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From
Acoustic Guitar Magazine, March 1999, No. 75
Painting
a Guitar | Steel
versus Nylon | Fingerstyle
Bluegrass | Jim Croce Tab
Send Us a Question
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Painting a Guitar
Q I would like to paint
graphics on my acoustic guitar. I figure that painting on the existing
finish and then refinishing it would double the thickness of the
finish and would affect the tone quality too much. I guess I would
need to sand down the finish about 90 percent, then paint on it,
then refinish it. Is this very difficult or can it be learned fairly
easily?
-Kent Curole, Cut Off, Louisiana
A Guitar finishing is one
of the banes of a luthier's life. Guitarists have come to expect
mirror reflections that really only come from too much finish, which
impairs the instrument's tone. But, if you want to give it a shot,
here's some feedback. As for sanding away 90 percent of the finish,
all I can say is good luck. You'll probably burn through to bare
wood somewhere. You'd be better off starting from scratch. Get an
unfinished guitar and apply a good sealer, such as Stewart-MacDonald's
3883, available in spray cans. Then sand it dead flat with no burn-throughs
to about 320 grit. Do your graphics with paint that's compatible
with both the sanding sealer and the clear top-coat finish you're
going to use. Apply a top coat of something like Stew-Mac #381 clear
gloss lacquer, allow it to cure, and then go through the stages
of final sanding and rubbing it out.
Before doing anything, I would get a copy of Dan Erlewine's new
book, Guitar Finishing, Step-by-Step (Stewart-MacDonald's Guitar Shop Supply, [800] 848-2273).
Then I'd find a guitar finisher and have him or her do the job!
Fine guitar finishes rarely happen the first time; it takes several
years and many guitars to learn high-quality finishing, and the
learning curve is fraught with frustration, especially for those
learning on their own.
-Rick Turner
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Steel Versus Nylon
Q I am planning to buy
an acoustic guitar. The last guitar I owned 15 years ago was a nylon-string,
but I'm wondering whether a steel-string would be better for me.
What are the pros and cons of each?
-Ole Brock Lauritzen, Copenhagen, Denmark
A The most important consideration
is the kind of music you want to play. You simply want the best
tool for the job you have in mind. Nylon strings allow for prodigious
control of color, vibrato, and timbre-due in part to lower tension.
They also have less sustain, so the notes die out more quickly.
This could be considered a drawback, but it results in a distinctive
percussive quality some players love. Steel strings have ringing
sustain and a sharper attack.
Classical, Brazilian, and flamenco players tend to choose nylon-string
guitars. Bluegrass, blues, and pop guitarists are more likely to
play steel-string instruments. If you want to be able to bend notes,
you'll need steel strings. Altered tunings that use lowered pitches
also work best on steel-string guitars. Fingerstyle and jazz styles
work well on both steel- and nylon-strings.
But these are all just generalizations. If you like the sound you
get by strumming the heck out of your nylon-string guitar with a
flatpick, go for it. Before you buy, think about your goals and
then try out as many different guitars as you can. Go with the one
that has the sound and feel you like the best. You may eventually
decide you want to own a steel-string and a nylon-string.
Two things to beware. Don't base your choice on the notion that
nylon strings are easier on your fretting hand. That is a short
term consideration. Think of where you want to go. And never put
steel strings on a guitar built for nylon strings. You'll risk causing
severe damage.
-Gary Joyner
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Fingerstyle Bluegrass
Q I have always heard
of bluegrass described as one of the "flatpicking styles." Have
there been any famous fingerstyle bluegrass guitarists? I am interested
in playing bluegrass, but I am finding that trying to relearn to
play with a pick is troublesome, to say the least.
-Gene Connor, New York, New York
A It is true that flatpicking
is the primary way to play bluegrass, but there have been numerous
exceptions. Lester Flatt played with a thumbpick and a metal fingerpick
on his index finger, and when it was gospel time in the Flatt and
Scruggs band, Earl Scruggs put down his banjo and fingerpicked the
guitar for some beautiful gospel lead guitar solos. Wayne Henderson
plays some incredible lead guitar with his fingers, and numerous
bluegrass and country guitar players, including Clarence White,
have been known to use their fingers in conjunction with a flatpick.
Because rhythm is the guitar's primary function in a bluegrass band,
the trick, for those reluctant to give up their picks, is to find
a way to achieve the power, drive, and fluidity of the bluegrass
rhythm guitar style without using a flatpick. Good luck.
-Scott Nygaard
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Jim Croce Tab
Q Thank you for your
recent feature on Jim Croce ["Time in a Bottle," Acoustic Guitar
October 1998]. Do you know where I can find more of his songs in
tablature?
-Brad Malone, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
A Warner Brothers has published
several Jim Croce songbooks. Jim Croce: The Greatest Hits
(GF0658) and The Best of Jim Croce for Guitar (GF0475) include
tablature and should be available at any music store that carries
sheet music.
-Teja Gerken
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SEND QUESTIONS TO Dear A.G., Acoustic
Guitar,
PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979-0767; email dear.ag@
stringletter.com.
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