Petteway goes over to the dark side

[billhammond]

www.rainsong.com/models/aple.asp

(They are $2,500.)

[patrick]

Interesting.

[millring]

He's been raving about 'em for a while on facebook. His latest recording apparently has some tracks recorded on one.

[billhammond]

Aug 1, 2014 7:24:15 GMT -5 millring said:

He's been raving about 'em for a while on facebook. His latest recording apparently has some tracks recorded on one.

Yeh, this was a quote:

My new CD "Mountain Guitar" will be the featured new release on "Thistle and Shamrock" on Sunday. Fiona will be mentioning the Swannanoa Gathering too.

[Deleted]

The Fishman Prefix system by itself is one of the best sounding under saddle pickups I've ever tried, but I've always felt that amplifying an acoustic guitar in that way alone can't reproduce the sounds we hear acoustically as the result of sound waves moving through the body and out of the sound hole. With the addition of a microphone in the Premium Blend system, you can blend in just enough of the microphone to make it sound and feel more natural. It's also set up so that you can send either a premixed mono signal from the guitar or send the mic and pickup out separately in stereo so that they can each be EQ'd and adjusted independently to sound their best. Many sound engineers prefer two signals because they can send a different mix to the house and monitors if feedback from the mic is an issue. I prefer to blend the two sources on the guitar and send out a mono signal.

I think the Marketing people at RainSong added that bit.

[billhammond]

Aug 1, 2014 7:48:00 GMT -5 Marty said:

The Fishman Prefix system by itself is one of the best sounding under saddle pickups I've ever tried, but I've always felt that amplifying an acoustic guitar in that way alone can't reproduce the sounds we hear acoustically as the result of sound waves moving through the body and out of the sound hole. With the addition of a microphone in the Premium Blend system, you can blend in just enough of the microphone to make it sound and feel more natural. It's also set up so that you can send either a premixed mono signal from the guitar or send the mic and pickup out separately in stereo so that they can each be EQ'd and adjusted independently to sound their best. Many sound engineers prefer two signals because they can send a different mix to the house and monitors if feedback from the mic is an issue. I prefer to blend the two sources on the guitar and send out a mono signal.

I think the Marketing people at RainSong added that bit.

Could you expand on that, Marty? You are not buying Al's point there, or what?

[Dub]

Rainsong must have improved their line since I last heard one.

[billhammond]

Aug 1, 2014 8:19:53 GMT -5 Dub said:

Rainsong must have improved their line since I last heard one.

I used to find them really tubby sounding, way inferior to CA, but the last one I played, right before the Podium closed, sounded pretty damn good.

[Deleted]

Aug 1, 2014 8:17:41 GMT -5 billhammond said:

Aug 1, 2014 7:48:00 GMT -5 Marty said:

I think the Marketing people at RainSong added that bit.

Could you expand on that, Marty? You are not buying Al's point there, or what?

The way it is written doesn't sound like a artist's view. Too carefully arranged to point out features of the pickup system. If he did write it I think he got a few pointers from the marketing people as to what to mention.

[billhammond]

Aug 1, 2014 8:43:53 GMT -5 Marty said:

Aug 1, 2014 8:17:41 GMT -5 billhammond said:

Could you expand on that, Marty? You are not buying Al's point there, or what?

The way it is written doesn't sound like a artist's view. Too carefully arranged to point out features of the pickup system. If he did write it I think he got a few pointers from the marketing people as to what to mention.

Al has a LOT of experience talking about and writing about guitars and their qualitites -- especially through Dream Guitars. To me, it sounds like him doing his usual job of picking apart the features of this instrument -- he is an unusual artist in that he also likes to get into the technical side of things.

[drlj]

This is one of those plastic guitars? Made in a mold?
Impervious to weather, temps, radiation and wood chewing vermin?
Isn't Al Petteway a race car driver? He also plays guitar?
NASCAR, right?

[Marshall]

Aug 1, 2014 7:48:00 GMT -5 Marty said:

The Fishman Prefix system by itself is one of the best sounding under saddle pickups I've ever tried, but I've always felt that amplifying an acoustic guitar in that way alone can't reproduce the sounds we hear acoustically as the result of sound waves moving through the body and out of the sound hole. With the addition of a microphone in the Premium Blend system, you can blend in just enough of the microphone to make it sound and feel more natural. It's also set up so that you can send either a premixed mono signal from the guitar or send the mic and pickup out separately in stereo so that they can each be EQ'd and adjusted independently to sound their best. Many sound engineers prefer two signals because they can send a different mix to the house and monitors if feedback from the mic is an issue. I prefer to blend the two sources on the guitar and send out a mono signal.

I think the Marketing people at RainSong added that bit.

Sounds to me like the Fishman people wrote it.

Internal mics are not very road worthy unless you've got a top rate house system and a real professional running it. (Just my not-so-humble-opinion). But if you've got that kind of gear and support, almost any system can be made to sound pretty darn good. The test is to come up with a bullet-proof system you can walk into almost any place and plug and play. (and sound good, of course)

[billhammond]

Aug 1, 2014 9:31:15 GMT -5 drlj said:

Isn't Al Petteway a race car driver? He also plays guitar?
NASCAR, right?

[david]

His many reviews at Dream Guitars over the years with high end guitars and his performances in numerous environments would give him a perspective that no one else has. He obviously knows fine guitars and how to set up for good sound. I heard him playing his 00 Circa (John Slobod) guitar in concert and the sound was one of the best amplified acoustic guitar sounds I have heard. I do not know the guy, but I tend to believe he would not intentionally give false information.

[Deleted]

Aug 1, 2014 11:48:11 GMT -5 david said:

His many reviews at Dream Guitars over the years with high end guitars and his performances in numerous environments would give him a perspective that no one else has. He obviously knows fine guitars and how to set up for good sound. I heard him playing his 00 Circa (John Slobod) guitar in concert and the sound was one of the best amplified acoustic guitar sounds I have heard. I do not know the guy, but I tend to believe he would not intentionally give false information.

I don't think Al would ever give false info. But since he does know guitars and pickups he would also know exactly what information to include to please his sponsors. When I read Al's description of the Fishman system it read as if Fishman wrote it, not AL.

[j]

Al showcased what I still consider the best amplified steel string sound I've ever heard...it was a McIntyre feather in his Tippin, into a Humphrey tube amp. Sweetness for days.

[Marshall]

I like their N2 neck.

I'm just sayin'

[Cosmic Wonder]

I asked the carpenter ants that live in the dead wood pile in the back yard what they think of Rainsongs. Every ant there said they were yucky.

Mike

[godotwaits]

Al and Amy made a pass through Ct, oh probably 10 yrs back now, and I went to see them. Have been a strong fan of them, they are truly wonderful. I have many of their cds. Well, it was the first time I saw him packing a Rainsong. The previous few years they had settled on a couple of Ryans. Which, of course, sounded superb. My take on his Rainsong was similar to Bill's little aside... tubby. And it didn't do him any aesthetic favors. It didn't have nearly the sonic punch that he has in his arsenal of playing attack. Amy still played her Ryan at that time.

But technically, who knows, maybe they have improved over that time enough to justify the cost. I'm not a tech-head enough to parse among those details. Talk amongst yourselves. I'm just saying that the Rainsong I heard left me underwhelmed. And I have also had the opportunity to play a friends. Just seems to me they don't have any character. I'm more persuaded by wood. My bias. My bad. Say whatever.

[Marshall]

For $2,500 I got a Marshall signature model guitar. Only one of it's kind. . . . , of course I sold a much more classic and valuable (dollar wise) guitar signed by some guy, Ernie, to rationalize the purchase. But still, it looks great and it serves me well.

Some might think I'm crazy.


They could be right.


But I don't care much about that.