Fingerstyle Steel String Guitar Question?

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Author	Comment
razfcc	Fingerstyle Steel String Guitar Question?	Lead	[-]
(09/28/09 8:20 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None What are some nice steel string models that fit the "classical" specs. I played a 00-28VS today. Liked it. I have played the 0-28VS and the Norman Blake Model 000-18. Are there other guitars in this catagory (small body, 12 fret, wide nut and bridge string spacing)? I bought a Seagull SWS Folk for a couchsitter. I guessed this group would have some fingerstyle players who could chime in......Thanks....
bb29slider		#1	[-]
(09/29/09 1:29 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I liked the 000-28VS and I had bought a 000-28 Norman Blake, but sadly it was in such bad shape for a new guitar that it was repacked and sent back immediately. I understand that it has since gone back to Martin to be completely redone as the finish was not filled properly nor was the lacquer applied properly before it was shipped. However, I play a true L-35 Larrivee Classical with a 53mm nut width (roughly 2 3/16ths) and a Martin 00-18G with a 2" nut width . I don't find them any easier or harder to play, finger style than any of my steel strings (all 1 3/4" nut width), OM-28 Marquis, D-28 Marquis and a D-18GE. They are just different and it take about 30 seconds to adjust my hand. I have always used a thumb and my first two fingers. Everyone doesn't and I don't know what someone who uses the thumb and first finger only technique would prefer, although I was told once 1 3/4's by a person I met in a music shop. Keep in mind that arguably one of the best finger picking guitarists around is Doc Watson and he has for years played most of his stuff on a D-28, although unknown what vintage. Possibly 1 3/4's or less. Who knows. Of course he also flat picks. ... 1989 Larrivee L-35 classical, 2007 Martin OM-28 Marquis, 2004 Martin D-18 GE, 1954 Martin 00-18G, 2008 D-28 Marquis *Playing them all every day.*
MikeHalloran		#2	[-]
(09/29/09 2:04 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The new Recording King Century Studio Series is a line of solid wood 000 12 fret guitars with 1 13/16" nuts on a 25.4" scale. http://recordingking.com/guitars_rosseries.html Mike Halloran '49 00-28G, '03 000C-16SGTNE, '03 000-15S, Backpacker Mandolin, '60s Style 0 uke, '67 D12-35, '75 D-35S, Cowboy X, Cowboy II (I think that's all the Martins) Many Guilds, Gibsons and Goyas
Roger Kern		#3	[-]
(09/29/09 2:20 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The 000-28VS has a 2-5/16'' bridge spacing, 25.4" scale and 1 13/16" nut. When the 000 design was first introduced by Martin it was the ultimate gut string guitar of its day. The 000-28VS is a versatile guitar that is excellent for fingerstyle, but can stand up to a flatpick, too. I'm a big fan of the 00-28VS, too, although mine is a custom with 25.4" scale and 1 3/4" nut. That's more comfortable to me for fingerstyle play. Roger Martins (standard): 1883(?) 1-21(?) custom(?), 1919 Style A Mandolin, 1931 5-17T, 1933 R-18, ~1937 Style 1 uke, 1951 00-17, 1971 D12-20 Martins (custom): Maury's Music 00-28VSMM1, Buffalo Brothers 000-16SK2 Pictures
MikeHalloran		#4	[-]
(09/29/09 2:32 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	>What are some nice steel string models that fit the "classical" specs.<<br /> Of course, there was the Josh White model Ovation with a 1 7/8" nut. Also the 0-16NY and 00-21NY. In the 50s and '60s, a lot of 00-18G and 00-28G guitars sported steel or compound (silk'n'steel) strings. The bodies don't do badly under the strain but the bridges do fly off and need reinforcing bolts to stay in place. I have a Guild Mark III already sporting that particular mod. '60s Guild, Martin, Harmony, Favilla and Gibson nylon strings all used the same Waverly aluminum barreled tuners - with Guild and Gibson, it was the lower models only. Mike Halloran '49 00-28G, '03 000C-16SGTNE, '03 000-15S, Backpacker Mandolin, '60s Style 0 uke, '67 D12-35, '75 D-35S, Cowboy X, Cowboy II (I think that's all the Martins) Many Guilds, Gibsons and Goyas
Roger Kern		#5	[-]
(09/29/09 4:24 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	the bridges do fly off My Guild Mark IV did that with nylon strings when I was sitting across the room. Glad I wasn't playing it at the time. That's a sound I don't want to hear again. The glue did hold for over 30 years, though! Roger Martins (standard): 1883(?) 1-21(?) custom(?), 1919 Style A Mandolin, 1931 5-17T, 1933 R-18, ~1937 Style 1 uke, 1951 00-17, 1971 D12-20 Martins (custom): Maury's Music 00-28VSMM1, Buffalo Brothers 000-16SK2 Pictures
12barz		#6	[-]
(09/30/09 7:24 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I haven't had the opportunity to get my fingers on one, but I'd be willing to bet a Fender medium that the Pat Donohue is as good as any, and better than most. 1 13/16ths nut, 2 5/16ths spacing at the bridge, on a deep body OM, and very tasteful glitz.
MikeHalloran		#7	[-]
(09/30/09 10:37 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Roger Kern wrote: the bridges do fly off My Guild Mark IV did that with nylon strings when I was sitting across the room. Glad I wasn't playing it at the time. That's a sound I don't want to hear again. The glue did hold for over 30 years, though! I have opened a case or three to find that. Recently, I had a bridge fly off of a Gibson C-L. These were the bottom of the line classicals made 1967-1970 and have molded plastic bridges (what was Gibson thinking?). Anyway, we tried a number of repair solutions but hot hide glue was the only one that worked. I thought about replacing it with a stock wood bridge but the challenge to get the old one to stick was too great to pass up. Rick Turner and I discussed duplicating it in BRW on his new CNC but we never got around to it. Mike Halloran '49 00-28G, '03 000C-16SGTNE, '03 000-15S, Backpacker Mandolin, '60s Style 0 uke, '67 D12-35, '75 D-35S, Cowboy X, Cowboy II (I think that's all the Martins) Many Guilds, Gibsons and Goyas
razfcc	The search is over....OM-21 Special	#8	[-]
(10/01/09 8:59 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thank you for all of the feedback...... Well I narrowed it down to a 000-18 Norman Blake, a 00-28VS, and an OM-21 Special. I loved all three. It really came down to $$$$$$$$$$. I got a spectacular deal on the OM-21S. I loved the 1 7/8 fret on the 00-28VS. Not so crazy about the V neck, but I think it is something I would have gotten use to. Very nice sounding guitar and I could tell it was going to age quite nicely. The Blake is a marvelous guitar. If you have not played one - I encourage you to do so. I was not all that impressed with the Rosewood Norman Blake Model. Man did they get it right with the Hog - it is truly a cannon. But my people could not make as big of a price move on it as they could the OM-21S. They had 2 in the shop and were VERY motivated to move one of them. The OM21-S has 1 3/4 inch nut (I would have preferred 1 7/, but in does have 2 5/16 bridge spacing. It also has an ebony fret board, great pyramid bridge, nice nickel butter bean tuners, rosewood back and sides and the infamous aged-toned spruce top, vintage art work, scalloped Xs, and a ringing well-rounded sound. I think it will work well as a folk strummer and flat picker as well. This has officially become the Couch-Sitter - a high honor indeed round here.......She's a keeper - gonna fill out the warranty this evening..... Again - thanks for the input.
12barz		#9	[-]
(10/02/09 8:06 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I love a happy ending!
Roger Kern		#10	[-]
(10/02/09 8:42 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	You have chosen wisely. I played one of those at the factory and they really are "special"! Congratulations Roger Martins (standard): 1883(?) 1-21(?) custom(?), 1919 Style A Mandolin, 1931 5-17T, 1933 R-18, ~1937 Style 1 uke, 1951 00-17, 1971 D12-20 Martins (custom): Maury's Music 00-28VSMM1, Buffalo Brothers 000-16SK2 Pictures

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Fingerstyle Steel String Guitar Question?