The Strandberg Salen in the hands of a really cool player

[Jim Soloway]

This is someone who I just discovered yesterday and I'm really impressed. Her name is Tory Slusher. She mixes conventional finger style playing with two handed tapping and I think she sounds great, especially when she's tapping. I've listened to a few things from her and both she and the Salen have impressed me every time.

[blille]

Thanks for sharing this. A fun listen. IMHO the Salen and Jazz would benefit from having a couple less frets and the neck pickup a bit closer to the neck. That would mean having two kinds of necks which I assume would be more costly.

[gitman]

Many years ago I owned one of these Steinberger guitars for a while with the wooden Strat-like body, a carbon-fibre (head-less)neck and the infamous transposing tremolo. It played smooth but the anemic tone turned me off in a very short time. THIS reminds me of that...
The plucked notes are played with little articulation and the tapped notes have none at all, it's not possible except for a little vibrato or a slur. I also wonder what the particular advantage could be that this guitar might offer besides the shorter length ...

[EastwoodMike]

Thanks for sharing this Jim. It’s rare to see someone taking traditional jazz and interpreting or even blending it over a modern canvas of tools and inspiration.
I’ve never seen anyone finger tapping ‘straight ahead jazz’ but then again only certain instruments permit this technique. Good on her. She rocks. (And shreds)

[blille]

Many years ago I owned one of these Steinberger guitars for a while with the wooden Strat-like body, a carbon-fibre (head-less)neck and the infamous transposing tremolo. It played smooth but the anemic tone turned me off in a very short time. THIS reminds me of that...
The plucked notes are played with little articulation and the tapped notes have none at all, it's not possible except for a little vibrato or a slur. I also wonder what the particular advantage could be that this guitar might offer besides the shorter length ...

Well, you don’t need a guitar to have an advantage, you just need to like it
I own a Strandberg myself and the key reason why I got it was unique ergonomic shape of the neck. The guitar also has fanned frets which is subtle but nice. It’s very easy to play standing or sitting as well. Regarding the tone… I think you have a bias at play there. These guitars have normal woods like roasted maple neck and ash body, quality pickups etc. Mine sounds like any modern 24 fret guitar with dual humbuckers.

Thanks for sharing this Jim. It’s rare to see someone taking traditional jazz and interpreting or even blending it over a modern canvas of tools and inspiration.
I’ve never seen anyone finger tapping ‘straight ahead jazz’ but then again only certain instruments permit this technique. Good on her. She rocks. (And shreds)

Check out Stanley Jordan for some jazz tapping

[Sam Sherry]

. . . Tory Slusher. She mixes conventional finger style playing with two handed tapping and I think she sounds great, especially when she's tapping. I've listened to a few things from her and both she and the Salen have impressed me every time.

Thx for posting
She's doing something really hard and it sounds quite fluid

I’ve never seen anyone finger tapping ‘straight ahead jazz’ . . .

The Source:

[gitman]

I don’t consider myself biased and my observation is based on my own experience and the developement of a personal taste. I once played on Frisell‘s Klein guitar, also a headless guitar and it mos.def. is an extremely ergonomic design and I found it very easy to hold and play. The player in question has certainly put in many hours of hard work and seems to be serious about her music but I simply prefer a more articulated guitar tone and phrasing, regardless of style etc.
I get along great on my Super-400 where others find it bulky and cumbersome …
YMMV

[Cunamara]

Will the future of jazz guitar become young people in their bedrooms playing along with backing tracks, doing really rather amazingly difficult stuff on YouTube videos? Or is there a future in club and concert performance for these individuals? Whether this young person's music is your cup of tea or not, you certainly have to recognize the many, many hours she has put into developing this.

[gitman]

Will the future of jazz guitar become young people in their bedrooms playing along with backing tracks, doing really rather amazingly difficult stuff on YouTube videos? Or is there a future in club and concert performance for these individuals? Whether this young person's music is your cup of tea or not, you certainly have to recognize the many, many hours she has put into developing this.

When Bill Frisell first appeared on the international scene he was clearly the odd man out, with his very different approach/sound/concept and now he is universally regarded as one of the most influential guitarists/musicians in past 25 years or so .... with his many collaborations he has reached an extraordinarily wide audience , way beyond the
rather small crowd of jazz afficionados.

[Cunamara]

Good point. The most jampacked jazz show I have ever seen was a Frisell solo concert at Macalester College in Saint Paul. SRO and then only if you didn't mind being very... familiar with the people around you.