String Theory - Installing Strings the Right Way

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After my recent experience with getting my guitar set up properly, I noticed the strings were installed a bit differently than I've been doing for years. I also noticed that once I changed the strings myself, the tuning stability really suffered. I'd been using the method that I learned that I recalled learning out of Dan Erlewine's Book, "The Guitar Player Repair Guide, 2nd Edition (1990)."

Well, I'm guessing I read it wrong, or perhaps 17 years additional experience added some nuances to the process. The "Guitar Player Repair Guide, 3rd Edition (2007)" has been available and comes with a DVD. 

I found this video excerpt on youtube, and I believe it's a snippet from the DVD, and it covers string installation on acoustic guitars. The first couple minutes are spent on the bridge end of a flattop, which is fascinating, but not particularly relevant to archtop players. Skip ahead to 2:56, where he tackles the headstock end of things. 

Dave at Westwood Music used a locking tie for all the strings, even the low E, but otherwise it's the same method. I had basically been using the method in the video, but not adding any slack, so there was far too little string to wrap around the post. As I recall, the 2nd Edition cautions against wrapping too much string around the post, and I just took that too far. 

It's gonna take me a couple string changes to figure out the perfect amount of slack for perfect amount of wraps around the post. Once I restrung with this in mind, the tuning stability improved, and will likely improve more as perfect my technique. 

George Barnes - I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me

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George Barnes was a badass. There's no two ways about it.

George Barnes was probably the first two record an electric (spanish, non-hawaian) guitar solo in March 1938 with Big Bill Broonzy. He's one side of the session, "It's a Low Down Dirty Shame". It's amazing to hear how fully formed his playing and tone is. 

George wasn't just a hot soloist, he was also a bandleader - and one with a healthy dose of wackiness in his soul. His Octet sessions, pictured below, had a cartoon-like, almost Raymond Scott, compositional vibe. 

For those Octet sessions, here's a great track of "I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me."

TK's Monthly Motivation Inspires

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I was browsing around the internet this morning, and dropped by T.K. Smith's Website. For those unaware, T.K. Smith one of the Western/Jazz guitar players anywhere. He's somebody who's references go from Charlie Christian, George Barnes and Barney Kessel to guys like Jimmy Bryant, Roy Lanham, and Junior Bernard. His blog is a fantastic reference point for all things in the vintage guitar world. 

One of his regular features is the "Monthly Motivation" where he post a clip or video that is just awesome. Specifically I happened upon this post, about a medley from live radio broadcast featuring Barnel Kessel, Irving Ashby, Arv Garrison and Les Paul. Well that was a jumping off point, as I started listening to a whole stack of favorite electric guitarists, going from George Barnes, early Les Paul, and Mary Osbourne, finishing off with Charlie Christian. 

(Funny thing is that I spent the whole morning before this working on some acoustic chord-melody playing, specifically George M. Smith's "Test Pilot" from the "Masters of the Plectrum Guitar" book, because I was so inspired by my new friends Yuji Kamihigashi and Takashi Nakayama - who I just posted about - and their video of the tune. )

Anyway, I quickly recorded some basic chunky, 4 beat rhythm tracks to play over, and then plugged my Franken-ES 150 into my 1936 EH-150, which I never get to play live, because it's so small and fragile. 

So the first track is take on rhythm changes, "Moppin' and Boppin'" which is a Fats Waller tune the Campus five regularly plays. It's a rhythm change in F, although the bridge goes (D7 ---- Gm --- G7 --- Db7 / C7). Since I rarely get to play more than a chorus since we're a swing dance band, so I tried to approach each chorus like I was starting from scratch. 

"Moppin' and Boppin'"

  Moppin' and Boppin' - guitar jam by campusfive Rose Room - guitar jam by campusfive

Next up, the old chestnut, "Rose Room." Similarly 

"Rose Room"

Rose Room - guitar jam by campusfive

 

What a difference a Set-Up makes

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I've always been bullish on action. I mean, since I started playing acoustic archtops, I've believe that pretty high action was necessary to drive the top of the guitar, so that the maximum acoustic volume can be reached. I've had pretty high action for the last 10 years or so, as a result, and even put on extra heavy high E and B strings to try to make those strings even louder. I'd dealt with set up guys before, and many of them had been clueless the needs of an acoustic archtop - one particularly respected place in Los Angeles told me they did all of Lee Ritenour's guitars, and they could "put .011's on and make the action super low." Of course, it's not suprising to see guys with no appreciation or understanding for our style of playing and guitars.

Well, I had an epiphany the other day that really set me straight. I was at Westwood Music, here in Los Angeles, and picked up a 16" non-cutaway archtop made by a Nashville Luthier named Welker. While the guitar was pretty darn good, what really blew me away was how effortlessly it played and spoke. The intonation was spot on from nut to bridge and it required very little effort to make the guitar just sing. I asked the sales guy on the floor who set up the guitar, and he replied "I did." I of course asked if he would be able to set up my guitar if I brought it in, and he said he'd be happy to take a look, and that turn around time would be a couple of days tops. 

Well, this was right before Camp Hollywood, and our 6 night 10th Anniversary run, so I didn't take the guitar in until about the three weeks ago.

When I finally brought the guitar in, I saw the same guy who was stoked to see my Eastman 605. He took a look at it and formulated a perscription. But then he said, "lemme get Dave to take a look at it." My first reaction was "Who the hell is Dave? Screw Dave. You set up that Welker - do the same to my guitar." Of course I didn't say that out loud, but the guy explained that Dave was the guy that showed him everything he knows, so he wanted a second opinion. Dave was really nice, and he basically echoed the other guys perscription, though he would take it one notch further. They asked if I had a couple minutes and they could do it right then - of course I took them up on it. I figured they had that nice Welker still, so I could play while I waited.

When the guitar returned not 20 minutes later, I was stunned. The guitar with the beefy action that I'd been wrestling (and mostly winning) for almost 8 years now played like a dream. The intonation, which had always been a bit compromised with my hybrid guage string set, was now spot on. The action was signifcantly lowered, although it was still high enough to get plenty of volume out of the guitar and not buzz when I dug into the guitar.

But, to be fair it wasn't as loud. And that bummed me out for a second - but then I realized the truth. My previous action was past the point of diminishing returns. I was so high that sustain was compromised, and they led to guitar that was harder to play and less impactful, even if it was technically louder. With such high action, the strings would die the second I released the strings even slightly. So, the guys at Westwood Music found that sweet spot where volume/sustain/playability/intonation all meet perfectly. My guitar has been so inspirining to play because of the set up, that I've been playing more guitar lately than I have in 10 years. Having the intonation be so spot on has inspired me to work more on chord-melody and Allan Reuss-style solos. 

There were precursors to my epiphany, and I should've caught them then. Whenever I visit Old Towne Pickin' Parlor outside of Denver, Kit's archtops are always imacculately set up. He was very proud of his in-house luthier, but there was never time to have him work on my guitar while I was traveling for the gig. Also, last visit to Seattle, Dave Brown, our go-to bassist in town, lent me a reconditioned Epiphone Triumph that had been worked on a set up by www.archtop.com. That guitar was similarly inspiring to play, and I took the opportunity several times to play things on that guitar that I would have generally switched to my electric to play. Still, I didn't realize what I was missing until now. 

I would highly recommend both www.archtop.com and Old Towne Pickin' Parlor to set up your guitar like an acoustic archtop should be set up. And if you're in Los Angeles, you must go to Westwood Music and ask for "Dave" - he knows his stuff!

"Chicken a la Swing" ala Japanese

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Here's a pretty impressive video I found of some Japanese dudes KILLING IT on a Dick McDonough/Carl Kress number, while appearently playing some beautiful Japanese-made archtops. Really clean work - too bad there's not much to find about the players or the guitars. Still, DAMN. Nice work, boys.