The guitar corner

[Shawn]

Robin Trower discusses his current guitar/pedal/amp setup from his most recent tour. The album "What Lies Beneath" is pretty awesome by the way, Trower fans should pick it up.

[Shawn]

UP

Some cool "deconstruction" stuff courtesy of Opeth. First video is from the Blackwater Park era, interesting chord progressions these guys use.

second video is example from the Watershed album (Heir Apparent)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVea9pAHLI&

[Jim R]

Just came across this on the Gruhn site: http://www.gruhn.com/catalog/ar.htm

After you click on the link, go down to item #AR4121. This instrument should be worth close to $10K no matter who owned it. I'm not a big fan of the hoopla and big $$$ that surrounds "celebrity-owned" guitars, but I can't help but wonder what this thing would be selling for if some rock star like Clapton had owned it, instead of...

[Cliff Englewood]

Just came across this on the Gruhn site: http://www.gruhn.com/catalog/ar.htm

After you click on the link, go down to item #AR4121. This instrument should be worth close to $10K no matter who owned it. I'm not a big fan of the hoopla and big $$$ that surrounds "celebrity-owned" guitars, but I can't help but wonder what this thing would be selling for if some rock star like Clapton had owned it, instead of...

That's a really nice guitar, not one of the nicest I've seen him use but a very nice one all the same.

[marcello]

Here's one of my photos of Chuck Wayne with his signature guitar.

[jazzbo]

Marcello, thanks for posting that great photo.

[Shawn]

My wonderful birthday present this year from Jazzbo...

[jazzbo]

Yes, a good guitar in good hands.

[six string]

I just picked up something called the Avid Recording Studio. It's an M-Audio Fast Track interface that comes bundled with Pro Tools SE (a/k/a "lite"). It's the first time I've used something like this and it looks like the learning curve might be a little steep. So far, I've only run some of the demo tunes and played around with the channels and a few instrument effects.

Anyone have any interesting "getting started" tips?

I'm interested too. I'm trying to decide on getting a looping station vs. a cheap recording device to save some of my "ideas" for more than a moment so I have time to develop them into something more lasting.

[slide_advantage_redoux]

What is a fair going rate for an American made Fender Princeton Chorus (non tube)?

I find myself playing the tele not as often as my acoustic. Having some minor bills to knock out, I want to sell this and at a later date shop around for a nice low watt tube amp.

Opinions graciously received!

[jazzbo]

I saw one used for 125 a year or so ago. It was a little gnarly looking. If yours is pristine looking, maybe 150 or so? Just a sort of guess on my part.

When you get ready to look at low power tube amps, give me a PM. I've got a few we could talk turkey about, an Epiphone Valve Jr. and a Blackheart.

[7/4]

check gbase.com for prices.

[7/4]

I bought a Godin classical Thursday afternoon, I've really been jones-ing for a classical for quite a while. Only 400 bills, I'm quite impressed for that price!

[fasstrack]

Here's one of my photos of Chuck Wayne with his signature guitar.

Wow, that is a great shot of one of my early heros and mentors. If there was less shadow we would see exactly how in love with playing Chuck was. But then the shadows add a bit of mystery....

[Joe G]

I bought a Godin classical Thursday afternoon, I've really been jones-ing for a classical for quite a while. Only 400 bills, I'm quite impressed for that price!

That's happy!

[7/4]

I bought a Godin classical Thursday afternoon, I've really been jones-ing for a classical for quite a while. Only 400 bills, I'm quite impressed for that price!

That's happy!

It's a full scale classical. 2" wide fingerboard, more than 25" scale length. When I go back to the Tele, the neck feels like a stick.

[fasstrack]

I've got this old 60's-era Tele that's been reshaped, refinished. neck PU replace, and needs fretwork. It also has a beat-up case. A dealer told me (sight un-seen) that even in this condition it might be worth a thousand or two. Is that possible?

Ha, ha. That takes me back. I'm finishing my first book about something totally different and in it I tell a story about in my teens (in the Bronze Age, or back when Moses played himself in The Ten Commandments) somehow diffusing a tense racial situation at a dance at Canarsie H.S. by getting up and playing my ca. 1968 George Harrison Telecaster---complete with maple neck and bulbous solder work (fortunately on the back).

I bought that guitar around 1970 for $110 from old friend Bobby Lenti, and held onto it through the '80s----when a dealer at We Buy Guitars on 48th st. said

"I want it"

Meaning, of course, 'name your price (within reason)'

Being the ever-astute businessman I was and am I let it go for $460, asking $500 and blinking before he could get a sentence out probably. He had to get $800-900 for that guitar, minimum.

Oh well, my profit was still more than 3x what I paid. And I've never been attached to guitars......

[fasstrack]

I've got this old 60's-era Tele that's been reshaped, refinished. neck PU replace, and needs fretwork. It also has a beat-up case. A dealer told me (sight un-seen) that even in this condition it might be worth a thousand or two. Is that possible?

Ha, ha. That takes me back. I'm finishing my first book about something totally different and in it I tell a story about in my teens (in the Bronze Age, or back when Moses played himself in The Ten Commandments) somehow diffusing a tense racial situation at a dance at Canarsie H.S. by getting up and playing my ca. 1968 George Harrison Telecaster---complete with maple neck and bulbous solder work (fortunately on the back).

I bought that guitar around 1970 for $110 from old friend Bobby Lenti, and held onto it through the '80s----when a dealer at We Buy Guitars on 48th st. said

"I want it"

Meaning, of course, 'name your price (within reason)'

Being the ever-astute businessman I was and am I let it go for $460, asking $500 and blinking before he could get a sentence out probably. He had to get $800-900 for that guitar, minimum.

Oh well, my profit was still more than 3x what I paid. And I've never been attached to guitars......

Well, then, mine must be worth about 10 grand at this point!

Go ahead, rub it in, why don't you.....

[jazzbo]

Very nice!

I haven't been playing much at all, because I have a roommate now and I'm very self-conscious, can't relax into playing when someone is around. I obviously don't play for others, but myself. I'll get back into playing all my instruments when I have the house to myself again at the end of the summer. When I have been playing guitar it's been my '59 Jazzmaster Thin Skin Reissue, a beautiful guitar that Shawn helped me make more playable recently, or my Martin 00-15.

Edited May 1, 2011 by jazzbo

[7/4]

that Parker is very nice!

I've been playing my classical when I can, it stretches the hands a bit. Plus my '52 Tele reissue.

[jazzbo]

Hope you managed to buy that one Brooks, if you wanted it badly.

I've been going through my guitar and bass collection now that I've spent most of the summer alone and can play without being self-conscious again. I've had an eye to thinning out the herd and will probably be selling about five guitars and two basses this fall and winter.

I find that though I love the different woods and pickups of many of the instruments I have, I really am a Fender guy in electric guitars and basses (and amps) and a Martin guy in acoustics. What I've discovered from the last two months or so of playing:

I'll not part with my two Stratocasters (a Billy Corgan signature Strat, and a Deluxe mahogany strat with Samarium Cobalt noiseless pickups and one Humbucker and the S-1 system). They're just both so different and at the same time have the same neck specs and are both great tonal palettes and divergently easy to strum and pick. Between the two there's a world of rock and blues sounds. And I love my '59 Jazzmaster Thin-skin reissue and can't imagine I'd part with it unless my whole financial being were threatened. Just so beautiful, and though I won't call it easy to play, it has a jazzy richness to it and a versatile two pickup switching system where you can set up two distinct volume and tone signatures and switch between them. It also has the same modern neck specs as the Stratocasters I own, so there's little "shock" playing between the three guitars. Action is totally different though. With some work I can get some really "jazz" sounds out of this one with my '59 Bassman Lacquer Tweed Reissue amp.

I bought two Martins in the last three years, first an 00-15, then a D-15S. My first guitar was a D-28 Spruce top bought in '78, and over the years I had a few other makes and models but the Martin seemed to always be the sound and feel in my mind and hands. The two I have now are both all mahogany models and I love the look and tone. They're night and day different in both body size and construction. The 00-15 is so petite and comfortable to play and have that old warm blues tone. The Slot head has the 12 fret neck and the dreadnought size and has that huge warm sound, and also has a Fuhrman pickup under the bridge. Not as easy to play, but man the sound! I just get such a great feeling looking at and handling these things.

And I've gone through my basses and the keepers are my two Deluxe Jazz basses: both are sunburst, one is a maple fretted neck, one a rosewood fretless. They play so well and the active pickups give you a wide range of sounds. I also have a Deluxe Precision, but I just don't enjoy the neck as much, though the sounds from this bass are awesome! Likewise I have an Epiphone Jack Cassidy model (black) that makes great sounds, but I don't enjoy playing it at all in the way I do the Jazz basses.

I'm sold on these American made instruments. I'm lucky to have such a great collection. I wish my house were one big room bigger; I'd love to have a room just dedicated to my guitars, basses (including my contrabass violin), keyboard, amps and two drum kits. I'd love to have them all setup and with space to move about. Maybe some day! I could make that a goal, and change my life I guess!

Hope everyone is enjoying their guitars.

Edited October 20, 2011 by jazzbo

[7/4]

There's a couple that I'd like to get rid of just to make room in my apt, I'm worried I'll never get enough money out of them....I never use them.

[jazzbo]

Right, it's hard to get appropriate money, if they have to go you just have to sort of not fret over the price!

[7/4]

There's a couple that I'd like to get rid of just to make room in my apt, I'm worried I'll never get enough money out of them....I never use them.

Right, it's hard to get appropriate money, if they have to go you just have to sort of not fret over the price!

plus...I'd have to invest the time into getting rid of them. My day job takes up way too much time.

I play my two Teles, a '52 reissue and a newly refretted '96 MIJ thinline with a S.Duncan humbucker in the neck. Still getting used to the big new frets on the thinline.

...plus a Godin classical that I bought last Winter and of course the microtonal guitar.

[jazzbo]

Some great guitars. I've a MIM Thinline that is a very nice guitar, but I don't get the sound I want from it.

I know what you mean about the time to sell. I've lots of time on my hands, I should utilize it.

Brooks, sounds like a decent price for a nice guitar!