I just bought a new Taylor Nylon
string today, oh my....why I didn't I buy a nylon strong years ago
baffles me, even when I had a traditional classical guitar sitting in
my corner for years and years. This may very well be my main guitar
now for looping. These Taylor's are really interesting guitars, because
even though they are often shunned by traditional classical guitarists
and even some acoustic jazz players (based on some reviews I read) as
sounding very flat and sterile unamplified (which I agree is partly
true), they sound tremendous through the electronic pickup system. I
believe these guitars were designed to be played amplified, not
"unplugged". In fact, my inexpensive Yamaha classical guitar sounds
better unplugged...but that is not the point here.
I bought the NS32-CE, which is the
entry level model for Taylor nylon strings....after weighing the
options I got with higher models, and the fact that the neck and
fretboard (playability) is basically the same on all the models, I went
this route because I prefer a simple guitar, rather than one with
exotic woods and all the other bells and whistles. This guitar is
basically the sibling of my Taylor steel string electric, the 310 CE.
They look very similar.
What I like most about the nylon
string and what I like to do looping-wise is that the tone of the nylon
string sounds very traditional and authentic (maybe because I was
trained on the classical guitar and it is often considered the
instrument for academic study), yet I am placing this in juxtaposition
with some serious tone mangling and experimental effects. I just love
the contrast of these two extremes. It would be analogous to placing a
microphone on a grand piano and running it through a bunch of insane
soft synths. You have this beautiful and warm bell-like tone of a nylon
string guitar, but driving the most wild and bizarre VST effects. It
really is a wonderful thing. The tone of the guitar can be so soft and
warm, yet the effects it triggers can take a whole new course of action
and life of their own.
I hope to bring this to Y2K6, unless
I think I might not be able to get it on the plane safely. I had no
problems last year.
Kris
