V8 wrote
I've been meaning to ask : Do you play without a pick ever?
Picking hand dynamics is (imo) often a skill neglected by electric guitars. And on a tube amp, it's usually the breakup point (from clean to grit) that turns blues players on - which they achieve through playing dynamics. With a pick and with the fingers.
I can get a lot of tonal changes through my fingers, mostly on a bass and nylon string, but also on a electric. I seem to have more dynamic range using fingers than with a pick (though I do use different thickness picks, which helps a lot). Although certain things I can only do with a pick and certain styles of music (metal/rock) you have to use a pick, that sharp/heavy attack is part of the tone.
What does this have to do with a clean tone? When I started using my fingers more, I got closer to the clean(er) tones I wanted to achieve - took a looonngg time (I'm a slow learner), but after a few years I now prefer playing with fingers than a pick - though I'm probably still more skilled with a pick.
P.s. you don't have to spend $$$ to get a guitar that can deliver a solid clean tone. I've had my eye on a slightly modded G-series Cort w/gfs pups (R900) that would be pretty good fun. Though I'm craving a tele again - something about that twangy sound that works...
But if you gotta have a fender...you gotta have a fender ?
I have started practicong some fingerpicking, but having all the other things to learn being a noob, it is not always high on the priority list. I will try it out on the electric. Thanks.
For some odd reason, the strat's feel and pickups have captured my attention.
