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I have hardly played acoustic in a long time, mostly because it doesn’t fit in the setting I’m playing in where I need amplification. However last night I felt like practicing with my 46 L5. I was inspired by my recollection of the fact that Oscar Moore’s acoustic playing sounded exactly like his electric. I think this contribute to his strong tone in playing electric. Obviously if your acoustic and electric guitars are set up very differently, you might not play them the same way, but does anyone else try to approach them similarly? I like to do so at least for my archtops, and I feel like the acoustic really brings out the tone you put into it with the plectrum. I’m realizing how much I miss the richness of this sound sometimes when playing fully electric.
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01-10-2025 09:54 AM
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YT version for higher res audio:
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I love that sound. I may have started out a metalhead (still am), but the sound of a great acoustic archtop is an almost otherworldly experience for me sometimes.
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My home playing is acoustic 80% of the time, partially for convenience, but mostly because a well played (being generous to myself here) acoustic archtop sounds sublime.
If my approach is any different when I plug in vs. when I don't, it is an unconscious adjustment.
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I only plug in at gigs.
Got any links to these acoustic Oscar Moore sides? AFAIK he was plugged in with Nat Cole and Presenting Oscar Moore with Leroy Vinegar sounds electric.
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Around the house here, the wife likes to listen to the "Singers and Swing" channel on the TV (Music Choice on our Spectrum cable supply). Among the OLD music selections are 30's, 40's, 50's etc. incl. more recent selections.
Always do I hear GREAT guitar playing, and much of it is acoustic arch top guitar accompanying Tony, Peggy, Nat, Frank, Bing, Diana and many many others. In the old days, and old styles being leaned on today, music production was superlative, and folks worked hard at arranging and producing.
Tune in! I'm always amazed by some of the great acoustic A.T. sounds, and the players.
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Sounds great, really nice playing and recording quality.
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There are tons of recordings of Oscar Moore on acoustic guitar. For a great starting point, look for anything with the King Cole Trio before they signed with Capitol. If you haven’t heard it yet, check out the compilation album Hittin’ the Ramp, which was released a few years ago. It contains many of these early singles and transcription recordings. It’s a fantastic showcase of Oscar’s style, where you can hear the combined influence of Texas blues and Django Reinhardt.
Originally Posted by AllanAllen
One of the most striking things about Oscar’s acoustic playing is how he approached the archtop guitar. Unlike many players of the era (e.g., Allan Reuss) who focused on rhythm or chord-melody styles, Oscar was blazing through single-note lines, bends, and fast licks, all while incorporating his signature trill-glissando technique. His virtuosic phrasing and dynamic rhythm work were honed on acoustic instruments, where projection and clarity were essential. These same techniques shaped his electric style, which he began recording around 1940. A similar case can be made for Charlie Christian, whose electric vocabulary also reflects the rhythmic drive and articulation of acoustic guitar playing. Both players demonstrate how their roots in acoustic playing seamlessly translated to the electric guitar without losing the swing, groove, or expressive phrasing that defined their sound.
A key point to note is that both Oscar Moore and Charlie Christian’s comping styles on electric guitar strongly suggest they developed their approaches on acoustic instruments. The clear rhythmic pulse and consistent 4/4 feel in their comping reflect techniques shaped in acoustic settings, where the guitar was a critical rhythmic anchor. Oscar’s rhythm playing, in particular, stood out for its dynamic interplay with Nat Cole’s piano, perfectly balancing drive and subtlety. Even as Charlie’s comping on electric leaned smoother and less backbeat-focused, it carried the hallmarks of acoustic rhythm guitar, reinforcing the idea that their approaches to rhythm and harmony were deeply rooted in acoustic tradition.
For further exploration, here are a few clips of Oscar on acoustic guitar:
It’s fascinating to hear how much of Oscar’s later electric vocabulary was already present in his acoustic recordings. His ability to adapt seamlessly between rhythm and lead, paired with his strong melodic sense and virtuosic technique, set him apart as a true innovator—even in the pre-electric era.
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I'm not sure Moore really recorded that much on acoustic guitar w NKC. There's pics of him playing them of course but most of what seems like acoustic sounds to me like his ES150 w the volume turned down almost to acoustic levels but not quite.
The Slew Foot example above for example.
Listen closely to his solo on that cut.
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Solo on Slew definitely sounds electric, but his rhythm guitar playing is with the volume turned off, and the other two tracks are definitely unplugged. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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Good call on slew foot. I just picked tracks from that compilation semi randomly. I should have avoided 1940 since that's when he starts recording more electric. I disagree on your first point though. Check out the rest of the recordings from that compilation prior to 1940.
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A long time ago I used to have a box set of the early NKC recordings but lent it out and never got it back (which is why I don't lend records or cds anymore, happened way too many times) So I don't remember how the guitar sounded.
Anyway I had my Mosaic NKC Capitol box out the other day (17 cds!) and if he recorded on acoustic early on he was pretty much using his 150 exclusively by then.
Here's what I believe is the only session Christian recorded on his L-5N
Last edited by wintermoon; 01-10-2025 at 03:21 PM.
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Oscar had fully transitioned to electric by they time they signed onto Capitol, and the earlier stuff did not get as much distribution, which explains why many people are surprised to hear Oscar recorded acoustic.
That CC clip is sick. I love his comping. As for my occasional swing stuff, CC has been more of an influence on my comping than anyone. It's a subtle thing, but he hits all four beats at the same intensity instead of accenting 2 + 4. Smoothing out those accents IMO helps create space for more rhythmic and melodic freedom for the soloists.
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Is there a term for the call and response that happens at 3:10? How would you communicate mid-song that you want to do something like that? It's like a swing band version of trading fours. I hear it a lot on old Kansas City stuff. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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Sounds great! I also have a ‘46 L5…what strings do you use on it? Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
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Fantastic sound, visuals and playing, I really enjoyed listening. Great stuff.
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Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
Oscar on acoustic guitar:
Sadly, I have full-sized gut. When I play it usually pads the back of my guitars. Originally Posted by wintermoon
Christian on his L-5N
Once in a while I tip them like these guys and my acoustic sound goes up a whole league.
My playing position is mostly about open carpal tunnels.
I wonder if there's some ergonomically-sound way to get the back off the bump?
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You could try classical style with the footstool set high. Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
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I have taken to playing with a strap when seated, to put the guitar in the classical position (angle anyway), although the lower bout of the guitar rests against my thigh and frees the back from being damped against my potbelly. It makes a difference with my ES-175, but it's even more noticeable with my archtop and my acoustic flattop. I started doing this to help my lower back but was also pleased by the improvement in sound.
I think I've said this before. I'm pretty sure Oscar Moore is part of the reason that I took up the guitar and ultimately got interested in jazz. My parents were Nat King Cole fans and I grew up hearing those trio records and Oscar's wonderful playing.
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Thank you, Omph, great post and playing! Love that tone. Is it all from the guitar or does some of it come from the room? There's a certain wonderful dimensionality to the sound (though not as much as at Grace Cathedral
).
BTW, does anyone know of any recordings of Charlie Christian playing acoustic other than the one noted by Wintermoon in post no. 12?
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Ditto for me. I still like my grind tones, and I used to play in bands that played a fair amount of the more intense metal music (but not extreme metal), but with the added twist of playing a fair amount of jazz when I play clean (for decades actually). A nice archtop acoustic is a joy to hear, and this one sounds great. Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
I wish that my grandpa's 40s Epiphone Emperor had been passed onto to me by my uncle (Guitar Generation #2 in the family), who told me I was the best guitar player in the family, instead of sold, hung on a wall unplayed, or worst of all given to my cousin (my uncle's youngest son) Mr. Folk Strummer (ugh!). But it is what it is. I still would like to get an archtop acoustic, but it's kind of a mixed bag sound-wise. The '48 Gibson L-48 I tried out a month and a half ago was in decent shape, but sounded kind thin. The good vintage ones by Gibson, and Epiphone cost way more than I can afford. So, I'll just keep on looking. I will avoid the Epiphone Masterbilt Century guitars made a few years ago - the one I owned briefly (a Deluxe), backed up by what I've read, indicates they're only so-so guitars. I may look at other ones made back in the day by Regal, Vega, Slingerland, etc., and yes I know, they didn't always hold up very well.
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Look for a late '30s beat-up Epiphone Triumph. Still the best bang/buck acoustic archtop out there, IMO. Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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Thanks for the info. Originally Posted by Hammertone
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