I found this high-definition clip on YouTube of jazz guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg playing an ES-175:
What a talent, and such gorgeous tone. I was delighted to learn that Jonathan plays his 175 through a blackface Princeton Reverb. That's a setup I use, and the tone it delivers is amazing.
Now if only I can get my NOTES to sound as good as Jonathan's ... which means it's back to the practice room for me! (and happily so)
October 19, 2009
August 11, 2009
Discovering Jim Campilongo
I recently stumbled upon the jazz/country-noire guitarist Jim Campilongo. His sound is at once old and new, hard to put a label on and 100% excellent.
I don't know how I could have missed him all these years. This fellow is an absolute master on a Telecaster. Aside from the tremolo and reverb knobs on his Princeton Reverb amp, most of the many cool effects he creates come from his hands.
I've been scouting for videos of his performances and have created a YouTube playlist for Jim. Check him out:
I don't know how I could have missed him all these years. This fellow is an absolute master on a Telecaster. Aside from the tremolo and reverb knobs on his Princeton Reverb amp, most of the many cool effects he creates come from his hands.
I've been scouting for videos of his performances and have created a YouTube playlist for Jim. Check him out:
July 21, 2009
Carvin BR515N
The Carvin amp arrived and here is what it sounds like:
Carvin BR515N -- Sounds Like Barney
This is a quick sound clip I recorded with a 1984 Gibson ES-175. A touch of stomp-box compression and reverb on the front end of the amp is the only signal processing I used. The 9-band EQ on the amp is switched off; I tweaked the contour, treble and parametrics to get this Barney Kessel-like sound.
I can also dial in tones reminiscent of Joe Pass at Montreaux '77, Kenny Burrell at the Village Vanguard '59, and '90s Pat Metheny (I switch off the tube preamp to get a cold-clean Pat sound). Which is exactly what I was hoping I'd be able to do with the BR515N.
The clip was recorded with a Sennheiser e609 through a Mackie mixer straight into the DAW. No EQ or effects were used other than noted above.
I'm pretty happy with this amp. I wanted dark, brooding sound from a 15" speaker, and lots of head room. The BR515N gives me all that and a cabinet that tilts. I cannot tell you how nice this thing is.
Carvin BR515N -- Sounds Like Barney
This is a quick sound clip I recorded with a 1984 Gibson ES-175. A touch of stomp-box compression and reverb on the front end of the amp is the only signal processing I used. The 9-band EQ on the amp is switched off; I tweaked the contour, treble and parametrics to get this Barney Kessel-like sound.
I can also dial in tones reminiscent of Joe Pass at Montreaux '77, Kenny Burrell at the Village Vanguard '59, and '90s Pat Metheny (I switch off the tube preamp to get a cold-clean Pat sound). Which is exactly what I was hoping I'd be able to do with the BR515N.
The clip was recorded with a Sennheiser e609 through a Mackie mixer straight into the DAW. No EQ or effects were used other than noted above.
I'm pretty happy with this amp. I wanted dark, brooding sound from a 15" speaker, and lots of head room. The BR515N gives me all that and a cabinet that tilts. I cannot tell you how nice this thing is.
July 09, 2009
ES-175 through a bass amp. Why not?
I'm going to try something unusual. Perhaps not unusual to others, but something I've not before considered.
I just ordered a Carvin BR515N bass amp ... to pair with my Gibson ES-175 jazz guitar. Why?
1. Clean power: 300W @ 4Ω / 500W @ 2Ω. I can't get this kind of headroom from my tube amps.
2. A broad spectrum of EQ with which to shape the tone.
3. A 15-inch 600W speaker with a tunable tweeter.
4. A detachable rack-mounted s/s head with a tube pre-amp.
5. A smartly-designed combo cab that tilts and has an integral rack.
6. It's light at 40 lbs. total weight. The rack-mounted head weighs less than 6 lbs.
7. It's American made. I like that.
If I don't like the way it sounds, I can return it. Or, yank the amp module and replace it with any guitar amp that fits a 2-space chassis, or convert it to an extension cabinet and use the vacant rack space for effects.
Guitar amp circuits are odd in that they are not intended to produce a flat response across the frequency range; they are wired to produce specific tones. From what I've recently read, it seems bass amps are designed to serve up a flat response across a broader frequency range.
I compared the frequency range of a 22-fret electric guitar against a standard electric bass: 82Hz - 1.2kHz for the guitar, 70Hz - 4kHz for the bass. So the guitar is actually just above the low and well below the highs of a bass played in slap style. The 9-band graphic EQ on this amp ranges from 63Hz to 5k and the parametric covers 100Hz - 3kHz.
I'm not expecting to get the chimey highs of my Blackface Fender, but I'm OK with that. What I want is smooth, strong 60's jazz tone. Dark, warm and clean. The 12AX7 pre stage *should* provide the warmth that a s/s lacks.
$629 with a return policy. The better solid-state jazz guitar amps cost twice this much and have fewer features.
OK, I've justified my purchase decision in every possible way. It's time for me to stop over-thinking this and just play it, tweak it and let my ears decide. I'll post an update and a sound clip soon.
Here's a link to the manufacturer's product page: CARVIN BR515N
Stay tuned ...
I just ordered a Carvin BR515N bass amp ... to pair with my Gibson ES-175 jazz guitar. Why?
1. Clean power: 300W @ 4Ω / 500W @ 2Ω. I can't get this kind of headroom from my tube amps.
2. A broad spectrum of EQ with which to shape the tone.
3. A 15-inch 600W speaker with a tunable tweeter.
4. A detachable rack-mounted s/s head with a tube pre-amp.
5. A smartly-designed combo cab that tilts and has an integral rack.
6. It's light at 40 lbs. total weight. The rack-mounted head weighs less than 6 lbs.
7. It's American made. I like that.
If I don't like the way it sounds, I can return it. Or, yank the amp module and replace it with any guitar amp that fits a 2-space chassis, or convert it to an extension cabinet and use the vacant rack space for effects.
Guitar amp circuits are odd in that they are not intended to produce a flat response across the frequency range; they are wired to produce specific tones. From what I've recently read, it seems bass amps are designed to serve up a flat response across a broader frequency range.
I compared the frequency range of a 22-fret electric guitar against a standard electric bass: 82Hz - 1.2kHz for the guitar, 70Hz - 4kHz for the bass. So the guitar is actually just above the low and well below the highs of a bass played in slap style. The 9-band graphic EQ on this amp ranges from 63Hz to 5k and the parametric covers 100Hz - 3kHz.
I'm not expecting to get the chimey highs of my Blackface Fender, but I'm OK with that. What I want is smooth, strong 60's jazz tone. Dark, warm and clean. The 12AX7 pre stage *should* provide the warmth that a s/s lacks.
$629 with a return policy. The better solid-state jazz guitar amps cost twice this much and have fewer features.
OK, I've justified my purchase decision in every possible way. It's time for me to stop over-thinking this and just play it, tweak it and let my ears decide. I'll post an update and a sound clip soon.
Here's a link to the manufacturer's product page: CARVIN BR515N
Stay tuned ...
June 23, 2009
"Blue In Green" by Miles Davis and Bill Evans
It's the 50th anniversary of the recording of Kind of Blue, one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time. I've had it on heavy rotation on my iPod this month and it sounds as fresh as ever.
My favorite track is Blue In Green and I decided it was time to add this piece to my solo guitar repertoire.
The composition is structured as a 4-bar intro followed by a 10-bar chorus. I loosely based the intro on Bill Evans's opening phrase on the original recording, reharmonizing it a bit to satisfy my ear. I wanted the intro to chromatically flow into the E natural that starts the melody, so I used a palm-muted arpeggio to connect the intro to the head.
Here is the tab:
Blue In Green
I like playing this in the morning as a meditation. It starts the day in a very nice way. It also makes a nice intro to any tune in Dm or Gm.
Enjoy!
My favorite track is Blue In Green and I decided it was time to add this piece to my solo guitar repertoire.
The composition is structured as a 4-bar intro followed by a 10-bar chorus. I loosely based the intro on Bill Evans's opening phrase on the original recording, reharmonizing it a bit to satisfy my ear. I wanted the intro to chromatically flow into the E natural that starts the melody, so I used a palm-muted arpeggio to connect the intro to the head.
Here is the tab:
Blue In Green
I like playing this in the morning as a meditation. It starts the day in a very nice way. It also makes a nice intro to any tune in Dm or Gm.
Enjoy!
June 14, 2009
Controlling bass using pickup angle
I play an ES-175 with flat-wound strings through a hand-wired 5F4 tweed amp. The sound signature I'm shooting for is early-60's Kenny Burrell and mid-70's Joe Pass, and this amp/guitar pairing sounds great.
The treble tones are sweet and rich, but the bass notes have been a challenge ... they are boomy and like to feedback on me. I've compensated by reducing the bass control on the amp, but that steals tone from the treble strings.
Yesterday I saw a close-up photo of Tuck Andress playing his L5, and noticed that his pickups are angled, with the bass side further from the strings than the treble side. That was a duh moment for me as I realized this is the way to manage the bass response.
I set the humbuckers 18/64" below the sixth string and 8/64" below the first string. Amazing difference. Now I can set the amp EQ where it sounds best, and can tweak the bass by making small adjustments to the pickup height.
Why didn't I think of this before?
The treble tones are sweet and rich, but the bass notes have been a challenge ... they are boomy and like to feedback on me. I've compensated by reducing the bass control on the amp, but that steals tone from the treble strings.
Yesterday I saw a close-up photo of Tuck Andress playing his L5, and noticed that his pickups are angled, with the bass side further from the strings than the treble side. That was a duh moment for me as I realized this is the way to manage the bass response.
I set the humbuckers 18/64" below the sixth string and 8/64" below the first string. Amazing difference. Now I can set the amp EQ where it sounds best, and can tweak the bass by making small adjustments to the pickup height.
Why didn't I think of this before?
March 22, 2009
John McLaughlin's rendition of "My Foolish Heart"
Here is the tablature for John McLaughlin's reharmonization of the Washington/Young ballad, "My Foolish Heart":
My Foolish Heart - Tab
As an 18-year old rocker growing tired of three-chord songs, I happened to see a release poster for McLaughlin's 1978 album, "Electric Guitarist". Considering myself one as such, and not being familiar with jazz, I decided I needed to hear this record. It introduced a new universe of music to me and forever changed the way I look at the guitar.
McLaughlin performed it with the 6th string tuned down to A and probably used a light-gauge bass string for this, as even the heaviest low E treble guitar string wobbles and slaps the neck when tuned this low.
I transcribed this for standard tuning so no instrument modifications are necessary. This is the only change I've made; the piece is otherwise transcribed as he originally performed it.
McLaughlin's rendition of My Foolish Heart stands as one of the greatest interpretations of a standard that you will find in the jazz idiom. Enjoy!
My Foolish Heart - Tab
As an 18-year old rocker growing tired of three-chord songs, I happened to see a release poster for McLaughlin's 1978 album, "Electric Guitarist". Considering myself one as such, and not being familiar with jazz, I decided I needed to hear this record. It introduced a new universe of music to me and forever changed the way I look at the guitar.
McLaughlin performed it with the 6th string tuned down to A and probably used a light-gauge bass string for this, as even the heaviest low E treble guitar string wobbles and slaps the neck when tuned this low.
I transcribed this for standard tuning so no instrument modifications are necessary. This is the only change I've made; the piece is otherwise transcribed as he originally performed it.
McLaughlin's rendition of My Foolish Heart stands as one of the greatest interpretations of a standard that you will find in the jazz idiom. Enjoy!
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