D42SCE Fix-up

[copperhead]

evenkeel,

I wish to thank you for your advice on shaving the bridge.

I now have many hours on the D42 and am satisfied with the results. The D42 went from a marginal guitar to one that  is fast and much easier to play.  And it sounds better, too.

Your advice "rescued" this guitar from collecting dust, to being my favorite.  Thanks.

[copperhead]

I found out something about this D42 while going thru eBay ads. The D42SCE and the D46SCE both have similar "thin" necks. That may mean the D46, like the D42, is limited to light or medium strings.

I do not plan on using anything heavier than light on this D42 because the neck is quite thin.

("Thin", as in viewing from the side view. The nut is still 43mm wide.)

Ernie Ball has some light strings that use heavier 'E' & 'A' strings (.050 & .040 respectively).  That's about as heavy as I'll go.

I have read that more volume can be obtained by using a heavier string.  I may have to limit this guitar to just flatpickin' and using the amp.

Edit: Add comment: While comparing the construction of the D42 to the Oscar Schmidt, the thought occured  that perhaps the thin neck on the D42 is having an affect on the tone, bass, volume, etc......?? The O.S. has a stout. somewhat thick neck. The D42 is thinner.

[copperhead]

I recently bought a Zoom H2N handheld stereo recorder for the purpose of documenting changes done to the D42 (and other guitars as well).

What a neat little instrument that does so much.   So many different settings and formats to try. It is so versatile, that an electrified guitar can be plugged directly into it. I also can record old cassette tapes directly into Zoom  and .WAV format, via the headphone jack and an adaptor on the home stereo receiver. I have even tried it out as a microphone plugged into the Crate amp (though feedback thru the mic is sometimes bad).

After recording all of my guitars using the same settings, then playing them back on the computer, thru amplified speakers, and listening to a sound clip of each, I've determined the D42 could use a little help. At this point, the Oscar Schmidt, with its laminated top, actually sounds boomier and louder and more of what I'm wanting, than the D42SCE. Next string change, the D42 gets a bone saddle and the Slinky Light acoustic strings.

Edit: Adding comment on temperture and humidity.

Am I imagining things?

I have a digital temperature/humidity gauge to monitor room environment where I keep and play the guitar. Most of the time the humidity stays around 70-80 %, temp. around 65 - 75 deg., depending on the season.  But when both the temp. & humidity drop a few points below the norm, the guitars seem to sound better. (??)

[t.y.]

50%   + or -  5%  is ideal.     Could very well be as wood has water and most things are affected buy these changes.   Now,  I have a zoom H2N also.   I took it to Ryan's Steak House with me an sat kind of in the middle and put it on auto gain and so on, in surround mode.   That was wild,  can even hear the pans in the kitchen, and people sit there coffee cups down.   Took it outside in the yard with the bird feeders and such. I use it more for fun than the guitar room it was bought for.   sadly it  taught me two things, I can not sing as good as I thought I could,  And am very sure I am not in danger of becoming a guitar god.  Have not plugged a amp in to it yet.  Was the feed back hard to deal with?  If so, do you have any tips, that you learned?  And +1 on the bone nut and saddle and for me wood bridge pins also.    Tom. 

[copperhead]

t.y.: "Was the feed back hard to deal with?  If so, do you have any tips, that you learned?"

Plugged into the vocal jack on the Crate, the feedback was terrible. Had to turn the gain and volume way down. Standing behind the amp was not so bad. The H2N can be used as a mic, but I don't think it's that practical. It picks up too much, not directional enough for use as a PA mic.

Just something I wanted to try with the Zoom..

The test parameters (Kbps, gain setting, pickup mode, etc.) call for the H2N on a camera tripod, approx 3-4 feet from the sound hole, then try the different stereo and surround sound modes, then repeat trying the various kbps levels programmed into the H2N (44.1, 48, 96, etc.) and different gains. Then I play the same song on each guitar when stepping thru the parameters.  The results are downloaded to a computer and folders generated noting what test parameters were used. Then I sit there and listen and compare the quality and the results and take notes.

All of this is to give me a frame of reference and some empirical experience in basic recording techniques.

I was doing some recording directly into Audacity using a cheap mic from the 1980's. This was cumbersome. The H2N is easier to use and more flexible in how it is used and where. (Actually, the cheap mic/Audacity thing was not too bad. But the H2N has better pickup and "sound resolution".)

[t.y.]

Thanks.  One of these days I will have to give it a try. Tom. 

[copperhead]

Tom,

Does your H2N have a hissing background noise to it? Mine does, until I start playing. Then it's not so noticeable.  It is always in the first few seconds of a recording, before I start to play.

Perhaps I don't have something set properly for a guitar solo.

[copperhead]

Back on topic:

I went to GC to buy another pack or two of the Ernie Ball Slinky for acoutics, product #2160, "Coated Titanium RPS Technology".

Duh, no longer available!

I checked some websites and same thing.

Just when I found some strings I really like, they are  not available. None on Ebay, either.

I put a set of these on the Oscar Schmidt, and wow, what a noticeable improvement all the way around. I had been using Martin Lights.

The only Titanium RPS strings from Ernie Ball are for electrics. Maybe I should try some electrics on one of my acoustics.(??) I really liked these E.B. 2160's. They are a bit heavier than Martin lights.

E.B. #2160: 10, 14, 20, 28, 40, 50.

[YerDugliness]

Try Dean Markley Alchemy Gold-Bronze lights (.011"=.052").

Expensive at around $14 a set, but worth it. Not only do they hold a tune for a long time, they hold their tone for a long time, too.

Cheers!

Dugly

[t.y.]

No hissing in mine,  Wonder if your gain is to high.  If I remember rite I have mine set on auto..  Tom. 

[copperhead]

Dugly,

Thanks for the suggestion. I will try the Dean Markley's.

[copperhead]

t.y.: "Wonder if your gain is to high."

I set mine to auto gain and no more hissing. I must have had the gain set too high for the room I was in.

BTW1, I played a single note recording and then a separate strum pattern recording of the same song and imported them into Audacity and synchonised the tracks. Then played it back, and saved them to one Audacity file.  Neat. What neat technology is available to home players now, and not all that expensive to do some basic recordings.

BTW2, With the auto gain, I have to "Normalise" the tracks to get the volume up.

***************
Dugly,

Looks like you and I  have been obsoleted by string companies re-inventing themselves.

Your Dean Markley "Alchemy Golds" have been discontinued and replaced by the "Matrix" series.
GC did not hve the A.G.'s either. I don't think the Matrix is the same string, but I didn't look into it too far.

[t.y.]

BTW2, With the auto gain, I have to "Normalise" the tracks to get the volume up.
 I will remember this.  I just saved the files to desktop and played them, if I remember rite. Been over a year.    I know I am getting old when every thing I like is Classic or Vintage.   LOL..  Tom. 

[copperhead]

Using the Zoom H2N, I made some recordings with the D42 and sent them (MP3 format) to an accomplished professional guitar player friend in France.

He came back twice with compliments on the sound of the D42, (and criticism of my playing, LOL). The D42 sounds noticeably better after the bridge shaving. The action now is about perfect for me. I have put many hours on it recently and it almost seems the guitar is starting to "open up".

I really do like this D42. It sounds better to the listener than to me. It projects quite well perpendicular to the top board. It sounds better in playing back a recording than it does from my perspective of playing it.

[t.y.]

Sound Cloud or something on that order is free, that's how the guy puts his recordings of his Hawk on here.  Tom.