Godin or Peerless?

[mr. beaumont]

That's the one thing that has kept me from being a Joe Pass fan. Genius of a player, but I can't get past his thin, trebly tone. What are some recordings with his fantastic tone?

For Django, Joy Spring, Intercontinentals...

[drbhrb]

For Django, Joy Spring, Intercontinentals...

Always thought his tone on Joy Spring sounded like someone wrapped his amp in a sleeping bag or something.

[Jim Soloway]

My favorite Joe Pass tones....

[lawson-stone]

That's the one thing that has kept me from being a Joe Pass fan. Genius of a player, but I can't get past his thin, trebly tone. What are some recordings with his fantastic tone?

For solo guitar, I think Joe's tone on Blues for Fred is just impeccable. It's some kind of blend of electric and acoustic, and it's (to me!) just perfect.

Also, check out his Joe Pass in Hamburg, done with a German Big-Band, but WOW the tone is to die for, and it's recorded perfectly. That's a little known album that is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of good taste and great chops.

Here's one from Blues for Fred:

Here's one from Joe Pass in Hamburg that I think would please even the redoubtable Mr. Beaumont:

[Llewellen]

"For solo guitar, I think Joe's tone on Blues for Fred is just impeccable. It's some kind of blend of electric and acoustic, and it's (to me!) just perfect."

Lawson: Thanks for posting this. That tone is exactly what I have been trying (rather inelegantly) to describe. It's very similar to the tone on the two vids that I posted. It's rich, lush and yet articulate and there's a bit of "wire" (you used the word acoustic) sound to the strings.

It is that which I would be trying in my own amateurish way to get either the Godin or the Peerless to say (I'm playing through a small Traynor all-tube combo: 3x12AX7; 2xEL84; spring reverb; 12 inch Celestion Greenback).

[2bornot2bop]

If the Cremona was around at the time of Joe Pass, I think he'd have approved.

[Llewellen]

"If the Cremona was around at the time of Joe Pass, I think he'd have approved."

Judging by the specs and the comments here, the Cremona is a lovely guitar but it's seriously out of my price range.

[RonD]

Monarch. You won't be sorry!

"If the Cremona was around at the time of Joe Pass, I think he'd have approved."

Judging by the specs and the comments here, the Cremona is a lovely guitar but it's seriously out of my price range.

[2bornot2bop]

Not for a used guitar.

"If the Cremona was around at the time of Joe Pass, I think he'd have approved."

Judging by the specs and the comments here, the Cremona is a lovely guitar but it's seriously out of my price range.

[va3ux]

My favorite Joe Pass tones....

I'll be darned. Mine too.

[jbucklin]

For solo guitar, I think Joe's tone on Blues for Fred is just impeccable. It's some kind of blend of electric and acoustic, and it's (to me!) just perfect.

Also, check out his Joe Pass in Hamburg, done with a German Big-Band, but WOW the tone is to die for, and it's recorded perfectly. That's a little known album that is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of good taste and great chops.

Here's one from Blues for Fred:

Now, that's what I'm talking about! I've never heard him get such a great sound as he got on the big band version of "On a Clear Day". Thanks for posting that!

I always thought that he kept the tone knob on his guitar rolled all the way up for his solo work to avoid excessively bassy low notes. That's actually what I do when playing solo. Well, maybe not all the way up!

[2bornot2bop]

I'm zeroing in on my next guitar purchase - a full size archtop. After endless googling, viewing all available youtube videos and reading what reviews there are, the top two contenders in my mind at the moment that are in my price range are the Godin 5th Avenue Jazz and the Peerless Manhattan.

I have no chance to hold and play these guitars. I live in a very small community on Vancouver Island and even the best music shops in the closest big city (Vancouver) do not stock them.

If I could say only one name to try to describe the kind of tone and musical style I admire and seek to emulate it would be Joe Pass. This youtube demo of the Peerless by Dwight Love is also quite illustrative:

Comments, suggestions, criticisms gratefully received. Thanks.

Dwight Love has several youtube videos playing his Cremona as well.

I'm an hour south of the border. You're welcome to drop in any time to play the pair I have on hand.

Jazzy Edwin has one of the better recordings of a Cremona

[Llewellen]

Thanks for the links and the offer 2bornot2bop. I'll shoot you a private email if I plan on getting down to WA (won't be soon though).

Actually, the tone on the vid I posted of Dwight Love demo'ing the Manhattan is closer to where I'm wanting to be. Also, the Joe Pass tone on the 2 vids I posted earlier (Beautiful Love and When You Wish) is very close. The epitome would be the Pass tone on the vid Lawson posted of Night and Day. To my ears, without actually holding the guitar, I think that with the right strings and amp, the Manhattan could achieve that. Nirvana!