Hold up - I've ONLY played a dreadnought my whole live and ALL I do is fingerstyle,.. MIND BLOWN * great video by the way. ;) **just subbed because you're awesome.
I have mixed feelings about this topic. First of all, dreadnought was my first guitar, my journey started with this wonderful, boomy, mumbly guitar 36 years ago. I love the powerful low end and I wouldn't sing and play with any other guitar, it IS the perfect accompaniment for a singer. Nothing beats dreadnought when it comes to flatpicking. Since I am classically trained guitarist it is only natural that I love the fingerstyle playing. And I played fingerstyle on all of my dreadnoughts throughout the years. It works. But I gotta say this... I still prefer 00, 000 and OMs for fingerpicking. I understand that you can pull out some fine fingerstyle playing on a dreadnought but t is not really where it shines. I play jazz on a Telecaster and I play classical music on a guitar with cedar top which doesn't have a tremendously sparkly upper register, and many people may complain about it, but it feels natural to me. I guess that it is all that matters.
Michael, I have a 12 fret slot head Martin that you would probably enjoy playing. It is a 0000-18S, which is an M body size, but in 12 fret configuration. It has the dry woody tones of Mahogany, some of the deep bass response of a D-18 Dread, but it has the body depth of a 000/OM, along with the longer OM scale length. Fingerboard width is 1 13/16" so you have plenty of room for your fingers to not feel scrunched together, and it's a Modified-V neck, so it's very comfortable to hold. It's a wonderful fingerstyle guitar. Thanks for doing this very nice video on fingerstyle on a Dreadnought!
I didn't know this was an issue and that some steel string guitars were basically meant to be flat picked. But I have been asking the same questions of my 1976 Yamaha FG-170. It's got a very narrow neck but an especially bright and vibrant sound. I can *hardly* move my fingers when they are assigned to adjacent strings and it just doesn't feel like it was meant to be plucked. It's been very difficult, especially when I just finished 2 years on classical. But I've managed to fine tune my technique enough that I can do my travis picking and so forth almost entirely without tripping over my own fingers.
Great video! I've been playing finglestyle on dreadnoughts for around 8 years by now which started when I was 13 so I literally grew on to the body shape and it didn't occur to me to get a guitar with a smaller body shape until recently when it seems that smaller body guitars with 12 fret neck joins suited the more modern non-percussive fingerstyle guitar genre. I agree that the narrow nut width really makes playing cleanly very difficult as the higher and lower E string tend to slide off the freboard at around the 5th to 12th fret (I have a 43mm nut). Lastly, when using drop tunings, I noticed that the trebles are less responsive at the higher frets compared to standard tuning
Thank you for watching Ceferino! My first proper acoustic was a Dreadnought and I love the design but I’ve moved on a bit since then. You’re right about the response in dropped tunings especially on the trebles!
Great to have found a video that answers the exact question I was asking with some style and nuance. Thanks. You hit all the salient points. I find the struggle rewarding mostly because my dreadnought produces a rich bass that cannot be matched by any of my smaller bodied guitars. But it does, as you show, come into its own better when flatpicked.
I’ve owned all sizes of acoustics. My dread gives me all the sound I could ask for and I can control it. Dreads give you all the choices of how you want to sound. I love them.
Michael, this video was a pleasurable journey. I put myself through college playing the early edition Martin D-35 when the volume and projection to cut through the band was essential. After playing guitar for 25 years I literally quit to raise children and start a business. Years later I fell in love with Fingerstyle and wanted to learn this great approach, so sold my old D-35, my Gibson and all of my other guitars and departed on a journey buying Luthier-built guitars to support my love of Fingerstyle (instrument that I could not afford in college!) I am now founding a new organization called "Guitar Buyers Anonymous" to help with my problem! I have discovered that your videos seem to be at the root of my addiction. Thanks A Lot!, John Gig Harbor, WA
For years I struggled using my Martin JC-16 KWS for my fingerstyle arrangements. Finally my Wife gifted me a much more appropriate Parlor Acoustic, and I've got to say, choosing the right tool for the task has its advantages. As stated in the video, the smaller Parlor guitar is much more responsive to fingerstyle as in some ways more articulate. Great Content Sir, thank you.
@@MichaelWatts Thank You for the content Sir. Your production and content are of the highest quality, your playing is the icing on the cake. TBH, I find your playing very inspiring, I find myself reaching for my acoustics much more often than in the past.
Michael, I play due to injury I play finger style guitar with the soft part of the fingers on my right hand. When I bought a Sigma dreadnought I expected it would help the volume but as you’ve demonstrated, it doesn’t! I did have an ancient Aria 00 which everyone told me sounded great. If only I’d listened to those who knew better. I will be selling this 35 year old D35 H and getting a 12 fret steel acoustic with a wider fretboard which should be easier to play all round. Your video was totally accurate.
A good dreadnaught is served well by having an Adirondack top. That additional stiffness helps to project notes. I am glad you mentioned some of the many fingerstyle players who opted for a dread at some point in their careers. I also thought of Bruce Cockburn who played a big ole Martin on the first couple of albums. I noticed he is now playing a Collings dreadnaught these days. Those cats in Crosby, Stills & Nash managed to get some pretty nice sounds out of Martin dreadnaught back in the day. When you start to think about it you could make a rather long list of fingerstyle players who flirted with dreads. My next guitar will be a Collings dreadnaught.
Thanks for watching Corey! That’s a very good point, many of my favourite dreads have had adi tops. That said, the way the wood was used was far more important than the genus. Have you ever played a Froggy Bottom?
@@MichaelWatts Hey Michael! I would say that an excellent adi top can produce a very dynamic sound not found in other typical types of spruce like sitka or engelmann. I have an adi top on my Collings OM and I am always surprised at how dynamic a small guitar like that can be. Froggy Bottom. I met Michael Millard in Keene New Hampshire in the mid 1970's. I haven't played one of his guitars in many years but I understand he's still building which is great! I enjoyed your playing by the way!
For a number of years I have played smaller bodied acoustic guitars, OM, 000-28, etc, but I recently purchased a Collings D2H Traditional with a torrefied Adirondack top. I must confess that moving up to medium strings (13 -56) as a fingerstyle player has been a challenge but the depth of tone is incredible. The richness in the bottom end and the enhanced mids are to die for. You do have to work harder to extract those sounds but in the end I believe it's worth it. I would also agree that this larger body doesn't offer as many options for right hand placement and proximity to the sound hole, but the overall richness in tone makes up for other limitations. It does highlight the fact that there may be no "perfect" body shape and its likely impossible for just one guitar to provide everything that you could dream of sonically, but I am loving all the sounds that I am getting out of this big Collings. It's quite evident why a dreadnought was the go to guitar for so many great players over the years. All of them achieving different results of course, but all of them clearly under the spell of what a great dreadnaught can provide if you just hit the damn thing hard enough! LOL!
I have had my dreadnought for over 45 years it has a rich sound and have recently rediscovered it for blues grass after watching your interview Molly Turtle but I do agree the smaller bodied guitars are easer for picking I play Celtic music and find smaller bodied cutaway's a lot more comfortable. I am glad I found this channel your playing is inspirational and full of good ideas which I steal shamelessly.👍😊
The great American singer-songwriter Jack Williams seems to excel with fingerstyle on a D 35. Bruce Cockburn has also dabbled in fingerstyle with a dread. Being, in all modesty, both a fingerpicking and strumming singer.songwriter myself, I've often felt most safe with my D35 , especially doing live gigs. This, however, changed a week ago, when I received an Adrian Lucas Pavillion 13 with euro spruce and osage orange. Now I'm a convert, and haven't touched my other guitars since. A great all-rounder! But , of course, the answer to your question, as you gave yourself, is yes. Thank you for your always inspiring videos!
Beautiful! As owner of a beloved '66 Martin D28 I've always wondered why people say it's not good for finger style. I aspire to play my fingerstyle as well as you do...
Hi Michael, I am mostly a finger style player. I use a thumb pick. I had a D35 back in 1990. I sold it and played OM's for a long time but missed the fullness of a Dred. I recently purchased a D28 Modern Deluxe. This has the sensitivity missing from the D35. The new features create a modern sound combined with the traditional Martin tone. 1-3/4 nut was a plus for me also. The neck on the older D35 was too thin for me. Even though the Dred body can be painful at times I am rewarded with amazing tone. Thanks for a great video.
Excellent topic and video! I appreciate your approach to answering this question. There is something about dreadnoughts that I love and use a couple for classic 70's folk/rock in the vein of Jackson Browne, Jim Croce, James Taylor, Gordan Lightfoot, etc. I think they do well with this type of singer-songwriter music. That said, I agree that for more modern fingerstyle music, they may not be the best tool. I absolutely love your playing and it was enlightening to hear you play your style on the Martin. I MUCH prefer your modern fingerstyle guitars, such as your Kostal MD, for your style of playing. Thanks again!
Thank you for watching William and for adding some great names to the list of Dreadnought players! The Dreadnought has a special place in my heart, no doubt.
Thanks for the very honest review. I was primarily a classical guitarist who played some pop and folk on my classical guitar. I wanted to be able to play something with more projection and possibilities for a diversity of style. Having problems adjusting to the narrow fingerboard, high tension, and dull sound. Still scouting for something that’s not nylon or a parlor. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching David! I studied with Pierre and I love his playing so much - I’ve only played a couple of his Lowden signatures but they’ve been beautiful guitars
Hi Michael, I came across your video as TH-cam suggested it to me (probably because I had looked at Martin dreadnoughts). Loved your playing and comments. Initially I thought it was amazing how similar it looked to the D-35 I bought “new to me” a few weeks back. When you mentioned where it came from I had to do a closer comparison and it confirmed I’m now the happy owner of this exact specimen 😉. It is a lovely guitar even though I can’t quite do it justice (yet, at least) after 35 years of only playing electrics guitars. The tone with a nice pick is just so bright and resonant. It was in such good condition I was in doubt whether it ever had been played - happy to see that it had at least one good outing!
That’s amazing Jan! Congratulations! It’s a wonderful guitar and I hope it brings you many years of musical happiness. Thank you for commenting, that made my day!
You picked the right model D35 for finger style when it comes to bracing pattern. Its pattern is based on OM35 bracing which gets excited to a ligher touch than regular Matin D body, I think.
I've been playing fingerstyle and flatpicking and hybrid picking and every other way to pick on dreads since I was a kid 55 yrs ago and never thought twice about it. I also play classical guitar (on a classical guitar) and I gigged on Strats and SGs and 335s for decades. But I've never even picked up an OM type instrument much less played fingerstyle on one so maybe I don't know what I'm missing?
I had no idea this was a burning question! LOL Sounds like something the guitar snobs would debate, instead of spending time practicing. Since I don’t jam with the snobs, that explains why I did not know this was a life or death issue. 😁 Good stuff Mr Watts!
I would not call it “snobbery”’ I’d just say if u Only Prefer fingerstyle and can have only one nice guitar being that they can be so pricey it would make sense to get a guitar that works best for that tone and style u prefer. Now that doesn’t mean u can’t play fingerstyle on a dread but it may not fit with the Feel and style u want . At the End of the day it doesn’t matter as long as it works for you .
My mother has been fingerpicking on a D35 for more than 50 years and now I do the same. I do think my touch is a bit light to get the most expression out of it, though for accompaniment I think it works just fine. In terms of comfort, I ironically have never had a problem fingerpicking the D35 but find it virtually impossible to flatpick.
whatever you're playing with fingers or a pick, that rosewood body and dreadnought shape will have low mediums with strong bass & trebles, when an OM shape (comparing with the same woods, spruce and rosewood) will be more equilibrate, with less bass&trebles and more mediums. Both have 650mm scale lengh (if it is 630mm ond an "OM" shape, call it an 000 shape). I prefer the Martin Dreadnought for flatpicking (Neil Young style), than pure picking.. The actual Martin D28/D35 have 44 or /44,5mm width at nut, that's the maximum on standard guitar serie, like on a Gibson guitars. So what do you have on your folk guitars? 46mm option on a furch guitar? Older Martin can have a lower widthnut, My 94's Martin HD28 is #43,4mm..
Great video! I've had a D-35 Martin since I bought it new, 49 years ago. It is a versatile instrument, but is on the bassier side of the dreadnought spectrum. I've found a new set of strings, played in for an hour or so, give beautiful life to fingerstyle playing. I might suggest that you continue your experiment with a mahogany/spruce (D-18) or perhaps a mahogany/cedar (Taylor GAMC or equivalent) to see the full potential of fingerstyle playing on a dreadnought. Great playing, BTW!
I saw the title and thought ... "Of course you can". My first acoustic was a dreadnaught, and I am a finger stylist (though I didn't KNOW that when I started playing). My Taylor 314 CE ltd is more suited for it though, and much more comfortable. Great video and wonderful playing.
I play travis pick/John Hurt style country/roots Americana and am most comfortable playing on my smaller bodied Lowden, Santa Cruz, and/or Collings; however, whenever I bring my D-28 Martin '37 Authentic to my guitar lesson, my teacher always loses his mind about the tonal quality of what that guitar yields when I play... there is obviously something magical about a vintage-like Martin dread and its sound... my teacher has travelled the world playing guitar with professional bands, so he knows what he likes... nice job with your work on TH-cam and your playing is sublime...
I think it's important to bear in mind that dreadnoughts differ - the mahogany back and rim D-18, also the rosewood D-28 and D-35 models for example. Not only that, but the types of spruce used for the top and the type of bracing. Because of the variability in the natural properties of timber such as density and stiffness, two apparently identical D-28s can sound quite different. Then of course there's the player - nails or bare fingertips, powerful and loud or quiet, and also string preference. For me, I take the view that if the guitar delivers what you want - that's it, it doesn't matter if if it's a dreadnought, size O, OO, OOO, parlour or nylon-string!
Looking forward to it, but it's a rhetorical question, right? Steve Stills, Ralph Mctell, Bert Jansch, Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Rev Gary Davis, Brownie McGhee, Nic Jones, & so on & so forth..... From the gentlest to the crashiest of players, the dread works fine.
Given that 93% of TH-cam content is rhetorical I’d say that was a fair assumption! I enjoy playing a Dreadnought but I do find myself fighting the thing!
@@MichaelWatts Ha! Ha! Of course I meant rhetorical question in the traditional sense of not seekng an answer, which seems to go along with what you say. Nice vid, but the D35 is right at one end of the dread spectrum, and notoriously takes a long time to open up (incidentally, the 50th is Madagascar and Braz, not EIR and Braz, although I cannot hear a tonal difference). I thought you did a great job on an off the shelf guitar. I have a well used HD35 which is currently the fave of my Martins, and I use it for finger pickin' 90+% of the time; haven't tried it yet with my new, short, wrap-free nails, mind you. HD35s are reputed to have a much more open, lighter sound than D35s. I missed Joni off my list as she (as far as I know) didn't do any purely instrumental stuff on Ds. Singers seem to like them because they like the bass support for the voice. I'm not convinced - Js and 000s seem just as good for vocal accompaniment.Cheers
@@robertnewell5057 oh no! I’m going to have to issue an errata video! I think you’ve hit the nail on the head - The dread is a great choice for people who genuinely get on with it. Sometimes I feel like I love the idea of a 14-fret dread much more than the reality. Possibly because I can’t flatpick my way out of a wet paper bag… 12-fret dreads though - totally my thing!
Great video. I've mostly only played dreadnaught as that's what my dad had and what I learned on, so when i finally bought my won, that's what i got. Having grown up and matured, also playing piano since 7 years old, fingerstyle was the natural progression. it is not easy on the dreadnaught, but if you grow out your nails or get the guitarists manicure acrylic nails, my god, it's so rewarding, being able to produce that sound and those deep tones
Wow nearly 400 comments🤯 Having returned to this video with more knowledge now I’m still in need of more clarification. I now love my 12 fret Brook Taw and whilst it shines on the finger stuff I have managed to learn how to strum and pick.. I’m hoping Michael you could return to this topic in the future to clear up what a long or short scale provides on a dreadnought as I’m looking at the US made Epiphone Texan
Some modern dreadnoughts are incredibly well balanced and work well with finerstyle, particularly Travis picking where the added bass is welcome. The main issue is the size and when you can buy a custom small jumbo with a manzer wedge from a small luthier for the same price as this Martin it seems silly to play such a cumbersome instrument
I think the player finds the instrument that suits him or her. Also, some of the most interesting music comes when the musician takes the instrument out of its “intended” genre.
The answer to the thumbnail is yes. Most often the bass notes are palm muted. And the thump is prominent. Thats my opinion. But personally i do love fingerstyle on my 000. Sounds great when you play the d35 tho..so yes it can be done. Heck ive played my jumbo fingerstyle in a pinch...not ideal but not impossible
Just obtained an old (1963) D-28 after years of playing a short-scale 1948 Gibson J-50 (2012-20) & then a (again, short-scale)1956 Martin 000-18. The Dread is taking some getting used to, but I have a feeling it will be worth the effort.
Thank you Phil that means a lot to me! I’m very fond of dreads, always have been, but I don’t feel like I get the best out of them. Same is true of Les Pauls…
I love how some people make sweeping generalizations about guitar design as it relates to style. I have guitars of all body shapes and I use whichever one makes the statement I need. Now I would wonder what a hand crafted bench made dreadnaught would perform like instead of the factory built to spec Martin used here.
@@MichaelWatts yes. Anything Froggy Bottom makes seems to be magic. I have 1978 John Greven dreadnaught in Brazilian rosewood that is a monstrous instrument with a very wide dynamic range. Oddly the maker decided to make this guitar with the depth of an OM or 000 and I sometimes wonder if that it what gives it the immediate response time… have you seen some of the newest Ibanez models costing about $900 with German spruce tops and wonderful multi laminate necks? For the price they are the modern finger stylists dream.
Good video. Yeah it always bugs me a bit how a lot of guitarists automatically reject anything they aren't familiar with....I have big hands and usually don't use fingerstyle on my dreads., but the main reason is because of the big hands and the necks on two of them are 1 and 11/16ths. My Boucher has 1 3/4 so it's a bit easier, but yeah, you make a good point, the guitar in general is pretty versatile and it's nice to "bend the rules"....in a pinch I've played fingerstyle on my dreads to good effect, not ideal, but still very doable. Your luthier friend's guitar sounds really good btw! ( Actually quite a bit better than your borrowed Martin lol ). I generally find there's this artificial "reverence" for Martin guitars that often times isn't really deserved...if the Martin sounds weak or muddy the player/owner usually says " well that's the Martin sound " as if it's something special that I "just don't get", or "you have to dig in to get something out of it"....well, any other guitar that performed that way the same person would say it's substandard. If it sounds like I have a bit of an issue with Martins, it's because I've played a lot of them that were very expensive as well as not very good and I am tired of people telling me what sounds bad or mediocre to my ears is good, thus there's something wrong with my hearing. There isn't. Case in point, I played two gorgeous guitars last week, one was $6,700 and the other $10,500.......and yep, with my "eyes closed don't look at the guitar or label test" the clear winner was the less expensive guitar. I WANTED THE MORE EXPENSIVE ONE TO SOUND BETTER! IT WAS GORGEOUS! It didn't! Interesting too, because I've always heard and believe, and have proved it to myself testing guitars blind, that non cutaways sound better than cutaways. The more expensive guitar had a large and dramatic cutaway, the less expensive one a gentle and small cutaway, thus more top in the treble bout than the other, which had almost zero. Let me be clear, they were both superb, but $4000 more for yes, a rarer and true one maker boutique guitar over another boutique guitar that may have had three or four hands on it, doesn't get you a better sounding guitar there. That said, if I had 20 grand in my pocket, I would have walked out with both lol! Reason I mention this is because when it comes to bias and all out stubbornness, guitarists seem to have it in spades! Glad you touched on this subject though, and well done!
The Martin D-35 dreadnought acoustic guitar was birthed in the folk music boom of the 1960s. Designed in 1965, the D-35 was created because Martin was experiencing a shortage of rosewood wide enough to build their famous D-28. They have also used maple in the middle in the past. Foksters liked it because it worked better with a mic, as the bass was not quite as boomy as the D-28.
Yes, my understanding was also that the 35 series came about due to the scarcity of rosewood. I believe until 1969 they were still made with Braz. Funny, the 35s are often touted as having a bigger bass than a 28 or 21 but so much of that depends on whether the player is seated or standing. When the pleasure is standing the back is essentially decoupled and as such the Dreadnought bass is a lot more manageable when you address it with large capsule condenser mic’d like a U87. Thank you so much for watching!
I play a lot of fingerstyle folk music with singing and I find a dread to be perfect for that. Smaller bodies don't stand up to robust singing as well. I'll sometimes use a thumbpick for a brighter bass and I have my nails shaped to pull out a brighter tone as well. I used to play a Takamine Pro Series concert body for live music, but it's comparatively thinner sound to my dreads made me sing thinner so it had to go. I've also found that, while I adore my martin, it's not the best choice for most fingerstyle either because of how boomy it can be. Something like what you played int he beginning of the video or a Yairi is much better suited to the task. All that said, I don't have an ounce of the talent you do :)
Just thought it would be a fun mention, my favorite acoustic fingerstyle album "Caledon Wood" by Al Petteway was played and recorded on a dreadnought! Sounds amazing
I’ve only ever owned a dreadnought and switched to fingerstyle a few years ago. I love the sound of fingerstyle on my dreadnought and didn’t realize there may be other guitars better suited to this style of playing. Thanks to this video I may visit my local guitar shop and compare. Cheers Michael!
Look for an older japanese classical style 12 fret guitar. 60s, 70s and 80's Yairis are ridiculously cheap. And handmade. I've got one. And about 10 dreads.
Simple answer - yes. I do and have been for 50 years. I tend to like the wider necks but the body size doesn’t bother me. I have an OM but don’t play it often.
Short answer - yes. There's a small period of adjustment, but it's no biggie. I love the rich bass register that you get from a finger-picked dreadnought. I have a Guild DV-6 dreadnought, a Strat and a Spanish Admira in my collection. When changing from one to the other, I play like a man with no fingers for the first half-hour.
I did- until I discovered the beauty, and comfort of grand auditorium 12 fret guitars. The difference is in the playing comfort. I did play a 28 style dreadnought for 25 years- without a pick.
I know what you mean Chas! My first acoustic was a 14-fret dread and I do have a lot of love for them but other styles do suit me better… thank you so much for watching!
@@MichaelWatts Absolutely, and I am glad to stumble onto your feed- really great 👍! I find it satisfying that you are dispelling myths, which ARE quite limiting!
I really agree with you when you said you sort of have to drag out the volume from a Dreadnought. Dreadnoughts are generally louder than other sizes but you really have to play them in an exaggerated way to make different voicings work. This was a problem that really bothered me and I finally took my dreadnought to the guitar shop and added a pickup to it. It solved the problem like a charm! I would recommend anyone who is struggling to make voicings work on a dreadnought to try adding a pickup because voicing is really crucial to fingerstyle playing!
Thank you for watching Robert! Yes, amplification absolutely does change the playing experience in the same way that using a microphone changes the way a singer can express themselves.
But Robert can you really generalize like that based on body shape only? Maybe your dread is one thing but mine is totally different and the one on the wall in the store different than both. I only know the one I own. Age, wood, neck mass, bracing all have as much impact as the body shape and size IMHO. Adding a good pickup however is always a good thing IMO I hate relying on an open Mic in any performance situation. Too many variables. The most responsive and balanced OM can be ruined by a bad microphone.
Don’t forget the late, great John Martyn as a dreadnought virtuoso… I just can’t get on with them, as the geometry of a 14-fret dread just does not fit me. Now there was a Martin 12-fret D-18 slothead that almost made me do something silly a few years ago. That was a different beast altogether.
Have recently played a Martin Ditson 111 guitar (12-fret, mahogany b&s, sitka top)...one of the most astounding guitars I've ever played...if it hadn't been for the 1 7/8" nut, I might have done something silly myself. A fantastic flatpicker and a shockingly responsive fingerpicker too!
@@KaukTim was that the reissue? They are absolutely superb guitars! I do have a reputation when it comes to mahogany though so I would say that! Seriously though, light as a feather and completely explosive!
Just bought a dread kit guitar from Stew Mac a few months ago. Seems to be really good quality, basically a d-18. Heck of a deal when they are on sale, if you want a dreadnought. I have a Martin Om18v, (huge neck) and it's great, but the volume and look of a dread is classic and I had to have one. So good for strumming, but I made up my mind after seeing Crosby and Nash BBC concert. Those guys played dreads exclusively, and mostly finger style. Having said that, I do understand now more than ever the unique qualities of both dread and OM style, and why one is preferred over the other.
I exclusively played a dreadnought for fingerstyle for 15 years (before quitting music entirely for a few years, long story, and now I exclusively play a telecaster). The guitar definitely did not hold my career back in any way (stop overthinking gear and just write a good song ferchrissakes amiright?!). What held me back was crushing introversion and probably just not being all that good! But yes I am willing to concede that it wasn’t optimal, and if I did it all again now with the knowledge of the internet behind me I’m sure I’d pick something else. But at the time I just walked into a music shop on Denmark street one day with £350 of my hard earned savings in my pocket and left with what seemed like the best sounding thing on the day at that price, which was a Takamine dreadnought, and then I proceeded to play, write, perform and record with it for many years without once thinking about the tool itself apart from a vague hope that one day I’d have a lot more money to spend on a higher caliber guitar. I never even gave a second thought to the agonising ‘dreadnought shoulder’, I just probably assumed that physical pain was inevitable. Ignorance is bliss.
There are dreadnaught guitars with lighter bracing (HD-28) and also Dreadnaughts with wide necks and string spacing (Lakewood, and in some cases also Martin)
That’s absolutely right Thomas! Froggy Bottom guitars also make a beautiful Dreadnought with. 1.75” nut, have you ever played one? Thank you so much for watching!
Spot on with your observations on the D35... I love the instrument with its softer tone when fingerpicking, not too intrusive when accommpanying a singer but cab stil provide a really good sound in the breaks. I have big fingers so I do fine articulation sometimes can be a little bit of a challenge
Thanks for watching Kenny! That’s a very good point - accompanying a vocalist is a true art form and the dread is often a great choice. My favourite guitar for vocal accompaniment is an Olson SJ. They just fit in the mix so beautifully!
Very informative video as always and a joy to watch one thing I do think would have made it a little more compelling would have been on one of the numbers to have done a back to back with the Kostal. From memory, they are two very different instruments but a back-to-back of the same piece would have really nailed the differences in response and tonality but lovely video thanks for taking the time. That dread came a live with a bit of plectrum
Sounds great to me! I purchased a D-15 all mahogany dreadnought in the PA factory back in the late 90's. The D-15 warm tones are perfect for finger-style. I have not looked back.
I believe in doing music on the instrument that inspires you . Often the instrument leads me to a place, rather than the other way around. The only hindering factor that I can think of regarding dreadnought/fingerstyle would be the large shoulder.
Often the instrument informs a song in progress. I've seen amazing songs emerge from people playing very 'cheap' guitars/instruments, as well as talented individuals stuck in space and time on $7000 custom instruments. If you are fortunate enough to have a variety of things to write/play on, and find yourself 'stuck', try what you are attempting to do on something different. You might be surprised!
Dreadnoughts have such an intense bassy resonance...just beautiful! However, because of the size, I find them hard on the shoulder. What a shame 😔. Thank you for the video Michael! It cements my choice of guitar.
Lol. Of course you can... I have a brilliant example of a dread that sings loudly and proudly easily with finger style.... Much stronger and sweeter than my good friends specialized finger style 000 Martin in both of our opinions.... The question is does a particular guitar lens itself you a particular playing style? And does it suite you?
Very enjoyable vid, thanks. A cedar top would have been an interesting comparison. I have dreads in cedar/mahogany and spruce /rosewood and the cedar responds much more readily to finger style and with the dread body has some lovely bottom end. That being said, if I had to pick one it would be the spruce.
Thank you so much for watching Rick! In my experience cedar dreads have been pretty rare, simply because so many people treat is as a flatpicking guitar and cedar can be a lot more delicate than spruce. I have played a couple of cedar dreads by James Olson that were the exception to the rule of course!
I own a 1994 HD28 and I think you would be happier with a 28 model. The D35 has a deeper tone than a 28. I play finger style all the time, although not nearly as well as you. But, I'm very happy with my HD28. I also own a couple of Yairi's that are a little brighter than a Martin but still fine instruments. To play proper finger style on a Martin you have to be more aggressive picking the strings to get the volume you're looking for.
Even on a dreadnought your playing sounds beautiful, thanks Michael 😀😉. Which string spacing do you use on nut and saddle? I have an old 00-18 with 1 11/16 on the nut and had to practice hard yesterday to get an open sounding d-chord pulloff on the high e string... Thanks Florian
@@MichaelWatts Yes, this amazes me. I have very slim fingers and small hands so 1 11/16 is actually my preference, but I can't for the life of me see that a 16th makes a difference - but it does!
Great video. I have.been playing a D35 copy -Yamaha fg1200 since 1978 It gives everything I wish for using picks, plectrum and mostly finger style as the guitar is played every morning. I recently had a frets replaced. and I think the top went to sleep without play It sounded great after a couple of days {my friends think I am nuts)
The classic martin dread (especially rosewood bodied) doesn’t do it for me as a finger picker and I have preferred your sound on just about every other guitar I’ve heard you play. That said, Rosie’s dread sounds great but I doubt it’s built like a Martin. However, I am very fond of some slope shouldered dreads (eg Gibson) for fingerpicking (hello Mr Ralph McTell) which I also find a less boxy looking shape.
Thank you for watching! Yes indeed, the slope shoulder dread is a different beast and often works beautifully for fingerstyle (often in conjunction with a shorter scale) although there’s still the nut and saddle dimensions to get over. Rosie’s dread is lovely and I’m sure there’s all sorts of “golden age of luthiery” magic going on inside it too!
Martin used Braz until 1969 - this is a 50th anniversary reissue and as such they put a slice of Braz in the back. That is my understanding - there are many people who know more about Martin guitars than me, you’re probably one of them!
Well said. I had a Taylor 714 Grand Auditorium and I hated it. So I traded it in for a Martin D28-1937 and it sounds so much better than that Taylor does.
Hi Michael. Damn you sure make any guitar sound so good! I'm actually in the process of getting a custom built by Marc Beneteau of Quebec Canada. Not sure if you had a chance to play his guitars but they are excellent. I'd love to share the specs with you.
@@InPursuitOfLiberty Congratulations Michael! I’ve only played a dozen or so of Marc Beneteau’s guitars over the years but I’ve enjoyed every single one. I know my friend Don Ross is a big fan of Marc’s work too!
I think it may be my favorite guitar on TH-cam when you finger pick. The fact that you have to fight it a little, it's not so fluid and facile - makes it sound better!
Of course you can, especially on a D-35. I own one for ecactly that reason, after trying different models. BTW, playing blues on a Flamenco guitar is also something everybody should try.... In music, do whatever is fun for you.
I have a 1997 D-35 that is the harp of angels! The only problem is that the binding came off, they are notorious for that so it’s going to the doctor as soon as Martin starts accepting repairs again and I can afford it
Finger style definitely sounds better on a smaller body short scale but I’ve played both the dread ( d-28, advanced Jumbo and Santa Cruz H( not really a dread) it really comes down to like you said the nut size and string spacing. I didn’t really struggle on the Advanced Jumbo probably because of the nut size. Anyway any guitar with a 1 11/16 nut width does not finger pick well in my opinion anyway. You sound great on both though.
Thanks for sharing...I sold my d18 and hd28 and now have an om18 and om28..much more comfortable for long playing sessions and my audience is now my chocolate Labrador and my house plants 🎸
I had the same issue. I love the sound, though, so I've sought out dreads that have an 1-3/4" nut with a minimum 2-1/4" string spacing at the bridge. Check it out.
I have a loud Bob Thompson DN. It's fun to flat pick, but fingerstyle is a chore. The action is nice enough. The Adirondack top makes my right hand work significantly harder. I'm lucky enough to own a Don Sharp that's much more responsive and rewarding for fingerstyle. It basically sounds and behaves like a nice OM with a little extra size.
Did you read the Times obituary about Michael Chapmans passing Michael? Seeing this video just reminded me about it. There was a mention of him and Nick Drake opening a case with a beautiful Martin and three herbal cigarettes. I’m presuming the Martin was Chapmans. I saw him live before Covid, performing his last acclaimed album of which I’m sure most was DADGAD he had a reputation as being awkward but he seemed excited to talk about other musicians to me that night. If you’ve not read it, hope you can find it as it also mentions a story of him, John Fahey and a drunken flatulent Bear 😂
A bit of distortion in the sound? Beautiful virtuoso playing. Let's face it, you (Michael, that is) can make any style on any guitar sound gorgeous. Great video.
Glad I didn’t know this when I got my Takamine Tan15C as I love it and only do fibber style. I’m blind and a bass player who has moved to nearly all finger style acoustic and realise I don’t see the guitars used by finger style players I love. I would love some suggestions on affordable guitars better suited to finger style playing. Loved the video and just subscribed. ❤️
Hello, Would you know whether it is possible to find online the sheet music for the song you play at 3’55”? Thank you for the beautiful music and great video!
Yes he did! With the guitar swung away from his body on a strap. Which suggests it wasn’t particularly comfortable for him in a standard seated position. Nevertheless, great player and a true inspiration! Thanks for watching!
Who knew the real M Watts was an absurdist treasure and not the prim and proper TNAG presenter we thought! Love your work man!
What a lovely thing to say. Thank you.
I didn’t know this was a debate. I pretty much thought, though every guitar has its sound and personality, one could do what you wanted to try.
Thanks for watching Jarrod! Actually yes, this is a big debate amongst solo fingerstyle players!
That's a fucking ridiculous debate
I agree! You can play any style you want any style of guitar
Same here. Everybody I know who plays a Dreadnought goes back and forth between finger style and pick. Seems like a made-up controversy to me.
I have had people in music stores tell me dreads aren’t finger style guitars.
Excellent points. When you took the pick to that Martin, it was like you opened an exciting new dimension. Great video!
Thank you Paul! Yes, it really did explode when the pick came out! Great guitar!
I've always liked the bassy punch of a good dreadnought when playing fingerstyle.
Me too Mike!
Hold up - I've ONLY played a dreadnought my whole live and ALL I do is fingerstyle,.. MIND BLOWN * great video by the way. ;) **just subbed because you're awesome.
Thank you for making it so Captain!
Have you not tried a smaller body? Still nice. Projects with less effort
I have mixed feelings about this topic.
First of all, dreadnought was my first guitar, my journey started with this wonderful, boomy, mumbly guitar 36 years ago. I love the powerful low end and I wouldn't sing and play with any other guitar, it IS the perfect accompaniment for a singer. Nothing beats dreadnought when it comes to flatpicking.
Since I am classically trained guitarist it is only natural that I love the fingerstyle playing. And I played fingerstyle on all of my dreadnoughts throughout the years. It works. But I gotta say this... I still prefer 00, 000 and OMs for fingerpicking. I understand that you can pull out some fine fingerstyle playing on a dreadnought but t is not really where it shines.
I play jazz on a Telecaster and I play classical music on a guitar with cedar top which doesn't have a tremendously sparkly upper register, and many people may complain about it, but it feels natural to me. I guess that it is all that matters.
When you hit that dread with the pick it sounded divine!
I liked it! Thanks for watching Geoffrey!
Michael, I have a 12 fret slot head Martin that you would probably enjoy playing. It is a 0000-18S, which is an M body size, but in 12 fret configuration. It has the dry woody tones of Mahogany, some of the deep bass response of a D-18 Dread, but it has the body depth of a 000/OM, along with the longer OM scale length. Fingerboard width is 1 13/16" so you have plenty of room for your fingers to not feel scrunched together, and it's a Modified-V neck, so it's very comfortable to hold. It's a wonderful fingerstyle guitar. Thanks for doing this very nice video on fingerstyle on a Dreadnought!
I didn't know this was an issue and that some steel string guitars were basically meant to be flat picked. But I have been asking the same questions of my 1976 Yamaha FG-170. It's got a very narrow neck but an especially bright and vibrant sound. I can *hardly* move my fingers when they are assigned to adjacent strings and it just doesn't feel like it was meant to be plucked. It's been very difficult, especially when I just finished 2 years on classical. But I've managed to fine tune my technique enough that I can do my travis picking and so forth almost entirely without tripping over my own fingers.
Great video! I've been playing finglestyle on dreadnoughts for around 8 years by now which started when I was 13 so I literally grew on to the body shape and it didn't occur to me to get a guitar with a smaller body shape until recently when it seems that smaller body guitars with 12 fret neck joins suited the more modern non-percussive fingerstyle guitar genre.
I agree that the narrow nut width really makes playing cleanly very difficult as the higher and lower E string tend to slide off the freboard at around the 5th to 12th fret (I have a 43mm nut).
Lastly, when using drop tunings, I noticed that the trebles are less responsive at the higher frets compared to standard tuning
Thank you for watching Ceferino! My first proper acoustic was a Dreadnought and I love the design but I’ve moved on a bit since then. You’re right about the response in dropped tunings especially on the trebles!
Great to have found a video that answers the exact question I was asking with some style and nuance. Thanks. You hit all the salient points. I find the struggle rewarding mostly because my dreadnought produces a rich bass that cannot be matched by any of my smaller bodied guitars. But it does, as you show, come into its own better when flatpicked.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve owned all sizes of acoustics. My dread gives me all the sound I could ask for and I can control it. Dreads give you all the choices of how you want to sound. I love them.
Michael, this video was a pleasurable journey. I put myself through college playing the early edition Martin D-35 when the volume and projection to cut through the band was essential. After playing guitar for 25 years I literally quit to raise children and start a business. Years later I fell in love with Fingerstyle and wanted to learn this great approach, so sold my old D-35, my Gibson and all of my other guitars and departed on a journey buying Luthier-built guitars to support my love of Fingerstyle (instrument that I could not afford in college!) I am now founding a new organization called "Guitar Buyers Anonymous" to help with my problem! I have discovered that your videos seem to be at the root of my addiction.
Thanks A Lot!, John
Gig Harbor, WA
Thank you so much for watching John!
Guitar Buyers Anonymous sounds like a worthy cause - it affects so many of us!
For years I struggled using my Martin JC-16 KWS for my fingerstyle arrangements.
Finally my Wife gifted me a much more appropriate Parlor Acoustic, and I've got to say, choosing the right tool for the task has its advantages.
As stated in the video, the smaller Parlor guitar is much more responsive to fingerstyle as in some ways more articulate.
Great Content Sir, thank you.
Thank you very much for watching!
@@MichaelWatts Thank You for the content Sir. Your production and content are of the highest quality, your playing is the icing on the cake.
TBH, I find your playing very inspiring, I find myself reaching for my acoustics much more often than in the past.
Michael, I play due to injury I play finger style guitar with the soft part of the fingers on my right hand. When I bought a Sigma dreadnought I expected it would help the volume but as you’ve demonstrated, it doesn’t! I did have an ancient Aria 00 which everyone told me sounded great. If only I’d listened to those who knew better. I will be selling this 35 year old D35 H and getting a 12 fret steel acoustic with a wider fretboard which should be easier to play all round. Your video was totally accurate.
Thank you so much Nigel, I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching
A good dreadnaught is served well by having an Adirondack top. That additional stiffness helps to project notes. I am glad you mentioned some of the many fingerstyle players who opted for a dread at some point in their careers. I also thought of Bruce Cockburn who played a big ole Martin on the first couple of albums. I noticed he is now playing a Collings dreadnaught these days. Those cats in Crosby, Stills & Nash managed to get some pretty nice sounds out of Martin dreadnaught back in the day. When you start to think about it you could make a rather long list of fingerstyle players who flirted with dreads. My next guitar will be a Collings dreadnaught.
Thanks for watching Corey! That’s a very good point, many of my favourite dreads have had adi tops. That said, the way the wood was used was far more important than the genus. Have you ever played a Froggy Bottom?
@@MichaelWatts Hey Michael! I would say that an excellent adi top can produce a very dynamic sound not found in other typical types of spruce like sitka or engelmann. I have an adi top on my Collings OM and I am always surprised at how dynamic a small guitar like that can be. Froggy Bottom. I met Michael Millard in Keene New Hampshire in the mid 1970's. I haven't played one of his guitars in many years but I understand he's still building which is great! I enjoyed your playing by the way!
For a number of years I have played smaller bodied acoustic guitars, OM, 000-28, etc, but I recently purchased a Collings D2H Traditional with a torrefied Adirondack top. I must confess that moving up to medium strings (13 -56) as a fingerstyle player has been a challenge but the depth of tone is incredible. The richness in the bottom end and the enhanced mids are to die for. You do have to work harder to extract those sounds but in the end I believe it's worth it. I would also agree that this larger body doesn't offer as many options for right hand placement and proximity to the sound hole, but the overall richness in tone makes up for other limitations. It does highlight the fact that there may be no "perfect" body shape and its likely impossible for just one guitar to provide everything that you could dream of sonically, but I am loving all the sounds that I am getting out of this big Collings. It's quite evident why a dreadnought was the go to guitar for so many great players over the years. All of them achieving different results of course, but all of them clearly under the spell of what a great dreadnaught can provide if you just hit the damn thing hard enough! LOL!
I have had my dreadnought for over 45 years it has a rich sound and have recently rediscovered it for blues grass after watching your interview Molly Turtle but I do agree the smaller bodied guitars are easer for picking I play Celtic music and find smaller bodied cutaway's a lot more comfortable. I am glad I found this channel your playing is inspirational and full of good ideas which I steal shamelessly.👍😊
Thank you Alastair! Please do steal whatever you like
The great American singer-songwriter Jack Williams seems to excel with fingerstyle on a D 35. Bruce Cockburn has also dabbled in fingerstyle with a dread. Being, in all modesty, both a fingerpicking and strumming singer.songwriter myself, I've often felt most safe with my D35 , especially doing live gigs. This, however, changed a week ago, when I received an Adrian Lucas Pavillion 13 with euro spruce and osage orange. Now I'm a convert, and haven't touched my other guitars since. A great all-rounder! But , of course, the answer to your question, as you gave yourself, is yes. Thank you for your always inspiring videos!
Thank you John and congratulations on your new Lucas! Egly is a lovely man and a talented luthier, I’m delighted his work has found a home with you!
Funny having used dreadnoughts for years I am selling several guitars to commission a build from Adrian good to hear you liked the upgrade
Beautiful! As owner of a beloved '66 Martin D28 I've always wondered why people say it's not good for finger style. I aspire to play my fingerstyle as well as you do...
Hi Michael, I am mostly a finger style player. I use a thumb pick. I had a D35 back in 1990. I sold it and played OM's for a long time but missed the fullness of a Dred. I recently purchased a D28 Modern Deluxe. This has the sensitivity missing from the D35. The new features create a modern sound combined with the traditional Martin tone. 1-3/4 nut was a plus for me also. The neck on the older D35 was too thin for me. Even though the Dred body can be painful at times I am rewarded with amazing tone. Thanks for a great video.
Thank you for watching Christopher! Yes, a dread with a 1 3/4” nut is a wonderful thing!
Excellent topic and video! I appreciate your approach to answering this question. There is something about dreadnoughts that I love and use a couple for classic 70's folk/rock in the vein of Jackson Browne, Jim Croce, James Taylor, Gordan Lightfoot, etc. I think they do well with this type of singer-songwriter music. That said, I agree that for more modern fingerstyle music, they may not be the best tool. I absolutely love your playing and it was enlightening to hear you play your style on the Martin. I MUCH prefer your modern fingerstyle guitars, such as your Kostal MD, for your style of playing. Thanks again!
Thank you for watching William and for adding some great names to the list of Dreadnought players! The Dreadnought has a special place in my heart, no doubt.
Thanks for the very honest review. I was primarily a classical guitarist who played some pop and folk on my classical guitar. I wanted to be able to play something with more projection and possibilities for a diversity of style. Having problems adjusting to the narrow fingerboard, high tension, and dull sound. Still scouting for something that’s not nylon or a parlor. Thanks again.
I’d suggest a 12 fret 000 in that case - may feel more familiar for you.
Beautiful guitar and wonderful playing. I have an OM28 that shines when finger picked, I love it, perhaps that's one you should try.
I’ve got a D28 and a Lowden Pierre Bensusan here. The Lowden is designed for dynamic finger style and is more sensitive to a lighter touch for sure.
Thanks for watching David! I studied with Pierre and I love his playing so much - I’ve only played a couple of his Lowden signatures but they’ve been beautiful guitars
Hi Michael, I came across your video as TH-cam suggested it to me (probably because I had looked at Martin dreadnoughts). Loved your playing and comments. Initially I thought it was amazing how similar it looked to the D-35 I bought “new to me” a few weeks back. When you mentioned where it came from I had to do a closer comparison and it confirmed I’m now the happy owner of this exact specimen 😉. It is a lovely guitar even though I can’t quite do it justice (yet, at least) after 35 years of only playing electrics guitars. The tone with a nice pick is just so bright and resonant. It was in such good condition I was in doubt whether it ever had been played - happy to see that it had at least one good outing!
That’s amazing Jan! Congratulations! It’s a wonderful guitar and I hope it brings you many years of musical happiness. Thank you for commenting, that made my day!
You picked the right model D35 for finger style when it comes to bracing pattern. Its pattern is based on OM35 bracing which gets excited to a ligher touch than regular Matin D body, I think.
I've actually heard the d35s use 00 bracing. 🤔
I've been playing fingerstyle and flatpicking and hybrid picking and every other way to pick on dreads since I was a kid 55 yrs ago and never thought twice about it. I also play classical guitar (on a classical guitar) and I gigged on Strats and SGs and 335s for decades. But I've never even picked up an OM type instrument much less played fingerstyle on one so maybe I don't know what I'm missing?
Hi Tioga! Well there’s only one way to find out what, if anything, you’ve been missing!
I had no idea this was a burning question! LOL Sounds like something the guitar snobs would debate, instead of spending time practicing. Since I don’t jam with the snobs, that explains why I did not know this was a life or death issue. 😁 Good stuff Mr Watts!
Thanks for watching Bruce! Actually I thought so too but you’d be surprised how regularly this question comes up!
I would not call it “snobbery”’ I’d just say if u
Only Prefer fingerstyle and can have only one nice guitar being that they can be so pricey it would make sense to get a guitar that works best for that tone and style u prefer. Now that doesn’t mean u can’t play fingerstyle on a dread but it may not fit with the
Feel and style u want . At the
End of the day it doesn’t matter as long as it works for you .
My mother has been fingerpicking on a D35 for more than 50 years and now I do the same. I do think my touch is a bit light to get the most expression out of it, though for accompaniment I think it works just fine.
In terms of comfort, I ironically have never had a problem fingerpicking the D35 but find it virtually impossible to flatpick.
Thank you so much for watching! That’s a lovely story!
Exactly! It’s HOW you play it that makes the sonic result!!
whatever you're playing with fingers or a pick, that rosewood body and dreadnought shape will have low mediums with strong bass & trebles, when an OM shape (comparing with the same woods, spruce and rosewood) will be more equilibrate, with less bass&trebles and more mediums.
Both have 650mm scale lengh (if it is 630mm ond an "OM" shape, call it an 000 shape).
I prefer the Martin Dreadnought for flatpicking (Neil Young style), than pure picking..
The actual Martin D28/D35 have 44 or /44,5mm width at nut, that's the maximum on standard guitar serie, like on a Gibson guitars. So what do you have on your folk guitars? 46mm option on a furch guitar?
Older Martin can have a lower widthnut, My 94's Martin HD28 is #43,4mm..
Great video! I've had a D-35 Martin since I bought it new, 49 years ago. It is a versatile instrument, but is on the bassier side of the dreadnought spectrum. I've found a new set of strings, played in for an hour or so, give beautiful life to fingerstyle playing. I might suggest that you continue your experiment with a mahogany/spruce (D-18) or perhaps a mahogany/cedar (Taylor GAMC or equivalent) to see the full potential of fingerstyle playing on a dreadnought. Great playing, BTW!
Thank you so much for watching! I’ve found I get best results with a Modified Dreadnought or a 12-fret which are both a lot of fun!
I saw the title and thought ... "Of course you can". My first acoustic was a dreadnaught, and I am a finger stylist (though I didn't KNOW that when I started playing). My Taylor 314 CE ltd is more suited for it though, and much more comfortable.
Great video and wonderful playing.
I play travis pick/John Hurt style country/roots Americana and am most comfortable playing on my smaller bodied Lowden, Santa Cruz, and/or Collings; however, whenever I bring my D-28 Martin '37 Authentic to my guitar lesson, my teacher always loses his mind about the tonal quality of what that guitar yields when I play... there is obviously something magical about a vintage-like Martin dread and its sound... my teacher has travelled the world playing guitar with professional bands, so he knows what he likes... nice job with your work on TH-cam and your playing is sublime...
I think it's important to bear in mind that dreadnoughts differ - the mahogany back and rim D-18, also the rosewood D-28 and D-35 models for example. Not only that, but the types of spruce used for the top and the type of bracing. Because of the variability in the natural properties of timber such as density and stiffness, two apparently identical D-28s can sound quite different. Then of course there's the player - nails or bare fingertips, powerful and loud or quiet, and also string preference.
For me, I take the view that if the guitar delivers what you want - that's it, it doesn't matter if if it's a dreadnought, size O, OO, OOO, parlour or nylon-string!
That’s pretty much my approach too tbh! Thank you for watching!
Looking forward to it, but it's a rhetorical question, right? Steve Stills, Ralph Mctell, Bert Jansch, Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Rev Gary Davis, Brownie McGhee, Nic Jones, & so on & so forth..... From the gentlest to the crashiest of players, the dread works fine.
Given that 93% of TH-cam content is rhetorical I’d say that was a fair assumption! I enjoy playing a Dreadnought but I do find myself fighting the thing!
@@MichaelWatts Ha! Ha! Of course I meant rhetorical question in the traditional sense of not seekng an answer, which seems to go along with what you say. Nice vid, but the D35 is right at one end of the dread spectrum, and notoriously takes a long time to open up (incidentally, the 50th is Madagascar and Braz, not EIR and Braz, although I cannot hear a tonal difference). I thought you did a great job on an off the shelf guitar. I have a well used HD35 which is currently the fave of my Martins, and I use it for finger pickin' 90+% of the time; haven't tried it yet with my new, short, wrap-free nails, mind you. HD35s are reputed to have a much more open, lighter sound than D35s. I missed Joni off my list as she (as far as I know) didn't do any purely instrumental stuff on Ds. Singers seem to like them because they like the bass support for the voice. I'm not convinced - Js and 000s seem just as good for vocal accompaniment.Cheers
@@robertnewell5057 oh no! I’m going to have to issue an errata video! I think you’ve hit the nail on the head - The dread is a great choice for people who genuinely get on with it. Sometimes I feel like I love the idea of a 14-fret dread much more than the reality. Possibly because I can’t flatpick my way out of a wet paper bag… 12-fret dreads though - totally my thing!
Love your videos Michael! Always interesting, well made and a joy to watch. Hope you’re fine, Greetings from Italy
Thank you guys! Much love x
Loved what you did with Slane/Be Thou My Vision!
Great video. I've mostly only played dreadnaught as that's what my dad had and what I learned on, so when i finally bought my won, that's what i got. Having grown up and matured, also playing piano since 7 years old, fingerstyle was the natural progression. it is not easy on the dreadnaught, but if you grow out your nails or get the guitarists manicure acrylic nails, my god, it's so rewarding, being able to produce that sound and those deep tones
Thanks Aidan! I totally agree!
Wow nearly 400 comments🤯 Having returned to this video with more knowledge now I’m still in need of more clarification. I now love my 12 fret Brook Taw and whilst it shines on the finger stuff I have managed to learn how to strum and pick.. I’m hoping Michael you could return to this topic in the future to clear up what a long or short scale provides on a dreadnought as I’m looking at the US made Epiphone Texan
Some modern dreadnoughts are incredibly well balanced and work well with finerstyle, particularly Travis picking where the added bass is welcome. The main issue is the size and when you can buy a custom small jumbo with a manzer wedge from a small luthier for the same price as this Martin it seems silly to play such a cumbersome instrument
That’s very true Oliver!
@@MichaelWatts always good to support local luthiers
I think the player finds the instrument that suits him or her. Also, some of the most interesting music comes when the musician takes the instrument out of its “intended” genre.
The answer to the thumbnail is yes. Most often the bass notes are palm muted. And the thump is prominent.
Thats my opinion. But personally i do love fingerstyle on my 000.
Sounds great when you play the d35 tho..so yes it can be done. Heck ive played my jumbo fingerstyle in a pinch...not ideal but not impossible
Thanks for watching and good point about the bass!
Just obtained an old (1963) D-28 after years of playing a short-scale 1948 Gibson J-50 (2012-20) & then a (again, short-scale)1956 Martin 000-18.
The Dread is taking some getting used to, but I have a feeling it will be worth the effort.
I've yet to hear a guitar that sounds naff in your hands Michael and this dread is no exception. Interesting stuff indeed.
Thank you Phil that means a lot to me! I’m very fond of dreads, always have been, but I don’t feel like I get the best out of them. Same is true of Les Pauls…
I love how some people make sweeping generalizations about guitar design as it relates to style. I have guitars of all body shapes and I use whichever one makes the statement I need. Now I would wonder what a hand crafted bench made dreadnaught would perform like instead of the factory built to spec Martin used here.
Thanks for watching Caleb! If you’re ever looking for a truly great dread then I can recommend the Froggy Bottom D14 - wonderful things!
@@MichaelWatts yes. Anything Froggy Bottom makes seems to be magic. I have 1978 John Greven dreadnaught in Brazilian rosewood that is a monstrous instrument with a very wide dynamic range. Oddly the maker decided to make this guitar with the depth of an OM or 000 and I sometimes wonder if that it what gives it the immediate response time… have you seen some of the newest Ibanez models costing about $900 with German spruce tops and wonderful multi laminate necks? For the price they are the modern finger stylists dream.
Lots of great information. Thanks. Beautiful playing.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Jimmy, thank you very much for watching!
Good video. Yeah it always bugs me a bit how a lot of guitarists automatically reject anything they aren't familiar with....I have big hands and usually don't use fingerstyle on my dreads., but the main reason is because of the big hands and the necks on two of them are 1 and 11/16ths. My Boucher has 1 3/4 so it's a bit easier, but yeah, you make a good point, the guitar in general is pretty versatile and it's nice to "bend the rules"....in a pinch I've played fingerstyle on my dreads to good effect, not ideal, but still very doable. Your luthier friend's guitar sounds really good btw! ( Actually quite a bit better than your borrowed Martin lol ). I generally find there's this artificial "reverence" for Martin guitars that often times isn't really deserved...if the Martin sounds weak or muddy the player/owner usually says " well that's the Martin sound " as if it's something special that I "just don't get", or "you have to dig in to get something out of it"....well, any other guitar that performed that way the same person would say it's substandard. If it sounds like I have a bit of an issue with Martins, it's because I've played a lot of them that were very expensive as well as not very good and I am tired of people telling me what sounds bad or mediocre to my ears is good, thus there's something wrong with my hearing. There isn't. Case in point, I played two gorgeous guitars last week, one was $6,700 and the other $10,500.......and yep, with my "eyes closed don't look at the guitar or label test" the clear winner was the less expensive guitar. I WANTED THE MORE EXPENSIVE ONE TO SOUND BETTER! IT WAS GORGEOUS! It didn't! Interesting too, because I've always heard and believe, and have proved it to myself testing guitars blind, that non cutaways sound better than cutaways. The more expensive guitar had a large and dramatic cutaway, the less expensive one a gentle and small cutaway, thus more top in the treble bout than the other, which had almost zero. Let me be clear, they were both superb, but $4000 more for yes, a rarer and true one maker boutique guitar over another boutique guitar that may have had three or four hands on it, doesn't get you a better sounding guitar there. That said, if I had 20 grand in my pocket, I would have walked out with both lol! Reason I mention this is because when it comes to bias and all out stubbornness, guitarists seem to have it in spades! Glad you touched on this subject though, and well done!
The Martin D-35 dreadnought acoustic guitar was birthed in the folk music boom of the 1960s. Designed in 1965, the D-35 was created because Martin was experiencing a shortage of rosewood wide enough to build their famous D-28. They have also used maple in the middle in the past. Foksters liked it because it worked better with a mic, as the bass was not quite as boomy as the D-28.
Yes, my understanding was also that the 35 series came about due to the scarcity of rosewood. I believe until 1969 they were still made with Braz. Funny, the 35s are often touted as having a bigger bass than a 28 or 21 but so much of that depends on whether the player is seated or standing. When the pleasure is standing the back is essentially decoupled and as such the Dreadnought bass is a lot more manageable when you address it with large capsule condenser mic’d like a U87. Thank you so much for watching!
I play a lot of fingerstyle folk music with singing and I find a dread to be perfect for that. Smaller bodies don't stand up to robust singing as well. I'll sometimes use a thumbpick for a brighter bass and I have my nails shaped to pull out a brighter tone as well. I used to play a Takamine Pro Series concert body for live music, but it's comparatively thinner sound to my dreads made me sing thinner so it had to go. I've also found that, while I adore my martin, it's not the best choice for most fingerstyle either because of how boomy it can be. Something like what you played int he beginning of the video or a Yairi is much better suited to the task.
All that said, I don't have an ounce of the talent you do :)
Just thought it would be a fun mention, my favorite acoustic fingerstyle album "Caledon Wood" by Al Petteway was played and recorded on a dreadnought! Sounds amazing
You’re absolutely right! And Al sounds fantastic as always
I’ve only ever owned a dreadnought and switched to fingerstyle a few years ago. I love the sound of fingerstyle on my dreadnought and didn’t realize there may be other guitars better suited to this style of playing. Thanks to this video I may visit my local guitar shop and compare. Cheers Michael!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching!
Look for an older japanese classical style 12 fret guitar. 60s, 70s and 80's Yairis are ridiculously cheap. And handmade. I've got one. And about 10 dreads.
@@thomasesau2376 coincidentally, my dread is an 80’s handmade K. Yairi. I love it. I like your suggestion to look out for a Yairi classical. Cheers.
Simple answer - yes.
I do and have been for 50 years.
I tend to like the wider necks but the body size doesn’t bother me. I have an OM but don’t play it often.
Short answer - yes. There's a small period of adjustment, but it's no biggie. I love the rich bass register that you get from a finger-picked dreadnought. I have a Guild DV-6 dreadnought, a Strat and a Spanish Admira in my collection. When changing from one to the other, I play like a man with no fingers for the first half-hour.
Thanks for watching Paul! Yeah, I hear you about that period of adjustment!
You play like Django!
I did- until I discovered the beauty, and comfort of grand auditorium 12 fret guitars. The difference is in the playing comfort. I did play a 28 style dreadnought for 25 years- without a pick.
I know what you mean Chas! My first acoustic was a 14-fret dread and I do have a lot of love for them but other styles do suit me better… thank you so much for watching!
@@MichaelWatts Absolutely, and I am glad to stumble onto your feed- really great 👍! I find it satisfying that you are dispelling myths, which ARE quite limiting!
I really agree with you when you said you sort of have to drag out the volume from a Dreadnought. Dreadnoughts are generally louder than other sizes but you really have to play them in an exaggerated way to make different voicings work. This was a problem that really bothered me and I finally took my dreadnought to the guitar shop and added a pickup to it. It solved the problem like a charm! I would recommend anyone who is struggling to make voicings work on a dreadnought to try adding a pickup because voicing is really crucial to fingerstyle playing!
Thank you for watching Robert! Yes, amplification absolutely does change the playing experience in the same way that using a microphone changes the way a singer can express themselves.
But Robert can you really generalize like that based on body shape only? Maybe your dread is one thing but mine is totally different and the one on the wall in the store different than both. I only know the one I own. Age, wood, neck mass, bracing all have as much impact as
the body shape and size IMHO. Adding a good pickup however is always a good thing IMO I hate relying on an open Mic in any performance situation. Too many variables. The most responsive and balanced OM can be ruined by a bad microphone.
Don’t forget the late, great John Martyn as a dreadnought virtuoso… I just can’t get on with them, as the geometry of a 14-fret dread just does not fit me.
Now there was a Martin 12-fret D-18 slothead that almost made me do something silly a few years ago. That was a different beast altogether.
Oh yes indeed! John Martyn’s Dreadnought sound is wonderful! You’re quite right, 12-fret dreads are a different proposition and I love them even more!
Have recently played a Martin Ditson 111 guitar (12-fret, mahogany b&s, sitka top)...one of the most astounding guitars I've ever played...if it hadn't been for the 1 7/8" nut, I might have done something silly myself. A fantastic flatpicker and a shockingly responsive fingerpicker too!
@@KaukTim was that the reissue? They are absolutely superb guitars! I do have a reputation when it comes to mahogany though so I would say that! Seriously though, light as a feather and completely explosive!
@@MichaelWatts yes, an '06 as I recall. It's on Folkway's site now begging to be purchased ;)
@@KaukTim go on… you know you want to…
Just bought a dread kit guitar from Stew Mac a few months ago. Seems to be really good quality, basically a d-18. Heck of a deal when they are on sale, if you want a dreadnought. I have a Martin Om18v, (huge neck) and it's great, but the volume and look of a dread is classic and I had to have one. So good for strumming, but I made up my mind after seeing Crosby and Nash BBC concert. Those guys played dreads exclusively, and mostly finger style. Having said that, I do understand now more than ever the unique qualities of both dread and OM style, and why one is preferred over the other.
I exclusively played a dreadnought for fingerstyle for 15 years (before quitting music entirely for a few years, long story, and now I exclusively play a telecaster). The guitar definitely did not hold my career back in any way (stop overthinking gear and just write a good song ferchrissakes amiright?!). What held me back was crushing introversion and probably just not being all that good! But yes I am willing to concede that it wasn’t optimal, and if I did it all again now with the knowledge of the internet behind me I’m sure I’d pick something else. But at the time I just walked into a music shop on Denmark street one day with £350 of my hard earned savings in my pocket and left with what seemed like the best sounding thing on the day at that price, which was a Takamine dreadnought, and then I proceeded to play, write, perform and record with it for many years without once thinking about the tool itself apart from a vague hope that one day I’d have a lot more money to spend on a higher caliber guitar. I never even gave a second thought to the agonising ‘dreadnought shoulder’, I just probably assumed that physical pain was inevitable. Ignorance is bliss.
Ah the telecaster - Leo’s sweet antidote to crushing introversion. It works every time! Thanks for watching Dan!
There are dreadnaught guitars with lighter bracing (HD-28) and also Dreadnaughts with wide necks and string spacing (Lakewood, and in some cases also Martin)
That’s absolutely right Thomas! Froggy Bottom guitars also make a beautiful Dreadnought with. 1.75” nut, have you ever played one? Thank you so much for watching!
Spot on with your observations on the D35... I love the instrument with its softer tone when fingerpicking, not too intrusive when accommpanying a singer but cab stil provide a really good sound in the breaks. I have big fingers so I do fine articulation sometimes can be a little bit of a challenge
Thanks for watching Kenny! That’s a very good point - accompanying a vocalist is a true art form and the dread is often a great choice. My favourite guitar for vocal accompaniment is an Olson SJ. They just fit in the mix so beautifully!
Very informative video as always and a joy to watch one thing I do think would have made it a little more compelling would have been on one of the numbers to have done a back to back with the Kostal. From memory, they are two very different instruments but a back-to-back of the same piece would have really nailed the differences in response and tonality but lovely video thanks for taking the time. That dread came a live with a bit of plectrum
Ah, yes, but I wanted to save that for the next video which was “What is a Modified Dreadnought” which you can watch straight after!
Still sounds beautiful in your hands Michael ,A very Happy New Year 🥳
Thank you John and to you too!
Good video! I play always with my D28 fingerstyle. The reimagined is 1/34 nut and is very comfy.
Thanks abozz!
Sounds great to me! I purchased a D-15 all mahogany dreadnought in the PA factory back in the late 90's. The D-15 warm tones are perfect for finger-style. I have not looked back.
You do the Martin D-35 excellent justice, a superb sounding guitar.
Dreadnought was a battel ship originally with a tortoiseshell pick guard. That dry English humor at it's best!!! Jolly good, man. (American)
Excellent playing. And don't suppose you have tabs laying around to those songs you played?
Thank you! A lot of it was improvised but you can find tabs for my songs on my website
I believe in doing music on the instrument that inspires you . Often the instrument leads me to a place, rather than the other way around. The only hindering factor that I can think of regarding dreadnought/fingerstyle would be the large shoulder.
Often the instrument informs a song in progress. I've seen amazing songs emerge from people playing very 'cheap' guitars/instruments, as well as talented individuals stuck in space and time on $7000 custom instruments. If you are fortunate enough to have a variety of things to write/play on, and find yourself 'stuck', try what you are attempting to do on something different. You might be surprised!
Dreadnoughts have such an intense bassy resonance...just beautiful! However, because of the size, I find them hard on the shoulder. What a shame 😔. Thank you for the video Michael! It cements my choice of guitar.
You’re very welcome Catherine!
1:05
Bro, please upload the full video or cover it completely. I love this
This was clear as can be! I could not agree more…. on so many levels
Lol. Of course you can... I have a brilliant example of a dread that sings loudly and proudly easily with finger style.... Much stronger and sweeter than my good friends specialized finger style 000 Martin in both of our opinions.... The question is does a particular guitar lens itself you a particular playing style? And does it suite you?
Absolutely right Ram, thank you so much for watching!
Very enjoyable vid, thanks.
A cedar top would have been an interesting comparison. I have dreads in cedar/mahogany and spruce /rosewood and the cedar responds much more readily to finger style and with the dread body has some lovely bottom end.
That being said, if I had to pick one it would be the spruce.
Thank you so much for watching Rick! In my experience cedar dreads have been pretty rare, simply because so many people treat is as a flatpicking guitar and cedar can be a lot more delicate than spruce. I have played a couple of cedar dreads by James Olson that were the exception to the rule of course!
I own a 1994 HD28 and I think you would be happier with a 28 model. The D35 has a deeper tone than a 28. I play finger style all the time, although not nearly as well as you. But, I'm very happy with my HD28. I also own a couple of Yairi's that are a little brighter than a Martin but still fine instruments. To play proper finger style on a Martin you have to be more aggressive picking the strings to get the volume you're looking for.
Even on a dreadnought your playing sounds beautiful, thanks Michael 😀😉. Which string spacing do you use on nut and saddle? I have an old 00-18 with 1 11/16 on the nut and had to practice hard yesterday to get an open sounding d-chord pulloff on the high e string... Thanks Florian
Thanks for watching Florian! Yes 1 11/16 is just not possible for me on acoustic - I use 1.75” and that works with 2.25 at the saddle generally
@@MichaelWatts Yes, this amazes me. I have very slim fingers and small hands so 1 11/16 is actually my preference, but I can't for the life of me see that a 16th makes a difference - but it does!
@@robertnewell5057 it’s amazing what can make a
difference - our hands are incredibly sensitive receptors of information
You are great Michael. Thanks for doing all you do! Someday I'll buy from you.
Thank you! I’m not here to sell anything though
Great video. I have.been playing a D35 copy -Yamaha fg1200 since 1978 It gives everything I wish for using picks, plectrum and mostly finger style as the guitar is played every morning. I recently had a frets replaced. and I think the top went to sleep without play It sounded great after a couple of days {my friends think I am nuts)
And wow, the moment you strike that thing with the pick, it’s special purpose is revealed.
Absolutely right Mark, there is no doubt whatsoever once the pick hits the strings!
The classic martin dread (especially rosewood bodied) doesn’t do it for me as a finger picker and I have preferred your sound on just about every other guitar I’ve heard you play. That said, Rosie’s dread sounds great but I doubt it’s built like a Martin. However, I am very fond of some slope shouldered dreads (eg Gibson) for fingerpicking (hello Mr Ralph McTell) which I also find a less boxy looking shape.
Thank you for watching! Yes indeed, the slope shoulder dread is a different beast and often works beautifully for fingerstyle (often in conjunction with a shorter scale) although there’s still the nut and saddle dimensions to get over.
Rosie’s dread is lovely and I’m sure there’s all sorts of “golden age of luthiery” magic going on inside it too!
I didn’t know that the middle piece in the back of the D35 was Brazilian rosewood. Mine was built in 1979. Anyway to find out what they put in there?
Martin used Braz until 1969 - this is a 50th anniversary reissue and as such they put a slice of Braz in the back. That is my understanding - there are many people who know more about Martin guitars than me, you’re probably one of them!
Well said. I had a Taylor 714 Grand Auditorium and I hated it. So I traded it in for a Martin D28-1937 and it sounds so much better than that Taylor does.
Nice! I love the Authentic series!
Hi Michael. Damn you sure make any guitar sound so good! I'm actually in the process of getting a custom built by Marc Beneteau of Quebec Canada. Not sure if you had a chance to play his guitars but they are excellent. I'd love to share the specs with you.
@@InPursuitOfLiberty Congratulations Michael! I’ve only played a dozen or so of Marc Beneteau’s guitars over the years but I’ve enjoyed every single one. I know my friend Don Ross is a big fan of Marc’s work too!
I think it may be my favorite guitar on TH-cam when you finger pick. The fact that you have to fight it a little, it's not so fluid and facile - makes it sound better!
Thank you Brian!
I was actually just playing fingerstyle on my Collings D2HAT. It sounded excellent if I do say so myself.
Of course you can. Never knew this was a debate. Get something lightly braced like a Martin D18 GE and it will finger pick fine.
Of course you can, especially on a D-35. I own one for ecactly that reason, after trying different models. BTW, playing blues on a Flamenco guitar is also something everybody should try.... In music, do whatever is fun for you.
Absolutely right! Thank you for watching!
I have a 1997 D-35 that is the harp of angels! The only problem is that the binding came off, they are notorious for that so it’s going to the doctor as soon as Martin starts accepting repairs again and I can afford it
Page pulled Bron-yr-Aur off on a dread very well.
Very true Lowell!
Finger style definitely sounds better on a smaller body short scale but I’ve played both the dread ( d-28, advanced Jumbo and Santa Cruz H( not really a dread) it really comes down to like you said the nut size and string spacing. I didn’t really struggle on the Advanced Jumbo probably because of the nut size. Anyway any guitar with a 1 11/16 nut width does not finger pick well in my opinion anyway. You sound great on both though.
Thank you Richard and thanks for watching!
Good stuff, Michael!!
Thank you very much!
Please! What heavenly tune are you playing? 08 seconds in to the video? I need tab please!!!!! So wonderful.
Thank you very much Byron, it’s a track called Between Streets and it will be on my next album along with TAB
Thanks for sharing...I sold my d18 and hd28 and now have an om18 and om28..much more comfortable for long playing sessions and my audience is now my chocolate Labrador and my house plants 🎸
Very cool! I love chocolate labs!
Sounds fine but it is the narrow width of the neck/nut/saddle that i can’t cope with - suits some people though.
I can’t argue with that Andy! Thanks for watching!
I had the same issue. I love the sound, though, so I've sought out dreads that have an 1-3/4" nut with a minimum 2-1/4" string spacing at the bridge. Check it out.
@@lowellcalavera6045 They do exist! Bourgeois make some beauties!
Eastman Dreads mostly have 1.75 nuts.
I have a loud Bob Thompson DN. It's fun to flat pick, but fingerstyle is a chore. The action is nice enough. The Adirondack top makes my right hand work significantly harder.
I'm lucky enough to own a Don Sharp that's much more responsive and rewarding for fingerstyle. It basically sounds and behaves like a nice OM with a little extra size.
Thank you so much for watching S O!
Did you read the Times obituary about Michael Chapmans passing Michael? Seeing this video just reminded me about it. There was a mention of him and Nick Drake opening a case with a beautiful Martin and three herbal cigarettes. I’m presuming the Martin was Chapmans. I saw him live before Covid, performing his last acclaimed album of which I’m sure most was DADGAD he had a reputation as being awkward but he seemed excited to talk about other musicians to me that night. If you’ve not read it, hope you can find it as it also mentions a story of him, John Fahey and a drunken flatulent Bear 😂
Love a dread for fingerstyle, but I'm not chasing for sustain/thin tops etc... I like dead sounding bass heavy dreadnought....
It’s a great sound, not for me but I do love it! Have you tried using flatwounds? Extra dead!
A bit of distortion in the sound?
Beautiful virtuoso playing. Let's face it, you (Michael, that is) can make any style on any guitar sound gorgeous. Great video.
I don’t hear anything over my genelecs - I hope the TH-cam compression hasn’t stomped the snot out of the recording!
Thank you for watching Barnsey!
No distortion, it was my end that had the problem. 😳
Glad I didn’t know this when I got my Takamine Tan15C as I love it and only do fibber style. I’m blind and a bass player who has moved to nearly all finger style acoustic and realise I don’t see the guitars used by finger style players I love. I would love some suggestions on affordable guitars better suited to finger style playing.
Loved the video and just subscribed. ❤️
Weird question. So much fingerstyle has been played played on dreadnoughts for 70 years. I thought it was common knowledge.
That’s true Mike but there are factors that mean it may not necessarily be the best choice - depending on the player of course. Thanks for watching!
Hello,
Would you know whether it is possible to find online the sheet music for the song you play at 3’55”? Thank you for the beautiful music and great video!
Thank you Stefano! That’s a piece called Lords Of The Hundreds and it will be appearing on my next album. There will be TAB too!
@@MichaelWatts thank you, sounds great!
Rev. Gary davis used a Jubo gibson: the pudding is in the fingers
Yes he did! With the guitar swung away from his body on a strap. Which suggests it wasn’t particularly comfortable for him in a standard seated position. Nevertheless, great player and a true inspiration! Thanks for watching!