The Builder's Bench

Cheap floating humbuckers

1988 Benedetto Fratello Honey Blonde

Henriksen Blu 6 w/ gig bag

Bill Moll John Pizzarelli Signature

Question about All of Me / Ella Fitzgerald version

The Necks, from Sydney, New South Wales. https://youtu.be/UMueDWG86JU

Shape of jazz to come/that's here

The Jac, from Wellington, New Zealand. https://youtu.be/IPYD_OjoMzA

Shape of jazz to come/that's here

I’ve had a custom shop ‘58 VOS reissue 335 which I really wanted to love… but couldn’t. It played like a dream, amazing neck and fretwork. It looked like it was new-old-stock, made in ‘58 and then...

Like-New Gibson ES-335's

I have played a number of the current 'figured' models (I am guessing 2022/23?). They didn't feel at all cheap to me. To the contrary, I thought that the QC was a step-change improvement compared to...

Like-New Gibson ES-335's

I agree with your observation : many newer Gibson models felt cheap in my hands and were un-inspiring re the tones I was able to coax out of them. Having been a fan-boy of these ES models ever since...

Like-New Gibson ES-335's

So sorry you experienced such discrimination. Your story sounds crazy to me because of how severe and ridiculous it is. However, I'm discriminated so I know this is the reality for some people. ...

Rediscovering my lost passion for guitar

From the start, the song seems to be ABAC > AB > AB > modulation > AB. Then we’re at two minutes and then it seems to modulate again and I have trouble recognising the pattern.

Question about All of Me / Ella Fitzgerald version

Thanks everyone!

Question about All of Me / Ella Fitzgerald version

You also get the old Bernstein dilemma of how A7 becomes Cm since there's no real theoretical connection! Why do you think Bb - A - C is a better bass line than Bb - Db - C?

Embraceable You - second chord in progression

Sorry to go back to this again but no, it's not. This keeps coming up and is all wrong and highly deceptive. To be honest, you'd do yourself, as would others too, a big favour and really give it ...

Embraceable You - second chord in progression

Interesting! I was accustomed to the Leavitt system of fingerings, I had missed the Bruno system. So, in other words (Bruno system) start, on the sixth string, on each scale degree omitting 1st and...

Scale/arpeggio/exercise books like this one for clarinet?

I've had a couple 355s and have a 335 with a trap tailpiece. I also have had 2 collings i 35lc and an i 30 lc. The gibsons were murphy lab and I far preferred them over the collings in terms of...

Like-New Gibson ES-335's

My latest is a 2017 and I have no idea what pup of the decade Gibson is putting in those later years but my latest 335 has "Burstbuckers", and I can tell you if what you played has BB's they're...

Like-New Gibson ES-335's

I did a little bar gig with my PM3C last week, and it really shone. It was my group Tuba Django - vocals, archtop guitar, gypsy guitar, tuba. I used my Princeton Tonemaster, and the other guitarist...

The New Ibanez Pat Metheny PM3C Model

I’ve been trying to think about what things to practice slow and what to work up to speed and I’ve ended up working on scales and bebop heads really really slow (though I don’t work tons on scales...

Starting a phrase late

Analyzing

For those who went to music school, was it worth it?

Analysing jazz vocabulary

What beats an L5?

Came up with an epic tip for improv

No more Gibson archtops ?

Groove comes and goes

Developing your own style/sound

Stage setups for larger venues

Thumb pain

Shape of jazz to come/that's here

Help me find Rattle on archtop

On Wes and improvisation (Octaves content)