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Why
Preamps?
Q I
recently tried out some preamps but couldn't hear much difference
between using a preamp and just plugging the guitar straight into
the amp (my guitar has a pickup under the bridge). What exactly
is the benefit of using a preamp?
Sandy Poltarack
Miami, Florida
A When
using a piezo pickup (either a soundboard transducer or under-saddle
type), you need the proper electronic interface between the pickup
and the amplifier or PA. Piezo pickups are very high-impedance devices
and do not generally match up with standard inputs designed for
either magnetic pickups or microphones. Impedance mismatch is like
a 175-pound adult trying to seesaw with a 40-pound child without
moving the pivot point or getting closer to the fulcrum. The kid
could be launched into the stratosphere! But if you move the balance
point, it's no problem. Similarly, a buffer preamp, with or without
"gain" (amplification), electronically balances the pickup with
the amplifier.
To fully answer your question, I'd
have to know if you have internal electronics in your guitar. If
you have a buffer preamp in the guitar, then as long as you are
happy with the sound when you plug in, you will not need a separate
preamp. However, if you have an under-saddle pickup with no onboard
preamplification, then your sonic results will vary wildly depending
on the input impedance of the amp or PA you plug into. You will
also lose considerable signal via the cable you are using.
If you find a good match among your
guitar, a cable, and an amp, stick with those components. But be
aware that changing either the cable or the amp (or plugging directly
into a PA) might have a very negative effect on the tone you like.
That situation is where the separate preamp can come in handy; it
will provide the correct impedance matching between your guitar
and any amp, PA, or recording input.
—Rick Turner
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Stretches
for Guitarists
Q I
started playing guitar at a late age (47). How do other older players
like Clapton, B.B. King, etc., keep from getting arthritis and stiff
hands as they grow older?
Bruce Armentrout
Baltimore, Maryland
A I
don't know what youthful secrets Eric Clapton or B.B. King may have,
but two things we older (in fact all) guitarists can do to help
keep ourselves in good playing condition is stretch and warm up
before we play. Stretch not only your fingers and hands, but arms
and shoulders as well. One website that features a nicely illustrated
selection of stretches for musicians is www.musicianshealth.com/stretches.htm.
You can also find useful stretches in books on preventing carpal
tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries.
In addition to stretching, do some
warm-up movements for your shoulders, arms, and hands before you
pick up your instrument to get the blood flowing to those stiff,
aging fingers. Try this warm-up from the violin world: stand up
with your arms out to the sides at shoulder height and rotate your
arms from the shoulders so your hands make circles in the air. It's
good to start with a slow movement, speed it up, and then slow down
again. Another favorite is to shake both hands at your sides, as
if you're trying to shake water off the tips of your fingers. For
hand and finger warm-ups, many guitarists like to begin by playing
scales and finger exercises. Others will just play a few easy pieces
at a moderate tempo. What they all seem to agree on is starting
out slowly, paying attention to good technique, and then gradually
increasing speed and difficulty. The most important piece of advice?
Do your stretches and warm-ups regularly. This is one of those situations
when an ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure.
—Sue Thompson
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The
First Nylon Strings
Q When
did classical guitar makers begin using nylon strings on their instruments?
John Kimball
Cambridge, Massachusetts
A In
the late 1940s, luthier Albert Augustine began making the first
nylon strings out of a new monofilament product introduced by DuPont
(one of many products developed in response to the urgent need for
synthetic materials during World War II). Nylon proved instantly
superior to gut as far as guitars were concerned; it was cheaper,
more consistent, and lasted longer. However, since the tensile strength
of nylon is different from gut, luthiers had to go through an adjustment
period, learning to recalibrate their guitar-making efforts in order
for their instruments to take advantage of this new material. By
1950, nylon strings had replaced gut on virtually all classical
and flamenco guitars.
—Ervin Somogyi
Send Questions, tips, or observations to Acoustic
Guitar’s online discussion forums at www.acousticguitar.com
or write to Q&A, Acoustic Guitar, PO Box 767, San Anselmo,
CA 94979-0767.
Excerpted from
Acoustic Guitar magazine,
July
2002, No. 115.
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