7/4 Posted October 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I've been playing mainly bass these days. My Fender American Deluxe Jazz mostly, such a fantastic instrument, so well put together. I've fallen for the maple neck, never thought I'd love a maple neck on a bass, but there it is. Love the sounds I can get from this on my '59 Reissue Bassman. Such a spectrum of sounds and tones. I'm thinking about selling my Music Man Sterling fretless bass, I never play it any more. The amp I use the most is a '67 Fender silverface Bassman head through a 12" cabinet. And I use a THD Hotplate to keep the volume down. I have a bunch of other amps, mostly Fender that all need work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 my favorite guitar these days is a weird Guyatone with a harmony neck and a Lollar P90 on the neck pickup - because the strength of the P90 is only about 6k it has a true '50s sound, kinda round and rich but none of that high-gain ceramic stuff (which is fine as I've cancelled most of my stadium concert dates). the guitar itself is something of a mixed thing, action is good but not great, but it's light as a feather and good for my ageing hands. Playing it through a Silvertone 1484 or a 5D3 replica (the 5D3 was Fender's pre-5E3 circuit). Taking this baby to NYC next week to record with Matt Shipp, so I gotta practice - Bet that's a great sounding, unique sounding (these days) set up Allen. Hope you have a great recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 I've been playing mainly bass these days. My Fender American Deluxe Jazz mostly, such a fantastic instrument, so well put together. I've fallen for the maple neck, never thought I'd love a maple neck on a bass, but there it is. Love the sounds I can get from this on my '59 Reissue Bassman. Such a spectrum of sounds and tones. I'm thinking about selling my Music Man Sterling fretless bass, I never play it any more. The amp I use the most is a '67 Fender silverface Bassman head through a 12" cabinet. And I use a THD Hotplate to keep the volume down. I have a bunch of other amps, mostly Fender that all need work. Those Hot Plates REALLY work. In addition to my Bassman I have a modified Musicmaster that is cool for bedroom use. Really detailed, really bright and chimey. You can probably get some nice coin for that Musicman. I love my Wishbass fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockefeller center Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 You know where to find my sounds, I hope. Here's a recent pic with the Verythin: Yup, I have you on CD. Your comp "Life Wish" is one of my favorites and we do listen to it very often. Quite an emotional tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 That's a nice looking Elitist reissue. Much nicer than the "Sheratons" you typically see for sale these days (asian knockoffs with awkward body shapes, that don't even include mini-humbuckers). There's also a nice "John Lee Hooker" reissue version that appears to be nicely made. I haven't played or heard any of these, though. I'm crazy for vintage guitars. Well, I know you love vintage guitars. Me too. But I've been really really pleased with the top of the line USA Fenders produced this decade that I've played, I think they're real quality to rival the past with new innovations electronically, etc. and much more affordable. My "Deluxe" Strat and basses are works of art that play wonderfully. I'm a happy camper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 That's a nice looking Elitist reissue. Much nicer than the "Sheratons" you typically see for sale these days (asian knockoffs with awkward body shapes, that don't even include mini-humbuckers). There's also a nice "John Lee Hooker" reissue version that appears to be nicely made. I haven't played or heard any of these, though. I'm crazy for vintage guitars. Well, I know you love vintage guitars. Me too. But I've been really really pleased with the top of the line USA Fenders produced this decade that I've played, I think they're real quality to rival the past with new innovations electronically, etc. and much more affordable. My "Deluxe" Strat and basses are works of art that play wonderfully. I'm a happy camper! Oh, I hear you Lon. The vintage thing is just one of my quirks, which ties in with my good fortune of having started buying and trading guitars back at a time when the whole investors market hadn't quite started yet. I've really been fortunate to have been able to try out so many great Gibsons from the golden era. It also tied in with my passion for "antiques" (which technically was the wrong term to use, as I was into 20th century decorative arts from the 1930's-1950's era). I just dig old stuff, even if it's not better than things being made today. But you know, buying my Strat really loosened me up from my old ways to some degree. I now look at some of the nicer quality reissues (sunburst Les Pauls and such, even though I've never really been interested in Les Pauls) more seriously. I think one of those John Lee Hooker Sheratons might actually suit me fine... the key would be the sound of the pickups. I really have a thing for the sound of those 60's Sheratons and Rivieras, and I've never owned one. At any rate, I'm really happy for you, that you're bonding with some great instruments and having fun making music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Englewood Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I still love the Gibsons, though, especially my Gobel (which has almost become part of my body over the years) and the L5N/CC (my avatar). Don't play the Johnny Smith or the Super 4 much these days. What's the vintage of your L5N/CC??? And what are those CC pickups really like??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I don't blame you at all for being into vintage guitars! I know they suit you and can be wonderful. I was surprised to read you are playing Strat! Let us know if you ever try a John Lee Hooker Sheraton. I love John Lee. . . I bet those are nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 (edited) the old guitars are nice, though in my experience the ones I've played tend to be harder to play, action-wise. They look great, though I do think the essence of their sound is in the pickups, which I tend to love. I do have a soft spot for 1960s-70s Japanese pickups, and I once had a conversation with Lindy Fralin in which he said the one thing that the Japanese manufacturers got right was the pickups - Edited October 6, 2009 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 (the previously mentioned Gibson L6-S). 1998 - Leaning into a bunch of notes that were close together at the Trenton Avant Garde Festival. Sonic Bloom for synthesizer and digital delays in 13 limit just intonation, September 12, 1998. I'm pretty sure this photo is by Jason Gross of Perfect Sound Forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I still love the Gibsons, though, especially my Gobel (which has almost become part of my body over the years) and the L5N/CC (my avatar). Don't play the Johnny Smith or the Super 4 much these days. What's the vintage of your L5N/CC??? And what are those CC pickups really like??? My L5 is a '66, which was special-ordered with the CC. CC's are somewhat tricky animals to control, but to me, even if you have to sacrifice some aspect of the sound to control noise, they're still magical. I recommend this article: http://www.kokomomusic.com/pages/corner.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I still love the Gibsons, though, especially my Gobel (which has almost become part of my body over the years) and the L5N/CC (my avatar). Don't play the Johnny Smith or the Super 4 much these days. What's the vintage of your L5N/CC??? And what are those CC pickups really like??? My L5 is a '66, which was special-ordered with the CC. CC's are somewhat tricky animals to control, but to me, even if you have to sacrifice some aspect of the sound to control noise, they're still magical. I recommend this article: http://www.kokomomusic.com/pages/corner.html also interesting: What makes a Charlie Christian pickup a Charlie Christian pickup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 note the low ohmage - in this day of ceramic pickups that blast along at 10-15 k, the great thing about the old pickups (and as I mentioned I have a P90 which is about 6k) is that, at lower power, you can get more volume and character to the sound before it breaks up, especially on low power amps - it gives you that nice, edge-of-distortion sound (listen to Junior Barnard with Bob Wills to get a good idea of this; also, any number of early 1950s electric blues) - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 You know where to find my sounds, I hope. Here's a recent pic with the Verythin: Yup, I have you on CD. Your comp "Life Wish" is one of my favorites and we do listen to it very often. Quite an emotional tune. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I still love the Gibsons, though, especially my Gobel (which has almost become part of my body over the years) and the L5N/CC (my avatar). Don't play the Johnny Smith or the Super 4 much these days. What's the vintage of your L5N/CC??? And what are those CC pickups really like??? My L5 is a '66, which was special-ordered with the CC. CC's are somewhat tricky animals to control, but to me, even if you have to sacrifice some aspect of the sound to control noise, they're still magical. I recommend this article: http://www.kokomomusic.com/pages/corner.html also interesting: What makes a Charlie Christian pickup a Charlie Christian pickup? Thank you for posting that link. I've literally been scraping together bits and pieces of technical information about CC's for years, and this will add nicely to what I already had. By the time I get it all figured out, I'll probably be playing another instrument... like a harp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Englewood Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I still love the Gibsons, though, especially my Gobel (which has almost become part of my body over the years) and the L5N/CC (my avatar). Don't play the Johnny Smith or the Super 4 much these days. What's the vintage of your L5N/CC??? And what are those CC pickups really like??? My L5 is a '66, which was special-ordered with the CC. CC's are somewhat tricky animals to control, but to me, even if you have to sacrifice some aspect of the sound to control noise, they're still magical. I recommend this article: http://www.kokomomusic.com/pages/corner.html also interesting: What makes a Charlie Christian pickup a Charlie Christian pickup? Thank you for posting that link. I've literally been scraping together bits and pieces of technical information about CC's for years, and this will add nicely to what I already had. By the time I get it all figured out, I'll probably be playing another instrument... like a harp. Nice one, I'd love to have a Gibson with a CC pickup, I think the desire for one came from this photo below, I think it's an ES-300 with a CC added. If it was good enough for T Bone, it's good enough for me, although I doubt I'll ever own one like his. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I would too! I came close to just trying an ED150 a few months ago, but they sold it before I got there. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 well, the classic T Bone sound came from P90s, out of phase - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Englewood Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 I would too! I came close to just trying an ED150 a few months ago, but they sold it before I got there. ED150??? Is that a typo or something I've never heard of before??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 I would too! I came close to just trying an ED150 a few months ago, but they sold it before I got there. ED150??? Is that a typo or something I've never heard of before??? Yeah, it's a typo. As ES 150. Sorry, 'bout that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Englewood Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 I would too! I came close to just trying an ED150 a few months ago, but they sold it before I got there. ED150??? Is that a typo or something I've never heard of before??? Yeah, it's a typo. As ES 150. Sorry, 'bout that! No problem, I thought you had discovered a new type of Gibson. :D I would say it would be very difficult to find an ES-150 in decent condition now. I would think that whoever bought them back then must have been professional musicians as it would have been an expensive item and not really something just to play at home. Did you or Jim R ever play an ES - 5??? I think after something with a CC pickup, an ES - 5 would be a close second dream axe. I mean 3 P90s and no selector switch, that's got to be fun. :excited: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) No, I don't think I've ever played an ES-5. I live just outside NYC, so there's plenty of dealers around here. A place in Teaneck has two of 'em and I just couldn't make it there in time before they sole them. Edited October 8, 2009 by 7/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) friend of mine's got one - sounds nice, not all that easy to play (of course he uses something like 14 gauge strings) - Edited October 8, 2009 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 I would say it would be very difficult to find an ES-150 in decent condition now. I would think that whoever bought them back then must have been professional musicians as it would have been an expensive item and not really something just to play at home. I've been following the vintage market closely for over 20 years, and it always surprises me how many 150's actually come up for sale. They're really not as elusive as some people would have you think. I think part of it was the declining demand for archtops for many years, particularly non-cutaway archtops. Now an ES250 is another matter altogether. Those are extremely rare. I think a lot of people confuse the two. Did you or Jim R ever play an ES - 5? I had one back in the mid-80's, which I traded a couple of guitars for at a shop in SF. It was a '53 (pre-switchmaster), sunburst, and a beautiful, clean, all original example. It played and sounded fine, but I eventually traded it for a '51 ES350 (two pickup version) plus an amp. The 350 was more practical for my purposes (I tend to prefer just using the neck pickup on most multi-pickup guitars), and played and sounded even better than the ES5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.