The Difference a Pick Makes

Guitarists know that every piece of their equipment is of vital importance in creating their signature sound. While electric guitarists spend years finding just the right amplification and electronics that come together most pleasingly, acoustic artists spend more time experimenting with different tonewoods, fretboards, and often string combinations and bridge height. An interesting fact that many acoustic guitarists are well aware of is the different sounds that can be produced depending upon the material, size, and thickness of the pick used to create them. The pick is, apart from fingerpicking of course, the material that comes between a guitarist’s fingers and the strings, and its influence and importance should not be underestimated.

There are many different materials that have been used over the centuries in the manufacturing of guitar picks. Some of the earliest and most coveted picks were made from tortoise shells. Theses picks were known for their stiffness even when paper thin. Tortoise shell picks were also known to have lasted for many years, as long as the guitarist kept track of them of course! These picks are no longer made due to the international ban on their manufacturing in the 1970s, so guitarists will have to be satisfied with the non-organic imitators, and there are plenty to choose from. Celluloid is still used in pick making. It is also famously used in pin pong balls and hair styling combs. Their production is slowing due to their flammable nature, but can still be found. Many players enjoy the bright sounds produced by metal picks. The attack can be very aggressive and brassy; metal picks are often made of aluminum or copper and are found at most guitar shops. Japanese players are privy to the distinct sounds made from stone picks that are popularly produced in their country. These picks are quite expensive, going for nearly $20 a piece, but many players swear by their warmth of tone and durability. Most of today’s picks are made from a variety of plastics such as nylon. They, of course come in assorted colors, shapes, and sizes depending on the manufacturer. The thicker picks are usually most appealing to players that like to play at accelerated speeds because of the preciseness of their attack. A thinner pick does not have a high tensile strength, bending when coming into contact with the string and is unable to rebound quickly enough for the next strike. Plastic picks can have a brighter or a duller sound as well depending upon their thickness.

It is always good to try different picks made from different materials as part of efforts to find the desired sound. Most local guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company have open containers of picks to try so get out there and put those picks to strings!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Choosing a Bass Amp

Playing bass guitar in a rock band can often be a thankless job. Thankless mostly, because bass players often go unheard beneath the screaming vocalists, the squealing lead guitarists, and the thunderous beatings of overzealous drummers. As a bass player, it is your right and responsibility to take your volume into your own hands. Allowing for enough volume, independent of PA amplification should be a primary concern. If included in the PA mix as well, so much the better, but an effort on your part to insure cut and volume is often a necessity.

The most important measure of volume for a bass player should be as compared to your fellow timekeeper, the drummer. The bassist and drummer can be viewed as a two-headed monster in a band, providing the integral rhythms upon which guitarists, vocalists, and keyboard players may build melodies and riffs. Drummer and bassist should have a nice mix between the two, allowing for clear articulation of the kick drum and of fingered bass strings in the lower registers. Bass players need much higher wattage than guitarists in order to produce a tight and cutting low end. As a rule, bass needs at least 150 watts to keep up with the 60 or so watts of a lead or rhythm guitarist and an un-miked drummer. If the drummer is amplified, another 50 to 100 watts is desirable to ensure your presence in the mix. The size of your speaker cabinet should be of special attention as well (Yes, size does matter!). A couple of 10 inch speakers are advantageous for their ability to carry the high end and provide the punch of trebles and mid-range frequencies. 10 inch speakers have less mass allowing their cones to move very quickly, providing punch and attack articulation. For low frequencies, especially the lower kilohertz provided by the B string on 5 and 6 string basses, a larger speaker should be considered. The larger amount of air that is moved by a 15 or 18 inch speaker will allow the large waves of the lowest frequencies to be heard and felt. A combination of both size speakers would be preferable, with many bass players opting for a couple of 10 inch and a 15 incher running in tandem to provide warmth and accuracy across the entire sound spectrum. Many bass cabinets also include a driver or horn that help provide well defined high frequencies by ensuring higher partials and overtones of notes cut through.

The best way to find the amplification you need is by trying all the many types and combinations that are made available at local music shops. Take your favorite bass down and play through a few setups and ask questions of the salespeople on hand. Local shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock all the major brands and have a friendly, knowledgeable staff that are willing to give you the straight low-down when comes to producing your deepest and baddest low end!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Replacing the Bass Strings on Your Bass Guitar

When bass guitar strings are new, they produce brilliant highs and resonant lows, and are extremely responsive across the whole tone spectrum inherent to their size and length. As strings age, the dust, grime, and oils from the player’s hands stick to the strings, dulling their response and tone. Oxidation can happen to bass strings as well, making their stainless steel makeup lose its brilliance in color and resonant response. Depending on how often a bass guitar is played, strings might need replacing as often as once every couple months for the professional player or as little as once a year (especially if kept in the closet).

Provided a player has found a brand of string and thickness that he or she is comfortable with, and unless experimenting with new strings to find new tones or response, we will take as a given that the same manufacturer and style of strings will be used when replacement time occurs. Because strings are tightened and continually placing stress upon the neck and body of the bass guitar, it is advisable to not remove all 4 (5, 6, or 7) strings at once. A balance should be kept in order to keep the neck straight and true and to make sure intonation is not affected because of a quick release of the stress that the strings provide when on the bass guitar.

Lets begin with the lowest resonating string, E, on a 4 string bass guitar. Notice how the string is wound around the tuning post on the headstock, which direction is it wound around and how many times? This should be mimicked when replacing this string. Slowly turn the tuning key in the direction that loosens the string so as to not shock the neck with a quick release of tension. After the string is loose of the tuning peg, see how it is fed through the bridge at the base of the bass. Some bass guitars allow strings to be fed through the body and then through the bridge, while others are merely fed through the bridge. Again, take note, as this should be mimicked when putting on the new E string. While the string is off, it is good to take a rag and wipe off the grime that has collected on the fretboard before replacing the new string. Feed the new string through the bridge (and body, if applicable) and then through the tuning peg, holding it in place while winding the peg until enough tension exists to hold the string. If so desired, the E string an be tuned to E before proceeding, but just a relaxed tension is all that is necessary, fine tuning can be completed when all strings are replaced. This process should be repeated until all strings are in place, and then tuning can begin.

To find the bass strings and bass, for that matter, that suits your needs, it is in your best interest to try the different types offered at your local guitar shop. Austin’s Strait Music Company and other local shops stock many types and styles of bass guitar and bass guitar strings to choose from. Local stores are also a wealth of knowledge for musicians so get on down and ask and play away!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Acoustic Guitar Body Sizes

An acoustic guitar is a wonderful tool that allows a guitarist to express him or herself anytime and anywhere. Because no amplification is needed, a guitarist can create melodies and rhythms that can be heard by audiences of various sizes as the sound is projected from the resonating cavity of the instrument. The size of the guitar affects how loudly and deeply the resonant sound is.

Acoustic guitars come in various sizes that apply well to different situations, styles, and applications. A size that works well in accompanying a vocalist as well as for solo fingerstyle playing is the Grand Concert. It is smaller in size, so is very portable, and this compactness allows for a focus of tone that allows it to project well also. It works well for players with a slighter build without having to sacrifice tone or quality. The Auditorium size is a mite larger, allowing for more defined mids and lows, but still allowing for those smaller in stature to get their arms around it. For playing with others, the Dreadnought is a tremendous choice. It is larger and has the ability for more power and volume as well as possessing an extremely focused tone. The dreadnought is the most popular size acoustic guitar because of its unrivalled ability to be heard within an ensemble, especially with loud instruments such as fiddles, banjos, as well as other acoustic guitars. The articulation that a dreadnaught provides can be described as ‘punchy” allowing it to be easily heard and distinguished among other string instruments. One of the largest size acoustic guitars available is the Super Jumbo. Its large size allows for extremely pronounced low frequencies. Its bass is unrivalled by the other sizes because of the larger cavity it possesses. The power created by a super jumbo can easily fill a concert hall and cut through a large ensemble with ease. A super jumbo is also very “punchy” in tone as well as pleasing, warm, and vibrant with its ringing tones through the entire sound spectrum.

Acoustic guitars have long been the choice of flatpickers, blues players, fingerstyle players, and bluegrass players alike for their portability and organic sound. The best way to find which style and size is right for a particular guitarists is truly by trying them all on for size. Guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock new and used models that are just waiting to be strummed, picked, and enjoyed.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.