New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic

**NSJ** · 05-30-2023, 06:12 PM

Final stage before shipping, Wiring up jack through the soundhole. From Erich:
“not gonna lie, it sounds amazing! Very pleased with amplified sound, natural with just a touch of reverb is the bomb!”

By “amplified” sound, he means Barbera transducer on the saddle.

**Cunamara** · 05-30-2023, 08:37 PM

Navdeep, the craftsmanship on that instrument is just beautiful. As is the whole aesthetic of it. I hope you'll grace us with the clip once you have it and have gotten adjusted to it. It looks like it probably sounds like a grand piano.

**NSJ** · 05-30-2023, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Navdeep, the craftsmanship on that instrument is just beautiful. As is the whole aesthetic of it. I hope you'll grace us with the clip once you have it and have gotten adjusted to it. It looks like it probably sounds like a grand piano.

For sure, I will. He said the sustain on this is really good, which makes it different per se than a typical arch top. It’s got walnut back and sides, which is used in bass guitar construction. He already makes archtops that kind of have a flat top quality to them.

**NSJ** · 06-06-2023, 11:07 PM

It’s here. This guitar is pretty damn incredible, very resonant right out of the box. . An electric guitar really covers up technical faults. An instrument like this, on the other hand, reveals the faults and inadequacies. There is no place to hide. All the great tones are the result of the guitar. All the faults are mine. This is making me aware that I have to step up my game and not be lazy about anything-technique, nails, right hand technique, right hand styles,etc. This guitar is more addictive than any one I’ve ever had.

One technical issue I have to be better at is to possibly use the thumb pick because the pic sounds better on the base notes and bass strings than the thumb. The thumb kind of dampens the tone a bit on the bass strings. It’s not the case with the top strings, as the fingers work great there. This means that my thumb technique is revealed to be inadequate. I can improve on it, but I think I’m going to use the Black Mountain thumb pic in lieu of the thumb, and keep on otherwise playing finger style.

Pics of the guitar do not do it justice. It’s a lot heavier than the original Solomon Imperial I had bought from Roger years ago. That guitar was comparatively light as a feather. This guitar is far more resonant and clear in all registers. I just have to improve my thumb technique so the bass strings don’t sound as muffled or use a thumb pick

Pics attached. The last pic is all four of my 8 string guitars, two electric guitars made by Victor Baker, the Solomon and the original Brahms guitar made by martin Woodhouse.

**Glin66** · 06-07-2023, 12:00 AM

Congratulations on your new guitar!

It's interesting to hear about the weight difference between your new guitar and the previous Solomon Imperial. And the attached pictures of your guitar collection are impressive.

**GuyBoden** · 06-07-2023, 04:36 AM

Wow, what an instrument(s).

It will be nice to hear videos of you playing some songs with the instrument.

**LeChuck** · 08-30-2023, 05:33 PM

Hi, sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but do you have any videos of this beauty posted online? Or any of your other 8 strings for that matter?
I am kind of intrigued by this kind of instrument but there isn’t a lot of info on them online, at least in a jazz context.

**NSJ** · 09-01-2023, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by LeChuck

Hi, sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but do you have any videos of this beauty posted online? Or any of your other 8 strings for that matter?
I am kind of intrigued by this kind of instrument but there isn’t a lot of info on them online, at least in a jazz context.

A few small things, first notes of the day. Here is a quick “Summertime” on the fretless guitar. I intend to start recording regularly, by the winter. I’ve got my recording studio set up, again, finally, after moving around and living in 6 different places since 2020 and moving cross country.

Navdeep Singh on Instagram: "Summertime! (Testing Victor Baker 8 sting fanned fretless T style guitar)"

**aperlmutter** · 06-16-2024, 03:35 AM

Those look amazing, and I'm sure they play and sound excellent as well! I have one that unfortunately I must sell. Please PM if interested. (Hope this isn't inappropriate.)

Just a moment...

**RJVB** · 06-16-2024, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by NSJ

One technical issue I have to be better at is to possibly use the thumb pick because the pic sounds better on the base notes and bass strings than the thumb. The thumb kind of dampens the tone a bit on the bass strings.

This is a recurrent problem with steel bass strings even on normal 6 string guitars. Not sure if it's inharmonicity or something else, but they just lack the quality you can get from wound nylon strings. I do find that it helps to use brass wounds rather than PB; if you can find copper wounds they would probably sound even livelier.
I tried a ButterFly fingerpick (home-made because no longer being sold) but while the sound is quite good and almost natural these things don't stay put with my more or less classical technique. I still have to try an Alaska fingerpick but I'm afraid that will have the same issue unless I grow my thumb nail long enough that I'll start tearing it (even more often) in daily life.

That said, if I insist long and often enough on those heavy steel strings I grow a sort of cor on the corner of my thumb that would be a perfect built-in thumb pick if it didn't mess with my using that finger on higher and/or nylon strings...

Maybe this is a suitable pick for you?

It’s a lot heavier than the original Solomon Imperial I had bought from Roger years ago.

How can it not be; that tailpiece must weigh a tonne on its own!

**Navdeep_Singh** · 06-16-2024, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by RJVB

This is a recurrent problem with steel bass strings even on normal 6 string guitars. Not sure if it's inharmonicity or something else, but they just lack the quality you can get from wound nylon strings. I do find that it helps to use brass wounds rather than PB; if you can find copper wounds they would probably sound even livelier.
I tried a ButterFly fingerpick (home-made because no longer being sold) but while the sound is quite good and almost natural these things don't stay put with my more or less classical technique. I still have to try an Alaska fingerpick but I'm afraid that will have the same issue unless I grow my thumb nail long enough that I'll start tearing it (even more often) in daily life.

That said, if I insist long and often enough on those heavy steel strings I grow a sort of cor on the corner of my thumb that would be a perfect built-in thumb pick if it didn't mess with my using that finger on higher and/or nylon strings...

Maybe this is a suitable pick for you?

How can it not be; that tailpiece must weigh a tonne on its own!

Thanks for the insight! I wasn’t aware that this was a general problem on steel string phosphor bronze guitars.

I found that Black Mountain thumb picks —a real pic attached via a hinge- have worked really well.

**RJVB** · 06-16-2024, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Navdeep_Singh

Thanks for the insight! I wasn’t aware that this was a general problem on steel string phosphor bronze guitars.

Re-reading my quoted post I realise it may come across as a bit overly generalised or pedantic; I did mean it's a recurrent problem for me of course.
That said, even a luthier as knowledgeable as Alan Carruth once commented on how non-trivial it is to get a good, versatile sound out of the bass strings on an acoustic (compared to wound nylon strings).
Be built 2 "classical archtops" btw, and is waiting for someone to commission the next which he plans to build bigger

I found that Black Mountain thumb picks —a real pic attached via a hinge- have worked really well.

I wonder if they aren't the one making the signature pic from that video.

**bluejaybill** · 06-16-2024, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Navdeep_Singh

Thanks for the insight! I wasn’t aware that this was a general problem on steel string phosphor bronze guitars.

I found that Black Mountain thumb picks —a real pic attached via a hinge- have worked really well.

Can you really use that pick as a thumb and flat pick?

**Cunamara** · 06-16-2024, 02:22 PM

There are at least three thumbpick options that can function as a flat pick: the Fred Kelly Bumblebee (which comes in several variations), the Herco and the Black Mountain. I have the Fred Kelly ones and yes, you can indeed use them as a flatpick as well as a thumbpick.