12-28 It might get loud Lunch Report

[sam]

Thanks for all the kind remarks yesterday. This long vacation thing is getting easier every day, may be hard to go back to work next week! Getting some quality time with the family and my kids seem to remember who their dad is.

A few have posted family portraits lately so gotta share my ‘lectrics. Mostly G&L but a couple of 62 re-issues, modded Squire and soon to be modded tele knock off.

[timage=][/timage]

Lunch today will be the last of holiday leftovers and a glass of water.

G&L topic – As we crawl over hump day let’s talk about our hero Leo Fender and the others who got their inspiration from him. Guitars, amps, dual fulcrum tremolo, pickups, let’s be honest the man did it all. There are guitar makers, amp makers and accessory designers but who else does it all today?
To me, only Hartley Peavey and Paul Reed Smith have been pushing all buttons. I have gone through my share of Peavey amps and would consider a Jerry Donahue Omniac for the right price. Got my JD 5 from parts, but the reviews on the Omniac are extremely good. Now that Paul Reed Smith is putting out amps he is trying to be in the same league. No experience with his amps but based on his guitar quality I would expect amps to follow suit. Who do you think is best carrying on in the Leo fashion and who else would you recognize?

Non-G&L topic - Speaking of “It Might Get Loud”, I finally saw the movie of the same name with Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White and was very impressed and enjoyed every minute of it. Gave some interesting personal background on all three and the playing is what could be expected from these guys. Speaking of these guys, Jack White is one that I have even more respect for after watching this movie because my exposure is limited to small bits of White Stripes and the Raconteurs. I do like the Raconteurs. He was the youngest of ten children, yes 10 kids! Blues fan at a young age and an overall talented musician. After watching this I thought, “Who are other players that I have written off because of one thing or another. I will admit in my youth I did not appreciate Frank Zappa’s guitar talent, just thought he wrote strange songs where the music was good. Later on, after reading about him and seeing him live, my perspective was changed I learned to just say Shut Up n’ Play Yer Guitar.

[youtube]Q7aOWIFgIZQ[/youtube]

What guitar player have you changed your mind about based on seeing live, video or learning more about?

Until tomorrow all, I am off to play and “gearing up” to see Cheap Trick tonight with my wife!

Nice guitar work at the start of this one. four minutes of a three guitar solo intro to the song.
[youtube]zdwMSONE-aw[/youtube]

[louis cyfer]

i like cheap trick, but he is not much of a guitar player. might be as bad as jimmy page. well, maybe not as bad. i don't think one could get more sloppy if they tried. great songs though.

[darwinohm]

Sam, just heading out the door but the family photo is impressive. i bet the Z-3 cooks and it is a looker.

Leo was probably the lead innovator of all time in the electric guitar and amplifier world. I still like Fender tube amps and the cleans they produce. I never considered them good for distortion but distortion is not my trick anyhow..

Haven't had time to watch the vids as time is of the essence. Remember, hot deals just before year end. Maybe I can put someone in the black!-- Keep it coming Sam-- Darwin

[louis cyfer]

nice family photo sam. nice pedal board as well. almost puts mine to shame. i did enjoy might get loud, but i objected to the characterization of the participants as guitar virtuosos. hardly. they actually had a hard time playing simple songs together. i don't think of any of them as great players, but i do like the music they produce. i also would have liked to see much better choices, maybe blackmore, jeff beck and others in such a movie.

[gitman001]

Hay Sam,

+1 on the holiday time! It is going to be very hard to leave the kids after such great family time together.

I love your collection of Tele's .... i may revise my crystal ball thing from yesterday and change it to a Z-3! I took a few seconds to snap a quick family photo as well.... As you can see the Tele speaks to me as well



I also really enjoyed "it might get loud" , i thought it was a great story about 3 influential guitarists. I agree with Louie that they are all not virtuosos, but i don't think the project would have got the green light with say Jeff Beck, Robben Ford and Malmsteen! Not that they all wouldn't have a great story to tell........

Enjoy the Cheap Trick show tonight!

Scott

[sickbutnottired]

I like Jack Whites playing, I thought the White Stripes did some good stuff, and he sure isn't afraid to experiment.

I have not watched all of 'it might get loud', i started it a couple of times on netflix, and got interrupted. I thought it was shaping up to be very interesting. We only have one TV in my house, by my choice, and as a result I get last dibs on what we watch!

I kinda don't see the guitar/amp connection from a design/manufacturing perspective. I think very highly of PRS, but am not especially excited about their (his?) amps. It was a totally different situation when you had to plug your new creation into a modified transistor radio, because there was no such thing as a guitar amp! There is only one Leo, he took the products from conception, to mass production, to delivery. Now there are innumerable good amps, even some at very attractive price points.

Sam, enjoy Cheap Trick. I think they are a quality, better-than-the-sum-of-their-parts outfit.

[sam]

Quick pit stop and update to my earlier post.

Louis - I agree on the three players in IMGL not being virtuosos but it was an interesting look at their creative side. Having seen G3 and love Jeff Beck, if you could pull some of those guys together that would rock.

Darwin - get those deals, time is of the essence! Yes sir, I am a Z3 advocate for sure, and through a Fender amp is a rockin good time.

Scott - beautiful family portrait and a Z3 would be a perfect addition to the group

sickbutnottired - you nailed the vibe I get from Jack White as well, the experimental side is key. The amp/guitar/design etc. was a bit of a stretch. I was trying to look at the broad scope of things Leo did and illustrate even until his last days he was innovating musical instruments and electronics not just putting a new shade of paint on the same model.

Thanks all

[blargfromouterspace]

Hey Sam, I've been away without internet access so have missed the week so far but I'm glad to be back on the day when you've shared a picture of your gear. You have great taste and an impressive collection of guitars AND amps! Do you like that BBE Tremor as much as I do? The JD Omniac is a guitar that I too would love to own. I've contemplated changing the wiring on an ASAT to include the 'jazz' tone as found on the JD many times. This video sells it pretty well
[youtube]QjaHboa_qWU[/youtube]

I totally agree that Hartley Peavey is an innovator. There are several technical documents on the Peavey website, all of which are worth reading. The Transtube series amps are very good sounding things. I've never 'got' the PRS thing, though it's hard to deny he has made a big impact. I'm always surprised to see so many heavy metal guys using PRS's, I always classed them as doctors & lawyers type guitars

I have been trying to get "It Might Get Loud" from the video shop for a long time now. I saw a brief clip of Jimmy Page explaining 'Kashmir' and really liked the way it was made. Hopefully it will be there when I visit this week.

When I saw Megadeth live I was incredibly surprised to see Dave Mustaine playing those lightning fast riffs and singing at the same time. Kudos to him! Megadeth are much better than Metallica.

Hope you and the wife enjoyed the Cheap Trick concert

[cmguitar]

Sam,
I have a soft spot for Peavey and original Tuck and Roll Kustoms.
I was raised around them.
My amps now are a 1967 Baldwin Custom C1 solid state. Built in Fayetteville Arkansas Has been restored sounds great.
1976 Peavey Musician hooked up now to a Behringer 4X12 slant cab with Jensens. I have had a love hate relationship with. Last but not least a Epi Valve Junior.
I would love to find a old Medrian built Peavey Bandit, TNT or even a old Standard. I have a soft spot for old Transistor amps IMO there is another tone,vibe ect... over newer solid state amps.

PRS amps- They are actually Sewell amps. Doug Sewell was a engineer for Texas Instruments and built amps in his garage.
PRS saw his amps at the Dallas Guitar Show several years ago and started using them himself. He eventually hired Doug Sewell to run his amp program. The rest is history.

Sewell amps here are the benchmark for custom amps around Dallas.
PRS amps are just as good. I have played both. I would like to own one but I do not want to put a second mortgage on my house

PRS has come out with a SE line of amps I have not tried one yet but I wonder if it going to be close to a Sewell/PRS.

Chet

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

Great collection of guitars Sam. I like the one in the lower left the most.

I have only seen small clips of that movie. I have thought it was an odd selection of musicians. On that basis alone I was not interested enough to see the movie. I am going to hold off on expressing any other opinion because I have not watched the film. I am now interested in seeing it however.

I cannot think of a guitarist I had written off who turned out to be quite good.

I understand you were only dropping a seed for responses when you described Leo Fender. With that aside, people used Leo's gear to make an historical impact in music. The other guys are just handing people their products and asking them to continue what they have already been doing. It is like a champion being given top of the line gear or innovative new gear after they have already proven themselves using hand-me-downs and are on their way up. "Here.....use my product and I will take credit for part of your success." It is backwards and a manufactured arrangement.......like these arranged "romances" between cast members to promote a film or to generate publicity. The gear might be good and something that fills a needed void but it is fine tuning rather than breaking new ground. I do like the Omniac yet it is really just another Strat/Tele combo attempt.....but a good one. I wonder just how "jazzy" that one setting is. In the video above the musician plays jazzy riffs so it is very hard to get a sense of the tone. It works for jazz but is it really a jazz tone?

Between Peavy and PRS I only have experience with very early Peavy products when Peavy seemed to be only an okay product affordable to the masses. I like the quality of PRS over Peavy guitars. The guy who has pitched for both teams who seemed like he could make anything sound good, Johnny Hiland, appeared to be much happier playing a PRS. I may be reading too much into it of course.

Even people who hate country might like what Hiland does with this:

[youtube]LxLeC8BfHQg[/youtube]

[cmguitar]

Everyone,

I don't think Johnny Hiland is using Peavey or PRS anymore.
http://www.johnnyhiland.net/index.php?p=1_5_Gear

I watched Kenny Vaughn on the Marty Stewart Show and he was playing a Tele and a Silver face Deluxe

Either one of those guys can play a toy guitar and make it sound good.

PRS or Peavey Quality is there with PRS guitars even though I have played some SE series that felt like stinkers. Peavey is the first guitar manufacturer that used a CNC with the T-60 and T-40 and he was the first to use 2 piece neck with reversed grain to prevent warpage 2 thing that all the major guitar manufacturers use now.

Thing i really like about old Peavey amps they have a good not always great sound. But built like tanks. The main thing affordable.

I saw Redd Volkaert a few years ago with his Tele playing through a Teal stripe Peavey Bandit.

I remember the day when people used to make fun of Peavey.

Chet

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

...I don't think Johnny Hiland is using Peavey or PRS anymore....

My mistake. I was thinking of Peavy but it was Ernie Ball Music Man. For some reason I associate Peavy with Ernie Ball. It might only be due to something visual like their logos or product packaging.

[louis cyfer]

hilland uses music man guitars with david allen pickups.
i have kept trying the prs amps, and i could just not get friendly with them. they sure cost enough, but something was really missing for me. i mean almost any other amp was better. vox, vht, vibroking etc i have tried it against.

[cmguitar]

Michael,

You are not wrong... Hiland,used Peavey amps and had his own PRS guitar.
It just been the last year or two he switched .
He used to be at the Dallas Guitar show every year. He would be at his sponsors booths he would make the rounds. And do clinics.

Louis,
I can relate to not liking PRS amps. Everyone has there own taste.
I don't care for more amps than I like. This is coming from a guy who likes old prehistoric Transistor amps - Clean and loud.

Sam,
If I didn't mention it you got a sweeeeeeeeeet! collection.


Chet

[louis cyfer]

Michael,

You are not wrong... Hiland,used Peavey amps and had his own PRS guitar.
It just been the last year or two he switched .
He used to be at the Dallas Guitar show every year. He would be at his sponsors booths he would make the rounds. And do clinics.

Louis,
I can relate to not liking PRS amps. Everyone has there own taste.
I don't care for more amps than I like. This is coming from a guy who likes old prehistoric Transistor amps - Clean and loud.

Chet

i used to have a lab series 5 amp. i liked it. and i played heavy metal at the time. with a big muff in front it sounded great for that.

[cmguitar]

Louis,
My Peavey Musician has built in distortion and fuzz. I never use it. A Big Muff and or a little green box goes in front.
Same for my Baldwin.
Old Lab amps are great I saw BB King last year he still uses a L-5.
Buddy Guy was at the same show and he had a Fender Super Sonic and a Cyber Twin on stage.

Chet

[Emir]

Must say I really enjoyed It Might Get Loud, and I think Jimmy Page came out of that one head & shoulders above both White & the Edge, as a person and musician in my eyes. This is purely from a character perspective, as players I don't deem any of them anything special (I'm a metalhead after all). But I digress, sure there are thousands of people on earth that could play all three of these guys under the table blindfolded but when it comes to writing a song...well...and that's precisely where Jimmy shines, the end when he lays into the riff from Whole Lotta Love and both Jack and the Edge stand up and take notice is imho pretty telling. Riffmaster extraordinaire.

And Jimmy was a proper gentleman throughout the show, whereas Jack came off as someone just a tad bit unnecessarily quirky, and the Edge (for someone who would be lost without his megalithic racks, if we're gonna be honest) came off as a total a**, particularly when the topic of music at the time of U2's formative days came up. My main guitar was and is an Explorer though and I love the tones he coaxes out of that rich girl's wardrobe of electronics he has. You could see that Jimmy was still a music fan after all these years, the fact he had more will to show off a record collection rather than a guitar collection also speaks volumes. I never was a big Page fan but after the movie I have massive respect for the man and his work.

On the subject of Mr. Donahue I'm about to butcher my ASAT Special and fit in a 5-way superswitch to get me some Donahue tones. Should be fun.

That is a VERY NICE collection of ASATs and other Tele shaped beauties you have there. Love the amps as well, and the RAT. Everyone should have one.

As far as someone comparable to the late great Mr. Fender, well yes, apart from Hartley Peavey I'd be hard pressed to find someone who did it all in that same fashion.

[meowmix]

i like cheap trick, but he is not much of a guitar player. might be as bad as jimmy page. well, maybe not as bad. i don't think one could get more sloppy if they tried. great songs though.

What about Slash? See how he holds the guitar. Guaranteed sloppiness.


It might get loud
--------------------
Seeing Edge with that behemoth foot pedal display gave me the another reason why I am not a big fan of U2.
Jack was in my face and I didn't see anything cool about it. The harmonic in the guitar, or was that a mic, was interesting.
Loved Jimmy, and yes I did like the part where Edge and Jack stood up when Jimmy played Whole Lotta Love.

As for Jimmy not showing his guitar or amp collection has been his mojo from the beginning. When has he ever done that? He keeps it a secret for a reason. It gives a sense of mystery. Has Jimmy ever come out and say it was a Telecaster on Stairway to Heaven?

[louis cyfer]

i like cheap trick, but he is not much of a guitar player. might be as bad as jimmy page. well, maybe not as bad. i don't think one could get more sloppy if they tried. great songs though.

What about Slash? See how he holds the guitar. Guaranteed sloppiness.


It might get loud
--------------------
Seeing Edge with that behemoth foot pedal display gave me the another reason why I am not a big fan of U2.
Jack was in my face and I didn't see anything cool about it. The harmonic in the guitar, or was that a mic, was interesting.
Loved Jimmy, and yes I did like the part where Edge and Jack stood up when Jimmy played Whole Lotta Love.

As for Jimmy not showing his guitar or amp collection has been his mojo from the beginning. When has he ever done that? He keeps it a secret for a reason. It gives a sense of mystery. Has Jimmy ever come out and say it was a Telecaster on Stairway to Heaven?

i meant for a guitar player. i don't consider slash one. but interestingly all 3 of them hang the guitar so low that it guarantees sloppiness.