Classical rest stroke technique on steel strings - action height?

[RJVB]

Hi,

A question specifically to those of you playing both classical guitar and acoustic steel-string (archtop) : do you find that the steel string action has to be higher for this than it has to be for other techniques?

I know from experience confirmed by a few luthiers that playing without nails like I do requires a higher action (even on a classical) to prevent fret buzz than playing with nails would, esp. when using rest strokes to "really dig in".

Do you find the same thing, and does it carry over to steel strings? For me it seems it does, at least on the 2 plain trebles where rest strokes are even more useful to get the roundest possible tone.

FWIW, I can't play "with nails", not even on nylon strings (at most use them as a firmening support behind the flesh, and for the occasional strum), and also dislike the sound it gives.

[James W]

I mostly use rest stroke with my fingers on my archtop guitar.

But then, I use my nails so I can't really answer your question... In any case, I find I don't need the action higher. In fact, I got the action lowered on my archtop a few years ago, to make it actually playable. Now it's just how I like it.

[spencer096]

i rarely use rest strokes on nylon...never on my archtop.

but i use my nails, which isnt much of a help for your situation.

[RJVB]

I mostly use rest stroke with my fingers on my archtop guitar.

but do you try to get the amount of sound you'd get from a classical, acoustically and without amplification?

[James W]

but do you try to get the amount of sound you'd get from a classical, acoustically and without amplification?

Pretty much. 'Try to' seems to imply some kind of effort though, and I try to make the movement as smooth and comfortable as I can, rather than trying to project a big sound or what have you... Basically, while for practising I am satisfied with the acoustic sound I get from my archtop, and while I do have it plugged into the amp, I only have it on fairly quietly. So I suppose I know I can rely on at least a bit of amplification.

I tend not to use the rest stroke for playing classical rep on my nylon string classical guitar anyway, so I can't really compare. I do endeavour to get a similar sound whether I'm using free or rest stroke - the biggest discrepancy for me between these two techniques is that I can play rest stroke much faster.

[RJVB]

Pretty much. 'Try to' seems to imply some kind of effort though,

Well, it is... at least when I haven't played steel strings for a while (like at the moment).

Not that the effort is absent on a classical for the ensemble piece I'm working on, and I thought I might take the archtop to rehearsal onces, for giggles and to see if it does indeed "cut through the mix" more easily (mud would be a better word ).