Ibanez GB10SE or D’angelico EXL-1

[Giacomoc]

Hi,

This is my first post in this forum and I’m very happy :-).
I would like to ask you about this 2 type of guitar to know what’s your opinion.
Right now I’m playing a washburn j600 replaced with CC pickup made by Pete Biltoff; the sound it’s quite good but during this year I’ve got some trouble with that instrument because I’m feel the fingerboard a little bit too hard if you try to play with some legato into your phrases.
So I’m thinking to try another one to play “old school” jazz guitar.
Any suggestions?

Thank you

[citizenk74]

Hi,

This is my first post in this forum and I’m very happy :-).
I would like to ask you about this 2 type of guitar to know what’s your opinion.
Right now I’m playing a washburn j600 replaced with CC pickup made by Pete Biltoff; the sound it’s quite good but during this year I’ve got some trouble with that instrument because I’m feel the fingerboard a little bit too hard if you try to play with some legato into your phrases.
So I’m thinking to try another one to play “old school” jazz guitar.
Any suggestions?

Thank you

[ruger9]

"trouble playing legato"...

My first thought is, have the guitar set up by a pro. It could be a nut/action/relief issue.

I don't know if a D'Angelico or Ibanez will actually help, if not set up properly for you?

[rabbit]

Ditto what ruger 9 said, and maybe lighter strings.

Good luck.

[st.bede]

There are a few reasons why it could be difficult getting smooth lines.

The height of the strings (as mentioned above) can make that difficult.

Fretboard material can have an impact. On maple fretboards it is more difficult to get smooth and articulate ligado (hammer ons, and pull offs).

The last thing I can think off is fret wire, and issues around fret height.

If the guitar’s fret are not level (or if the neck needs to be adjusted), sometimes frets above the freted note will touch the string (gently or not so gently), and the note left to ring out will be effected.

I have not payed enough attention to nickel vrs steel, and also fret size, to be able to say anything.

That brings up the last issue. (Given Occam’s Razor, maybe the most important issue). Technique is typically the answer. Focusing in and making sure your fingers are doing the right things can make all the difference. For example, depending on what guitar I pick, I will have to alter my focus to get the most out of a particular guitar. On a difficult guitar, I have to really focus and, play slow, until I get a feel for that guitar. Depending on the guitar my focus might continue to stay high or drop away.

Technique is always a “means to the end” approach. When I play blues my fingers are doing something completely differently then when I am playing fast smooth lines. Often I see incredible guitarists with what looks like less then perfect technique. I never worry about that, because they sound great. Technique needs to be developed to accomplish what you want to accomplish.

A good study in ligado done correctly will help produce more legato lines. Also playing a (or many) scales and, letting each note ring together, will also get more focus on legato playing.

[Gabor]

I have a perfectly set up EXL 1. It has excellent playability with the lowest action of all my instuments. It have one extreme weak point: The hammers and pull offs. It not sings. Dont know why. My Levin and also my Eastman 371 has higher actions, Levin has significantly less playability, still both are wonderful sing the hammers and pull offs. Strings are identical. Puzzler.

[TedBPhx]

The first thing I did when I got a Washburn J600k, my first archtop, was take it in for a fret level crown and polish. Also replaced the electronics as I see you have already done. My next step was to give up and get an Ibanez GB10se. Significantly better instrument but a little too bright for me. Skipped the D’Angelico stage. Got a deal on a Gibson 175. Archtop bliss. My advice? Save, scrimp, and borrow and get a 175. Save time and money in the long run.

[Giacomoc]

Thank you so much for you replies.
A couple on months ago I've reduced the neck's depht and changed the frets with a smaller size. (Maybe Jumbo model ).
About technique: I'm working very hard to have the right approach to phrases but the feeling is that in a second I can loose the control.
About the strings: Last month I've replaced the thomastik 013 bebop with the 012 swing and the feeling is quite better.
Maybe go for the 011? But what about the sound? Could be thinner than now?

[st.bede]

Here is one of my fav books:

AaronShearer Classic Guitar Technique Supplement 1: Slur, Ornament, and Reach Development Exercises

If you go slow and work with focused and correct technique, your fingers will be flying.

Also you have to connect between two different string groups. What I do is play a scale and let the strings ring together before I play the next note. For example, C major (Ionian) is: on the low E string (in collapse form) are the note C and D. When I shift from D to E (on the A string), I let D ring out into E (a wonderfully clashing major 2nd interval), and then after a moment I release my pinky (D) and then play F.

I could argue that if you have to fight your instrument a bit, that can help in the long run. That is a tricky argument, and not always true. Sometimes, that works and sometimes that does not. I depends very much on what is needing to be accomplished. For example, when I play a lot on flatwounds, and then switch over to roundwounds, things are funky and difficult. However If I play a lot on acoustics, then my electric can feel easy to play.

Here is the trick: think about what you have to accomplish, slow down, and you should be able to analyze and create a set of techniques to achieve your (any) goal. This assumes that you have had good instruction and understand the typical approach to playing guitar. A good teacher can help anyone at any level.

I just wish I had more money, so I could afford more lessons. When I started in LA, it was the height of the guitar technique fetish, and I had an excellent teacher. I took lessons for years. So I am able to teach myself, but still can benefit from the right teacher.

I guess the most important area is to listen to how you hear/feel music and let that guide your technique. It could be super important for you to play at a million BPMs, or not important at all.

Last (and I know that I am verbose), often what we can not do (or what does not hold our interest): defines our musical voice in useful and powerful ways. If Sco could rip like Metheny he would not be Sco.

[Giacomoc]

Thank you so much for your tips. I'll read that book surely.

[st.bede]

You are welcomed. Let me know what your experience with the Shearer book is.

(I love to know how other people approach things, what works and what does not work for them. Also, how it changed or strengthen their approach to playing music, and how did the exercises find their way into a person’s overall playing).

Peace

[Giacomoc]

I'm trying to have a routine like that:
-Starting with a simple swinging scale to warm up my muscles.
-Working 15-20 minutes on a book that I've read a couple of years ago by Adam Rafferty :"virtuoso chops"- a sort of hanon for Guitar.
I'll working on this exercises with alternate picking, down picking and up picking separately.
-Slurs exercises by Aaron Sheerer (10-15 minutes). I'm practicing the first 10 pages of the book and then I took some exercises that help me to focus on my weakness like the 4th finger that somethimes seems to go outside the fingerboard (like the slurs motion) even when I picking every note. I think it's could be normal when you play 4-3 because of the muscles and tendons are the same but I'm fixing the 4-2 fingering and now It's seems to be better.
I'm looking to see what will happen after a week of this workout. Hope to see good results :-)