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I do a lot of acoustic big band Gigs, and I gotta say it does work.
BUT: I use a non-cutaway Eastman, that's set up especially for big band rhythm.
For me the biggest concern is the Room you're playing in, especially the ceiling. If It's fine i go completely unplugged. But i always carry a small Clip on mic with me for less ideal rooms.
In A Mellow Tone by Swingcat - Listen to music
The Clip above was recorded with a Zoom recorder in front of the Band, no amp, no microphone.
Paul
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07-22-2019 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted by rNeil
Trumpet and reed sections do tend to dump on the bone section. I’ve only known one bone player who deserved that kind of treatment.
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Originally Posted by Webby
And you did that on an Eastman...
Here we go...
Your point about the ceiling makes sense. James Chirillo kept telling me to angle my guitar to the ceiling to get more projection--so if the ceiling is made of that cheap stuff...
Kinda like this: Ceiling Tiles | Mineral Ceiling Tiles | USG 2310 Radar™ Ceiling Panels, Mineral Fiber, White, 48" x 24" | B1627299 - GlobalIndustrial.com
I could see how that ruins the sound. I only know this because I'm a school teacher--I've seen those types of ceilings a lot... especially while I'm looking up waiting for kiddos to be quiet.
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Originally Posted by KirkP
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Originally Posted by Webby
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Originally Posted by Irez87
Originally Posted by Irez87
Originally Posted by Irez87
Paul
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Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
Do you know Josh Holcomb by any chance? I thought he was making this shit up haha.
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Thanks for all the tips and examples.
We were supposed to play outside last night, had my Roland JC 55 loaded to go when it started pouring. Plan B was inside, a carpeted church assembly room, so I switched to a 1x12 Fender Mustang, had it up on a folding chair. I was seated off the end next to the saxes, electric bass and fairly loud drummer behind me. I could barely hear myself, after sound check and even during our set I was asked to turn UP! I'm not used to playing that loud- things get a bit boomy..
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Originally Posted by JGinNJ
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Can't seem to find that video that shows close-ups from Freddie Green's guitar playing. His string action is about 4-5 centimeters.. unbelievably high!! Don't think anything other than the small voicings he used to play would be comfortable on his guitar!
And I do think they used to mic him in the later years, I recall seeing many videos where they is a mic in front of his guitar.
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Originally Posted by Alter
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Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
Paul
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Yeah man that was the video, thanks! Talk about action eh? I used to play with my strat like that for years, action as high as I could get it without sounding out of tune. Doesn't do legato though! Don't think I could manage today, and I still play with 13s on my Taylor..
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Here’s a good photo:
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Originally Posted by grahambop
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could you imagine playing bebop on that
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Originally Posted by joe2758
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Looks like there’s a lot of relief on that neck
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Originally Posted by christianm77
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bebop chops
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When all sections of the sixteen piece band are playing I use a foot control to set my 25 W Fender amp volume that I can barely hear. When one section or a soloist is featured I use the foot control to eliminate amplification . The section players and soloists appreciate my laying down the rhythm and chord sounds they can hear. Members of audiences have often commented to me that they cannot hear the guitar. I advise them they are correct, and I control the volume so that the band hears the rhythm and chord lines. When I play solo or fill parts behind the singer I adjust the amp foot control to a level the band, the singer and the audience can hear. I play a Gibson L-5. I recently purchased a hand crafted arch-top guitar by Australian Sean Hancock, which projects non-amplified rhythm sounds greater than the L-5, and I am anxious to play for the band at our next bi-weekly rehearsal.
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That rookie Freddie Green played with his archtop tilted toward the ceiling, not parallel to the walls as required. How did he ever keep a job doing that?
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There’s a web site devoted to Freddie Green and his technique.
Freddie Green Style: Instruments & Setup
I found this quote there:
Rhythm guitar is like vanilla extract in cake.
You can't taste it when it's there, but you know when it's left out. — Irving Ashby
Of course, these days a lot of the big band repertoire is not in the Basie style. The last big band I played in ranged from swing to latin to polka to rock (including some guitar solos), so I had to be ready to shift styles instantly. It was an amateur community band that didn’t require close replication of period recordings — it just needed to be listenable and danceable. I tried a variety of guitars, but my Ibanez AF105NT (Ibanez Artcore AF105NT | Vintage Guitar(R) magazine) seemed the most versatile in that situation. Unplugged was not an option, so I’d fiddle with tone control settings and playing technique to try to approximate the harmonic content appropriate for each tune. I usually dialed the bass down and set the volume to be felt more than heard.
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Originally Posted by KirkP
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Originally Posted by grahambop
KA PAF info please
Today, 11:52 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos