Rockabilly

**bfloyd6969** · 06-10-2009, 12:31 AM

Hello all. Just curious to hear if there are any rockabilly/blues players on board. I'm not much of a jazz player myself and focus more on the rockabilly and blues styles. I thought I'd try on the jazz forums because of the hollow body guitar being so popular on both jazz and rockabilly genres...

**Banksia** · 06-10-2009, 10:34 AM

It's funny that you mention the hollow-bodies because you hardly ever see a jazz player with a Gretsch - odd, because if it's good enough for Chet....(Then, on the other hand, Merle Travis used a Super 400, which would usually be considered jazz-only) Out here, the Gretsch is compulsory for rockabilly bands.

**Bill_J** · 06-10-2009, 10:46 AM

I have an old White Falcon which is the joy of my life.

Bill

**bfloyd6969** · 06-10-2009, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Bill_J

I have an old White Falcon which is the joy of my life.

Bill

That is ALOT of guitar. Love them Falcons...

**bfloyd6969** · 06-10-2009, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Banksia

It's funny that you mention the hollow-bodies because you hardly ever see a jazz player with a Gretsch - odd, because if it's good enough for Chet....(Then, on the other hand, Merle Travis used a Super 400, which would usually be considered jazz-only) Out here, the Gretsch is compulsory for rockabilly bands.

Didn't Scotty Moore play a Super 400 too?

**derek** · 06-10-2009, 02:43 PM

I have a student (75 year old) who has an orange Gretch hollowbody. Not sure the model. Gretch certainly has a coolness factor, particularly in that orange, but I have never played one that did anything for me.

Regarding rockabilly, I really like it, but it gets a bit repetitive for me after a bit. Huge fan of Brian Setzer, particularly with his orchestra stuff. Since Chet died, he really is Mr. Gretch now.

**ner1971** · 06-10-2009, 11:43 PM

I play jazz on a Gretsch. Recent Country Club. I really, really like it. Up until Chet Atkins the jazz market was a HUGE focus of the company. Dick Garcia, Sal Salvador, Billy Bean, Mary Osborne, and Mundell Lowe all played Gretsches at one point of time or another during the 1950s. The vintage ones are reportedly hit or miss (I've only played a half dozen or so), but I can vouch for the high quality of the my Japanese-made (Terada factory) archtop.

Sorry to sidetrack your thread bfloyd.

**bfloyd6969** · 06-11-2009, 05:15 AM

No sidetracking seen, Gretsch makes a great guitar and I hope to have one soon. I love the Falcons. Currently I have a couple of the Ibanez AF75's. I was going to add the Ibanez Bigsby trem to one of them as they both are hardtail. Or, I was just going to hold off and get the Bigsby with the Gretsch, but that may be a while on down the road...

**Banksia** · 06-11-2009, 07:40 AM

I'm not much of a Rockabilly listener although I used to like a couple of local acts - good Saturday Night pub music. If you like the Bigsby one other option is the Samick Greg Bennett Lasalle JZ2-LTD. I've got one and also an Ibz Artcore AG95 and I think the Samick is a slightly better guitar. (I don't like admitting this because I paid $200 more for the IBZ) The Samick is a bit harder to find because the standard JZ2 doesn't have the Bigsby.

**bfloyd6969** · 06-11-2009, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Banksia

I'm not much of a Rockabilly listener although I used to like a couple of local acts - good Saturday Night pub music. If you like the Bigsby one other option is the Samick Greg Bennett Lasalle JZ2-LTD. I've got one and also an Ibz Artcore AG95 and I think the Samick is a slightly better guitar. (I don't like admitting this because I paid $200 more for the IBZ) The Samick is a bit harder to find because the standard JZ2 doesn't have the Bigsby.

Thanks for the tip. I always like Samick guitars from long ago. I recently owned the Bennet V and thought that was a real nice player. I'll have to look into the Lasalle.

**Coolaid** · 06-24-2009, 05:54 PM

Hey daddy-o!!!! I am a Gretsch player, and love rockabilly! I am not much of a player, but would love to learn some rockabilly..... I play a Gretsch Nashville 6120 dsw. I love the bigsby...it sounds too cool!

Maybe you have some tips or cool tabs to stuff I can learn?

Gretsch guitars will empty your piggybank, but you get them for half price if you buy used... I bought mine used, but it was in perfect mint. Its a great instrument

**reventlov** · 06-25-2009, 07:17 AM

I had a White Falcon for a while but I sold it because it was so heavy and my poor ol' back couldn't handle it, I ended every gig in pain. I loved the sound of it but it was almost 4 times the weight of the Epiphone Casino I replaced it with. Someday I'll get some Filtertron pickups and put 'em on the Epiphone and I'll have my ideal guitar.

**bfloyd6969** · 06-25-2009, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by reventlov

I had a White Falcon for a while but I sold it because it was so heavy and my poor ol' back couldn't handle it, I ended every gig in pain. I loved the sound of it but it was almost 4 times the weight of the Epiphone Casino I replaced it with. Someday I'll get some Filtertron pickups and put 'em on the Epiphone and I'll have my ideal guitar.

The White (or Black) Falcon is my dream guitar. One day, it will be mine... oh yes... it will be mine

(sorry, a little Wayne's World flash back).

GFS Pickups makes a Filtertron pickup copy they call their Retrotron. I've been thinking about trying these as they are priced very good:

GFS "Retrotron" Series

There are some sound samples too.

**bfloyd6969** · 06-25-2009, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Coolaid

Hey daddy-o!!!! I am a Gretsch player, and love rockabilly! I am not much of a player, but would love to learn some rockabilly..... I play a Gretsch Nashville 6120 dsw. I love the bigsby...it sounds too cool!

Maybe you have some tips or cool tabs to stuff I can learn?

Gretsch guitars will empty your piggybank, but you get them for half price if you buy used... I bought mine used, but it was in perfect mint. Its a great instrument

Hey back atcha daddy-o!! The 6120 is the staple, great guitar.

Actually, I would like to recommend Rockabilly Guitar by Fred Sokolow:

Amazon.com: Rockabilly Guitar book/ 3 - CD set: Fred Sokolow, Fred Sokolow: Books

It comes with 3 CD's and the layout is very helpful. He basically teaches how rockabilly is a stem of blues, and he shows how the two combine with each other.

**reventlov** · 06-25-2009, 10:29 AM

"GFS Pickups makes a Filtertron pickup copy they call their Retrotron. I've been thinking about trying these as they are priced very good"

Thanks for the info!

**fast1** · 06-25-2009, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Bill_J

I have an old White Falcon which is the joy of my life.

Bill

wow could you post some pics here?

**Coolaid** · 06-25-2009, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by bfloyd6969

Hey back atcha daddy-o!! The 6120 is the staple, great guitar.

Actually, I would like to recommend Rockabilly Guitar by Fred Sokolow:

Amazon.com: Rockabilly Guitar book/ 3 - CD set: Fred Sokolow, Fred Sokolow: Books

It comes with 3 CD's and the layout is very helpful. He basically teaches how rockabilly is a stem of blues, and he shows how the two combine with each other.

Hey, and thanks

Have you tried it yourself? and what do you think of it, if you have, that is....

**Coolaid** · 06-25-2009, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by bfloyd6969

The White (or Black) Falcon is my dream guitar. One day, it will be mine... oh yes... it will be mine

(sorry, a little Wayne's World flash back).

GFS Pickups makes a Filtertron pickup copy they call their Retrotron. I've been thinking about trying these as they are priced very good:

GFS "Retrotron" Series

There are some sound samples too.

Them gretsch guys makes some pretty cool guitars... I also like the white falcon, but think the silver falcon ( the black one without the golden hardware) is something else... I think the black falcon whit the gold is "to much"... Gretsch has so many beautiful guitars,that its hard not to find something you like...

Here is mine: http://www.gretschguitars.com/fangal...g2_itemId=2826

**billybop** · 06-25-2009, 08:59 PM

This guy is good

Check out the book Guitar signature licks (Hal leonard ) The Guitars of Elvis

An all time rockabilly hit

Mystery Train

**bfloyd6969** · 06-28-2009, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by Coolaid

Them gretsch guys makes some pretty cool guitars... I also like the white falcon, but think the silver falcon ( the black one without the golden hardware) is something else... I think the black falcon whit the gold is "to much"... Gretsch has so many beautiful guitars,that its hard not to find something you like...

Here is mine: Asle Vinje - Bergen Rock City, Norway

Beautiful guitar! I'm in envy

Yeah, I own the Fred Sokolow Rockabilly Guitar method and listen to the included CD's regularly when just driving around. I book is layed out in 3 parts to go along with the 3 CD's. I find it to be a good investment for the price. There are alot of other rockabilly books out there too as I've found through an Amazon search. There's also an online order book from the Denmark (I think) guitarsts of the band The Jime. He seems like he might have a good one too but I haven't tried it yet.

**princeplanet** · 07-01-2009, 12:11 AM

I'd like to know of players who combined Jazz and Rockabilly. There's Danny Gatton of course, then there's everybody else..... but who are they?

**bfloyd6969** · 07-01-2009, 05:07 AM

I think Cliff Gallup, guitarist for Gene Vincent, had a jazzy feel to his playing...

**princeplanet** · 07-01-2009, 08:12 AM

oh yeah, cliff gallup, Jeff Beck referred to him a lot.

**Coolaid** · 07-01-2009, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by princeplanet

I'd like to know of players who combined Jazz and Rockabilly. There's Danny Gatton of course, then there's everybody else..... but who are they?

Well..... Brian Setzer has a jazzy feel, and uses a lot of jazz chords to his playing. Brian is a player who plays easy and straight forward stuff... but in the next second he uses complicated jazzy scales and chords. If you take a look at the Brian Setzer tab and notation book, you will see how he often combines jazz and rockabilly.

Amazon.com: Brian Setzer - Guitar Legendary Licks: Brian Setzer, Arthur Rotfeld: Books

**gary mitchell** · 10-31-2009, 11:01 AM

Iam a big rockabilly fan, I also like swing music. I started listing to music young. I was born in 51 and when I was a kid would sneak up and listen to it, then my dad caught me I found out he like it to. I like jazz real well I love Les Paul I guess its clean guitar and reverb. But there aint nothing like good rockabilly guitar and piano to get my blood pumping, Iam trying right now to get a all mahogany chambered guitar going, and I want so bad to put some classic TV jones in it they have some that will fit a humbucker route. I just came out of a much of medical problems but iam fine now and playing again Iam playing bass in church and guitar in a small band, country and blues My best friend in the band Ive played with 30yrs calls me the white BB King. Its a little hard right now to get money together I almost got all the hospitals payed. right now Iam playin a Godin all mahogany body I found some early 60s p90s which I luck out and got for a hundred bucks and put in it. This Les Paul I got on a trade but with out know pickups its mint condition, faded cherry studio model it had burstbuckers in it. I thought if I couldnt get TV jones for it I could get it going and traded it for a gretsch electromatic 335copy which Id like to do.