11 replies to this topic

[GracehasQuitGoodbye!]

 I have acoustic guitars and want to make them quieter so far I have a feedback buster which I put into the sound hole and it fits my squier nicely. Yet my squier is very loud to me...that acoustic can really throw sound out when I use the plectrum.

 The issue being I really want to practice with the plectrum as, I feel it's important. I tend to only finger strum as, it's quieter but, it defeats the purpose.

 I am using light guage strings bronze alice on it. Yet I find when I walk away and re tune with electric tuner seiko one the tuning can wander. I don't find alice keeps the tuning well. just my opinion. I cna come back later check the tuning next day and it will have fallen out of tune.

 or maybe it's my tuner not so good. yet it does tune up fine when I check on 12th fret it's same as open strings.

but, it's very loud when I use a plectrum. I am trying not to be too loud for my neighbours as I live in a small block of apartments.

 I have been weaving a piece of silk through near the saddle peg but it makes the strings ping and all chords sound completely dead.

 I am unsure of other ways to quieten the acoustic. I have an electric but,  no amp I am looking at buying a flanger/vox mini amp to plug into my guitar also.

 

hope you can help me I have a few more questions in mind as a beginner guitarist hope my questions won't be too many

 

thank you

 

Grace

[dadfad]

If you want it to be quieter when played acoustically you need so slightly mute the strings. You could try placing a thin strip of soft paper (or very soft fairly thin card-board, for example a match-book cover) under the strings at the saddle. Loosen the strings a bit, slip it under and re-tighten and retune. That might help.

 

You might also try using a softer plectrum. For example they make some plectrums for bass guitars out of stiffened sturdy felt. That, or something similar (possibly soft or very thin plastic maybe cut out of a plastic lid of a coffee-tin for example) would soften the "attack" of the plectrum on the strings.

 

"... when I check on 12th fret it's same as open strings..."

 

The 12-fret octave note should always be the same as the open string note whether the string is tuned accurately or not. If an open-string is flat or sharp, so will the 12-fret octave note. Checking the open-note against the 12-fret note only checks the guitar's intonation. (Which is basically the accuracy of fret-placement, etc.)

 

And welcome to GuitarZone.

[Nealio]

You could also try stuffing the hollow body with something. Just make sure you can remove it when you need to.

As for the guitar going out of tune easily, unfortunately this is a very common issue with cheaper guitars.

[GracehasQuitGoodbye!]

  I don't know if mine are cheap guitars the hohner was expensive at the time about £180 in the 90's. £180 during 90's was like spending arm and a leg.

 

Fender squier sa-100 the tone is much brighter.

Hohner countryman sunburst this is the old dreadnought one it wasn't cheap. THe tone is really deep on this guitar

rockwood lx90 sunburst

 

( I Had to stop playing due to injury and illness so I put it to one side and didn't play!)

 

 

felt plectrums interesting! I have one plectrum which is made from a ring binder I bought it out of an oxfam store someone was selling these thin plectrums.Yet, that one is quite loud.

  I will be thinking on this then really great ideas and so helpful!

 

thanks Nealio and Dafad

[GracehasQuitGoodbye!]

   I have sent for some soft Plectrums. also a  fender MT-1000 tuner/metronome then saw it takes a 4v battery oh my going to have to hunt for one. I read reviews saying it's quite accurate and it was cheap as chips so I bought it. if it's no good I guess I re sell it.

I have a old seiko chromatic tuner and it's always hard to tune with it's very sensitive!

[sixgunsound]

how about play it loud and proud? lol

[GracehasQuitGoodbye!]

 OH! I do I time it to when my neighbours are out, or when the other day when the neighbour had a new door put in..I was able to play for 2 hours lol! no one could really hear me over the drilling and incesant banging.

 Or I wait when my neighbour is having a proper cleaning session and then I enjoy it

 I am waiting for the next neighbour to get a new door installed as well as now they saw my neighbours door they want one. so..

it will be my chance to pling and plong again

[sixgunsound]

i am learning the violin. i do not care what my neighbours think. someone above me has a basketball that he slams against the floor all day. 

[GracehasQuitGoodbye!]

I need your attitude and just be yes ok Rock on! Violin all the best with that, you'd have liked the thrift store near me in UK they had 2 violins in the store for 25.00 each and they looked nice ones too Oxfam seems to get a lot of instruments in. 

 I have nobody above me I am at the top so..it's difficult feel sorry for neighbour below me as can hear me move about..I try to be careful.

[sixgunsound]

yeah, i bought mine used at $300. its pretty stellar though, the next step up was in the 500$ price range. 

 

we don't have oxfam stores in canada unfortunately, although i have harassed people on the street to donate to oxfam over the years. 

 

im never careful with noise. my building is low income with over 1500 residents that come and go like the tide. ive been here 8 years and they can all fuck right off. 

[GracehasQuitGoodbye!]

 well I have a neighbour near me moving out who is always slamming doors and drunk I am glad they are going I hope I get someone decent in! other side of me new neighbours just moved in within 48 hours had no idea they were moving umm wth!

  spoke to them about my guitar and they said oh don't mind at all do what you want and they bought me a bunch of flowers round. I went round said thanks.

 spoke to my elderly neighbour asked if my guitar is bothering her she said " No, can't hear it, I thought I would but, it's ok!" since using a feedback buster in it she says she can't hear it and wouldn't even mind if she could.

 I spoke to the neighbouring society near me said I have a guitar can I play it what's the rules no rules just not after 9pm or dead early mornings plus if use an amp to raise it off the floor and allowed it upto a low setting. I said, I am not using an amp, they said well nobody can complain about that at all.

 

 so..Hmm I can play it so long as I don't play it 24/7 and go nuts on it for continual hours. I never do except if I am stuck on a chord and and forgot a song pattern..some days the playing and practice is easy then I can go back to it next day and the whole process is a mess. ( probably I over think then feel stressed. lol!

[sixgunsound]

yeah, play away then ! ! !