RANT ---why?

[Stringswinger]

Can the working classes even afford a Harley anymore? This one seems outdated.

Harley's have always been expensive compared to Japanese imports. Back in the day (pre 1984) what kept the Rubbies (rich urban bikers) away from Harleys was their lack of mechanical skill. Prior to the Evo motor (introduced in 1984), Harleys needed lots of hands on maintenance and those lacking decent mechanical skills might find themselves stranded on the side of the road (remember, that was the day before ubiquitous cell phones). Once the Evo Harley reputation spread, Hollywood celebrities started riding them followed by urban professionals like doctors, lawyers, accountants and dentists. I still have my 1983 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead (I have personally rebuilt the transmission and the carb twice, though I did pay a shop to rebuild the motor as I was certain that they would do a better job than I could). It has been sitting for a few years while I ride my 2016 Harley-Davidson which requires nothing other than oil changes every 5,000 miles (which I do myself).

Like archtop guitars, I am not seeing a lot of interest in Harleys from Gen Y's or Gen Z's. IMO, that is their loss on both counts. And just like an L-5, if a working class cat wants one, he will find a way to afford a Harley.

[m_d]

I disagree and tend to believe the importance of amps in jazz guitar is overblown. I only play jazz guitar because of one teacher I took lessons with for about a year in the late nineties, who although he never recorded anything, and went on to play a different instrument, I rank among the five best jazz guitarists I've ever heard, in any period. So whatever I learned from him is pretty much gospel to me.

And one thing he said is that in jazz amplification is an extension of the acoustic sound, in other words: sound good acoustically first, then amplify as needed. It's a very traditional view but still very valid. He had nothing against electric players and introduced me to John Scofield and some French players who were hot at the time like Marc Ducret and Louis Winsberg, but he tended to view the electric guitar as a different, post-bop instrument. His tone was fabulous, with incredible nuance and dynamics. All from superior, very sophisticated plectrum control and technique. I never heard him play amplified, but would have loved too.

I recently managed to contact him and asked him what gear he was using at the time - I couldn't remember because there was no brand. It was half expecting some kind of solid wood custom archtop, but he said it was a refinished Ibanez Howard Roberts, so a simple laminate, with half-round strings, and let me tell you it sounded yuuuge.

[lawson-stone]

I have a lot of guitars. Some people want to surround themselves with art and love looking at beautiful paintings on the wall. But you can't take a painting down and paint on it for a while, then hang it back up. Guitars are beautiful to look at, soothing to be around, and yes, i can pick one up and play it to my heart's content, then put it back on the stand and it looks as beautiful as ever. Even a collector and middling player gets a lot of value from an instrument. All the more when playing them is a passion, something one would do in another life if given the chance.

[garybaldy]

I have a lot of guitars. Some people want to surround themselves with art and love looking at beautiful paintings on the wall. But you can't take a painting down and paint on it for a while, then hang it back up. Guitars are beautiful to look at, soothing to be around, and yes, i can pick one up and play it to my heart's content, then put it back on the stand and it looks as beautiful as ever. Even a collector and middling player gets a lot of value from an instrument. All the more when playing them is a passion, something one would do in another life if given the chance.

I currently have 6 of my guitars out - 4 archies, a gypsy and an LP. That many at one time is rare as I really don't have the space. I don't want to put them away. They are all beautiful.

[digger]

Okay, if we're counting... I have an even dozen!

Is this too many? Yes, probably. But only by a couple.

I have three electrics. For 40+ years I have played in bands and one needs at least two guitars for gigs - the main and a back-up. So you could argue I have one electric too many. Yep, can't argue with that. I still do electric gigs occasionally. Might sell one sometime.

I have two gypsy jazzers - same thinking as above (i.e. I need two), except my first gypsy jazz gigs were only last year. Hopefully be a few more this year!

I have two acoustics with built-in pick-ups (both Tanglewoods). I played in an acoustic duo for many years, so... same thinking as above. I still do solo acoustic gigs so still need these.

I have one electric archtop - the Aria. Used it as a couple of "jazz" gigs last years - had to take one of the aforementioned Tanglewoods as a backup, but that was fine. Nice and easy to play jazz on a flat-top!

Then I have a resonator which I've never gigged, but hopefully will use at gigs sometime. I do like fingerstyle blues and slide so this is a unique sound in my arsenal. But as I've yet to use it a gig one could argue I don't need it.

I have a dreadnaught that I use for bluegrass flat-picking. At a whisker over £800 this is by far my most expensive guitar. I love flat-picking and have used this at jams, but never gigs. So, arguably, not needed.

I have a Martin 00015m acoustic that I have played at a lot of gigs, but I tend to prefer the Tanglewoods as they have built in pick-ups which makes the logistics easier. So could argue that this is redundant, but I've promised it to the boy when my days are done, and it's lovely for old blues, and is the easiest playing guitar I own, so when I have a difficult finger-picking piece to learn, this one helps build confidence.

And lastly I have the recently bought Loar acoustic archtop. I probably don't need this as I doubt I'll ever play in a big band and that's really where it's tone fits. But it was an itch that needed scratching and I was able to scratch it very cheaply.

So, yes, a couple of guitars too many. But I do reckon whilst I'm still out gigging in the various genres I play in - or aspire to - I do need most of them. But the other factor is, I see people on here paying more for one guitar than my twelve cost all together, so it hasn't been too expensive to get all these colours on my palette, as it were.

Derek

[wolflen]

Or maybe it's better to play different colors on one guitar...?
I know it's very difficult.I'm just thinking.
Scof plays mainly the Ibanez AS-200.And it's probably over 40 years.

and plays a Tele style..with some very tasty licks !

[RJVB]

Because a lot of those supposedly nice jazz guitar tones very quickly either bore or annoy the hell out of me?

Oh wait, that's why I don't listen to those recordings

But there, I said it.

Magnetic (and I think also piezo) PUs are lofi transducers that could wel filter out more of the instrument's frequency content than a piano's damper pedal does. How many jazz pianists engage that pedal 100% of the time, or drape a thick blanket over the strings to achieve a similar effect?

[garybaldy]

Because a lot of those supposedly nice jazz guitar tones very quickly either bore or annoy the hell out of me?

Oh wait, that's why I don't listen to those recordings

But there, I said it.

Magnetic (and I think also piezo) PUs are lofi transducers that could wel filter out more of the instrument's frequency content than a piano's damper pedal does. How many jazz pianists engage that pedal 100% of the time, or drape a thick blanket over the strings to achieve a similar effect?

Lofi is better than hifi for guitar.

[RJVB]

Lofi is better than hifi for guitar.

Sure. Centuries of luthiers working toward the instruments as we know them today got it all wrong.

[JGinNJ]

Guitars are tools, and they work best when used for what they were designed for. With the intimate setting of recording yourself at a computer to post on a forum, I've been surprised to find my vintage Gibson dread sounds fuller, more "alive', than using an archtop, etc.
That said, I don't find most acoustic guitars to be comfortable for my left hand for more than a few tunes, or playing chords up the neck.

[Aiq]

…I recently managed to contact him and asked him what gear he was using at the time - I couldn't remember because there was no brand. It was half expecting some kind of solid wood custom archtop, but he said it was a refinished Ibanez Howard Roberts, so a simple laminate, with half-round strings, and let me tell you it sounded yuuuge.

Mine is branded Speedfire, ‘76 build and I love it.

[AllanAllen]

I disagree and tend to believe the importance of amps in jazz guitar is overblown. I only play jazz guitar because of one teacher I took lessons with for about a year in the late nineties, who although he never recorded anything, and went on to play a different instrument, I rank among the five best jazz guitarists I've ever heard, in any period. So whatever I learned from him is pretty much gospel to me.

And one thing he said is that in jazz amplification is an extension of the acoustic sound, in other words: sound good acoustically first, then amplify as needed. It's a very traditional view but still very valid. He had nothing against electric players and introduced me to John Scofield and some French players who were hot at the time like Marc Ducret and Louis Winsberg, but he tended to view the electric guitar as a different, post-bop instrument. His tone was fabulous, with incredible nuance and dynamics. All from superior, very sophisticated plectrum control and technique. I never heard him play amplified, but would have loved too.

I recently managed to contact him and asked him what gear he was using at the time - I couldn't remember because there was no brand. It was half expecting some kind of solid wood custom archtop, but he said it was a refinished Ibanez Howard Roberts, so a simple laminate, with half-round strings, and let me tell you it sounded yuuuge.

Was your teacher Gray Sargent?