What is this amp Herb Ellis is Playing Through?

[Jonah]

On eof my favourite versions of this somg

[Jonah]

And playing percussion

[MarkRhodes]

Here's another bit of Herb adding percussion on his guitar, playing a duet with Joe Pass.

(Carol Kaye mentions this technique in some of her teaching but she always credits it to Barney Kessel.)

[mr. beaumont]

I always thought Ray Crawford invented that.

[mrcee]

I think you're right about Ray Crawford.

You can hear him at 2:45 playing what sounds like bongo drum effects. I don't know who came up with it first but I've always enjoyed his playing with Ahmad Jamal.

[Flat]

Here's a great deal for guys who want to hear more Herb...four albums for under $9 plus shipping (from Amazon partners).

I already had Wonderland but just ordered this anyway...

[MarkRhodes]

I always thought Ray Crawford invented that.

He may well have. Carol Kaye knew Barney Kessel from studio work and associated the technique with him. He also had a way of doing it which is not a bongo sound: you run your fingers down over muted strings and then whap around the 12th fret. You're getting the effect off the neck of the guitar, not the body. It's like laying out but still contributing. (Which is great to do if you forget the changes and don't want anyone else to know. ;o)

[MarkRhodes]

Here's a great deal for guys who want to hear more Herb...four albums for under $9 plus shipping (from Amazon partners).

I already had Wonderland but just ordered this anyway...

I got that very set from Amazon. Extremely satisfied.

[MarkRhodes]

Since we're considering Herb in relation to Barney Kessel, here are their tributes to Charlie Christian.

First, Barney's "Salute to Charlie Christian"

Next, Herb's "Thank You, Charlie Christian

[grahambop]

I always thought Ray Crawford invented that.

I've also seen Tal Farlow do the bongos thing. No idea who thought of it first though.

[Greentone]

In the 50s, both Herb Ellis and Tal Farlow were playing in drummerless trios. Each guy, more or less around the same time, started playing the bongo effect on the guitar in response to the lack of a drummer in the band. Kessel, of course, preceded Ellis in the Oscar Peterson Trio, but wasn't around for very long. I don't know if he used that technique that early...and I doubt it.

I associate the technique in the early 50s with Herb Ellis and Tal Farlow.

[Jonah]

n the 50s, both Herb Ellis and Tal Farlow were playing in drummerless trios

Yes.. I also thought about it.. I can remember the record where I first heard Tal do this - I remeber there was There will never be another you...

But I think he did it in a different way.. he imitated more hi-hat brushes.. and to me it seams he just muted the strings and played with a pick...


Anyway I think it's quite natural technique for rythm instruments... it makes kind of banjo/uke effecet that is string intrument with short sustain... and short sustain means more percussive mostly

even quite common and probably simplest guitar 'song playing beat' with muting strings in every second beat has also percussive effect...

What's great about these guys is taste and feel with which they used it)

[Jonah]

When I played classical in the school there was a piec where I had to imitate snare drum - you put 6th string over 5th with your left hand around 12th fret and play it - very similar... but I think only on nylons

[PeteMid]

I believe it's a 1954 Ampeg Guitar Amp, as also used by Mike Bloomfield

[Little Jay]

I believe it's a 1954 Ampeg Guitar Amp, as also used by Mike Bloomfield

Thanks Pete! We came to the same conclusion two years ago!

:-)

[Robertito]

I've never heard that one. The track "Deep" is transcribed in the recent book of transcriptions of Herb's work. I hope to hear this record someday.

I know this is late, but if you haven't heard it, here it is:

[whiskey02]

Found this great image of Ellis from 1962 and couldn't ID the amp.

Attachment 21665

The image is from this Danish [corrected from Dutch] site:

Ole Brask billedgalleri

Are we at all concerned with the fact that the amp is facing the back of the chair and the mic is aimed at the (?) opened back?

[sgosnell]

I don't think that's what we're seeing. ISTM that's the open back of the amp facing the back of the chair.