what acousic guitar do you use for hiphop n rnb?

[hiphopdraw]

What do you use? What do some session players and some beatmakers/producers use? just curious.

[code green]

because of the way that acoustic is generally used in hip hop /r&b--intermittently, generally, in single strums or flourishes--i imagine just about any nice, balanced-sounding acoustic would do...but what i generally hear in tracks from these genres sounds to my ears like either classical guitar (nylon string) or like a distinctive-sounding steel-string such as a takamine--can't really describe what's distinctive about them but they really do have a sound like no other, which some love and some don't.

a buddy who is an r&b producer uses a takamine, if that helps at all.

[Solar]

Logically whatever works and whatever the one that gives you the sound you're looking for. But for sure Takamine is a lot used, also Ovation, used a lot by Brian Mc knight at a time and many more.. but Ovation & Takamine are the way to start!! Enjoy!

[hiphopdraw]

Can someone recommend the models for the takamine?

[Alex Niedt]

It's really not that important, honestly. The way people utilize guitars in R&B and hip-hop (especially hip-hop), the type of guitar is of little or no consequence. Most of the time, they're not even real guitars, and not many people seem to care or be able to tell. As someone from a guitar background, that frustrates me, but I've gotten used to it...

I wish people would stop trying the nylon-string sound, though, because no one EVER gets it right.

Anyhow, if you're looking to buy a steel-string acoustic, I'd recommend an Ovation. They sound good, and the body-shape makes them more comfortable for a lot of people than other brands. If that's of no consequence to you, try out Martin and Takamine, as well. Just go to a guitar store and try each model. There's no easier or quicker way to do it. If you're looking at nylon-string guitars, they generally sound awful unless you pay a LOT.

[A-List]

i vote for Martin guitars. or get a strat and NI guitar rig for elecric sounds.

[H-Rezz]

It's not about which brand or what type of acoustic they use , my guess is all the tracks you have heard used a different acoustic and brand , what they do have in common though is the recording method and that is the crappy D.I. sound , rarely are they mic'ing it up for a full bodied sound but rather choose a plastic direct in sound , this happens with both Steel string and Nylon string about 95% of the time .....

[ryst]

If you need a good guitar sound/track, you need to find a good player, like me, or someone who knows how to play. The brand is about as important as the type of toilet paper you wipe your ass with.

[Mr. Man]

Originally Posted by hiphopdraw

What do you use? What do some session players and some beatmakers/producers use? just curious.

I have a Martin DC15E, and it sounds much better than you'd think.

I think Mark Landau uses an Olson guitar.

[KeMiKaL]

would love to know which guitar would give me the closest sound to Justin Timberlakes - Like I Love you....... Like Some Kind of Spanish Flamenco Sounding Type Guitar.... lol sry i know nothing about guitars

[tomdarude]

the Martin D28 is probably the most used/recorded acoustic guitar in the world of studios!

you can´t go wrong with that one....
the HD28-V is the one I´d prefer though...

my best friend just bought a D42 a few weeks ago, which is just plain sick but big $$$...*sigh*

I agree with these posters that a-guitar sounds on HipHop/R&B releases mostly sound sh*tty these days....PLEASE be different and don´t go that route, too.

and sorry, but Ovations sound like crap....even 4000$ ones.
for THAT sound just plug about any 500$ takamine/whatever into your D.I.....voila!
for me that has nothing to do with the sound of an acoustic guitar!


for Nylon sounds....look e.g. for a "Hanika" in the 600-1000€ range....good guitars!

cheers tom

[PettyCash]

Originally Posted by ryst

If you need a good guitar sound/track, you need to find a good player, like me, or someone who knows how to play. The brand is about as important as the type of toilet paper you wipe your ass with.

Hey some ppl might take what toilet paper they use seriously. If they didnt, a lot of people would be wiping their ass with tree bark and saving money.
The same thing goes for any type of instrument, smart people will go for trying out different types, brands, and see what works best for them before making a purchase.

[yaboicheeze]

i feel in love with this 70s gibson acostic my dad has ....... martins are really heavly recorded guitars for sure...... it really depends what you like tho hommie fuk wat everyone else says find tha sound that best fits you and wat your lookin for .......

[rickrock305]

from my experiences, i'd have to go with takamine



but something to keep in mind, acoustic guitar sounds are about 90% due to the player, and 10% gear and guitar.

[korce]

Larivee (i think thats how you spell it?) makes some beautiful nylon string guitars - my brother inherited an old one from my grandfather, got some work done on it, and it sounds amazing - very warm and full. Def. lucky to have it around the house...

No idea what their newer guitars are like tho, this one is probably at least 20-30 years old.

[jje]

Tip - you can get a lower end Martin or Taylor (Big Baby is nice and pretty full sounding despite being smaller) without electronics for about the same as a low/mid range guitar from another company with electronics. The different is that the low end Martin or Taylor will be higher quality. You just have to mic it up to record which is the way acoustic guitar has been treated for decades anyway.

[psycho_monkey]

yeah - DIs are designed for playing live, not for recording!

I've gotten great nylon sounds from my other half's £99 cheap thing...as far as steel strings go, people seem to have it covered.... another -1 for Ovation, they're really not designed for recording...they're a live player's guitar.

[funkynuts]

I use a Simon Patrick which is a nice little guitar.Hand made in Canada but still affordable.

She has a beautiful warm tone but it took a long time to find the perfect setup for her.

I would definately add another vote for a Martin or Taylor. These are fantastic instruments which should give you pleasure for many years.

Stay away from electro acoustics unless you plan on gigging a lot with the guitar.The recorded sound of the pickups is much inferior to micing it up although it can be useful to mic and di at the same time.

Its also believe its better to spend the extra money on the guitar itself rather than some possibly low quality additional electronics.

Cheers

[jb4play]

Originally Posted by ryst

If you need a good guitar sound/track, you need to find a good player, like me, or someone who knows how to play. The brand is about as important as the type of toilet paper you wipe your ass with.

[Zacchino]

Martin D28.