How to Prepare a Guitar

Chapter 3 – Additional Notes

Closing I’d like to mention three important aspects which might be helpful.

3.1 – Hardness of Objects

The hardness of the used objects has an effect on the sound. Softer material like for instance an eraser cause a more muted sound with lesser high overtones. A stone or a metal object has a more bright result. The differences related to the hardness are less prominent than you might expect. I shouldn’t focus too much on this and use hard objects. If you want a dryer sound you can always use pieces of cleaning paper placed near the bridges to mute the sound as much as desired.

3.2 – Tuning

Tuning is a pretty important factor to receive desired odd prepared sounds. When you have done a preparation and tune up and down the strings, you will notice the system is not normal lineair responding. Some string tensions give more resonation or suddenly a bright beautiful overtone and at other string pitches this can disappear. Also the tuning of the neighbouring strings can have a large effect on the result.

3.3 – Parameters

Nothing is more frustrating than not getting the sound back you once got with a preparation. Especially when you want to do it live. Therefore it is very important at recording sessions to write all you know about how you have set up your preparation. Including the parameters of your amp. A different amp may give a total different result. Also the intonation of the guitar may be important. I was able to replicate certain preparations on a bass and when I intoned the bass to improve the sound of the instrument, some of the preparations suddenly didn’t appear anymore. After making a compromise to my own wishes and intoning the instrument back to the original situation the preparations where again giving good results. Preparing guitars leads to very unusual patterns and the sound alteration is much more sensitive to small parameter changes, than at a ‘normal’ guitar playing technique.

Back to How to Prepare a Guitar’s Starting Page

Back to Chapter 1 – Introduction

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.1 Third Bridge

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.2 Weaved Bridge

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.3 Seesaw Bridge

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.4 Buzzing Objects

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.5 Clasping Objects

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.6 Motors

Back to Chapter 2 – Prepared Guitar Techniques, 2.7 Miscellaneous

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