Takamine

Ryan David Green has just released his debut, solo-acoustic album Off and Running, and acoustic guitar aficionados everywhere may want to consider it as their next favorite.

Anyone familiar with Green from his 21 years as half of the outstanding acoustic duo Ryanhood is well-aware that the award-winning Berklee grad from Tucson, AZ is more than capable of stunning technical wizardry. Yet interestingly (and thankfully), Ryan David Green’s Off and Running is not a “Look what I can do” album.

Rather, this 11-track offering of living, breathing, accessibly melodic, compellingly cinematic, all-original guitar compositions may be better described as, “Let’s see where I can take you,” making Off and Running a collection of acoustic jewels you’ll likely dial-up to again and again.

Check out three of the first videos from the project, each showcasing different examples: "Time Is Not What You Think It Is," "Reina De La Noche," and "Afterlife."

Satisfying acoustic tone is always at the heart of why anyone craves acoustic guitar music, and the sonic magic Ryan David Green captures in these tracks is particularly pleasing.

“When I record, I prefer to use a dreadnought and I love the Takamine P7DC,” says Ryan. “It’s big, and yet sparkly - very articulate and clean - and in addition to micing it in traditional studio fashion, I tend to blend the signal from the Palathetic Pickup into the final mix for an even warmer sound.”

You may notice when viewing these videos that while hearing the tracks as recorded by Ryan on his P7DC, we are watching him play his TSP158C from Takamine’s Thinline Series. This is not as incongruous as it may seem, as the TSP158C is the guitar that Ryan chooses to perform those same songs live, a feat made possible by Takamine’s legendary electronics, and un-coincidentally, the exact application the Thinline Series was designed for.

“I was finding that wielding a dreadnought on stage was a little unnecessary,” Ryan explains. “It’s a big instrument, especially on my narrow frame, and it occurred to me that I didn't need that big of an instrument on stage since I’m really relying on the Palathetic Pickup to provide the sound. So, after falling in love with the TSP158C-STR, I was able to go in the complete opposite direction. It is so incredibly comfortable and makes playing a long set of intricate guitar-work a lot more enjoyable. Even more impressive is that it sounds pretty good acoustically, even with the smaller, thinner body. In fact, I just used it for an unplugged radio performance last week. It has also become my around-the-house go-to for writing and practicing.”

All the same, here’s a (to date) unreleased video of Ryan and his P7DC in studio setting with drummer Casey Hadland performing "Journey," the propelling first track from Off and Running.

That a guitarist of Ryan David Green's caliber would choose Takamine as their acoustic guitar of choice for both stage and studio is a source of great pride and privilege for the entire family of dedicated people at Takamine who apply their hand-crafting skills and culture of excellence with just such gifted artists in mind.