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ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: April 24 2009, 08:03 Mike has used a diverse acoustic and electric guitar suite, which genres were most impressive? deb Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: April 24 2009, 09:37 That's a tricky one Deb.I love Mike's acoustic work.Ireland's Eye still brings me out in goodebumps even after some 27 years and having managed to (almost)work it out.Just so beautifully played.His acoustic work is always played well and cleanly.In contrast though i love his playing when he really lets go (Ommadawn being the most obvios choice)on electric.Any of the live versions of TB part 2 on the solo is amazing.Doubly so as that part was always improvised live.  It depends on the mood.For acoustic work though listen to The Path.Simple melody well played with a really nice tone.   Electic i'd go for.....errrrr.....i'm tempted to say everything but i guess Ommadawn side 1,TB (Exposed version)part 2,Instructions for Angels and the solo from Shine. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: April 24 2009, 16:52 There are just too many pieces I love, so I'll just list the ones that pop into my mind right now. Acoustic: Fast Waltz (flamenco) from Amarok, Turtle Island, Red Dawn, Russian (TB 2003 and Amarok), Summit Day, Muse, Taurus 3. Electric: Women of Ireland, QE2 (the song), the long fast solo in Ommadawn Part 1, Wonderful Land, Arrival, Étude, Ringscape (L+S), No Man's Land (3L), Thou Art in Heaven (3L), Surfing, etc. etc. etc. etc. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: April 25 2009, 04:45 i think the flamenco pieces are beautiful, how does he play so well with such speed? tried and have no nails left, love mike on electric, that signature sound unique to mikes technique, deb Back to top

ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: May 15 2009, 22:47 time to reminesce guys.we have enjoyed mikes acoustic and electric styles of playing, hands up guitarists! share your techniques, deb Back to top

Scatterplot Group: Members Posts: 1981 Joined: Dec. 2007 Posted: May 15 2009, 22:53 Got to have both. That's like asking me to choose between my mach 3 razor and shaving cream. -------------- We raise our voices in the night Crying to heaven And will our voices be heard Or will they break Like the wind Back to top

ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: May 15 2009, 22:59 yo jim i have to agree, you dont have to give up your mach or shaving cream! deb Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 18 2009, 04:25 Have to agree with Jim.Can't really have Mike Oldfields music without being bowled over by his electric and acoustic playing.It's 2 sides of the same coin. But if i really must choose.....then his electric work has the edge.It's really cos his is absolutley unique in the way he approaches it.It's not screaming rock guitar as such,it's not pentatonic blues widdling,it's not jazz noodling,it's what ever it needs to be in total service tio the music.That and the whole technique thing which we've covered to exhaustion (and at the expense on my part of finger nails and patience). -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Scatterplot Group: Members Posts: 1981 Joined: Dec. 2007 Posted: May 18 2009, 12:20 I have to agree with Caveman. I left a post here a long time ago, I listened to Cat Steven's "The Wind" and the acoustic git sounded VERY Oldfield-ish. Yet he pre-dated MO. Many other similar sounding acoustic players of that era could be cited. But that SIGNATURE electric guitar solo....David Gilmour is an example. In years past I could hear something brand new from either, having no prior knowledge of it's existance(then I'd RUN like hell to find the new record). Mike, like Dave is/was instantly recognizable in an electric guitar solo. In 1978 I ran to the "P" section cuz I heard that signature Gilmour solo in the record store....Comfortably Numb. In 1982 I ran to the "O" section of the record store cuz I heard 5MO. So recognizable. I think it defines both of them in rock 'n roll history. Looking back now, I've changed my mind. Acoustic usually is......well...acoustic(except for Ommadawn, mainly the Knebworth presentation). Electric is manipulated electronically by the artist's style, but also tastes in effects, amps, etc. My answer now is electric. Jim -------------- We raise our voices in the night Crying to heaven And will our voices be heard Or will they break Like the wind Back to top

ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: May 19 2009, 00:26 Must admit i am leaning towards electric, must use a plec, saves my nails, wider range of sound production, mike still has nails, how? vitamin e, gelatine extract? damn envious mike, deb Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2009, 04:22 You really should give it a go.As i've said elsewhere you'd be well advised to try a Squier.Inexpensive but really good little guitars.  I'd agree about the nails.Don't know why but my electric strings (10-52 guage so light gauge top strings and heavy guage bottom)shred my nails while the strings on my acoustic are heavier but my nais, don't break as often.So predominantly a pick user on electric.You have to hit the strings harder for lead anyway. SO how does Mike preserve his nails?I heard Vitamin E is good for them but i couldn't use gelatine extract as i'm vegetarian (but not vegan) so i know exactly what gelatine is and i'm damned if i'm using that! -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: May 19 2009, 09:16 Lol caveman, no gelatine! and a squire is soon to be on layby! rock on..bang a gong...rock on, deb Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2009, 11:42 YAY!!!! By the way we mix the cd next week,well off topic but you were asking last week. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Scatterplot Group: Members Posts: 1981 Joined: Dec. 2007 Posted: May 19 2009, 13:28 Good choice Deb. Strats are so much easier to play than say, a Gibson ES-335(yes I'm thinking J. Hayward and I did buy a similar product and it was a bitch to hold standing with a strap). One little piece of advice if you never owned one. You're going to want new strings. Remove the bass E string first. Save a 6 or 8 inch piece of the old thick E string. Use it to push the harder-to-deal-with thinner strings through the body, kind of like an ice pick. They can be a bitch. I learned this with my first strat in a fit of frustration long ago. If you don't like whammy/tremolo bars unscrew it and put it away. They stretch and detune the strings faster, but hey, if you wanna Hendrix/Van Halen dive-bomb go for it! My 2 cents worth. One more thing, you will notice of the several options on the pickup(s) switch....one setting has more hum/buzz than the others. Don't feel bad not using it. Ignore that one switch setting(a shortcoming of the strat, I've never had need of that pickup combination anyway due to so many FX altering the sound anyway). Have fun. Jimbo -------------- We raise our voices in the night Crying to heaven And will our voices be heard Or will they break Like the wind Back to top

Scatterplot Group: Members Posts: 1981 Joined: Dec. 2007 Posted: May 19 2009, 13:39 PS: and I will put this in all caps because its true: ONLY BUY JIM DUNLOP NYLON PICKS!! THEY LAST!. -------------- We raise our voices in the night Crying to heaven And will our voices be heard Or will they break Like the wind Back to top

Guest Unregistered Posted: May 19 2009, 13:41 With MO I would say electric. His strange ways and wide range of diversity to make the guitar "speak" or "flow" with different sets of emotions, just amazes me - still to this day. Although his acoustic guitar playing kicks ass too.   Back to top

ex member 419 Group: Members Posts: 1177 Joined: April 2008 Posted: May 19 2009, 22:38 thanks caveman, jim, ended up posting comments under multi instrumentalist! deb Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 20 2009, 09:22 Er i'd have to say use Dunlop Tortex picks.Still last ages but feel more positive.Supposed to replicate the feel of tortoise shell which picks were orginally made of.Can't say i've ever tested that boast cos i cannot think of anything worse than killing a tortoise for it's shell.NEVER use Gibson picks.The buggers snap too easily.Sorry Deb that's confusing things.Mike uses nylon picks.His preference was for Herco Nylons which are now made by Dunlop. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Scatterplot Group: Members Posts: 1981 Joined: Dec. 2007 Posted: May 20 2009, 10:16 When I first bought them I was hooked. You know....there were times I would find a Dunlop nylon pick in a drawer, several years old, with string discoloration near the tip from much use, then I'd just use it again never knowing how old it was. Never a crack. Amazing. The lighter ones can be bent with the fingers when more strength is desired. Not one ever broke since the 80's when I found them. And what is all this use of the word "plectrum" lately? It's a GD pick. Pomposity I suppose. -------------- We raise our voices in the night Crying to heaven And will our voices be heard Or will they break Like the wind Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 20 2009, 11:54 With you there Jimbo.It's a pick.The only vatiations would be a thumbpick or fingerpick.The pick used to be called a flatpick to differentiate it from the thumb and finger types but now it's just a pick.God even the manufaturers call 'em picks now.Plectrum just sounds pretentious.  Jim Dunlop have given the owrld many things.The wah wah (ok Vox invented it and Dunlop got the rights)and damn fine picks.I don't ever use anything else now.Electric or acoustic. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

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