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Recently,
Dale Hogan and I were discussing the best way to respond to a number of repeat inquiries I’ve received. We agreed that we should include a page on the site devoted to “techie stuff”…especially since we both really appreciate this kind of info from other musicians.
Here are some "Techie" FAQ's
What tunings were used on the "Breakfast with Barnabas" CD?
There are four tunings on the album…Keep in mind that I usually tune my guitars down a half step from concert pitch.
DADGAD
• A Full Heart –capo 2
• Drummer –capo 4
• Endo Contendo –capo 4
• The 2nd Quadrant –capo 2
Open D
• A Spacious Place –capo 4
DGDGAD
• Another Thousand Cubits –capo 2
Open G
• Breakfast with Barnabas –capo 4
• Abigayle –capo 4
• O Sacred Head –capo 4
• Table Scrap Dawg –capo 4
• Objects in Mirror –capo 4
• Joy to the World –capo 4
• Mode D’emploi –capo 4
What prompted you to start playing in alternate tunings?
I received a rather nasty bite from a router (I do woodworking) about six years ago. While my finger was healing (and my guitar playing future was in question), and before the stitches were removed, I tuned my guitar to OPEN G so I could at least play some slide. Of course, after a few days I couldn’t resist some “noodling” on the fretboard….’came up with some tasty stuff (at least to my ears), and I was hooked. This coincided with the discovery that most of the great players I listened to at the time played in a number of different tunings. Oh, my finger did get better…although it occasionally still gives me a pinch to remind me to be careful with power tools.
Are you self-taught?
Yup….although I did take lessons for a year when I was ten. (Where are you now Mr. Heaton?)
Do you teach private lessons?
Nope… (Where are you now Mr. Heaton?)
What’s with the fingernails?
These are “powder gel” nails. You get them done at any nail salon. I took my daughters with me the first few visits and was uncharacteristically loud about being a guitar player….you get used to it! (“What price, art?”)
I’ve noticed that some wonderful players (including Don Ross www.gobyfish.com and Doug Smith www.DougSmithGuitar.com ) use thumbpicks in addition to the powder gels….’have to give them a try some time.
Did you do any overdubs while recording the Breakfast with Barnabas cd?
Nope…no multitracking or punch-ins. Darren (Walters…”engineer extraordinaire”) did some minor edits (on ProTools I think) during mixing. We nearly “assembled” A Full Heart in sections (that sounds so morbid). I had finished writing the song the night before recording it, and knew going in to the studio that it would be a strain on my wrist…..After an hour we took a break, I was ready to give up and do the tune piecemeal…’came back after the break and played what you hear on the album…strange how it goes sometimes.
What kind of microphone did you use to record?
Darren used two large diaphragm condensers, a Rode Classic Tube (www.rode.com.au) and the venerable Neumann U87 (www.neumann.com) placed at about ten o’clock and two o’clock, three feet away from me, and about two feet above the guitar. Originally, he used a small diaphragm condenser (km 184?) as well, but it didn’t really improve the tone. There really are lots of ways to record acoustic guitars well…having stellar mics sure helps. Ed Gerhard (www.edgerhard.com) has an amazing recorded tone, and he uses two Neumann km 184s in an XY pattern, very close to the instrument.
Could you tell me about your guitars?
No! Of course. Most of the tunes on the album were played on a 1985 Takamine SEF375sc (www.takamine.com). The “sc” stands for stereo cutaway (I think). This Tak has a remarkable acoustic tone, especially considering that the back and sides are laminated. In the studio, it holds up well against high end guitars. It doesn’t shine through a P.A…..The stereo system they used in ’85 had a transducer under the saddle for each string. I was never really happy with the way it sounded (although the idea is cool).
Anyway, I'm now playing a Taylor 414 ce limited edition (www.taylorguitars.com ). It has a sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and the new Taylor Expression system. It’s basically an 814 without as much inlay. One thing I really like about the Taylor is the ease of the truss rod adjustment…It also has a more “fingerstyle-friendly” neck than the Tak (a sixteenth of an inch wider at the nut). The Taylor has a balanced out….if I want to travel light, I don’t even need a direct box.
*I just received a wonderful instrument made for me by Mississauga luthier, Tony Karol www.karol-guitars.com. It's a one-of-a-kind walnut guitar and is unusual in that the top is black walnut, as well as the back and sides. The "best I've ever played or seen" neck is five-piece, curly maple from the Niagara Peninsula (where I grew up) and black walnut (also from Ontario). Tony made the bridge from African blackwood and the fingerboard from a beautiful piece of ebony, into which is inlayed a mother-of-pearl polar bear. The binding is curly maple. The pickup system is by K&K www.kksound.com and uses three transducers and a condenser microphone, with an external preamp with which I can control the volume, bass, middle and treble of the two signals (1.transducers 2.mic)...so cool.
What is your favourite kind of guitar?
I’m not sure I have a favourite. There are so many amazing guitars being made now. Of the “mass produced” variety, I like Taylors. I love Lowden guitars (www.lowdenguitars.com), which are made in Ireland by leprechauns who do amazing things with cedar tops.
My Karol "Walnut Polar Bear" is a gem, and certainly ranks with the best-made guitars anywhere.
What’s in your live rig?
I'm trying hard to whittle down my gear and travel with less. I still use these two units much of the time:
Lexicon MPX 100 dual channel processor (www.lexiconpro.com)…for reverb and a wee bit of chorus or flange.
DBX 266XL dual channel compressor/gate (www.dbxpro.com)
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