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  #1  
Old 11-06-2008, 10:44 AM
cward cward is offline
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Default Strictly Rythm.....

What is everyone's opinion on the best guitar used strickly as a rythm guitar? Thanks.
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Old 11-06-2008, 11:29 AM
Eugenius Eugenius is offline
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Martin D-35!!
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Old 11-06-2008, 11:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cward View Post
What is everyone's opinion on the best guitar used strickly as a rythm guitar? Thanks.
Hi cw...
Really deals with the player and their style. One of the best rhythm players I know uses an arch-top.
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Old 11-06-2008, 11:50 AM
Sammy_L_D Sammy_L_D is offline
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Whatever you want.

But to help you narrow your search, what type of sound do you like, and what style of playing do you focus on?

"rhythm" guitar can encompass a variety of different sounds.
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Old 11-06-2008, 12:37 PM
cward cward is offline
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I "play" mainly bluegrass type rythm with an occasional G-Run and I'm pretty "heavy handed" it seems.
I don't like a "brighter" sounding guitar. Thanks for the advice thusfar.
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Old 11-06-2008, 12:50 PM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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The context would make a difference, but non-guitar players at bluegrass jams and one banjo player who has invited me to jams have said my HD-28 is particularly good where the bass projects well and same for the highs - the part where it's the snare drum in bluegrass etc...

Somebody I've played with has an enviable vintage D-18, and his guitar really stands out with the same snare drum effect and I think his unwound strings really come through well with my rosewood dread having more boom.

These happen to be Martins, but it seems to me that good rosewood and mahogany dreads often have similar characteristics across brands.
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Old 11-06-2008, 01:01 PM
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A mahogany D
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Old 11-06-2008, 03:14 PM
rmyAddison rmyAddison is offline
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Rhythm/Bluegrass strumming = Dread

"Heavy handed"/needs headroom = Adi top

Not "bright" = vintage voicing

Not the cheapest, you didn't mention price range, but 4 positively excellent guitars:

Martin D-18GE
Martin D-28 Marquis
Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe
Santa Cruz Tony Rice

You will not "overload" any of the above and get a wink of approval from any knowledgeable players. Happy shopping.
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Old 11-06-2008, 03:19 PM
sharkydude50 sharkydude50 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmyAddison View Post
Rhythm/Bluegrass strumming = Dread

"Heavy handed"/needs headroom = Adi top

Not "bright" = vintage voicing

Not the cheapest, you didn't mention price range, but 4 positively excellent guitars:

Martin D-18GE
Martin D-28 Marquis
Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe
Santa Cruz Tony Rice

You will not "overload" any of the above and get a wink of approval from any knowledgeable players. Happy shopping.
Rich nailed it with the above. Good luck. Although not a trad. bluegrass axe (and we know how these folks are), a Guild dread would be sweet too.
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Old 11-06-2008, 03:33 PM
L20A L20A is offline
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One more vote for a Martin D-35.
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Old 11-06-2008, 04:52 PM
Mycrotone Mycrotone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cward View Post
I "play" mainly bluegrass type rythm with an occasional G-Run and I'm pretty "heavy handed" it seems.
I don't like a "brighter" sounding guitar. Thanks for the advice thusfar.
Gallagher makes some monsters!
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Old 11-06-2008, 05:04 PM
Sammy_L_D Sammy_L_D is offline
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Definitely a nice dreadnaught for the thick, heavy-handed rhythm sound.

Something around the lines of a Martin D-18 (or another companies version of that classic style) would definitely cut it.
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Old 11-06-2008, 08:11 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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It depends whether you're playing solo or in a group.

Playing solo, the D-35 would be okay, but in a group D-35's tend to get lost, because they're so fat-sounding their harmonic spectrum gets covered by a lot of other instruments. So they generally don't cut through all that well.

A better choice, in my opinion, would be a Martin D-18 or a Gibson J-45, both of which are mahogany dreadnoughts. The Martin gives you the sort of emphatic bass response typical to square-shouldered dreadnoughts, while the J-45 is a more balanced instrument, and has a more even tonal response up the neck. The mahogany back and sides give you a nice clean tone on both instruments.

I also happen to like OM's for this rhythm role: they're what I play. And in an ensemble situation, the OM I find most useful is my Larrivée OM-03W, in black walnut, which has great clarity, tonal balance, power and projection.

I use it the way a dreadnought player would use a D-18, and use my rosewood 000-42 for more solo stuff.

Actually, I use both guitars in both functions, but lean towards the walnut OM-03W for group playing and the 000-42 for solo.

Anyway, OM's take a bit more right hand technique to get the best sound out of them than dreadnoughts typically require, but they were originally designed to be rhythm guitars: OM stands for "Orchestra Model," and the original idea was to use them as backup in jazz bands.

So string an OM with mediums, and you'll be surprised how suited for rhythm work it is.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller
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  #14  
Old 11-06-2008, 08:22 PM
rlouie rlouie is offline
 
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out of all the ones Rich mentioned I'm gonna have to go with the Santa Cruz Tony Rice this guitar is a tone monster. I played one the other day at a local shop and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! unreal !!!!!!!!!!!!
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  #15  
Old 11-06-2008, 08:58 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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I think it depends on the type of music you're playing. Any of the guitars I have work for rhythm, but I would choose different guitars depending on the style of music. Martin D-35/D-28, Gibson AJ, my Guild F212 12-string, even my Taylor GS8 but with light strings ...

- Glenn
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