Acoustic Guitar Live Mic

badjazz

nwilkins wrote:

I have used 14-61 on a number of archtops with different nut widths and have never had any problems with them, even on an old Framus with a narrow nut.

Where did you get the 14-61 strings? Any particular brand or anything? I assume that they are just 80/20 or 85/15 bronze, right?

I ordered a set of the 14-60 strings that I saw. Between that and a mic, I'm sure to be good. As far as fitting a finger under the 12th fret, is that for real? If so, I must totally alter my conception of what 'high action' is. I still would like to be able play single note stuff sometimes.

klaatu

badjazz wrote:

As far as fitting a finger under the 12th fret, is that for real? If so, I must totally alter my conception of what 'high action' is. I still would like to be able play single note stuff sometimes.

It WAS real for Freddie Green, but I wouldn't recommend it for the rest of us. If you are using lighter strings now, I'd have a good luthier (one who knows archtops) do some setup for you to get the best response out of the guitar.

If you're interested in knowing more about Freddie Green, his style, and his setup, check out
http://www.freddiegreen.org/index.html

nwilkins

badjazz wrote:

Where did you get the 14-61 strings? Any particular brand or anything? I assume that they are just 80/20 or 85/15 bronze, right?

Since the top two strings are pretty much all the same I bought a single 14 for the top e and then used some Thomastik set which has a 61 on the bottom.

marciero

I recommend the Rode NT-3 ...

Interesting. How would you compare, say, sm 81?

I have not tried the 81 but use the beta 98 mini condenser frequently, mounted in soundhole Birelli-style, with good results through good system.
Though less feedback-prone, the 98 is not as good as an external mic. Plus, you can "work" an external mic, for example, volume-wise.

I have had great results with AKG C1000s, which is a cheap condenser. I bought a pair years ago thinking they were like a poor man's SM 81. Never expected them to sound so good. I usually roll off treble on it.

Mike A

badjazz

nwilkins wrote:

. . . and then used some Thomastik set which has a 61 on the bottom.

Is that the Thomastik Plectrum set? If so, those have a layer of silk between the steel and the winding, right? I think I tried those once, but they where low-tension on the low strings and actually sounded really soft, round, and kind of boomy. I really wouldn't consider those the same as regular bronze strings, though your point that the nut width won't matter still applies.

nwilkins

yeah the plectrum set - I used them on my old Framus because the soft boominess of the wound strings improved the acoustic tone of the laminated guitar. These days on my vintage Epi I use some kind of 80/20 bronze 13-56. But as I said the plectrum strings were no problem gauge wise despite the narrow nut on the Framus.

Campusfive

As far as '24-'34 L-5's, are they parallel or X-braced? I feel like the closest easily available guitar is a 16" Eastman non-cut, but they are all x-braced. I played a Collings 16" which was really, really good. Also, it was $8.5k and at least a year waiting list.

Trenier is making a 16" like an older Epi Broadway, which I've heard is really good also, but not exactly an L-5.

Campusfive

As far as strings go, I'm definitely an 80/20 fan, especially Martin SPs. When I got my 16" Eastman, those were the only 80/20's I could get a the time, and they turned out to sound better than any else I subsequently put on there, so I kept using them.

badjazz

Campusfive wrote:

As far as '24-'34 L-5's, are they parallel or X-braced?

All the originals that I've played (around 5 or so) were parallel braced, but I owned a reissue and that was X-braced. Who knows if some of the originals were X-braced and that was what Gibson based the reissue on, or if Gibson was just trying to make the RI more palatable to modern tastes. The eastmans are great guitars, no doubt, even without regard to price, but they seem to be going for a slightly different sound than the old L5's. The Collings looks great, but even the website says that he tries to make archtops that sound more like flattops, which again probably suits the majority better. The Trenier Broadway looks great, but I don't know anything about the maker or his guitars other than his website. I'd be really interested to play some of his guitars, but at this point I'm just sticking with what I have until I save my nickels and dimes for a real 16" L5. I'm done monkey-ing around with a million different builders and reissues and variables when I already know what will make me happy.

Colin Perry

The best archtop guitar I've ever played was a 1925 L-5 that I borrowed to record an album with a couple of years ago. I've played others that were close, but this one just had something I've never heard in another guitar. I had a 33 L-12 for a while that was not nearly as good as that L-5.