Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:33 am Posts: 8422 Location: Berthier-sur-Mer Gender: Male
Pearl Jam has many songs using this weird instrument (an acoustic guitar) yet they seem not to care about it sounding good at all. I don't think it's a playing issue and i know it's not easy to make it sound as rich as it is and should in an arena setting but seriously, don't you guys think that since PJ is a guitar-based band and uses the acoustic one on so many songs that they should make an effort to improve its live sound? most of the time it sounds as if they're playing on a just newly-stringed guitar stuffed with foam. it's miles away from what an acoustic guitar should sound. thoughts?
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:51 am Posts: 4009 Location: S. Florida Gender: Female
mastaflatch wrote:
Pearl Jam has many songs using this weird instrument (an acoustic guitar) yet they seem not to care about it sounding good at all. I don't think it's a playing issue and i know it's not easy to make it sound as rich as it is and should in an arena setting but seriously, don't you guys think that since PJ is a guitar-based band and uses the acoustic one on so many songs that they should make an effort to improve its live sound? most of the time it sounds as if they're playing on a just newly-stringed guitar stuffed with foam. it's miles away from what an acoustic guitar should sound. thoughts?
My thought is I never noticed, and I'm glad I don't have to pay attention whether it sounds like what it "should", because what I do notice, is that it sounds good.
Maybe PJ instead tries hard to NOT make it sound like what an acoustic guitar sound should sound like.
and for that I am glad. Because when they play acoustic it sounds like a Pearl Jam song and not like some kind of form over matter way of thinking slavery to the instrument rather than slave to the song.
They put the song before anything, and THAT is the way it should sound.
thank you.
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:33 am Posts: 8422 Location: Berthier-sur-Mer Gender: Male
knee tunes wrote:
mastaflatch wrote:
Pearl Jam has many songs using this weird instrument (an acoustic guitar) yet they seem not to care about it sounding good at all. I don't think it's a playing issue and i know it's not easy to make it sound as rich as it is and should in an arena setting but seriously, don't you guys think that since PJ is a guitar-based band and uses the acoustic one on so many songs that they should make an effort to improve its live sound? most of the time it sounds as if they're playing on a just newly-stringed guitar stuffed with foam. it's miles away from what an acoustic guitar should sound. thoughts?
My thought is I never noticed, and I'm glad I don't have to pay attention whether it sounds like what it "should", because what I do notice, is that it sounds good.
Maybe PJ instead tries hard to NOT make it sound like what an acoustic guitar sound should sound like.
and for that I am glad. Because when they play acoustic it sounds like a Pearl Jam song and not like some kind of form over matter way of thinking slavery to the instrument rather than slave to the song.
They put the song before anything, and THAT is the way it should sound.
thank you.
that's a sensible post and thanks for it. what i haven't included in the OP is the fact that their acoustic guitars sound mostly awesome on studio recordings.
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:21 am Posts: 23078 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Gender: Male
And before you clarified that your critique was about live performances, I was going to say that I love the way the guitars sound in "Strangest Tribe".
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Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:21 am Posts: 23078 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Gender: Male
Yeah, I really don't like how Stone's guitar sounds there. It's all over Benaroya, too. Kinda clangy and thuddy and metallic. But that's not really an acoustic, is it?
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:33 am Posts: 8422 Location: Berthier-sur-Mer Gender: Male
theplatypus wrote:
Yeah, I really don't like how Stone's guitar sounds there. It's all over Benaroya, too. Kinda clangy and thuddy and metallic. But that's not really an acoustic, is it?
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:12 am Posts: 721 Location: Sydney / Melbourne
On the new Vancouver boot, Stone starts off Pilate with a nice warm electric tone and then switches the pedal to faux-acoustic about 15 seconds in - from then on I find his strumming really grating and almost painful to listen to with headphones - anyone else notice this?
I've noticed that too. It almost sounds like an acoustic guitar with the sound hole covered with cloth. Of course I may just have had my ears spoiled by the masters of grunge acoustic guitars, Alice in Chains.
But I dont find it unlistenable at all. It's a bit twangy but it's listenable.
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:33 am Posts: 8422 Location: Berthier-sur-Mer Gender: Male
Tig wrote:
I've noticed that too. It almost sounds like an acoustic guitar with the sound hole covered with cloth. Of course I may just have had my ears spoiled by the masters of grunge acoustic guitars, Alice in Chains.
But I dont find it unlistenable at all. It's a bit twangy but it's listenable.
it's definitely listenable. i'm just a disappointed that they (PJ) think it's good enough.
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:51 am Posts: 4009 Location: S. Florida Gender: Female
mastaflatch wrote:
it's definitely listenable. i'm just a disappointed that they (PJ) think it's good enough.
musical sounds & the mix of a song and amp settings, instrument tones, etc. --I'm sure the band has their listen & say in the matter and that things are the way they want them.
By saying that "they think its good enough" makes it sound as if they are taking a short cut, or not putting in their "best effort" or whatever. I'm thinking its probably alot more likely that the sound is exactly the way they want it rather than it being a result of the band the cutting corners, or settling for something thats just "good enough"...don't ya think?
Is that what you're saying, that they're "settling" for a certain sound just because it's "good enough" and they might not feel like trying harder?
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:33 am Posts: 8422 Location: Berthier-sur-Mer Gender: Male
yeah, that's what i'm saying and that's what i presume. i'm aware that acoustic guitars are a bitch to mike properly live with feedback issues etc. but it's possible to have a richer tone that what PJ usually gets. maybe they just don't care that much? even when they did Mother on TV, Stone's guitar sounded like shit.
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:51 am Posts: 4009 Location: S. Florida Gender: Female
mastaflatch wrote:
yeah, that's what i'm saying and that's what i presume. i'm aware that acoustic guitars are a bitch to mike properly live with feedback issues etc. but it's possible to have a richer tone that what PJ usually gets. maybe they just don't care that much? even when they did Mother on TV, Stone's guitar sounded like shit.
If those s are really cuttin' corners or aren't checking the sound fully or/and properly, or have become lax, then this is a whole other issue.
I say we write them a letter asking them if they are even aware of this issue.
Mother shouldn't be dissed
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