-
Nah GT, I’m sure you play it much better than I.
I’ve been playing the SF for the better part of a month now. So last night I played the 165 for the 1st time I got it back from the Schatten implants and the new pickguard. These 2 guitars compliment each other very well. I missed the accuracy and clarity on the SF. The 165 has TI 12’s and the B and High E strings really suck. Brand new set. Vinny is right again. They need to be swapped out for the Elixir stainless.
I really like my guitars. I’m content.
JD
-
04-02-2020 12:43 PM
-
Hi,
It’s been a couple of months and I am loving this Gibson.
In the coming month, I will be switching out the pickup for a handwound Kent Armstrong some day soon. Then this guitar will completely come alive and the process of perfecting it will be finished.
I hope you like the video.
No amp. Just the guitar, into a Boss GT-001, no amp simulation, just a little reverb. The tone is turned to about 30% to tame the highs. The cameras are simple webcams, Logitech c920’s and a c930e. The capture and editing was done in VideoStudio Pro. The rendering made the highs a little glassy. I will figure that out.
Thanks, Joe DLast edited by Max405; 05-03-2020 at 09:22 PM.
-
Holy Cow. I'm just destroyed by these lines, chordal ideas, clean tone, perfect execution... man this really kills it.
-
beautiful Joe D...some fleet fingered lines right there...and you certainly know how to make a guitar camera friendly...that guitar looks great...shines!!...i can almost see myself in the pickup reflection!!! haha
well done pal, as always
cheers
-
I just drove by GB’s house. Several headstocks were sticking out of his trash can.
-
Bravo Maestro! Another great arrangement beautifully played Joe; perfect for another day in quarantine!
The guitar has a very pleasing tone--distinctive and almost organic yet not overpowering.
Thanks for posting.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Tony D.
-
Joe,
Superb, on my Bose system the highs are not glassy at all ,the
bass notes and chords are as clear as a bell. congratulations on a
beautifully executed piece , Johnny would be proud of you. I'll
ask Vinny directions to the house and fish out the necks from
the trash ,GB won't mind for, my S400Superheavymetalthrashercaster.
007
-
Thank you Lawson. I remember learning that song when George 1st released it. Some was missing in my original version and that was the drop D. Now, it’s second nature and the guitar just doesn’t sound right without it. Thank you sir.
Originally Posted by lawson-stone
-
Sky, I’m thinking it would have sounded better on an L5P, what do you think? Originally Posted by skykomishone
Thanks buddy.
Joe D
-
That is just the kind of song that that the Tal is made for. You are very welcome. The pleasure is absolutely 100% all mine. Originally Posted by rolijen
JD
-
N, your right, it’s a photogenic guitar isn’t it? 2015 immaculate. It just hung there for years because it was too expensive and the pickup was crap. There loss is my gain. Originally Posted by neatomic
I am getting more comfortable with my setup. Proper lighting and settings make inexpensive cameras do a great job. This computer was my sons Alienware M17x. 6 years old. He’s a chip off the old block. It is immaculate. I added 8gb of ram, added an SSD drive and it’s a brand new computer. It does a great job. I am very happy with it.
-
Hahahaa.. bro, you and I both know, like Larry Holmes said about Rocky Marciano.. that’s how George should feel about me.. “Man, dat dude couldn’t carry my jockstrap”.. you remember that bro? Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
I just drove by GB’s house. Several headstocks were sticking out of his trash can.
Unfortunately, everybody hated him after he said that.
Thanks bro. That was a good one.
-
is it a J. Smith pickup, sounds great,
-
Joe D, great that you took to johnnys drop D so well...that was his secret weapon..he was already doing it when he was in the armed forces in wwII!!...where he was a trumpet player in the army band!!! Originally Posted by Max405
there's an interview with guitarist lou mecca about meeting johnny in the barracks..and being blown away by his playing..and everytime he'd pass his guitar to mecca, he'd have to tune it back to E!!! haha
johnny used a big heavy 58 flat for the low E/D
proud of ya bud
cheers
-
Molto bene graci! Originally Posted by pilotony
Thank for always being the class of the class. I like the guitar for exactly the reason you pointed out. It’s different. But Tony, it plays itself. One of the best I’ve ever touched, thanks to the guy who fixes up my guitars. Brian at Sam Ash Springfield is an incredible luthier. He has ventured out on his own, building his own line of guitars, using tools he picked at garage sales and in the garbage. He said,” Joe even though they are solid bodies, I still tap them and remove wood when necessary.”.
Thanks Tony.
-
hahahaa.. yeah but the “J” doesn’t stand for Johnny, that’s for sure. Not on mine anyway. Originally Posted by marvinvv
Thanks.
Aww man, if you find that interview I’d love to see it. Originally Posted by neatomic
Thank you brother. Some guitars take to it well and others don’t. This one renders the note crisply, with no rattle or distortion. The Solid Formed concept is a good one as it keeps everything tight, yet allows you to hear every note separately. And it is balanced acoustically much in the same way that my 165 is. Both are loud, but not blow you away loud. And they keep an audible range of frequencies organized very neatly. Nothing out of place.
Thanks Bro.
Thanks everybody for making this post a great one for me. I appreciate it.
Joe D
-
Joe - that’s was fantastic, one of your best !The mental capacity to remember all those parts and blend the two arrangements requires serious commitment. Thanks for sharing.
-
QA, I was thinking I had to do an extra special good job after hearing my friend just moved 15 yards of mulch by himself! Originally Posted by QAman
My practice sessions are 1-2 hours a night, 5 nights a week. It’s more brain training than drills. I usually run through 10-15 arrangements out of the roughly 30 or so that I keep in my memory. It took so much to learn them, I don’t want to forget them. For some reason, the Joe Pass stuff is the hardest to remember. I can only remember 3-4 of those. Any more, I’ll need to install a 1TB solid state drive in my head..
Thanks buddy.
Joe D
-
Hi Max, I meant is your pick up the same humbucker like the one J. smith used, and does your ES-165 have the same pickup? Originally Posted by Max405
What is your Solid formed Gibson based it like 330 barney Kessel, i see it has dot markers. I looked for some info i could not see much.
-
Marvin, if I had to pin it down to a previous model, it would be the L7c.
The pickup is way different than the one in the 165. The BJB in the 165 is more powerful. It allows for deeper tone, without having to drop the tone setting to 30%. The BJB has probably 35-40% more output, therefore much more to work with.
The JSmith pickup on the SF came to me with issues. If they are really trying to pass this Pickup off as a Johnny Smith, they are embarrassing themselves. Noises, scratchy and even less volume than it has now. Poorly wired. Current bouncing around in the pickup like mad. It was repaired by the store I bought it from. I could live with it in its current state, but I think the hand wound Kent Armstrong I have will put this guitar on an entirely new level. But if the stock pickup was a real Johnny Smith, this guitar would rival any guitar at any price.
I hope that helped.
JD
-
JD, the guitar sounds great, but in all honesty, any guitar that you play sounds great. It is impressive that you are able to transcribe and learn these amazing renditions. I have rarely been able to memorize an arrangement of the masters all the way through like you do. And whenever I have done so, I have quickly forgotten it. I am pretty much an "ear" player. If I can hear it, I can play it. So I can probably play about 300 tunes solo (in most keys), but they are always executed in a much more simple fashion than the stuff you do, and they are always a bit different each time I play them. Sometimes, it is just OK, sometimes, I never hit it where I had hoped, but sometimes, the magic happens. And that makes it all worthwhile for me. Originally Posted by Max405
I look forward to hearing some arrangement of the masters on your next L-5, whenever you get it and whichever model of L-5 you decide on.
-
Wonderful.
One of my favorite songs, and a great one for diving deep and exploring like that!
Sounds great, guitar and recording. Love the transcendent legato eye roll @ 2:05!
-
Hahahaaa..
I do that every time I play it. It kinda goes with the line I am playing.
Thank you Paul.
JD
-
I once talked to Mr. Smith on the phone after I bought one of his signature Gibsons and he was very nice to talk to. I got to study his method in Nashville with the Great Mike Elliot !!!
-
I wish I could obtain Mikes chord melody books and that someone would post his great solo album. He was a great player,person, and teacher!
-
Hi Steve,
You were very lucky to have crossed paths with Mike Elliot. He was an extraordinary player from what I just listened too. The harmonics he played were very precise. His speed, accuracy and tastefulness was really unique. A really wonderful player.
Not speaking with Johnny while he was alive was really one of my regrets in life. Even though I feel connected to him deeply when I play his stuff, it’s just not the same.
Thanks for posting and introducing me to Mike Elliot.
Joe D
-
here you go- Originally Posted by steve burchfield
I wish I could obtain Mikes chord melody books and that someone would post his great solo album. He was a great player,person, and teacher!
cheers
-
Hi guys,
I talked to Vinny about this about a week ago.
I think this pickup is actually sounding better. I did nothing more to it, other than play the crap out of it. Vinny said it is entirely possible for an electronic device to “break in”. Bro, I’m sorry if I am misquoting you. But this pickup is just getting better and better.
This recording is rendered as a MP-2 file, which uses A different codec that adds NOTHING to the sound. This is as pure sounding as I’ve ever heard one of my recordings. No glassy, “chorus” sound. I am very HAPPY. I wanted to share this with you guys.
Please tell me what you think.
JD
Last edited by Max405; 05-15-2020 at 01:27 PM.
-
What do I think? A few things.
1. You sound great. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it.
2. The recording is pretty damn good, but I would still bet it would sound even better live.
3. Only a Gibson is good enough. But you already knew that. And with videos like this one, you prove it.
Nice work!
-
When we discussed this , a day or two ago I said that you would make a terrific job
of this tune, and you have !! its a wee small hours in the morning song. I've replayed
it several times, once thru' the Mickey Mouse Macbook speakers, and then through my
system, the balance, perfect , the highs , bass and chords could not be bettered. Quite
honestly you don't need a better guitar. This one sounds as good as it gets. Bravo !
my dear friend, keep 'em coming. I'm happy to switch off TV and listen in tranquility.
007
-
The Gibson BJB pickup is a fine piece of gear, well able to deliver the musical content delivered to it by someone as skilled and musical as Mr. DeNisco.
When I have committed to keeping the factory pickup on a new guitar for a year, at the end of the year I don't change.
Joe, it's more likely that you've found the small changes in your technique you needed to bring out the sound you seek than it is that the pickup itself has changed.
Or more succinctly, "Now you've got it talking, brother!"
-
That's wonderful Max. I'd just like to pass on JM's version. I *think* he was playing a later 350T at the time, but of course there's a a lot of sound processing going on.
-
Very nice, Joe. Guitar sounds really nice and as usual, your playing is great. I’ve been working on the same song for about a week as Bill Evans version has always been one of my all time favorite ballads. Well done, sir! Can’t wait to hear more.
-
Hey Buddy. Being a pro yourself, Your opinion really matters to me. And You are probably right in every point you made. Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
Ive noticed, because this pickup is not particularly powerful, I raised it closer to the strings, just to get some volume. As a result, I naturally started picking further back toward the bridge. That might account for the brighter nature of the guitar. So I roll down the tone knob. See, its all connected.
I will probably never own the perfect guitar. That would be a Brand new 1956 Cutaway D'Angelico New Yorker. I'd have to run into Little Italy to pick it up. I would have a taste from the special stash bottle behind John D'Angelico's desk. I would not want to leave. He would pull his fishing poles out and say, "you can stay, but I gotta go.."
In my dreams, the perfect guitar waits. So close. Yet so far..
Thank you Sam.
-
Woody, Thanks buddy. That was a beautiful version indeed. Naturally, I could do without all those effects. But the arrangement is Luscious. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
Its a beautiful, simple song that would be in my setlist if I had a trio. Some Brushes, a piano and me. That would be beautiful. Originally Posted by Esport
Thank you Esport!
-
Very nice playing Joe. If you want to squeeze more tone out of the guitar use a heavier pick. Not sure if your still using the thin picks -but once you go to a fatter pick it’s like an awakening. It took me many years to finally use a heavier pick - especially for my style of straight (un-amplified )acoustic Archtop playing. I know it’s not for everyone - just a suggestion. Thanks for sharing your talents with us........make the album.
-
Nice Joe!, This is a favorite tune of mine and I play a tailored version of Jack Wilkins take on this lovely melody.
-
I'm Sorry guys. I took a day off from my stuff to pay my respect to RhoadScholar. Still sad though..
Hey Bro thanks. This guitar is now everything I could ever need. "Need" and want dont necessarily intersect with one another all the time. Thanks for always being there and bringing clarity and honesty to everything you say. L,J Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
Thank You QA. You know, you are absolutely right. I am going to try that. Especially once I finish up the gear search and end up exactly where I want to be. The journey is really fun though.. Originally Posted by QAman
Thanks Buddy. Joe D
-
Oh boy thats nice! Originally Posted by rob taft
Jack Wilkins is one of th most under appreciated players of this style. He really is an incredible player. Extraordinary.
JD
-
Joe you sound fantastic!
Like Marco said, you sound great no matter what guitar you have in your hands. That being said, you're getting a great tone out of that guitar. I am biased though of course because A) I love your playing, B) I love Gibson guitars in the hands of great guitar players, and C) I LOVE this song so much.
Obviously you that is a home run in my book, but let's face it. You knocked it out of the park as usual.
-
Guys,
Seriously. You don't have to listen to it, But I just posted another Version of the same song. I got a little creative and I threw in some Pan and Zoom effects (inspired by our man Dutchbopper) and I threw a Reverb filter in during the processing. With a great pair of headphones, This is the best sound I could ever hope to achieve. I will leave them both up for a day and then I will erase the original one. I think its better. Not overdone. Just nicer and better.
Thanks, Joe D
-
Absolutely beautiful!
What does that feel like to be hitting on all cylinders and have the magic flow? I'd like to imagine it's mystical.
-
MG, Thanks buddy. And I am so sorry to be posting this stuff during such a sad time. I took a day off on Wednesday because I thought it was wrong. It is still sad.
But I appreciate your post. I know you must be down. And I am glad if it made you forget about life for while..
"Mystical" is a good characterization. Its great when you just do it and not think about it. I usually settle down right after I pull off a difficult part of the song. But then I start bricking again when I approach the end of the song, because I worry about ruining it. I did that on the Tenderly Medley when I played a bad chord 5 minutes into the recording. I wanted to shoot myself. But I just let it go hoping no one else would notice..
I remember exactly what I was thinking. I thought, wow, who the hell else would try to play a George Benson and Johnny Smith arrangement back to back of this song, BLANG!! It happened.
Thanks and stay well.
And that goes for everybody. Stay Well.
JD
-
Joe you certainly bring out the beauty of that guitar. I almost wonder if something about it NOT being the perfect guitar summons something out of you that brings everything up to a higher level. You don't seem intimidated by this guitar. It's a working player's instrument, and you really work it. Sometimes when I play my L5ces I think "I'm not really worthy to be playing this, how pathetic, what a shame... a real musician could really bring out the best..." I let the guitar intimidate me. But when I pick up the Epiphone Broadway I've modded and messed with, I play more inspired.
I"m trying to convince myself I'm good enough for that L5. You play this Solid-Formed like you really and truly do own it, you've earned it, and you know who's in charge of the music.
Crazy sounding I know... I just finished doing my income tax return so I'm not all mentally in place...
-
Dig the new video, and the previous version. A little 'verb is nice, gives it a little glow. My own process is to record dry, and add reverb in post-production. Plus there are so many to choose from! It's good to hear and see you play, 'cause you do it with the skills of a Master. Be well!
-
You are VERY mentally in place Lawson. That’s exactly how I felt about my Gibson Johnny Smith. At times, I was never able to dig into it. Other times, I forgot what it was and I just played it. Once I get done “listening to” a guitar, then I can just play it. So I know what you mean. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
You are certainly plenty good enough for that L5. They are professional level guitars. I remember taking my Tal to open mic night at Sam Ash. I always played that guitar respectfully. But about an hour of Mr Magic did something to that guitar that made it open up and come alive. I heard of that and never experienced that before that moment. Tight, professional grade instruments have a threshold of depth that reaches far beyond regular guitars. Once you enter and go deep with it, it’s another world.
Yeah, and you think YOU are not thinking right.. Jeeze, come back to us Joe..
JD
-
C74, I’m getting mixed reviews. I think it depends on how you are listening to it.. I think I learned that open backed reference headphones release some of the reverb into a wider sound space, therefore the you miss some of the glow you speak of. Maybe a tad too much on this one. I will try to draw it back a little. Originally Posted by citizenk74
Dig the new video, and the previous version. A little 'verb is nice, gives it a little glow. My own process is to record dry, and add reverb in post-production. Plus there are so many to choose from! It's good to hear and see you play, 'cause you do it with the skills of a Master. Be well!
-
Far from being a "dry signal" I think one primary effect was used: A Leslie rotary speaker (with a bit of reverberation). Originally Posted by Max405
Thank you for sharing your recordings. Really enjoyable.
-
As usual, you've brightened my day, Joe with another expressive interpretation of a classic love song.
The way I see it, there are essentially three types of guitar players. Type 1 comprises the strummers and singers. They make-up the largest group. They've put some effort into learning a few chords (mostly first position) and then they have a blast singing and playing.
Type 2 guitar players are like me. I took lessons for years. I can read music, I have a repertoire of standard tunes arranged by me in chord-melody style which I add to periodically. I mostly play at home for my own enjoyment. Sometimes I play in an amateur theater company's orchestra. Sometimes I'll practice everyday for months, but then I'll lay off for a short while before I get back to it.
Then there's the Type 3 player--the artist. Who, by dint of their innate musical ability and hours of hard work, convert the ordinary into something beautiful. That's you, Joe. Thanks.
Tony D.
-
No, no, no
Type 4 - the copycat. The guy who unlike type 2, doesn’t think enough of his own arrangements so he plays other pieces arranged by his hero’s. Because it takes so damn long to learn and remember the stuff he plays, he’d much rather play them decent so his wife doesn’t throw his guitars in the garbage when he is sleeping.
That’s me..
Thank you Tony. I can’t wait till you get your Campellone. A new guitar does wonders for your play time. Not to mention, what else can you do these days...
Reply With Quote
Glued bridge on Heritage H-575
Today, 07:33 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos