acoustic guitar help

[kindkind]

Hi guys. I don't have an HD system.....yet. We are working on this new track with a semi postal service (hopefully someone out there is familiar) type beat using all custom home made samples so the sounds are kind of unique. The beat was designed to "fly" and it does. (just want to give you a little bit of a context) The song is mostly acoustic guitar, the beat, and the vocals. there will be some salt and pepper from the bass and some little keyboard doo dads. Whenever we record the scratch guitar take we hear the harmonics coming off the guitar and it sounds great so when we record the real guitar I want the harmonics to be there and if there is a way to focus a mic towards the harmonics so i could get a separate track with more of that for mixing that would be optimal. The guitar sound has to carry a lot of strength in it and i would like some advice on picking out a good acoustic guitar. I have to get it at either GC or Sammy ASH cause i need to use the credit, and perhaps the return policy.

So thanks for reading this far down. to recap Id love to be able to somewhat isolate the harmonics with a mic and also would love a good sounding acoustic with great harmonics. I dont really care about the price of the guitar cause i probly cant keep it. we have a shure ksm 28 and an ISA 428 with a bunch of sm 57's around. i know i need some more mics....but you cant always get what you want...BTW string type weve been using is steel Im sure any suggestions tips on string type also would be very important to note...thanks so much
c

[jeremyroberts]

The guitar sound has to carry a lot of strength in it and i would like some advice on picking out a good acoustic guitar. I have to get it at either GC or Sammy ASH cause i need to use the credit, and perhaps the return policy.

I dont really care about the price of the guitar cause i probly cant keep it. we have a shure ksm 28 and an ISA 428 with a bunch of sm 57's around. i know i need some more mics....but you cant always get what you want...BTW string type weve been using is steel Im sure any suggestions tips on string type also would be very important to note...thanks so much
c

So, you're going to steal a rental out of Ash or GC...

I'm the wrong guy to be reading your post, because guys like you make me sick. You are not only stealing from the store (opportunity costs), you're also stealing from the salesman, since he is not going to be commissioned on your return. He's going to spend time making you happy, setting the instrument up, and you are simply going to waste his time.

Doesn't your guitar player have an instrument? Most guys who can play own at least one good guitar. Why bother, just steal a rental -- I hope you get burned on the return and you get to pay a restocking fee.

[Lee Blaske]

Wow. Buying an expensive guitar with the full intention of returning it for a refund after you use it on your project is operating in bad faith and taking advantage of the retailer (i.e. you're working the system to get a free rental). I guess that's up to you and your conscience.

Regarding harmonics, I don't think you're going to be able to dramatically isolate them from non-harmonic playing if you're doing things in one pass. It essentially all comes from the same place. Keep in mind that if you're mocking up something with a lot of fancy harmonic playing, you're most likely going to need a good player to realize your mocked up part live. That player is probably going to have a decent guitar. There would also be a lot of parts that you could come up with using samples that could potentially be extremely difficult, if not impossible for a real play to perform. If you're using samples of harmonics that have been chromatically mapped across the keyboard, there's most likely no way that such a part could be played on a real guitar.

Lee Blaske

[RobMacki]

I used to work at Musician's Friend when they first opened their showroom in '89.
We used to see this all the time from catalog "sales". MF was the only 30 day return policy, no questions asked, in music retail. It only lasted a couple of years because of this. Then they had to add conditions and exclude certain types of products.

If you believe in your music then get a great guitar for your music.

BTW harmonics are produced and heard from the string. If the harmonic is the only thing that is being played then it will resonate in the box through the bridge. If you are hearing harmonics as in overtones then you will have to isolate the harmonic from the string along the neck and find the sweet spot acoustically etc. KM 184 is a great mic for acoustic guitar.

[kindkind]

Hey. allow me to clarify i probly will get a few guitars and return all of them except for the one with the best bang for the buck ill keep it for myself; and ill probobly tell the salesperson that at the time. and dont get teary eyed for GC they give it to the mom and pops in the behind ALL DAY LONG. Returns are a nature of business; infact i bet GC makes business BECAUSE they have a return policy. it allows people to find what they like!

As for the good player= good guitar sentiment, my players playing makes his yamaha FG 402 sound really compelling. I just know there are better instruments out there.

Hey your idea about taking samples of the harmonics is cool but they play out so beautifully already when he plays it so i dont plan on doing a lot of that. of course we can always explore that thanks to your idea...and for live we could always trigger the extra harmonics/overtones off of the mo or triton (sample it in)



Thanks you guys.about strings anyone?

[kindkind]

If you believe in your music then get a great guitar for your music.

FYI I do believe in my music and i own a nice Takamine EG-124c but that is a classical style acoustic/electric and I cant possibly afford to buy everything I want. and btw thanks for your tip, SirMaki

[TCDet]

Hello.
Use a variety of filters in post and you'll be able to pull out and mix back in, the harmonic-frequencies or your choice.
Automate those filters and get some great flying harmonics!

TC

[c-tone]

Sometimes the Yamaha acoustics will sound better than anything out there, depending on the track you are overdubbing to. If you say that the guide track sounds great, then why redo it? I personally have better luck with Yamahas than I do with fancy Taylor acoustics, although obviously there are many who will disagree.

It sounds to me like you are going for something unique and funky, so don't try to get the most pristine acoustic sound possible.