Which solo do you like best

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 13 Sep 2005 4:14 pm

Here are a couple guitar solos I did for a friend's song, one on a nylon-string classic guitar and one on electric.

On the nylon-string, I went for a sortof bluegrassy/jazzy style (more-or-less).

On the electric, I wanted to give him an example of something different, kindof a mix of rockabilly and a little of this & that. This solo is not real clean, it was just an idea demo.

These are raw with only a touch of reverb with scratch-tracks rhythm.

My friend told me which one he preferred, I'm curious about hearing other opinions, just for fun.

Which do you prefer?

Nylon string solo

Electric guitar solo [This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 13 September 2005 at 05:17 PM.]

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 13 Sep 2005 4:41 pm

Jim, I like both of them. By itself, I prefer the nylon string guitar version, but I think it depends on the context of the rest of the song which would fit better. They each set very different moods. Nice playing.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 13 Sep 2005 5:10 pm

No contest. The "nylon" does it for me! The "electric" doesn't.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 14 Sep 2005 2:11 am

Both are killer, Jim, and either something Chet Atkins would enjoy.
There's something about the classical that is a nice foil for electric instruments. It gets my attention every time.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 14 Sep 2005 3:53 am

Really fine playing, Jim. It's #1, no wait, #2, no Wait.... Love both, but I like acc guitar.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Fender Steel King, Understanding wife. http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Sep 2005 5:35 am

Sounds great, Jim! I prefer the nylon string solo, FWIW.

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 14 Sep 2005 5:39 am

Hey JP, great playing, for sure the accoustic solo. JimP

Bob Smith · Post by **Bob Smith** » 14 Sep 2005 5:42 am

Super pickin on both tunes i say ! Im a big fan of Chet, Travis style playing, so my vote goes to the electric cut. Bob [This message was edited by Bob Smith on 14 September 2005 at 01:29 PM.]

Roger Kelly · Post by **Roger Kelly** » 14 Sep 2005 5:51 am

Both are very good, but I prefer the Nylon String Solo.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 14 Sep 2005 8:16 am

Jim, nice picking. Wish I could do it like that. I preferred the electric version. It just seemed more creative and interesting to me. The nylon-string version was technically great, but just sounded a little bland and muzacky to me. But then I'm an old rockabilly cat.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 14 Sep 2005 10:00 am

Thanks for the comments guys. So far we have
6 for the nylon string, one for the electric and two didn't specify exactly.

I'll tell you now that my friend, who's producing a CD for another guy and that's what the solo was for, liked the nylon string solo best. He called the electric solo "very creative but a little "out", ha. Since they gave me no input at all and just said "play here" I had no idea what feel they wanted, only these basic scratch tracks to go on.

I like them both too, like the sorta bluegrass/gypsy sound of the nylon, but also liked the rockabilly/Chet Atkins of the electric...

I was curious to see if there would be a majority preference for one or the other, I figured it'd be about even.... I'm surprised that there's a definite preference.... maybe my friend knows what he's talking about, ha.

Thanks for listening, and for your nice comments. Thanks too D. Doggett, glad someone liked the electric.

Bob Smith · Post by **Bob Smith** » 14 Sep 2005 10:36 am

Sorry , I dont think the songs, everybody else is talking about came up, when I cliked on your link . What were the name of tune s?? bob

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 14 Sep 2005 10:58 am

Bob, they're clips of just the guitar solos, one on acoustic and one on electric. They're from an original song no one's heard.

What did you get when you clicked on the links?

edit: I just emailed them to you Bob, please let me know if what you heard when you clicked on the links is the same as the clips I sent you. Should be, but strange things happen with computers...

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 14 September 2005 at 12:05 PM.]

Cody Campbell · Post by **Cody Campbell** » 14 Sep 2005 1:10 pm

Jim,... On the nylon-string solo, what's playing the harmony part on the last half of it? Is it electric?

(After posting, I just listened again). I can't tell.

Did you just dub another acoustic part over the lead?

(Just listened a third time). On the unison note at the end, it sounds totally acoustic. But I really don't know. It's just that the harmony part sounds so clean, with no acoustic plunkyness to it.

[good work, BTW, on both solos].
[This message was edited by Cody Campbell on 14 September 2005 at 02:12 PM.][This message was edited by Cody Campbell on 14 September 2005 at 02:16 PM.]

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 14 Sep 2005 6:58 pm

Jim,,

Both are really good,, With myself leaning toward Hard Core Country, and Rock-a-Billy, I gotta go with the Electric cut..

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 14 Sep 2005 8:17 pm

Thanks for the comments guys. Cody, the twin part in the nylon-string solo is the same guitar, a Yamaha CG-150CCE. It has the piezo pickup in the bridge and I plugged it into a Boss CS-3 Compressor set just barely above the minimum compression setting, then into my mixer and then the computer.

I use the compressor when recording because it brightens the tone a bit, without it I get a real flat dead sound when going direct. Unless of course I want a dead flat sound, then I don't use it.

I don't like recording mic'd, at least not here in my "home studio". Since I don't have a super-expensive mic and classic guitar, using its piezo pickup is easier, although it doesn't give a really natural sound.

I did the electric part the same way, used my Washburn J-9 thin hollowbody into the compressor, to the mixer, to the computer. [This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 14 September 2005 at 10:27 PM.]

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 15 Sep 2005 4:56 am

I liked the electric. It fits better in the context of the style of the tune and with the other instruments.