I don’t know why, but the nylon strings never seemed to work for me on the OES tour, perhaps because it was largely outside or in such large stadiums, that it lost that intimacy, but I never saw DS tour live in person, only the videos and maybe it didn't record as well (IMO)
Yes, it's a different feeling, especially because he's using a different model of guitar, a Ramirez, and the strings are different, three thinner ones are dark, I believe they're made of a different material and give a different sound.
Thanks Brunno, I only just realised you replied as the font was so small originally.
Listening back now to the various OES tour PI, I think the reason I didn’t initially like it as much as the Chet Atkins is actually, in fairness, really because the Ramirez setup had no delay in the chain (according to the tech guitar sheet), and was a dry signal, but maybe they added reverb on the mixing desk/PA as it was easier to control for the mix and they felt the big stadiums produced there own natural reverb and delay. I know delay and reverb settings tend to change with venue size. I happen to like the delays with the nylon strings. For me, it seemed to have added an another colour and shimmer to the nylon sound. Maybe a bit more magical for me. I’m in no doubt the Ramirez is an amazing guitar, and I meant no disrespect to the luthier. Just that the Chet Atkins guitar (live recordings) had a certain sound of it’s own that I liked. I'm coming round the more honest sound of the OES nylon strung now in it's own way, it's probably more faithful to the studio version as well.
Some prominent points that I hear delay using the Gibson Chet Atkins:
LOG Alchemy - He may have activated the delay just for the solo. That sounds like the Delta Lab DL-4 to me.
At 3m20s
https://youtu.be/nKCpMDpSP8M?si=H8qQeauYV71pcXFx&t=199The opening notes of R+J solo with the long delay/repeat, sound like the Roland Chorus Echo SRE-555 to me, although quiet. But it may also have a little of the Delta Lab DL-4 additionally giving a shorter delay.
6m35s
https://youtu.be/cIZ_tHZJjEs?si=Mf-at-a1lfvYB4XN&t=395I think I hear the Delta Lab DL-4 on Private Investigations Alchemy as well, with a quiet slapback or an even shorter repeat, giving a slight shimmer. The short delay almost sounds like a reverb but has more of a slight slap to me. And here at Wembley:
Private Investigations Wembley 85
At 1m50s
https://youtu.be/xmLNKATlwJw?si=6vkXH-O692haO2Uw&t=107String clicks at 3m07s
https://youtu.be/xmLNKATlwJw?si=Z6xteQMOP8sT2HcP&t=186I may have the delays mixed up or the wrong way around but I think the Delta Lab DL-4 would have struggled with the long R+J repeat. He may of course have had some reverb as well as delays with the Gibson Chet Atkins.
Hopefully I’ve not taken the thread “off subject” of the nylon strings but I feel the FX/delays also played a role in the difference of the nylon sound (live) in the DS days.
I would love to see the guitar tech sheet for the LOG tour.
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