Acoustic guitar questions...

No Spacey I have not but then perfect is subjective?

All the best acoustics have playing noises it makes it real if you get my drift.

The song I thought of when reading your post is Water Song by Hot Tuna from Final Vinyl.
Always loved the sound of that acoustic juxtaposed with the heavy, distorted bass guitar.
Jorma Kaukonen rarely gets mentioned among the better guitarists in the world, and Jack Casady is also somewhat forgotten.
They jammed, man!
Had to dig out the LP and give it a listen, which begs the question: is Final Vinyl on CD?

For me it's all about the intensity of the performance, I couldn't care less about recording quality,fingernoise and such if somebody pushes themselves to create something new or an interesting take on something old. Playing something to absolute perfection is for me a pointless exercise and usually means a boring performance. The best acoustic recording ever is anything by Django Reinhardt from the 1930's. Even though Django is the best guitarist ever, , there are lots of little mistakes,fluffed notes, missed harmonics etc but the guitar playing is the most inventive I've ever heard and that is what I like to listen to.

Greetings, Rik

Cool. A couple that don't care about "noise" and some that remember
a guitar sound they love.

I don't think it's the equipment that we record with as much as I think
it's the attitude.
What I mean is that now it is so much easier to get quiet than it was
with analog. If I'm right then it's natural and understandable to read
people remark about every little sound. I just don't find much value in
them mentioning they hear a string buzz....lol...and maybe you may
understand why I find the humor in it.

I guess it's like when I look out the window at 30,000ft+ and watch the rivets
rattle around in the wing.....just part of it and if somebody kept mentioning it
like it was something we all must know about...like a big problem....I'd just
have to kinda laugh to myself and hope they didn't wig completely out. lol.

It's the whole package - or, if you will, the entire "sound painting" that makes it or breaks it for me.  "The Clap," done by Yes (can't remember the album) is a fun little acoustic solo where Steve Howe really runs the field.  Plenty of "noises" in that one, and it makes the song what it is.

Two of my favorite acoustic guitar tones are from Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Still... You Turn Me On" and Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair/Canticle.

I think Jeff Lynne records "perfect" acoustic guitars.

Well.... perfect for me (pls don't tear off my limbs Wookiee)

Here is one I sure like...

Yeah, a bad note is not good Mike and I also don't care much
for out of tune or one that is obviously out of adjustment. That's buzzin
that I would comment about.

The Beatles did some really nice acoustic recordings.

I'm kinda partial to this acoustic recording ... train whistle in the background and all. 
http://www.box.net/shared/rhoeuvift7bezpuk6edz

I dare to say the best acoustic guitar recordings by far are in the classic department, Andre Segovia and whatever. Those recordings are also usually not edited for beautifying or to make them sound more impressive, they aim to be as natural as possible. If the player makes too much fret noises he's not good enough to be let inside the studio.

J.B. Lenior: Vietnam Blues, recorded by Willie Dixon is hands down the mosted bestus everist recording of a guy playing acoustic guitar that I have ever heard.

mike_mccue




J.B. Lenior: Vietnam Blues, recorded by Willie Dixon is hands down the mosted bestus everist recording of a guy playing acoustic guitar that I have ever heard.

That is a marvelous work that...



I think some of the early recordings of Elmore James acoustic slide work is good as well...

I also don't mind acoustic guitar recording where you can hear little squeaks, noises, etc. To a certain extent anyway - it can of course be a distraction if there's too much of it. But to me it's the equivanlent of hearing a singer take a breath before delivering a line - it's not just noise, it makes it "real". There are definitely recordings of acoustic guitar that don't have any of these sounds (not noticably anyway) that are still very good, but when they are there it makes me feel more like I'm listening to an authentic performance.

spacey


Here is one I sure like...

Yeah, a bad note is not good Mike and I also don't care much
for out of tune or one that is obviously out of adjustment. That's buzzin
that I would comment about.

that was an AMAZING performance!  thanks for sharing that Mike.
 
but technically that wasn't an "acoustic," right? - or am I being overly pedantic?  do guitarists not normally distinguish "acoustic" to be steel string? 
 
I guess the shape of that one is not a traditional "classical" so it would be more appropriately termed "nylon string" since it's also not "Spanish" or "flameco"
 
again - I'm not a real guitarist, so maybe I'm being overly picky.

Beagle

spacey


Here is one I sure like...

Yeah, a bad note is not good Mike and I also don't care much
for out of tune or one that is obviously out of adjustment. That's buzzin
that I would comment about.

that was an AMAZING performance!  thanks for sharing that Mike.
 
but technically that wasn't an "acoustic," right? - or am I being overly pedantic?  do guitarists not normally distinguish "acoustic" to be steel string? 
 
I guess the shape of that one is not a traditional "classical" so it would be more appropriately termed "nylon string" since it's also not "Spanish" or "flameco"
 
again - I'm not a real guitarist, so maybe I'm being overly picky.

You're not being overly anything Reece. You have a very good question and there may be many that
would answer differently or better but I'll give mine-
"Acoustic" guitar tells me that it is a hollow body. There are classifications that fall under "acoustic" such as
nylon, electric acoustic (which is what he is playing in the video) etc...
Now there are even electric guitars that simulate the acoustic guitar sound. So I would think that in technical
terms "acoustic" refers to guitars that have a chambered body sound.
I'm no expert about it but my thinking is such that when one mentions, as you have, "flameco"- Acoustic guitar
comes to mind no differently than "nylon" or "Spanish". Those terms to me relate more to the type of strings on the guitar. (nylon or gut)
Even though an electric guitar may have a hollow body as an acoustic it is referred to as a "hollow body". If it
is not completely hollow such as a neck-thru it can be referred to as a "chambered" or "semi-hollow" bodied guitar.
"Acoustic" to some may be simply- designed to be heard without amplification. Adding a pickup would not change that.
 
And Reece I may need to be corrected about any or all that I've said.
I would label his guitar an electric acoustic, thinline designed especially for live-stage use. (feedback and playability issues).
  
  edited a line for clarity, maybe?