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I was recently introduced to the original guitar music of Patrick Woods. Soon after I also discovered that he is a resident of Winona Lake, Indiana and a neighbor of mine. I contacted him and he graciously accepted an invitation to visit my house and shop to discuss guitars. It turns out that when 2 passionate guitar aficionados get together 3 hours can pass in the blink of an eye. Much of that time was spent listening to him evaluate several of my guitars and the rest of the time revolved around discussing all sorts of issues as they relate to guitars and his amazing musical craft.

Patrick has been touring the country and recording for a number of years. He is one of a core of players described as a Modern Fingerstylist… in the same genre of such players as Michael Hedges, Don Ross and Preston Reed. Patrick has received high accolades both from his fans and more importantly from his peers. He turns heads every time he plays and he had my head spinning as he played a few Donohue Guitars right there in my living room. Patrick’s style of playing where both of his hands are fingering and tapping all over the neck requires a guitar that accommodates access similar to a double-cutaway electric guitar. So what better way than to have a double-cutaway acoustic guitar. Enter the Wechter double cutaway Pathfinder. What makes it an even better fit for Patrick is the fact that the neck is attached to the body at the 19th fret…another example of form following function.

It was obvious after watching him for a few minutes that he had had classical guitar training…his posture and chord formation provide efficient and ergonomic access to the fretboard and his attack was positive and consistent. I’m always amazed at how differently the same guitar can sound in the hands of different players. Each player seems to impart their signature method of fretting and string attack which can make similar notes and chords sound vastly different.

So after a few hours, he gave me a thumbs up on the guitars and we parted company for now. I plan to see him do a local show at the end of January in Mishawaka and have already ordered one of his CDs. I highly recommend checking out his site at http://www.pwguitars.com and viewing two of his many You Tube videos :




Check him out and support him and all of your local musicians.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Pretty amazing

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Wow....
Now that was cool. Thanks for that - just what I needed after a difficult conference call. (Working at home can have it's advantages)

Very cool, hes real talented and I enjoyed those videos.
I thought the double cutaway was a registered patented Doolin trademark though.

He definetly reminds me of michael hedges. he has a good sound. cd is on the way.

I've heard a lot of great solo fingerstyle players and he's real good. Ain't it great to hear a player of that magnitude play and evaluate one of your guitars.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

He has a unique sound -- some passages sound very electronica. JJ, I'm curious if you noted any other details regarding fretboard design or setup that a player of his playing style prefers?

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Kent

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Good question, Kent. Here's what I know:

I believe he prefers medium strings (13s) and medium high frets with a typical low action for acoustics. Since much of his sound is derived from fingers hammering on frets, it's more effective when the sound is amplified. While he played 3 of my models (none amplified) it was apparent that he preferred a nut width of around 1.65" and the longer 25.4" scale length. What was surprising to me was that changing from wide nuts to narrow nuts was handled seamlessly and the performance flawless...a sure sign of an accomplished musician. He uses several alternate tunings beyond DADGAD. The other thing that was apparent was that he played each piece from start to finish...not just random noodling but pride in his composition as well as confidence in his performance and respect even for the audience of "one". And playing unplugged was a real treat to hear...every bit as impressive as his recordings and in some ways even moreso. I was duly impressed.

His ONLY acoustic is the double cutaway Wechter (Spruce over Mahogany) that originally had a Fishman but is now using a B-Band pickup system. The key feature is the neck joined at 19 and the easy access to the "nether-frets" as a result of the double cutaway. I've heard the Wechter acoustically and was unimpressed but amplified is a different story. As such it sounds great given Patrick's new-wave music and his style of play. The percussive component of his style is much more gentle than others who also drum, scrape and tap. Unlike Tommy Emmanuel's Maton, Patrick's guitar still has unmarred finish. I'm unfamiliar with his amplifier and EQ setup but from his recordings, I can tell that he uses electronic enhancement for specific effects. I'm looking forward to his next local performance on January 30 in Mishawaka, IN to see how he plays under battlefield conditions!

I hope I answered your questions.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

That's pretty cool this guy lives as a neighbor! If you need qualified opinions of your work, it's right there!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Wow JJ! Very cool! He's an outstanding player, that's for sure... I'll have to order a CD! Thanks for the head's up!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Thanks for the extra detail -- would love to have been there.

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Kent

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