#16
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Some bluegrass, aggressive strumming of classic rock and church music, and some fingerpicking like Dust in the Wind and others. I'll also capo the neck at the 2nd and 3rd to get a sense if the guitar gets thin sounding when capoed. This diversity allows me to quickly assess what kind of an 'all-arounder' the guitar is likely to be. If it is weak in one area, I can then more easily decide if it can compete with something else in my stable that covers the same ground. But typically I like every guitar I buy to be as versatile in all styles as possible.
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Merrill | Martin | Collings | Gibson For Sale: 2023 Collings D2H 1 3/4 Nut, Adi Bracing, NTB -- $4250 shipped |
#17
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I usually play "Blackbird" or "You and Your Sister" (by the late great Chris Bell) to see how the guitar sounds with fingerpicking. For strumming, it's usually "Tell Me Why" by Neil Young. I kinda chuckled about what people must have thought when I was auditioning OM's when I bought my OM-28 or dreadnaughts when I bought my HD-28. I was at Elderly Instruments both times going from guitar to guitar playing the exact same thing over and over. "Is that all he knows?"
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=================================== '07 Gibson J-45 '68 Reissue (Fuller's) '18 Martin 00-18 '18 Martin GP-28E '65 Epiphone Zenith archtop |
#18
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At this point in time because I want something on the mellow side I will play E A7 B7 with blues licks overlayed.
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Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
#19
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In a word: everything. I play it soft, loud, high and low. I do some finger picking. I flat pick a few chords - although I have yet to find a high rent guitar that can't handle that. I play some very fast things to see how that works/feels.
I also finger pick chords with a descending chromatic bass line to see what happens when I get to the Ab on the 6th string. On many smaller bodies I find the lack of resonance/volume disturbing.
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Keith Martin 000-42 Marquis Taylor Classical Alvarez 12 String Gibson ES345s Fender P-Bass Gibson tenor banjo |
#20
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I like to play tunes in all the significant guitar keys...C,D,E,G,A. That usually manages to get me around most of the fretboard.
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#21
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Elton John's Funeral For A Friend. It tasks the neck's playability and intonation. These days, though, it's rare I'll actually touch a guitar at a store. I'm pretty set with what I already have. I'm there usually just to buy strings.
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#22
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I'll play some Travis style picking, followed by some melodic finger style to see what the guitar likes. Even if I hate the guitar, I'll try some Blues, flatpicking, etc. to see if something hits my tastes. I remember years ago, playing a guitar that I absolutely hated, I found a style of music that made the guitar okay.
As an aside, I like my guitars to excel in different areas and not sound the same. Although, all my guitars have fat trebles, good response and great playability.
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Blanchard Baranik Claxton |
#23
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I test intonation, play simple scales throughout the fretboard, checking sustain. I usually play some small tunes that I wrote, both for fingerstyle and flatpick.
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#24
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After checking intonation and playability up the neck if I really like the guitar I have the salesman or a friend play the guitar and I walk out front to listen.
Then if I am still liking the guitar and it has electronics, I'll plug it in. Then I decide if it comes home with me.
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jjracer: if I'm not here.... I am somewhere else... guitars? yep still have some |
#25
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I like to play the same thing, usually fingerpicking on the guitars I'm trying to see if a I can hear any differences.
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#26
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Stairway To Heaven
and I don't care one bit how that has become a joke I still do it every time anyway.
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Be nice. |
#27
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Well said AE ! I'm a staunch "Smoke on the Water" man m'self.
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#28
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Thanks for keeping it alive. We need you folks so we can keep the joke alive.
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Some Martins |
#29
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I also usually play whatever I am working on at the moment. But I do have a few favorite chord sequences that go up the neck that I always like to try out on any guitar that I play. It is a good way for me to hear in short order how both the bass and trebles respond what kind of dynamics I can pull. Of course, it is best if I have a friend with me who plays the guitar better than I do. I think that my lack of technique and playing skills do not always reflect how good the guitar may actually be.
Best, Jayne |
#30
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I usually do the riff from the U2 song "In A Little While", and then I'll do C-Em strumming with hammer-ons. I also just strum whatever chords come to mind and do a tiny bit of scales. Also depends what I've been playing or working on recently.
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