This is a section where you can ask Laurence any questions regarding gear set-up, guitars, amps, etc.... Just send your questions to ljnews@laurencejuber.com, and we'll be sure to get Laurence's answers posted here!

I was watching my LJ DADGAD video where he plays a Collings C-10 (burst cutaway) and also an OM.  I was wondering what scale length he is using on the C-10. I noticed that my hands don't seem to stretch as far and I know my hands are bigger , but not stronger.

I was thinking he is on a custom scale, perhaps a 24.9 or 25.25" something smaller than 25.4 or 25.5 (which I believe is standard).

Thanks,
Ken

Ken,

The scale on the C-10 is a standard 25.4 or 5 I forget which. I used it for the video because it has fingerboard position markers, which make it easier to see what positions I'm playing.

Tip: always stretch back from the highest note to the lowest - the opposite is much harder and the muscles don't work as well.

All the best,
LJ

Hello there,

I am a huge fan of your guitar work on Seventh Heaven. I have been trying to find out for some time who was doing that amazing guitar work for the show. I found out who you were from Cesar Benito.

I can't tell from the picture, but I am trying to find out what Mic's, pre, comp, or anything about your recording signal chain. Again, in the picture it looks like a stereo pair of mic's, and the one I can see looks like a Neuman K-84, but I really can tell.

Also are you recording the guitar to analog tape, or to a digital enviroment? Do you use open or standard tunings?

If I could ever get my Wechter acoustic to sound anything like your Martin does, I would be eternally grateful.

Thanks in advance.  Keep up the incredible work.

Sincerely
Jotown

Thanks for your email.

The 7th Heaven underscore is generally recorded at Capitol studios in one three hour session per show. The engineer mostly uses a single AKG 451, although sometimes we'll use my KM-140 - it's a mono source that runs through the Neve console mic-pre's with little, if any, compression or eq. Recording medium is DA88 with an analog 24 track as backup.

For my own records, I use a pair of Schoeps CMC5 mics through a pair of Neve 1273 mic pre-amps, some modified Aphex Expressors and an Avalon stereo EQ. A to D conversion is Apogee at 24bit/44.1k recording into Digital Performer.

The music for 7th Heaven is composed by Dan Foliart (Eight Simple Rules, Roseanne, Home Improvement).  He generally uses two different tunings per show - eg DGDGBD or DGDGBbD and EbBbEbGBbEb, sometimes CGDGCE and other often unexpected variations. I rarely see the music in advance but we have developed a special system that uses regular notation that I sight-read as though I'm in standard tuning - it comes out with different pitches due to the altered tunings. Dan will indicate specific strings and positions . I'll read it the same way regardless of the tuning - it's kind of a 'tab-notation'. There was an article in Fingerstyle Guitar magazine a few years ago that showed some of the music.

I use two different guitars on the session - my Martin OM18LJ and a Collings OM1A or an OM2BA, all with cutaways and strung with GHS Signature Bronze True Medium strings.

All the best,

LJ

Dear LJ,

At the National Guitar Workshop in Oakland, CA this summer we chatted a bit about tone woods for acoustic guitars, especially the combination of Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce that you have used on your Collins and Martin guitars.  We talked only briefly about other combinations. You mentioned that you prefer Brazilian Rosewood to Indian Rosewood what is your preference in tonewood for the top of a guitar with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides?

Since Brazilian rosewood has become so rare is their any tonewood that you would use for the top with a guitar with Indian Rosewood back and sides?

Thank you,
Kerby Smith

Kerby,

Thanks for your email.

I have:

Brazilian/Adirondack Collings OM2H - Classic OM bark with a Texas twang

Brazilian/Bosnian Ryan Mission - Bosnian has a rich classical sound beyond that of German spruce which works well with Brazilian, as does Italian.  A stiff piece of Engelmann spruce can be good too.

Indian/Cedar Ryan Mission - This wood combo is an excellent match for a light touch..

I have heard excellent sounds from Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce in a classical guitar. So much depends on the builder and the force of the players technique.

Alternatives to Brazilian are Madagascar Rosewood and Cocobolo.

All the best,

LJ

Dear Laurence,

I appreciated your web site and information about your gear.   I have a Taylor guitar that I love and recently discovered the SWR California Blonde. It sounds great and rich and acoustic. But I also just bought a Gretsch eletric which really sounds best through an older style Fender amp. I have been trying to simplify my "on stage gear". To gracefully achieve the optimum sound when going between my Taylor and Gretsch on a show, is it necessary to have both types of amps on stage? They have such different needs. I tried the Gretsch through the SWR, and it was not happening. It got pretty muddy. What would you suggest?

I would really appreciate your input!

Thanks a lot.
Jennifer Robin
Hi Jennifer,
 
You didn't say if you own the Blonde or are currently shopping. It is useful, but not essential, for an acoustic stage sound. A good Preamp/DI, the Baggs 'Paracoustic' for example, will cover the acoustic and the Gretsch can run through the Fender and any effects pedals you might use. This is the approach I take when I need to play both electric & acoustic on stage.
 
I am currently using a prototype blender/DI made by Raven Labs (an in-house project at SWR) to mix the outputs from the Highlander pickup and microphone installed in my Collings OM1. If you really want to work with the Blonde then another approach would be to run the Gretsch through an electric guitar preamp like the Line 6 'Pod' and then run its output into the second channel on the Blonde. Not exactly a vintage sound, but a versatile & serviceable alternative which would offer the benefit of programmable sounds and effects in one unit.
 
All the best,
LJ

Laurence-

When I saw you play at Beatlefest, I thought it was really cool the way you seemed to be picking with your left hand. I'm not really a guitar player but I don't recall seeing that technique before. Although since then, I saw a bluesman doing that as well this weekend in a big way. Very very cool. Is this a common technique?

Joyce
Joyce,
 
It's not uncommon, but it's an advanced technique. It is referred to as a "Hammer-On" (when the left hand fingers "hammer" onto the strings) and a "Pull-Off" (when the fingers pull down on the strings until they release and pick the note). I do it a lot on a tune called Cobalt Blue.
 
LJ

LJ, Greetings!!!!!

I have a question regarding the setup of your Pendulum Preamp and your SWR Amplifier.  Do you run your Pendulum directly in the front of your SWR or do you go into the effects return in the back of the SWR?  Which do you find the cleanest and most versatile?

Sincerely,
David M. Besselman

 

Hi David,
 
Thanks for your question. Actually I don't run my system that way. I generally use the Blonde by itself or with my new protype Raven Labs blender box as the front end, running the line out into the effects return on channel 1, controlling the level with the effects return knob. The Pendulum can be used in the same way - you can still use the Blonde's reverb by turning up the master reverb level. The Raven Labs box is a creation of Steve Rabe, mastermind behind the Blonde. It is more convenient for me to use than the Pendulum, which I have retired to my home studio.
 
All the best,
LJ

LJ,

I was wondering if you had any tips for reducing string squeaks during recording? Do you use a different string sets/type for recording and live playing?

Peace, Keefe

 

Hi Keefe,

I use the same guitar and strings for stage and studio - a Collings OM strung with GHS Signature Bronze true mediums ( available in stores 1st quarter 2001). I find that the squeaks don't bother me when the volume of the note is louder than the string noise. This will vary from one guitar to another and will also depend on humidity. If it is very dry I will run a humidifier to increase the moisture content of my home studio. Another trick is to rub my fingertips on my forehead around the hairline to pick up a little skin oil. You can also try relieving the pressure from the strings when you change position.

Another factor could be microphones and mic preamps. I use Schoeps mics (very fast & accurate) with Neve mic pre-amps (slow and warm). A fast mic pre can pick up too much of the wrong kind of detail (ie squeaks) at the expense of the music.

All the best,

LJ