DEALER DISCOUNTS
PICKUP OPTIONS
CLASSICAL TAB
TUNING UP FOR SLIDE
What is the reason for establishing a guitar's list price, which nobody ever seems to pay? What is the dealer's markup on a guitar, and how much power does the consumer have in negotiating a price?
Robert Bohne
Brookhaven, Pennsylvania
The list price is often used to establish where an instrument fits into the marketplace. The figure is also a starting point that sales reps and merchants use to calculate the actual cost. Here is where things get confusing, because the percentage of the list price paid by the merchant varies wildly. On some imported guitars made in vast quantities, for instance, dealers may pay far less than half the list price, provided they agree to purchase at least a certain number (lots and lots) within a year's time and to receive and warehouse large shipments (often several months' supply). With most American-made guitars, all dealers pay the same price regardless of how many they buy, and discounts to dealers are between 40 and 50 percent. However, on some guitars available in limited numbers, especially very expensive ones, the dealer may pay three-fourths of the list price or more. In these cases, guitars are often sold at full list. For the most part, small companies sell their guitars to dealers for a higher percentage of the published list, called a short discount by many of us in the industry. But there is no hard and fast rule, and manufacturers such as Gibson may offer two instruments in a similar price range at different discounts.
Your power in negotiating a price depends entirely on the dealer--and your social skills. Some stores only put the list price on the tag, while others will put a discounted price on the guitar that leaves little room for a further reduction in price. Your best insurance is to visit stores that stock what you want and speak frankly with the salespeople. Beware of quotes over the phone, as they may be little more than an attempt to lure you into the store (and away from the competition); a low price is of little use if the instrument in question is not in stock or doesn't meet your standards of tone, appearance, and playability.
--Richard Johnston
I am trying to choose a pickup system for both live and studio performances. What should I consider in making my choice?
Cameron Ellison
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
With the myriad options available, deciding on one system can be just a little daunting. The good news is that the quality of most pickup systems today is very high, and whatever you choose is likely to be very good. The trend in higher-end pickup systems seems to be the use of two sources (in some cases even more), blended together externally. One of the most common examples of this is the popular under-the-saddle piezo pickup (such as those made by Fishman, Highlander, and L.R. Baggs) combined with an internal mini condenser mic (a Crown or Audio-Technica, for example). Remarkably rich, natural acoustic sound can be obtained with this combination. The pickup is wired to the tip of a stereo endpin jack, and the mic is wired to the ring. The signals are carried by a stereo guitar cable and plugged into any of several devices where they can be split and processed separately. High-quality devices are made by companies such as Fishman, Rane, and Pendulum. Most will provide some EQ, phantom power for the mic, and a phase reverse switch for each channel.
You are not restricted to using only a mini-mic with the piezo, however; you can wire in another pickup, such as a stick-on transducer or magnetic soundhole pickup. The Highlander IP-2, for example, comes with a 3.5-millimeter minijack hardwired to the mic side of the endpin jack, enabling you to plug in a variety of mics or pickups. I recommend wiring a minijack to whatever system you decide on. Once you choose your primary pickup, it will be easy to experiment with different combinations. High-quality jacks and plugs by companies like Neutrik and Switchcraft are cheap and dependable, and they can be soldered up in just a few minutes. This approach is far easier than pulling out the endpin jack, removing the old lead, soldering in a new one, and reinstalling the jack. Most good luthiers and repairpeople should be able to do a quality installation. Just be sure that whoever installs your system is thoroughly familiar with the wiring schemes of the various devices, as they can be tricky. Systems vary in ease of installation; the Highlander, for example, requires that a hole slightly larger than the half-inch norm be drilled in the tailblock.
Recording with a pickup or pickups is another can of worms entirely. You can get some interesting sounds by combining pickups with a good studio mic or by processing the signal with EQ, wild effects, etc. I recommend recording the pickup on a separate track; this will enable you to process the signal without affecting the other tracks. Some pickups require preamplification or impedance matching (from a direct box, for instance) before you can plug into a console. I've had good luck plugging my guitars directly into my console--the output from the small preamp in the Fishman Matrix seems to be hot enough without any other preamps in the chain. Also, don't be afraid to experiment. I've plugged an acoustic guitar into a good tube guitar amp in the studio for some very snarly slide guitar.
--Ed Gerhard
After reading David Winters' Solo article in the May/June 1995 issue ("The 'Moonlight' Sonata"), I am absolutely thrilled to be able to play Beethoven on my guitar! Are more classical transcriptions available with tablature for the guitar?
Mark Hansen
Kenmore, New York
There are many books currently in print of classical guitar music that use tablature as well as standard notation. Cherry Lane publishes a series called International Guitar Editions, in which each book is accompanied by a cassette or CD. The titles include The Music of France, with works by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, and Lully; The Music of Germany, with works by Bach, Schumann, and Beethoven; and The Music of Russia, with compositions by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Rachmaninoff. Cherry Lane also publishes two volumes called 39 Progressive Solos for Guitar. These are arranged by Ben Bolt and include studies by Sor, Carcassi, and Giuliani. Mel Bay also publishes a number of classical guitar books in tablature, such as Bach's Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook and John Dowland's The First Booke of Songes or Ayres.
--Michael Simmons
I play standard and slide on a Guild dreadnought strung with medium-gauge phosphor-bronze strings. Will going back and forth between standard tuning and open D or open E harm my guitar's neck? Is open E likely to cause more damage than open D?
Michael McKinsey
Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Well, Guilds are strong, well-made guitars, but the scale length is long, and medium-gauge strings are pretty hefty. You'll probably be OK tuning up to E for slide, especially if it's only for a couple of tunes, but why chance it? I'd say unless you really need to play a bunch of licks up above the 12th fret, use D tuning and add a capo if you need to bring the guitar's pitch up to match your vocal range or to be in tune with a recording. It's obviously easier on your guitar to lower the strings than to raise them (higher equals greater pressure). Whatever you decide, it's a good idea to put the guitar back in standard tuning when you're done playing.
If you really get into slide, consider buying a second guitar. You can get an instrument with a short scale length to easily accommodate medium- or even heavy-gauge strings and set it up with slightly higher action for better slide tone.
--Dale Miller