I purchased a new 3 string fretted CBG over eBay and am attempting to teach myself to play. I am having a terrible time trying to play bar chords. I cannot get all 3 strings to sound using 1 finger.Any suggestions?
I do not have much sustain. I am playing thru a acoustic 10w power amp. Not sure if it is my cbg, my amp or just me. Suggestions?
I have a terrible time when I attempt to use a slide. I have a brass metal one and a all glass one. When I try to slide up the neck the fret's sound like a motor boat. Trying to bar using a slide sounds horrible. lots of fret rattle. I wonder if my strings are too close to the frets. I have thought about putting something under the nutt to raise the strings. Is this a good idea, or would I just be making many more headache's than I want to get into? Help please.
Dick Dowd a newbee.
Replies
I'm still working it myself, bar chords that is. Best advice that got me moving forward was to rotate the index finger backwards, don't use the flat, use the edge on the thumb side...
The others have given you suggestions for increasing playability, string height, intonation, slide technique...
I want to offer two other suggestions.
First, get yourself a preamp. This can be a standalone battery or wall wart-powered box that you plug in between the guitar and amp, or can be a battery unit that can be fitted inside the guitar. Why? Piezos are high impedance (which means they do not generate much electrical current), and often need to have their signal boosted prior to that signal going into the amp for further boosting ( amplification, get it?). An acoustic 10W amp should work great with your git after putting a preamp between them.
Second, you don't mention if you have ever had any experience playing guitar. I would guess from your comment that you are having trouble getting a three-string barre chord to sound properly that you are either 1) a total guitar newbie - don't worry, all of us once were - meaning that you've never played 6-string barre chords before, and so don't know the technique, or 2) you are attempting to use the slide to sound a fretted 3-string bar chord. The slide is not used to press down behind the fret. As the others have said, the slide "floats" on the strings. I would recommend putting the slide down for a minute, and just try playing a 3-string barre chord with your index finger. It is generally the strongest finger on your hand, with the greatest control. Press all 3 strings down across the fretboard immediately behind, not on, the fret, with the flat part of your index finger, from the tip to just behind the first knuckle. With a bit of practice, you should be able to get all 3 strings to ring out properly. Try doing it NOT using your thumb for support. Once you can do this a few times, place your thumb on the backside of the neck for support. You will feel stronger, and will not need to use as much finger pressure to barre the 3-string chord.
Oily, thanks for your reply. I'll give this a try, rolling my index finger on it's side and see how that goes. I have owned two standard acoustic gutairs, three electric gutairs, one hollow body, two Strats. I also have owned a dobro, a Peavey electric base, three banjo's two 4 string and one 5 string, and now a WeekleyHouse 3 string CBG with Peizo pickup. Now with that said, I was never able to teach myself how to play any of them. I bought DVD's, and books plus what I can get on the internet. All the guys in the know say that anyone can learn CBG even if you are 70. Well come the first of the year I will be 74. Sure hope this works.
Welcome to the world of CBG! Bummer your having a bad time at it. Good news! There are ways to fix problems.
For your first problem it could be the thickness of the strings. Unfortunately some companies like to sell barbed wire and metal cabling. Try putting a thinner gauge string set on it. And remember. Playing a guitar is pressing the string down just lightly enough to make a sound. Never squeeze with the left hand. Baring with a single finger takes some practice and time to get to sound right.
The second problem is one that can be done with the right set of mind and technique. Learn to control the amount of weight you allow the slide to have as you use it. This takes time. But once learned there will not be a guitar made you wont be able to play slide on. Any guitar, No matter how low the strings are set. It's the same as learning just how little pressure is needed to make a single note. All the slide has to do is make enough contact with the string to sound a clear note. Try playing the slide as lightly as possible. Learn to press when needed.
Your poor amount of sustain could be the type of electronics built into the guitar itself. A standard piezo wont have the same sustain as a magnetic pickup. And will not perform well with distortion. Usually has a lot of squalling. If it has standard pickups they could be really poor quality. Good news is your not stuck with it. You can always put better in. Plenty of people here to help.
Hope this helps. Really looking forward to hearing you play.
Dick, a lot of comment, all around , i suspect, a couple of simple problems, 1st, a few pictures of your guitar would help, with a good shot of the string height at the nut, and 12th fret, also without any prejudice or ill will, you will not be the first to buy a dog on e bay if that's the case., from the start, firstly is the neck fretted to suit your bridge position? from the last contact point on your nut, your bridge should be 2x the distance to the 12th fret on the thinnest string, treat your guitar like a diddly bow up to this point, just get 1 string working right, when that is ok, do the same with the thickest string, that might[ will] mean slanting the bridge a little rearward on the bass side, if that.s ok the middle string should be pretty close also.Your playing issues i feel are a combination of a guitar badly tuned, and at a guess probably poorly fretted, in that last comment, i am assuming big time, but is the feel i get from your comments, i can't really offer much in playing skills, but it sounds like you are either a bit heavy handed with the slide, or your string height is a bit low, but being low and correct, if the case means it's more about your technique than the guitar, i just suspect , reading between the lines, your git is either fretted badly or set up poorly, as i said earlier without pictures showing a bit of detail, we are only guessing
Darryl, Thanks for your response. Here is the answers for some of your questions. CBG is a WEEKLYHOUSE. The Cigar box is a Oliva. Fretboard is make of Paduka. 23 medium steel frets, pressed in not glued. 25.3/4 in. scale with total length of 35 in. It has a floating bone bridgeand a bolt nutt. It is neck through construction. Piezo pickup installed under bridge. Longshaft Neutrik Brand input. It came with Martin Brand extra light acoustic 80/20 Bronze strings Gauges 39,30,23 tuned to Open G GDG.
I moved the bridge as you suggested starting with the smallest string. Then set the other end for the largest string. String highth at the nut is 1/16in. At the 12th fret is 3/16.
Does any of this help?
It DOES! At the 12th fret, your strings should be closer to .080"... One key when measuring is you want to measure the gap between the top of the metal fret and the bottom of the string... 3/16" is wicked high (0.1875) ... 1/16" is high for the first, too... it should be more like 1/32... again.. top of the fret to the bottom of the string.
To lower the string at the 12th, you can sand down the bridge. you might have to take as much as 1/8" off the bridge height, but go a little at a time, and measure with the strings all tuned...
Your strings are fine... they're a light gauge...