Subj : this echo
To : Joe Bruchis
From : Richard Webb
Date : Thu Apr 09 2009 02:50 pm
Hi Joe,
On Tue 2037-Apr-07 19:05, Joe Bruchis (1:123/789) wrote to Richard Webb:
RW> I"m mainly a folky when it comes to guitar, because that's
RW> what my technique allows. PRimarily keyboards and a bass
RW> player.
RW> My current guitar is a nice Martin, D series, but newer.
RW> BOught it in NEw ORleans.
JB> They have a nice tone.
Indeed, and I haven't even recorded mine yet. My studio
system was down for awhile after I first bought it, and then when it came back
up I think I got one recording of it
started when the process got interrupted.
wE lived in a townhouse center city NEw ORleans, and I liked to record
downstairs in the living room. HIgh ceiling, with the area containing the
stairs offering big high open space.
My preferred technique with most acoustic guitars of that
type is to put a small diaphragm condenser microphone a
couple feet away, business end pointed at where the neck
joins the body. tHen, in case I can use it, a nice stereo
pair of condensers back a few feet and up to get some "room
tone" and some air in it. My thing about acoustic guitars
is or any other instrument is that you don't put your ear
right up to it to hear it, so you shouldn't record 'em that
way. YEt for a good mix of the tracks you might need to
close mic. FOr example, that nice rhythm part might discard quite a bit of the
frquency spectrum to sit right. sO, I
use the stereo pair and close mic approach both, and utilize the one that works
in the final product.
because I had to record guitar and such downstairs the only
time it would work was during the small hours of the
morning. Iirc a neighbor/tenant had an urgent situation
going on and I had to go solve that problem.
RW> REdid a friend of mine's strat with DeMarzio for the treble
RW> pickup. Man that thing screamed for the blues. Sustain
RW> that wouldn't quit, even without the brass nut.
JB> I love my Strat. I'd like to have a Telecaster too. I can easily
JB> afford it. I just know it'll wind up in the closet with the other
JB> two, so it's not really worth doing.
IF you were playing out occasionally it would be a nice
thing to have. Friend of mine used to bring 3 to gigs.
One, an Ibanez of some sort he used for slide, a tele, and a Gibson. Having
the Gibson was nice for us because if
another guitarist sat in often he had a FEnder or FEnder
copy. wHen you've got the two electric guitars thing
happening I always like hearing one playing a FEnder of some sort and the other
playing a Gibson, or something else with
humbuckers.
SPeaking of that, I only ever saw one in my life, but in Des MOines Iowa years
ago I ran into a Tele that had been redone with humbuckers. A tele is a nice
playing guitar as well,
and that was about the perfect combination. A friend of
mine owned the tele referenced, and I think I borrowed it
for a couple of gigs. WAs sort of funny, both me and
another fellow playing guitars on the bandstand, both
playing teles, but I'd borrow this tele with the humbuckers, and we've got that
fender/gibson blend. <cool!>
JB> My first guitar was an Epiphone Strat with two pick-ups. My Father
JB> bought it for me at a pawn shop I had found when I was 13 yrs old.
JB> I couldn't make the rent one month in the 70's and sold it for $50.
JB> Man, what a mistake!
I've sure said that about a bunch of instruments, especially those basses I
mentioned earlier. I hocked the Martin once
since we've been here. Frozen pipes, plumbing needing
redone and temps near zero, had to decamp us to a motel. NO $$$ on hand so
hock the guitar and camp us at a motel 3
days. tHEn when money was on-hand again hurry down to get
that guitar out of hock. Didn't care for that one at all.
RW> Basses I've owned over the years:
RW> Classic 58 precision, left t hat one in a pawnshop in
RW> California back in the '70's. A white fEnder jazz, early
RW> '70's vintage. My first wife sold that one on me while I
RW> was on the road playing keys with acountry band. A few
RW> years later I bought an Electra jazz copy.
JB> I know you wish you had the Fender back too. (-:
Both of 'em! tHe P bass especially.
RW> At one time, for a short while I had one of the old GIbson
RW> LEs Paul recording basses with the low impedance pickups and the regular
RW> xlr connector to plug it in. HEavy, man was
RW> that thing heavy!
JB> Yep. All Les Pauls are heavy. They do have great action and sound
JB> great, though.
YEp, that's why I liked that tele with the humbuckers I
mentioned earlier. Had the sound without the weight.
RW> FOr me guitar is primarily a writing instrument when I don't have my
RW> piano handy. IF I get serious about another
RW> recording project of my own music I"ll ahve the guitar
RW> sitting on a stand near my office chair and most times when
RW> the hands aren't busy it will be in my lap as I work on
RW> getting my chops back up.
JB> I have never attempted piano. That seems to be an instrument parents
JB> introduce kids to through lessons. I don't know anyone that just
JB> decided to jump in and learn piano. I'm sure there are some, but
JB> nothing like the mobs of guitar players that are self taught.
I know a few that self taught themselves piano. I tell many folks that it's a
good instrument to learn because it has
all the elements necessary, rhythm, melody, chord structure. Once you've a good
handle on piano you can translate to just about anything else, especially when
it comes to writing and arranging.
JB> Guitar is not any easy instrument. It's easy to learn chords, and if
JB> one sings well, you've got a snappy campfire type combination. I'm
JB> not a good singer, though, so I have to concentrate on being a good
JB> musician.
THough I"m not a true technical "singer" I write some good
storytelling songs, and a guitar can be a lot of fun with a
minimum of hassle. I always left the flashy guitar playing
to somebody else, and use it mostly for either self
accompaniment solo or support. I find that since I"m not
recording self written music these days and my piano is
handy usually I end up sitting down at the piano for a few
minutes a couple times a day. I go in spurts then with the
guitar. I'll probably end up playing more with nice weather approaching, as I
can just sit back on the front porch in a
chair with the guitar.
JB> Sounds like you've had several nice guitars. I know how to play bass
JB> only because I know how to play guitar. I've sat in for bass
JB> players, but I've never owned a bass guitar and amp. I prefer the
JB> full range of sound of chords with notes.
true, and bass takes a special sensibility I note. I'm
rather picky about bass players, and have often chose to do
key bass if I couldn't find a top notch bass player. That
bass is your bridge between rhythm elements that are
percussive and the rest of it. WOrking with a good bassist
and drummer is a real treat, working with one or the other
being mediocre or poor is a struggle to get through the gig, especially with a
bass player that's not up to it.
That reminds me of a humor bit on musicians and their roles
I found on a newsgroup. Ought to post that <g>. One of
those humor bits that mimics the creation story in Genesis,
first GOd gave man the guitar, and it was good, but it
really picks on bass players and is quite the knee slapper.
dOn't recall if it was before or after Katrina. IF after
then it's probably on this machine somewhere.
MOre later.
Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Radio REscue net operations BBS (1:116/901)
