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I tend to agree that this is not an instrument that J.S. plays often. So I’m sure his abilities are more inclined to his electric semi hollow and solid body guitars.
And again this is not in any way a detraction of his musical prowess or inclinations.
On the other hand John McGlaughlin seems to come from an acoustic background first and later switching to solid and semi hollow electrics.
Andin fairness to both players perhaps the Stromberg is set up with heavy strings as well?
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04-02-2026 11:26 PM
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Now it is very fashionable to promote stores and instruments.
You take a guitar you've never played and what next?
You would have to ask John if this guitar suited him at all.? ...
Is he satisfied with the set up and would he buy it... Is this instrument just right for him?
John is one of the greatest guitarists in the world and more than one guitar manufacturer and guitar shop owner has asked him to touch his guitars.
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The ‘Inside Scofield’ film shows John relaxing at home when not on tour, the first thing he does each morning is play an acoustic guitar to keep his chops up.
Also there’s a scene where he plays a resonator guitar with his bassist Vicente Archer in a music shop.
So I think he is used to playing non-electrics.
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Originally Posted by grahambop
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Also he made a whole album (Quiet) playing nylon-string acoustic.
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Originally Posted by grahambop
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Oh boy, losta speculation goin' round here ....
I won't chime in but got to add this POV : blatant promotion like this is rampant and I for one am most often turned off by clips like this one. Sco doesn't need any but if the store owners are so cheap as to post a raw clip like one they must be desperate.
Many years ago I spent a whole afternoon in the upstairs room at Mandolin Bros. on Staten Island , getting to know some of their Best/most valuable among which was a Stromberg Master 400 just like the one here : it was large, HEAVY, LOUD, VERY uncomfortable to play and the tone was NOT PRETTY. Just like the maker intended.
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That clip isn’t in a shop. The guitar is part of a collection. Originally Posted by gitman
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Hey I like Scofield and I like to see good players demonstrating classic makers like Stromberg archtops.
I don’t think any malfeasance was involved. I just didn’t like the sound of that guitar as recorded apart from the melody played on the treble strings. That might be attributable to any number of factors NOT including John Scofield. In fact it might just be me and my ears.
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What could be the purpose of posting such a recording? Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
Maybe there doesn't have to be any purpose to it, John just played and that's it.
ps
The guitar was built in 1951 and John Scofield was born in 1951.
Very interesting.
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Self Importance on the part of the Collector. And while I appreciate the chance to hear such a rare beast,and probably many of the other wonderful guitars in their collection.
Why in the first place, people who have so much wealth,need to own that many instruments. Especially if they are not musicians who play and gig with these tools?
I know I’ll get flamed for my opinion here, but that’s how I feel about it.
Even the best most revered players especially in Jazz, have no need of that many instruments.
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Does anyone else get this guy's posts on Facebook-Michael's Arch Angels? It comes on my feed every now and then, seems to be coming from Tokyo. The videos he posts show an incredible collection of instruments-Gibson, D'A's etc. Every now and then he posts clips like this one with a famous player playing his stuff. Most of the videos are done with a cell phone camera and have poor audio. Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
I have a Stromberg story too. One rainy day back in the early 2000's I stopped by the Guitar Center flagship store on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. It's in a converted movie theater and where the screen was is a wall of vintage guitars. They did have some archtops on a balcony opposite and I brought a couple down to try out. After a few minutes the sales guy says we have something in back to really need to try out. Yes it was a Master 400. It was the loudest acoustic archtop I ever played. And the most difficult. I did enjoy the experience however the price tag was $60,000. A bit over my head!
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I don"t know why these guitars are so expensive.... Does anyone play them at concerts at all?
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The last time I saw a player use a real vintage acoustic archtop on stage was the late great Marty Grosz with a pre war Epiphone Deluxe, tuned in 5ths like he always did, miked up with 2 small condenser mics. Originally Posted by kris
That was maybe 20 years ago. I know that Josh Dunn uses his 50's L5 (with a DeArmond though) on gigs, Jonathan Stout does, Matt Munisteri, but generally speaking it's a very small minority. My hunch is that at least 90% of all players use some sort of magnetic pickup on their archtops when they perform on stage so we never really hear the acoustic tone, just the pickup and the amp. Using a mic is just too much hassle most of the time and when there's a drummer .....
These guitars are expensive because A) very few exist, B) Collectors are willing to pay premium prices, C) sellers need to make a profit .
Prices have risen fast and high in the 90's and early 2000's when word spread about the speculative potential of vintage guitars and there was so much cash floating around that needed investment. Art, antiques (mid century modern ...!!!) , instruments, vintage cars, - all very interesting for the "Wall Street" boys who sent out buyers to comb the ubiquitous guitar shows with unlimited funds available.
Any connection to a known/important player or previous owner drives prices even more. Ridiculous but hey, if one can make an extra buck ...
These "Mike's arch angels" postings also pop up on my FB account from time to time and he has many clips on YT also. Like Chinery before him he now has a book out with photos and descriptions of his collection but it's only available in Japan afaik. He is certainly very proud of this collection and hopefully he lives a bit longer than Chinery so he can enjoy it and he should also make sure it stays together once he does take his leave ....
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Out of all the speculation, and misinformed opinions in this thread, I think the most egregious is that Marty Grosz is no longer with us.
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Yes, Doug Green AKA Ranger Doug of the cowboy group Riders in the Sky occasionally plays a Stromberg on stage. Mostly see him with a blonde L-5C though. Originally Posted by kris
It seemed like he had a collection of Stromberg guitars and sold them off through Gruhn a couple years ago
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Martin Loomer (Wee Big Band, Orange Devils) plays rhythm on an acoustic D’angelico Excel in a full big band, usually without any amplification or reinforcement, and sounds great. Both bands play his transcriptions and arrangements of the classic big band repertoire, featuring some of Toronto’s leading players. Originally Posted by kris
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If I were to play a high-profile gig on a large and safe stage (and back stage ...) I'd have no qualms bringing out any valuable guitar and I do gig from time to time with my classical guitar with a mic in front. It's my impression though that hardly any player uses an acoustic archtop on stage WITHOUT a pickup. A resonator guitar, now THAT's a true note-cannon and when I don't feel like banjo I bring that to an un-plugged gig. When we play without a drummer, that is ...
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Available at Gruhn's for 50K, a 1954 Deluxe Stromberg.
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My take from all of this is it is cell phone recording and John is probably like most of us.... In exchange for getting to play a bunch of rare guitars he let the collector take a informal video. Who wouldn't?
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Amplifying an acoustic instrument on stage is a nightmare. Originally Posted by gitman
This is a big problem for musicians who play on big and small stages.
Musicians often use various types of piezo pick ups with or without microphones.
If something works in solo playing, it doesn"t always work in playing with a band.
Acoustic amplifiers or PA are another important aspect.
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I played the guitar about year ago little longer. It sounds good but really I could have 2 great Super 400's that sounded as good or better for the price. Originally Posted by SierraTango
Available at Gruhn's for 50K, a 1954 Deluxe Stromberg.
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Yeah I've been thinking about this having seen it a few times. Originally Posted by kris
What could be the purpose of posting such a recording?
Maybe there doesn't have to be any purpose to it, John just played and that's it....
Very interesting.
First of all, I know Sco doesn't want a whole lot of bad quality bootlegs floating around the internet. On more than one occasion, the establishment is instructed very clearly to discourage recording and posting live situations without his knowledge. Anybody in the business long enough knows a poor recording on YouTube, even of a good performance, doesn't reflect the performer in a way that is appealing, no matter what the person with the phone camera thinks of it. Seeing somebody on a shitty poor sound quality way that sounds like little Billy's garage band disaster does not do anything for future ticket sales.
If you're in a store or in somebody's space and they have you try a cool piece of history, it's more than awkward to assume anything if they ask if they can record it.
It does seem that he's NOT really embracing the idea of having a video being made of him on an instrument that's NOT set up for him, that he's never played before, that he has no idea of the quality of this documentation and he's not, in that moment in a position to say "can you sign a release saying this won't be released on mass media or put into a form where there will be reproduced for profit or otherwise and that I must be consulted before any of this is put out on your YouTube channel?".
"OK, yeah"
That's what he says.
That's what he says and he's coaxing music out of an instrument that is, I can guarantee you, a far cry from anything he would choose to have in his hands, given a choice. This is not a performance. It's John Scofield, trying out some guitar for the first time, coming to terms with what it takes in hand coordination to get music from an awkward situation playing a song he probably hadn't given much thought to 20 seconds before.
Concert or studio performance vs Want to try this vintage relic and can I record you?
Not the same thing. Not to be judged in the same way.
Still, it's John 100%. Not John the performer you'd pay $75 a ticket to see in a concert hall, but 100% a man who can convey his personality of the moment.
If that moment is checking out somebody else's Humvee of a guitar on the floor of a guitar store, be aware. He's not thinking Grammy at this moment.
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I have to use a deArmond into a PA when playing big band rhythm with my 1938 Epi Triumph or 1940 Stromberg G1, but as mentioned above Martin Loomer manages to be audible (and sonorous) playing unamplified in front of his big bands. I have examined his Excel. He uses .012 string set and moderately low action; it is a loud instrument and he has the technique to make it sing. Originally Posted by gitman
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The FAQ on his website says the opposite of this. Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
https://www.johnscofield.com/faq/
Q May I tape your show?
A That varies. Some of my more straight-ahead jazz shows include musicians who are not accustomed to the taping practices of younger audiences and they aren’t good with it. If they say no, I say no. Most of my shows are OK to tape as long as the venue is OK with it. That’s between you and them! You can’t patch into the board. Please keep your gear out of the sightline of other audience members and please don’t make bootleg cds! Tape, listen but please don’t sell.
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