The Song Fight Bulletin Board

So, I was watching fellow Brooklynite Kelli Rudick's videos and while certainly impressed with her player, the sonic qualities of the composite guitar she plays just makes me really sad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfBF2ak-p84

On another video she plays a wood guitar and the difference is tremendous:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvDWPOcpi78

When I studied with Fripp at his Crafty Guitar camp he basically wanted everyone to buy Ovations. He liked the low action and said something about "consistency across the fretboard" which I guess is ok, but my god they sound like crap! At the time I never had heard him on acoustic so i was stunned by his technique, though the sound just drove me nuts.

Why do composite guitars exist and why do very able musicians put up with their existence?

Do they last longer or take a better beating or something? It's not like you can't get great action on an acoustic, especially nowadays. At first, I didn't think the 1st video sounded too bad, but after hearing the second, you realize how fake-ish the first sounds; same room and mic set-up. I skipped around some of the other videos, and the Kaki gals Ovation type guitar sounded almost like an unplugged electric at times. I dunno, BJam and her dad swear by them as well, don't they? Amazing playing though!

Yeah, people seem to like that sound for some reason. As a beach guitar it's fine, but I'd miss that intimate rich quality that even cheep acoustics offer, but which is entirely intoxicating when you make a decent investment. That's when I can't understand serious musicians using Ovations and the like. You just can't dress them up.

I have an Ovation Celebrity, which is one of those rounded-plastic-back guitars. I got it specifically to play as an acoustic electric. As an acoustic guitar, the sound is terrible. But plugged in, the electronics are very nice-- the nicest under $500 that I played that day at Guitar Center, and I played about a dozen guitars through the same amp. I need to have the action adjusted, because it is currently very difficult to play for more than fifteen minutes at a time. Ouch.

That's why I have an Ovation. But I've also got a Martin DXK, which is synthetic too and which sounds pretty good. Not as good as my D-16GT, but pretty good. Lots of bottom. I recently got a pickup installed in the DXK, to play at crappy indoor gigs (I'll still probably use the Ovation on hot summer outdoor things). But for Guy n' Guitar recording I'll stick my nice Rode NTK condenser mic near the D-16, as it would be ridiculous not to.

JB

The Ovations work well for me at my shows; I run direct into the PA. Actually, I'm playing a Schecter Diamond Series right now, but it's pretty much the same thing.

Plus, the shallow-body guitars are space-efficient. I usually have to stand behind my keyboard in a corner of a bar/restaurant and take up as little space as possible. (I should really get a smaller keyboard, too.)

Of course, not many of my listeners are concerned with the subtleties of the guitar tone. They want songs they can drink, dance, and sing along to. When they don't want to just watch the game on TV, that is.

I have both wood and composite. I like them both for different reasons. As mentioned, the wood is richer, but the composite projects really well. So in different environments, they take on different sounds. My Ovation sound really good outside and as a second guitar when recording. A wood and composite harmonizing together sound amazing. You can hear the mix in action on my GOM song I did for Anti-M, Heaven. I also use my Ovation to harmonize with my mellow electric guitar parts for an interesting mix. You can hear that on this weeks Morning On Bourbon. I used my Yamaha on the straight dirty acoustic parts and my Ovation with the flowy electric parts.

As far as the Kelli Rudick and Kaki King type experimental guitarists out there, I think the composite guitars are a must to sharply pick up every little slap and hammer. I think a wood guitar would sound fine as Kelli plays too, but kind of muddles together more and isn't quite as snappy.

I also have both types of giutar, and everyone here has it pretty much nailed.

The all wood guit sounds far superior as an accoustic instument the round backed one is much easier to use live.... I agree with everyone on this. Damn.

I also use both guitars in conjuntion with each other, this does indeed make for a sweet sound. Tho, in my recent Hoosenbergler cover, whislt I used both types of acc, I used the trad all wood one for the main chords and the roundback for the slide and open tuned parts. And once again they sounded sweet together.


I dont think either guitar is better, but they do have very different uses. Its almost like they are two utterly different instruments.

Me$$iah wrote:I dont think either guitar is better, but they do have very different uses. Its almost like they are two utterly different instruments.

There ya go. Well said. Yes, as an electric, especially live, I see the advantage to be able to plug in and play rather than deal with dampening it to control feedback, etc. Also having a more consistent signal to process helps (similar to what I like about my Steinberger, which isn't a great electric other than it's a strong, clean signal to process, and the whammy bar is to die for).

jb wrote: That's why I have an Ovation. But I've also got a Martin DXK, which is synthetic too and which sounds pretty good.

I have a Martin DXC1E - with the synthetic back - and to my ear it was better than all the other acoustics I played while shopping around. I had intended to buy a Maton - but the Martin seemed better in every respect