoustic music in New Orleans?

Rain Man — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:23:04 -0800

Suggestions for acoustic music venues in New Orleans? I'll be visiting NOLA in a couple of weeks and would appreciate some advice about likely spots to hear live music. My tastes run to acoustic Americana, a touch of twang okay, bluesy too, and I already have a basic notion of the more touristy Dixieland scene from previous visits (all of them pre-Katrina). As examples of my interests I would mention the Nawlins-based musicians Mary Gauthier and Anders Osborne (or at least his folkier side). Thanks!

Acoustic guitar string shopping

crookedgrin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:31:21 -0800

Where should I buy high-quality acoustic guitar strings online? Also, suggestions for brands of strings? I'm an experienced guitarist with a really nice acoustic guitar (a custom cedar-top/mahogany John Allison six-string, if you must know). The guitar is built for very light gauge strings; I usually use D'Addario extra light (10-47). I'm tired of buying strings one package at a time from Guitar Center. Anyone know a good (i.e., cheap) place to buy them online, ideally without having to buy a whole crate of them?

Also, any acoustic guitarists have recommendations for awesome, lesser-known strings that I should try out?

songbooks?

freddymetz — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:29:16 -0800

where can i find acoustic chord books with lyrics in or around MORELIA, Mexico? im looking for songbooks by mexican bands like mana or camila but also basically any acoustic songbooks!
i cant really find a bookstore either in morelia! Where do they sell this kind of stuff in mexico?

If only Narcissus weren't such a jerk...

invitapriore — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:19:19 -0800

How do I improve the acoustics in a room not really cut out for recording? I want to do some recordings in my home, preferably in my bedroom. It's not the best venue for the task, though, as the wide expanses of drywall make for a lot of echoes. Are there any easy ways to make an area where I can record without extraneous noise? I don't know if it's relevant, but I will be using a condenser mic with cardioid directionality to record voice and instruments.

Should I buy this guitar?

Precision — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:25:41 -0800

Should I buy this used Taylor acoustic guitar? Guitar guru mefites, help me out! In my local craigslist today I found a 2002 Taylor 414-CE for $800. (It's acoustic electric). I already went to go check it out. The man hasn't played it in three years, literally, and the strings are at least as old, so the tone was rather dull. Also, it was very dusty.

However, it was in amazing condition otherwise. No scratches or blemishes that I noticed whatsoever. It comes with the hard shell case. With a fresh set of strings and a little cleaning, it'd be good as anything. The 414 is typically new for $1600-$1900, from what I understand, so this seems like a rather great deal. I'm 18, and this seems like an acoustic that would carry me for a looong time, if not forever.

Is this as good a deal as I'm thinking, or do they depreciate more than I realize? Would you buy it for $800? Any advice/thoughts appreciated.

Where should I put all these musical pirates?

Faint of Butt — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:33:52 -0800

Tell me how to arrange eight to twelve singers, a guitarist (acoustic), a fiddler and a bodhrán player, all unamplified, for best overall audibility and musicality. Assume an outdoor setting with effectively unlimited performance space. There is no electricity or amplification of any artificial nature available. The singers can be grouped into sopranos, altos, baritones and basses. Some songs are led by a soloist with backing vocals, and others are more choral and involve the whole ensemble equally. All of the performers need to be able to hear all of the other performers so that everyone can stay in time and on key, and the audience needs to hear the whole group.

What's the best way to do this? Should we just arrange ourselves in an old-fashioned semicircle? Where do we put the soloists and instruments? Help me, AskMe musicians, and let me find a good solution before the next gig! Thank you!

chad vangaalen's echo trian

madmamasmith — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:20:56 -0800

does anyone know the guitar chords/ tab for Chad Vangaalen's echo train? PLease....

I love the acoustics in here

_Mona_ — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:54:50 -0800

[Music Filter] I'm totally into acoustical guitar and also incredibly picky. Help me find music I like and I'll be eternally grateful. I really like acoustical guitar music, especially when a song starts out without it and the transitions into it. Examples of what I mean start here at 2:01 and here at 0:16. I'm also very fond of acoustic versions of songs like this, this, and this.

I'm not looking for exclusively acoustic music or artiists, but rather individual songs that blend it with other instruments. I'm not a fan of jazz or blues but would prefer stuff that's contemporary, even pop-ish. Oh, and this guy drives me batshit insane.

Thanks MeFites!

What used acoustic guitars are under valued?

magikker — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:42:48 -0800

I'm looking to buy a used acoustic guitar that didn't hold it's monetary value. Which brands should I look for? Let me explain. A Martin or Gibson which cost 2 grand ten years ago is still worth 2 grand (or more) on the used market. A Tacoma that cost 2 grand ten years ago now sells for under a grand used. It's still a good guitar, but now it is a steal for what you are getting.

I'm not looking for a good monetary investment, as I don't expect to be reselling it. I want a good undervalued player's investment. Are there other brands,models,years that are selling for a lot less than what they are worth in terms of quality?

Songs for acoustic guitar and beginner violinist?

bondcliff — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:05:16 -0800

Songs for acoustic guitar and beginner violinist? My wife has been taking violin lessons (mostly to help my son with his lessons) and I can strum a chord or thirty on guitar. We’d like to find some fun songs we can play together.

Although she’s a beginner violinist, she’s very musical and can find the right notes, find the key of the piece we’re playing and pick out a melody. She’s very rusty though, so she’s more comfortable doing simple improvising or playing melody lines rather than following along with a score or my chord charts.

We’re looking for songs that, though not necessarily guitar/violin songs, are particularly suited to this combination. What seems to work are songs that have a straight-ahead chord progression for me and a lead guitar she can imitate with the violin. So far we’ve had fun playing Melissa (Allman Bros.), Sultans of Swing, Norwegian Wood, and a couple other songs that generally fit into the classic rock genre. You know, those basic campfire/party songs that every guitarist knows. The Devil Went Down To Georgia is probably a little advanced for us.

I’m generally interested in rock-ish songs, mostly because it’s all I know. Feel free to open my mind a bit though, especially if you can link to reliable chord charts. I’d prefer specific song suggestions, rather than generic “Check out Allison Krauss” or “look into bluegrass songs.”

Karaoke-like software that will show chords and lyrics in time that I can follow along to?

andrewzipp — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:11:38 -0800

I'm a beginner on acoustic guitar. Is there any karaoke-like software that will show chords and lyrics in time that I can follow along to? I have a DVD called "Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar" that has a couple of practice tracks, where on screen there's notes that light up on the beats, and some really basic drum and bass accompaniment. You strum E four times on the beats, switch to A, etc. It's more fun than playing with just a metronome.

It seems like there's plenty of software that will let you write out your own backing tracks, or there are backing tracks that you can jam along with if you really know what you're doing. But is there something where I could plug in the chords and lyrics for 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' and play along with the chord changes and lyrics keeping time on the screen?

Piano on a Budget

Fairchild — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:02:16 -0800

Our children are taking piano lessons. They need a piano. We don't know what we're doing. Our kids, ages 5 and 8, started piano lessons this week. We need to buy them an acoustic piano for practice at home.

My partner and I have no idea what we're doing. We don't know how to shop for a piano. We have never played a musical instrument. We would like to buy something used, with a price tag of $500 dollars or less. Is this reasonable or realistic?

I know to avoid stuck and chipped keys, but what else?

I saw an ad today for "BALDWIN PIANO Acrosonic. Excellent condition. $500" Another ad stated, "Kimball upright piano, good condition, $150" I have no idea what this means. I know nothing about brands. If I went into a home to see these pianos I wouldn't have a clue as what to look for.

We aren't considering electronic keyboards because the instructor is against them. We aren't against upgrading to a nicer piano in the future, but for now, we need something adequate for them to practice on.

Also, what are your views on children learning and loving music if their parents don't know diddly? We listen to a wide variety of music and we sing (poorly), but that's where it ends. We have never played an instrument and do not know how to read music. We (I) have some anxiety about our kids being able to practice and learn effectively when we don't know the first thing about music. We did sit in on the first lesson ,and we'll probably sit in on a few more (the instructor prefers it this way), so we do feel somewhat comfortable helping them with posture, finger placement, etc., for practice at home.

Any advice appreciated. We need a piano and we're clueless!

That's it! I'm pulling the plug!

kjackelen05 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:09:52 -0800

Help me find some good songs or artists featuring the acoustic guitar. I'm looking for some good acoustic (or semi-acoustic) songs to suit my early morning/late night moods. As a starting point, here's a few I like:

"Mercy" by Burden Brothers
"In My Sky" by Burden Brothers
All of Disc 2 of "In Your Honor" by Foo Fighters
"Why Georgia" by John Mayer
"Better Together" by Jack Johnson

Help me out, music lovers! What artists and songs do I absolutely need to have? Any suggestions are welcome.

The sun and the clouds are a wavy sea, and Foltin sails on...

GrooveStix — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:04:50 -0800

Musicfilter: Help me find similar music to the sounds of this or that album. More heartwrenching info follows... I've been going nuts over these 2 albums so much, so I need every classic/jazz/ethno audiophile to help out me on this. I've been scouring music rooms on IRC, Soulseek chat rooms, music forums, friends and random strangers but I still haven't found anything that sounds similar or as an influence to the sounds of these albums.

Bands that I've discovered while searching which I liked:
Flanger
Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Postizos
New Klezmer Trio
Jimmy Giuffre
Triosk
Leon Redbone
Glover Gill & Tosca Tango Orchestra
Accordion Tribe
Dancas Ocultas
Sansévérino
Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band

I wanted to ask this question on askMefi for so long, but I always put it off since it seems like I am spamming everyone. I assure you, my Foltin fever is real...

The Conference Room Is Too Loud

ben242 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:30:04 -0800

In my office there is a small conference room, 81"x96", maybe 18' ceiling. The walls are sheetrock. The echo is extremely irritating. In order to quiet the room a bit I want to mount squares of corkboard, 12"x12"x1/4". I will use 12 to 20 of these squares on one of the 81" walls. Will this be reasonably effective in lessening the echo? A 4-pack of the 12"x12" corkboard squares is only about $12, and I can't find any special sound-deadening material thats anywhere close to that cheap.

What is the best method for mounting them to the wall? Double-sided tape seems like the easiest way to go, and we're not concerned whatsoever with keeping the wall behind it looking pretty. It can be repainted someday if necessary.

mystery acoustic song id

null terminated — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:59:59 -0800

Acoustic male song id question I heard a song on the radio Sunday in New Jersey around 8:30pm that I'd like to identify. It was acoustic and male and the only words I can remember go something (though probably not exactly) like "my (girl | lady), she's not a fair-weather fan". I've searched all variations of that but nothing seemed to match. I hadn't heard the song before but have no idea if it's recent or not. The general theme of the song seemed to have been being rich or successful and having lots of friends, then losing that but having his lady stick by him (I'm not positive of this either, because I only caught the end of the song). Thanks a lot!

Quit shimmering, and play something we can all sing

scruss — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:03:41 -0800

Beyond loud, pleasing (and above all) shimmering folk chord strumming, what can I do with a 12-string acoustic guitar? Just got a nice 12-string guitar. While the strumming sounds enormously pleasant, I'm finding that the country/folk basic flatpicking that I enjoy on the 6-string doesn't really work so well.

I've just got Pete Seeger's 12-String Guitar as Played by Lead Belly, but it might be a little beyond me for now. The less said about attempting Kottke, the better

So, what works for you on 12-string?

International Rock Tour Date One of One (or Two)

armoured-ant — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:13:32 -0800

As per this MeTa post, I'll be over from London to San Francisco for the third week in August. Where can I gig when I'm there? Being, as I am, a fairly active electroacoustic soloist and London Underground busker, I'm looking to find one or two venues in the evening that have acoustic showcase nights or open mics that I can either book a slot at, or walk up and play. Any suggestions?

Thanks guys!

Acoustic guitars and humidity

eightball — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:03:51 -0800

Acoustic Guitar Question: My Martin has a few dead frets, apparently because the guitar has dried out. Is this fixable by just using a humidifier? I have a 1966 Martin 016NY (similar to this one). I usually just leave it out of the case on a stand. I moved to a new place about 5 months ago. When I moved in it played perfectly. Now it has a few frets that make that quacking noise. Most noticeably on the B string third fret. I guess the string is slightly touching the next fret when pushed down so it doesn't vibrate as it should.

I brought it to my repair guy. He looked at it for 5 seconds and said "It's dried out, put a humidifier in it and it'll be back to playing as it should in 2-3 weeks". Apparently the top is dried out so the guitar is out of whack and effecting the neck.

So, I've had it in the case with a humidifier for 5 weeks. Refilling the humidifier every few days. There has been no change. Its just as bad as it was 5 weeks ago.

Will the guitar ever go back to normal just by humidifying it? Or do I need something more drastic done?

where would tupac not go to collectively mix music online?

garfy3 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:56:53 -0800

i'm looking for a site like jamglue, but one more focussed on the indie-rock/acoustic stuff, and way less consumed by hip-hop? what are similar web-based, track editing/mixing alternatives? [not that there's anything wrong with hip-hop, of course, just not my thing at the moment]

One man, one guitar, one microphone.

JParker — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:28:03 -0800

My 9th grade son has taught himself guitar and he's thinking about entering the school talent show. He's trying to pick a good song that he can play and sing, and I'd like to help him out. What's a good song for one young man and an acoustic guitar and a high school audience? I'm impressed with his skill on the guitar... but then I'm his dad. He's been playing for about 8 months. He has a repertoire of about 50 songs including many classics (Stairway to Heaven, Freebird, etc.) and a lot of Jack Jackson, Dave Matthews, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and he has good timing and a good ear. The challenge for him will be singing, as he has no confidence in his voice. So far his favorite candidate is Good Time [YouTube link] from Scrubs.

Need advice and/or leads for buying a Taylor Acoustic/Electric Guitar or Big Baby...

caveat empress — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:36:46 -0800

Need advice and/or leads for buying a Taylor Acoustic/Electric Guitar or Big Baby... I am ready to buy a guitar, and I have 3 things to consider:

My hands (2 fold):

1) I am rehabbing from an injury where I severed extensor tendons in my left hand. I have always wanted to learn to play, so I am going to use this as a way to help get more range of motion in my hand.

2) I have small hands... should I go with a Taylor Big Baby? I have held a friends full size taylor and it is just a bit too big in the neck, although much better than most acoustics that I have held.

and

3) My finances.

Where do I go to look for good deals on used a used Taylor... or where do they have the very best deals on new, last years models?

Does anyone out there have one for sale?

I would love to get the least expensive acoustic/electric, which Taylor model is that? The Big Baby model is not acoustic electric... would it be the best bet for my conditional terms?

MeFi Folk... what are your opinions?

Need help with a worship song key change transition

beammeup4 — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:37:31 -0800

Church worship leader needs help with a key change transition for a Christmas song! I'm singing a Christmas song called "Who is He in Yonder Stall" which is played in the key of G, and I want to sing the final verse a whole step higher in the key of A. How can I make the transition to the new key smooth and pleasing sounding (I'm playing it on my acoustic guitar)? I want to change key during a short instrumental transition. What chords should I play?

The last line of the chorus goes like this:

----------------C-----------D--------G
Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

And the following line the first line of a new verse, when played in the key of G, goes like:

---------G--------------------C
Who is He that from the grave