Big Rock Guitar Picks

And thanks for your link!

Thoughts?

If there’s someone into math out there it would be intriguing to know if there’s a relationship at all. All I’ve heard is the ratio of 1,618 or something, just like the pi ratio 3,14.

Although my first name implies something, I can’t do the Maths…

As far as comments, keep them coming!

It is very little that needs in order to make a guitar stay. It should not be moving from playing only. The fingers can’t lift that much, but enough to knock the neck out of position. Or not to wiggle when doing vibratos.

I will stay out of here for a while, because, I have to let other people in with their thoughts and ideas. I’m sure there are great ideas out there. Just so it doesn’t turn out a debate between just you and me Robert.

The idea has merit. There is no doubt about that. However, I don’t see many guitarists giving up one of the great attractions of the guitar – its mobility. A guitar can be picked up at any time and taken elsewhere. Try that with a piano. Nonetheless, I’ll be featuring something along these lines shortly…

Here comes my most personal opinion, about “playability” and ergonomics of a lightweight guitar, bass or any instrument. It’s a bit long winded, but anyway, so have patience. It’s made from my own real experiences and nothing else. I start with a comparison with a piano first.

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A piano player is actually removed from his/her instrument. The player doesn’t WEAR the instrument. Because of the weight of course. The piano is so heavy so it does not move from exaggerated playing or large movements of hands playing chords. The player has just to move the body and hands towards where the octaves are. The piano – or keys – does not move in any direction from playing loud and hard, fast or whatever.

I’ve heard this from fellow keyboardists having to deal with digital pianos made of plastic when gigging. The want it held with screw clamps, in a vice, or anything tied to the stand in order NOT to move, regardless of it is by stage vibrations or whatever. They prefer somewhat heavier ones from a PLAYING point of view. From “humping-the-case” point of view, they want as light as possible of course!

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I have tried the “Pat Metheny” method of playing guitar once. He has occassionaly guitars attached to modifed snare drums stands of heavy duty. Of course, he use it only to be able to swap guitars instantly as, when he plays these, he already has another guitar strapped on to his body! Absolutely not for heavy purposes, or ergonomics.

When trying out a guitar mounted on such a stand, I needed no strap and I could adjust the height perfectly to my liking. Also, the weight, shape of the guitar became totally irrelevant. What I felt was that the guitar did not move at all. Just like the piano player. I did not have to adjust my playing for a split second, on the other hand, notes started to fly on the spot like they never have done before! I could play faster, and move up and down the neck faster because the target, the strings and frets did not move along with body movement. Especially doing heavy blues bends combined with a wide vibrato. The guitar did not wiggle at all back and forth, or up and down, and thus the vibratos and bendings became far more controllable! If I have had this on a strap I had to have held back a bit with my bending and vibratos. Also, I needed “less view” of the frets and didn’t have to bend over with my head and arc my back to see what my fingers was really doing.

These “wiggling” movements transfer more likely on a lightweight guitar than a heavy one, when held with a strap to the body.

It’s a natural thing for the elbows and the rest of the body to try to keep the guitar as still as possible and then you use muscles in arms and body – especially shoulders – to make your guitar “be still”. Think of a heavy headed machine head (like on a six stringed bass) You have to help with the fretting arm to keep it up so it doesn’t fall over at the head side!

CONCLUSION: if one detach the instrument FROM the human body altogether, you’ll save a lot of thinking and designing troubles regarding ergonomics! Already there, detaching it from the human body, you’re starting to gain HUGE benefits from both ergonomics and playing points of view. A pianist can do this, a drummer can do this, an organist and so on. They do not WEAR their instruments. Also, second conclusion, lightweight guitars does not necessarily automatically means improved PLAYING ergonomics in all instances, far from it, really.

Think of it: What are the real PLAYING benefits from wearing a guitar or ANY instrument really, besides that you can DANCE or move around WITH IT, which are for show offs only, and Madonna style shows. At long sessions in studios this is totally irrelevant.

Drawbacks for guitar stand playing is that you probably get into trouble of putting your pedal board anywhere! but I think that can be designed as well, built into the design of the stand. And you basically can just STAND UP playing your instrument, but that can be designed as well with the stand.

But that’s my five cents on ergonomic lightweight guitars, they seem to be more sensitive to the lever principle that takes place when playing intensely.

Headless basses have even more of this “wiggling” trouble when trying to funkify ones playing. Intense thumbs slaps and pops, seems to wiggle the instrument and it’s neck a lot more, than with headed and heavier instruments.

All I can say is that try this for yourself for a while, just attaching the guitar or bass to a table top or strapping it down in any kind of way without damaging it. It must be rigid, and not wiggle or move at all from your PLAYING only. Not the slightest. Removing the strap from your shoulders, and instrument from your body. See how your playing turns out, and especially the following:

How much time did you need to adjust or get comfortable with this ?

With me, it took absolutely no time, quite the opposite really, and had enormous trouble getting back to the usual “wearing” of the guitar. The effect it had on me, was that if I could help it, and had it my way, I wouldn’t go back! If guitars are supposed to be resting on a stand anyway when not using them, they might as well end up staying in those stands IN PLAYING POSITION!

But I ended up buying a Klein instead…
But A weak substitute for that, it was!

Phew!

/Mats

One thing I’ve found – slightly peculiar – about Klein and always wondered why it was not incorporated , was the omitting of slightly slanting the neck in pararell to the body. Most acoustic guitars, strats, les pauls and so on has their neck tilted. This work like this (exaggeregated) , if you put your guitar on the floor, flat on its BACK , just the “headed” end should touch the floor, and raise the body a bit. And just the back of the body should touch the floor. Leaving a slight gap underneath the rest of the guitar.

A sort of wedged design. Many have noted “ergonomics” for this, but I am not sure.

But the Klein has not this, the neck points straight out. I wondered if this is just ballyhoo or it makes some ergonomic sense?