Yea fret buzz is least of worriesš
Also on electrics minor string buzz often doesnāt come through the pickups. I have a couple of guitars that buzz like crazy when not plugged in that sound clear as a bell when run through an amp.
I keep most of my electrics setup with super light strings, usually tuned to c or c# standard, and action so low that most people find them unplayable. I also love jumbo frets but those are only on my more modern guitars.
My hands are often sore from work when I get home (getting old) and Iāve had more than my fair share of hand injuries over the years so I find this type of setup works best for me.
Thereās a trade off though. The combination of downtuned extra light strings (7s or 8s) and crazy low action, especially with large frets, necessitates a lighter touch that you might be used to with both hands. Itās really easy to bend notes by pressing too hard and itās easy to make everything rattly by playing too hard with the right hand. Not trying to dissuade you, I think itās absolutely the way to go, it just takes a little getting used to. It also makes things like tapping really easy. Now when I play other peoples guitars I feel like Iām going to the gym.
As far as sound goes there isnāt much difference, thatās what gain staging is for. Thereās a reason so many of the greats used light strings (since they were invented anyway. Mid to late 60s I think).
Acoustics are a whole different matter as they require a lot of energy to be transferred to the top to function properly. Resonators even more so.
The one case where Iāve found light strings being a problem with electrics is with bigsby style tailpieces. They were designed for the old style of strings (very heavy) and the design never changed. Iām working on modifying a bigsby for light gauge but itās not quite there yet.
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Had to bring out all the dirt pedals to welcome the Fat Rat. (Warning: long nerd out below)
It has been a lot of fun getting to know the sweet spots of each, and what works best together.
Iāve had the Carcosa for a while and got it for āwhen I need some fuzzā and didnāt think much of it, but the more I play with other fuzz or fuzzy distortion the more I appreciate it. It can do Fuzzface-ish to Big Muff-ish to splatty, gated velcro fuzz, while retaining string definition as if thereās a parallel clean boost signal happening as well. This is the fuzz that saves me from going down a fuzz rabbit hole.
SD-1W is my favorite pedal for changing up the guitar or another pedalās character by adding mids. Classic rock tones for days pushing something into higher gain, but on lower gain settings with my Teleās bridge pickup I get that perfect edgy post-punk sound. Except maybe the Rats can do the post-punk thing even better?
Turbo Rat was my first pedal I purchased when I started playing guitar because I was super into Pixies and Sonic Youth. I donāt even know what I used for an amp back then but it wasnāt good, though the Turbo Rat worked. By the time I started recording I had a tube amp and never really used the Turbo Rat much, until I got Dream 65 recently-ish. That made me pay attention to people pushing Rats with SD-1s so I tried that but Turbo Rat has a fair amount of mids as it is, so that got me wondering about a non-Turbo Rat.
So today I got the Fat Rat and can understand how a normal Rat works better than a Turbo with an SD-1. I wasnāt sure if it would be redundant with the Turbo Rat but Iām really liking what it does. Both sound incredible in slightly different ways, though maybe those differences will become greater as I get familiar with the Fat Rat.
The HM-2W has been the oddest one for me. I think thatās mostly because thereās no eq control over the high frequencies, so itās very bright, but that just requires using the tone knob on my guitar for a change. It sounds like an extremely high watt amp the size of a building cranked all the way up. It sounds massive, and part of that is the great string definition it retains. Favorite pedal to use with it is the SD-1W to push some mids into it and tighten it up even more. I should also add, bass guitar sounds fantastic through it.
BD-2W is my favorite transparent overdrive. It makes all the pedals I previously mentioned sound better, or at least different in a nice way. I use it on the stock setting, which is the case with all my pedals which have āfatā or custom options. The added bass never helps since Dream 65 has plenty. Blues Driverās frequency response is perfect for my setup, and gives me that sharp punchy sound I want my Telecaster to have.
Barbershop was a revelation with the Iridium and is an amazing overdrive pedal, but the added highs and lows make it less useful with the more scooped Dream 65. It still sounds great, especially with other pedals going into it, but as a ātransparentā overdrive I prefer the Blues Driver. Iāll keep it around for when I want to utilize the sag control.
Finally is the Op Amp Big Muff, which is last in the chain because I canāt get it to sound good with anything after it. All it needs is a clean amp setting to shine though. Itās also last because it sounds amazing with any pedal going into it. Even the HM-2W on full blast sounds great into the Big Muff. My favorite for that, however, is the good olā Turbo Rat. Something about that combo is magic, and I can see why Thurston Moore used that setup (though with a different kind of Big Muff, I think).
Anyway, now that Iāve written this long post Iāll probably completely lose interest in guitar and pedals like I did with modular last year 
No, the guitar is here to stay, and it has been a lot of fun getting back into it after focusing on synth-based music for more than a decade.
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This looks like the right place to ask a couple guitar questions.
I used to play a lot of guitar. Started studying classical in a conservatory at age 10 and then evolved into other styles and also played steel strings. In my 30s, I developed a nerve issue in my arm (cubital tunnel syndrome) and had to stop playing, so I turned my attention to synths, samplers and such. I canāt express myself very well on keys.
I havenāt played guitar in years and I think I want to start again, but playing in moderation ā I plan to keep my sessions short to record some stuff and then manipulate in samplers.
All this to say, Iām no stranger to guitars, but have been out of the loop for about a decade. Iām looking for nylon string a guitar that would be good for recording. Maybe something with an active pickup? I like the sound of Godin, but I donāt want to spend thousands on what could ultimately have to stop if my arm issue starts up again. Any recommendations for something like this? Iām looking around myself, but thought I would ask too.
Also, how is MIDI pickup technology these days? I used to have one of those Roland GR synths, but it wasnāt all that accurate. Iām seeing this Fishman pickup: https://www.fishman.com/tripleplay/ and wondering if itās any good and also how well it would work with nylon strings.
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A quick web search shows that it requires metal (itās magnetized), so standard nylon strings might not work at all. apparently Thomastik-Infeld makes steel core nylon strings, which might work. Asking if someone has tried those strings with that pickup is probably too specific of a question!
How about a Yamaha silent guitar? No idea what theyāre like, but pretty sure they have pickups ready for recording and a nylon version that might (actually, Iām not sure if this is the case now Iāve had a quick look) have a narrower than normal nut width (maybe this would help?)
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Wow that looks so interesting! Iāll check out some sound demos. Thanks for the rec.
One that came up in my search is this ESP TL-6N: TL-6N - The ESP Guitar Company ā it looks like it has a more narrow neck width than a classical guitar, which I definitely wonāt mind.
Sounds like there 3 versions (old to new)
better review here and demo
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I think this guitar actually sounds great! I hadnāt even considered the fact that I can also play it at night without waking anyone up. Iām in the US, so I think Iām going to see if my local Guitar Center has one to check out in person.
I might still be able to mount a MIDI pickup on it, but there isnāt much surface, so I would have to look into the dimensions.
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its got me looking at them hahah. If it records OK direct from the Headphones out, could be really handy!
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I love my Breedlove nylon string guitar, which I bought for about $200 used. Not very loud acoustically, but has a lower action than just about all other nylon string/classical guitars I tried at the shop, and a pickup for amplification, which more than makes up for the low acoustic volume.
Godin has been making a MIDI version of the Multiac nylon string for years. Goes without saying that a MIDI Multiac costs a lot more than my used Breedlove.
Graphtech has a nylon string version of the Ghost MIDI kit.
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Lots of great info. Thanks a lot @GovernorSilver!
Iād never heard about the Graphtech Ghost MIDI kit, but using something designed for nylon strings sounds like it could be more viable than using steel core strings on a magnetic pickup.
Which Breedlove do you have? Low action sounds useful to me, considering the whole arm thing. Plus I havenāt played in years and my strength is probably not quite there now
I have a Breedlove Discovery Concert CE. Looks like they discontinued it and replaced it with this model
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Whenever I pick up my guitar, I end up making nice music. I can play pretty well, and itās probably great for anyone who happens to overhear it.
The problem is, I really donāt like that kind of music. The only time I use guitar in my compositions is if I sample it and chop it up, or if I need something specific like a spring-drenched surf chord.
The thing is, I love guitar, and the sounds it can make. Iām also way better at guitar than keys.
Any tips on forcing myself away from the cliches, and from ending up making nice safe music? Alternate tunings donāt help. Neither does a ton of distortion. I donāt want to get into pedals again. Software is an option, but not if it drains the fun out of playing.
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I think I know what you mean. I strayed away from āguitar musicā long ago. I tried a few things, like sampling and and cutting it up or even DJing with a guitar synth.
I used to do this thing in the early 00s where I mixed records and then had a MIDI pickup on my guitar (Roland GR whatever) and then played the synth on a groovebox (Roland MC-505, which I thought was awesome at the time) by playing the guitar. I improvised over the records and moved through a few different styles throughout the set. I played out a few times like this and believe or not people danced.
What kind of music do you actually like to listen to?
Personally Iām really into breakbeats and dnb/jungle lately. Iām thinking of making some of that stuff with a guitar.
Same here! Iām so pathetic at keys. Iām also thinking that in terms of writing music, a guitar is beneficial for us non-keyboardists.
I find it much easier to come up with chord progression on guitar, which then I can just program (sequence) synths to play if Iām not interested in a guitar sound for that part.
I donāt really know though. Iām just about to get back into guitar after a decade-long hiatus (see a few posts above), so these ideas arenāt exactly tried and true.
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- Smoke a joint and let the plant guide you
- pick up a left handed guitar
- play without using one or more fingers on your left / right hand
- limit your playing to eg two strings
- try to make music with a single note only
- play very slowly (50bpm) with closed eyes and focus on the sound only
It can be hard to break free from muscle memoryā¦what is it that you donāt like about the music you play? Is it more the compositions/scales/harmonies (left hand) or is it a matter of rhythm (right hand)?
Sometimes it can help to venture into the basics of different stylesā¦in Flamenco guitar, for example, lots of emphasis is placed on the right hand, itās so emphasised actually, itās an entirely different school of thought to my mindā¦
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Second the right hand focus. I stopped using a pick a few years ago and worked up my tight hand technique so itās pretty natural to me. It suits my alt tuning noodley style. It also took years to find a way to integrate guitar into electronic pallette. Guitar and electronics is usually pretty bad. Mezzanine got it right.
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Thatās fun to read, because Iāve always considered using a pick to be my weak link! I always hand-pick, because I started classical, with nylon strings. I envy guitarists with good pick technique ā I can never get the same speed or control as when using my hand/fingers.
I admire the hybrid style with picks and three fingers, I believe that is most precise and favoured by session musicians because they are on the clock. I have no such pressures!
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I read an interview with Brett Garsed in which he said he gave up two-handed tapping, partly because he was getting more into hybrid picking. Some guitarists got into two-handed tapping because it was easier to play wide intervals with tapping, compared to string-skipping with a pick. Garsed found hybrid picking sufficient for accessing the wide intervals he wanted - instead of tapping or skipping strings with a pick, just use an available finger to pluck the other note.
His endorsement of Gustavo Assis-Brasilās hybrid picking book led me to that book and I started working out of that. Hybrid picking using the pinky was the most challenging for me. Quite a bit of the material in there is super nerdy by guitarist standards, but there are some beautiful (imo) compositions for solo guitar, employing hybrid picking, in the final section of the book.
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