I digress…

Here are some of the most contentious guitar topics on the web…

The bestest mostest of all time(est)

Arguments about opinion seem to be a little pointless, but that’s just my opinion. The best guitarist, the best guitar, the best string, Spruce vs. Cedar

Historical accuracy

I once uploaded some program notes that I wrote when I was in my first years of university. The content was written on a little known work by J.S.Bach entitled Chaconne BWV 1004. Wow. Big mistake. I received so many messages from everywhere saying that the information was ‘bogus’ and that the article itself was ‘deplorable’ that I took the article down. Admittedly, the article was of a poor scholarly level and I did not want to spread mis-information, but my first experience with the internet’s very particular style of scrutiny was a little shocking. I kept thinking, can’t we all just get along?

Apoyando vs. Tirando

This epic tug of war was started by guitar heavyweights in 19th century Paris (More like 7th century Uganda, check your facts mate!) and it still rages in the guitar forums of today. Which way do you tug?

Censorship

Specifically tied to the Delcamp forum is a particularly perturbed pluck of guitarists that feel they have been victimized on the forum. In some cases they claim to have posts removed and in others they have been banned entirely. The cases for and against censorship on the Delcamp forum are strong, but you cant argue with the Mod. Because he has the delete button.

Big Personalities

Some people get a kick out of stirring up trouble, some are passionate, and some just feel the need to abuse but there are a certain few who regularly appear amidst the flames… you know who you are.

Got any good flame stories to share?

Leave them in the comments below.

Rant. No 1

I own a very lovely Paul Sheridan guitar, which is a lattice-braced instrument. After a concert there is always someone who wants to admire the guitar and asks some questions. Fine. The very human instinct to touch things when we see them is understandable and for most that ‘do not touch’ sign in a museum is like a red rag to a bull. But, when I am standing there face to face telling someone that the soundboard is very thin , so thin that you could easily puncture it with your finger, and they proceed to bang on it like a drum, I can’t help but get a little peeved.

Rant no.2

As I am writing this I am 27 and I have spent the last 8 years in higher education receiving a bachelor degree, masters and doctorate. So when I am performing for a private concert and after playing a Bach sonata the organizer comes up to me and says “we really just wanted some Gypsy Kings, could you play something like that?” I can’t help but get a little miffed.

Rant no. 3

Things that are not funny after the 100^th time

“What have you got in that case? A machine gun? Hahaha”

“What do you mean you don’t know Hotel California?”

“Do you mind doing it for free? It will be good practice for you!”

“Ewwwwww, look at your nails!”

“Oh that’s a nice hobby, but what do you really do?”

“It cost your life saving huh? Can I have a go?”

Let off some of your own steam below…

What is the best classical guitar?

It would seem, in an effort to cater to larger performance spaces and help in chamber music situations,  that many luthiers are searching for new ways to improve the instrument’s ability to project.  Greg Smallman was one of the leaders in the late 20th century in guitar innovation and made great developments in guitar projection. His lattice bracing technique, that has now been adopted widely throughout the world, gives a substantial boost in projection, but the resulting change in timbre is too much of a trade for some guitarists who preferred a more traditional , Torres style, sound. Other innovations like the Contreras double top, the Humphrey Millennium Bridge, the Steve Connor sound portal and the Smallman arm-rest are further examples of the new ideas that are being used in guitar building.

With so many differing approaches we are presented with a diverse array of instruments that have very unique and distinct qualities and, in my humble opinion, I think this is more of a blessing than a curse. Hypothetically, it would be nice to have a Stradivarius of the guitar, a singular maker that was renowned to produce a world class instrument. In place of having a consensus on the best classical guitar, however, we are left with an individual mission to find a guitar, a luthier, that suits us.

After being to many guitar festivals, I think I can say the some of the most popular ice breakers are: “what guitar do you have?”, “what strings do you use” and of course… “oh really, can I try your guitar?” It seems like some guitarists are on a mission to either replicate someone else s sound or at least get peer assessment of their own setup. In the end, its not such a bad thing, after all curiosity is a virtue, however, I believe that the sound that is produced from a guitar has more to do with the player and how they wield that guitar, than the guitar itself. It is tempting to think that if we were just to obtain a Smallman we would sound like John Williams, or perhaps a Dammann then we would sound just like David Russell. But its just not the case (I have tried David’s Dammann and, sadly,  my sound was not transformed into something like his . A good instrument will help to create a good sound and you should always aim to have the best instrument you can afford but in my experience a master guitarist can make even the most basic guitar sound amazing.

In response to a comment posted on this site:

Why are so many artists so reserved about recommending guitar brands or makers?
Is it because they are really not all that taken with what they are playing?  I am currently looking for a classical guitar in the 5-6K price range.  I would really appreciate help from more experienced players of classical music.
Can anyone help me?

I will offer some recommendations of what I think are some of the better classical guitars available. Of course, these recommendations are limited by the fact that I have not played all the classical guitars out there, and like I said, ask 100 different guitarists what they think is the best classical guitar and you will get 100 different answers…

Please give your own suggestion by completing the statement:

I think the best classical guitar is …

Mid Price Range – 5-10k

Thomas Fredholm

Paul Sheridan

Joeren Hillhorst

Zbigniew Gnatek

Kenny Hill

Allessandro Marseglia

High Price Range 10k and up

Robert Ruck

Gernot Wagner

Simon Marty

Greg Smallman

Matthias Dammann

Steven Connor

Amplification has improved dramatically in the last decades and the recreation of the tone and tambre of the instrument is becoming ever more convincing. However, the process of amplification will always alter the sound of the guitar to a certain degree, if nothing else then by volume.

There are many staunch opinions on the use of amplification in performance and there are many first class performers who believe that it is a good solution to a real problem.

Some arguments for the use of amplification include:

• It is more important for the guitar and the music to be heard than to retain the original sound quality
• The guitar is often overwhelmed in chamber music and concerto settings and needs amplification to even be heard
• Performances are more engaging when the sound projected is louder
• Subtle amplification can give the volume boost that is needed without sacrificing the tone
• Modern amplification systems are advanced enough to create an authentic sound reproduction
• Recordings are using manipulated sounds so why do we accept that process of sound processing and not the live equivalent?

Some arguments against:

• The sound of the instrument and the performer is lost through the process of amplification and these aspects are integral to the quality and enjoyment of the music.
• The classical guitar can project enough to be heard above orchestras and other instruments. It is up to the performers to make sure the balance is right.
• The personal and intimate nature of a guitar recital is lost by using an amplification system.
• The un-amplified sound of a classical guitar is one of its defining features. Once we start distorting that aspect we lose the essence of the instrument itself.

Here is what John Williams had to say on the matter in the John Williams Interview

I feel that subtle amplification overcomes most of these problems, but it seems ironic that many makers are now aiming directly at producing much louder instruments. I feel that the wide range of options available today for amplifying the guitar means that you can focus on the warm, intimate sounds of the guitar even in a large auditorium. The end result will be musically much more satisfying than trying just to produce a large, possibly unmusical, sound output, even if it is totally natural.I know that to some critics any form of amplification is musical heresy, but I think that we have to go one step further. The guitar played in a large hall is not heard at its loveliest for most people in that hall; ideally, the guitar should not be played in a large hall if we want to experience the full range of its tone, because it doesn’t sound the same at a distance of 20 meters or more. This is because it’s a partly percussive instrument, and the percussive aspects carry more than its other dynamic and tonal qualities, so what we’re hearing is not really a true guitar sound. So it’s not whether you can hear a guitar at the back of the Sydney Opera House, but what you hear that counts. I find that amplification helps in that regard, but obviously it has to be well done.

High level musical interpretation is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify and rank so judges often have to resort so simply counting mistakes. This style of judging means that competitors strive to be mistake-free and offer interpretations that will please the majority rather than being individual and unique. This process is creating a generation of guitarists who display technical prowess but offer little that is unique or different from other players.

The pieces used in competitions are also homogeneous as it is difficult to compare a new composition that is unknown to the judges to a repertoire evergreen. This means that competitions will program similar repertoire over and over again. Even in competitions with free choice, competitors will take the safe road of well worn pieces over an unknown composer.

Competitions are great at providing goals, they offer performance opportunities for the winners and they have undoubtedly been part of the incredible overall advancement of guitar technique in the last decades. They do have these positive attributes, but at what cost?