home and stage use, a thin line?

[smokiee]

hi guys (and girls)...

 

last night i was reading an interview with miss Michelle Branch (cute girl) of an old copy of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

 

in the interview she said that she uses a Taylor 614ce as her main guitar when performing. obviously its a great piece of equipment. then she said she has a vintage Gibson Hummingbird (forgot what year) for writing songs and playing around (i think she uses a Martin too). In short the Taylor is her on stage guitar and the Hummingbird is her song writing guitar cos its more intimate and absorbing (i think she said that lol).

 

well if you guys have any opinions about $500 guitar use exclusively for personal/in-house playing (no pickup)... which should I consider? originally I wanted to buy a Taylor but after reading miss Branch's interview I started thinking cos I'll be playing at home with friends etc but still want a quality acoustic to write songs with.

 

or maybe you guys will say that its the same, you can get a guitar that perform well both plugged/onstage and unplugged/inhome. or maybe there's a fine (or fat) line between those two playing conditions?

 

sorry for the long message hope u guys can give your opinion.. thanks guys.

[Sweb]

Songwriting/composing is a very intimate thing and I couldn't agree with Miss Branch's opinion more - corny as it may seem.

I can only say that once a person has run the gauntlet of searching for an acoustic he or she will eventually develop a feeling about the right guitar, while it's tonewood and structural specifications have little or no influence upon that feeling. It would be like describing a feeling in algebraic terminology.

For me, a warm sound from a Rosewood B/S OM model sets the stage for composition. A dread with the same wood will be a little boomy. The OM gives a better balance across the tonal spectrum. I don't get the same feeling from other tonewoods in the OM style. I do have a Koa dread that, for me, is the best balance I have experienced in this body style. I've had and/or tried the other tonewoods/styles and arrived at these two. These are now my self-tailored specifications for what works for me. I use extra-light or light gauge strings on both and play fingerstyle exclusively.

I think it is completely up to you to match a guitar with your style and music. When you have done that, and it gives back, that's the guitar you will want to share with an audience. I can't imagine what musical/sound distinctions motivates Miss Branch to change instruments when playing "out", other than an emotional attachment with the Hummingbird she doesn't want to share(?). I wouldn't base my own search on her habits or anyone else's.

For $500.00 I think Norman makes a nice dread. Believe it or not, Woods Instruments makes a decent sounding OM style with on-board electronics/EQ - as well as dreads. Solid Sitka tops/laminated B/S - great for home and fireside campouts.