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Thanks so much. I thought we needed a guitar like that in our thread as the ultimate counterpoint to Roger's lovely little L-5.
Originally Posted by uburoibob
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07-23-2014 12:42 PM
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Yeah, no kidding, the Trenier sounds stupid good. It has that liquid, rubbery punch to it which implies that it's really sensitive to playing dynamics. Nice axe Kamlapati!
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Wow! That's a very warm and powerful guitar you have there. Nicely done. Originally Posted by kamlapati
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As much as I love Emmanuel and Taylor's playing, I much prefer your tone to theirs. I found their tone, and have found the tone of other Parkers on Youtube, to sound "plinky". So far, your Trenier and RP's 16" Gibson L5 have been tonal revelations. Originally Posted by kamlapati
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I like old archtops, and I like new ones too! Jimmy D'Aquisto said that archtops were the most versatile style of guitar, and could be tuned for the widest range of tones. Roger and I fully agree. Originally Posted by Klatu
Keep those acoustic clips coming, you guys.
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Here are some clips by a cat who plays some smooth articulate lines while tuned in 4ths. His tone seems to have a bit more high-mid bark than some of the other examples we've heard, but I like it quite a bit.
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The tone of the Trenier was beautiful. Originally Posted by Klatu
I think part of the problem with getting good clips of Ken's guitars on the web is that they are designed to be driven loud when playing and powerful players take advantage of that - like the best archtops from days of old. But they are also the most responsive instruments to a light touch too. Ken covered all ends of the spectrum with his guitars.
Sitting and playing one is a very different experience than hearing it on the web - again, like archtops from the days before amplification. And, of course, the Tommy and Martin video was picked up with a smart-phone mic so, not a whole lot of bandwidth, but it's still a point of reference. This video was recorded to capture the experience.
But they do have a very different sound - one that you develop a taste for. There's a definite Maccarfarri sound to what Tommy and Martin are getting out of them. So, perhaps 'plinky' as it comes across on the web. In a room though, an entirely different beast. As just about anyone who has played one will attest to.
Bob
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I need to put up a recording of the old L-5 playing some more delicate music, to showcase more of its chamber instrument qualities. "April Kisses" is kind of brisk and jaunty, albeit absolutely perfect for that guitar. I really feel that the original - as in first 10 years of production - the original Gibson L series guitars are the most versatile acoustic archtops made until the D'Aquisto revolution that led to guitars like the Trenier.
I'm careful to choose my words here. I didn't say "best." I said most versatile. Because those original 16" guitars were not built the way people love to pontificate about it on the internet: "They were built for volume. They were not meant to sound good." It's bull$. They quickly evolved to be built for volume, with the Advanced 17" series and the introduction of the Super 400 in 1934. But I firmly believe that they were designed initially by Lloyd Loar to be stunningly expressive acoustic guitars. Well, just plain old guitars, since there were no electric ones yet!
Jazz was in its infancy back then, remember. People probably didn't say you needed an archtop for jazz like they do now! They said you needed a guitar. Well, the ones saying that were already enlightened, since the banjo was still probably considered the de facto instrument for such contexts. But in any case, you had Gibson's new archtop models competing with mainstays like Martin's flattops. Could they really have been designed "not to sound good?"
Okay, sorry, I get all into this topic.
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What model and what strings on the Trenier plz? Thx, Sky
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Very nice. Great technical execution. The double stops he tosses in seamlessly are great and some are unexpected. Originally Posted by Klatu
Who is this cat?
Bob
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I've heard a friend play his original L many times in a room with a bunch of other acoustic archtops, including my own pretty darn fine sounding Trenier. They're beautiful and sweet, and I love them (both). Originally Posted by rpguitar
Thanks for the post.
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Bryant called that guitar a Magnolia Classic, influenced in many ways by D'Aquisto's New Yorker Classic, but IMO his guitars fall along a continuous spectrum, rather than in model / name "buckets." Originally Posted by skykomishone
The strings are GHS Phosphor Bronze lights.
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Here's a quick one of my '33 L-12. I rescued this guitar from oblivion last year. It was unplayed for many years and had some water damage. The rim had separated from the top and back, and the kerfing in that area broke away. After getting big money estimates, with no guarantees of success, I used some ingenuity and fixed it myself. Then had it refretted by a local repairperson that I trust. Total investment including the guitar fell nicely under $2K.
The tonal differences from the L-5 are not as obvious via YouTube as they are in person, but it's got a bit less bass and is a little simpler sounding. Still, however, it's a hell of a nice acoustic guitar and I play it all the time.
Last edited by rpguitar; 07-23-2014 at 03:06 PM.
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RP, either your L12 video didn't upload properly or my computer isn't function correctly.
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Weird, I see it if I click the Play button. It isn't showing the thumbnail though...
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The error message says that the video is private.
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Fixed - duh. Thanks!
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Jobim tunes can be tough to navigate tastefully, but that sounded great. Am I imagining things or did you have another L12 in a 17" bout? How did you go about fixing that one yourself?
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How about some "roots?"
Last edited by Woody Sound; 07-23-2014 at 04:03 PM.
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Some Bigband Rhythm, playing with the Saarland Youth Jazz Orchestra:
I'm using an old Höfner there, which I bought for 80€! I think it sounds really nice though!
And here's something I played with a professional Bigband from cologne, same guitar:
https://soundcloud.com/swingcat-1/in-a-mellow-tone
PaulLast edited by Webby; 07-23-2014 at 04:22 PM.
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Listen to how good this weird looking thing sounds.
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Interestingly to me, the Gibson sounds way better than the 1 billion dollar Parker.
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Here's a compilation of tones from a Hofner 459. I find it interesting since it's easy to contrast its tones to its American contemporaries.
If you want to hear it in a jazz context, scroll out to 2:10 for an arrangement of "It Could Happen to You".
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Originally Posted by Woody Sound
hmmm, something looks familiar....
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Originally Posted by Klatu
Klatu whats you opinion on vintage Hofenrs?
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