The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Modern Gretsch Guitars: Let's See Your Guitars

Let's See Your Guitars

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- Rated: 27 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 1:46 a.m. 57 Chet :

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Apr 21, 2008 3:49 a.m. Vern:

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- Rated: 13 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 5:03 a.m. treblebooster:

Hi!folks, here are a few ones I hadn't showed you yet. For my four string instruments check in the bass section. On left is a korean black Danelectro "Jimmy Page" in 12 string guise, the best you can find for bucks(One day, I'll buy THAT Rickenbacker, you know).

In the middle is my 1965 Gibson "ES-330" in faded cherry/tea sunburst splendor. My favourite and most priced guitar. Missing scratchplate(I like the looks)and added Bigsby(no holes required).

On the right is my lovely japanese Fender "Mustang" in a rare cream finish(Thanks again Allkorrect).

On the picture is missing my new guitar, that I'll get this week...an incredible Gibson "Les Paul/sg Junior" made between 61/63. Just can't wait.
- Rated: 18 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 9:39 a.m. Century Bob:

Thanks Mark. I admit I put the sax in there for Proteus.
- Rated: 204 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 10:23 a.m. Proteus:

My pun was meant to insult Gibsons, of course, not saxes. Because, see, saxes are literally "blown" while Gibsons...oh, never mind.

I LIKE sazzophones. Theoretically at least, and in many instances, though sometimes their tones and the techniques with which they're used are not to my liking. In that connection I'll mention Kenny Geeeee, as well as too many beboppers, and, to my everlasting shame, the admittedly fine playing on most Duane Eddy records...which, no matter how I try to hear around it, always takes the songs from concentrated twang-melodic étude to oh-those-crazy-kids hopped-up house party.

I appreciate that there's a fine tradition for that vibe in R&B and rock & roll, and that the frenetic wildness of the sax helped balance Duane's zen-like musical jewel-cutting, and probably helped sell records to those self-same hopped-up crazy kids. So it's just me, OK?

I also don't care for the overall effect of Boots Randolph's yakkety-saxing, though of course I shouldn't admit that on these premises, as in the countrysphere, as Chet is to guitar and Floyd Cramer is to piano, Boots is to sax. I certainly respect Boots' background, chops, popularity, and longevity, so don't no Boots mafia come and git me, but there you have it. He's sold enough records and doesn't miss me.

My favorite saxotones? I knew someone would ask! Zoot Sims, that honkin' Clarence Clemons, the gang in "Midnight Hour," Gerry Mulligan, and doubtless plenty of other jazz and rock blowers. I used to love a nice mysterious alluring vaguely mideastern-sounding soprano sax (does a Brecker come to mind?), but of course Kenny Geeeeeespot has ruined soprano for at least a generation. I'm often ambivalent about alto saxes, which are best used in sections, I think.

When I'm making snap judgments from seeing a guy's axe before hearing him play, in the same way a Gretsch player has my automatic approval (but can lose it by sounding bad), a tenor or bari man is OK-by-me.

So, C-Bob, based on your choice of plumbing (and Synchro's independent corroboration of your taste and prowess), you ARE OK by me, and I meant no disrespect to your Selmer-King-Conn.

Did I mention I've been to the factory and watched Selmers being made? Would a sax-hater go to that trouble?

Oh wait, I've been to the Gibson factory too.

Which brings me to the Gibson section of my perfectly perntless post. While I opportunistically used "Gibson" to make a cheesy joke, thereby calling forth 57 Chet's art fer art sake (is that woman wearing a lampshade on her head whilst aiming her ballistics?), which joke depended on our long-running Gibson-sucks gag for what wan humor it had, let me make it clear that I do NOT hate Gibsons, not by a long shot.

My oldest instrument (a 1918 tenor banjer) is a Gibson. Some of my best guitars are Gibsons. I acknowledge the classic tone and certainly popmusical impact of classics like the Les Paul, 335, Junior/Special, SG, and Firebird. I'd be an idiot to deny them! And who in their right mind could suggest that Gibson jazz guitars of yore are not all that tradition holds them to be?

All Gibson-bashing on my part is either tongue-in-cheek comic opportunism, or specifically directed at the current company's quality control and/or business posture. (Both of which we've done to death on the GDP, and I did NOT just now bring them up again.)

To seal my love for Gibson heritage and achievement, let me specifically and fulsomely praise treblebooster's lovely citrusbursty 330 with Bigsbalo. If any guitar in this entire thread has made me say "I wish I had one a THEM," that's the one. A lovely thing, and just looking at it sets it to singing sweetly in my mind's ear!

(Well, and LDC's natural vintage Club. I wouldn't turn that one down either.)
- Rated: 83 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 1:12 p.m. Mark Synchro:

Proteus said: Some of my best guitars are Gibsons . . .
but I wouldn't want my daughter to marry a Gibson player.
All in jest folks. I'm not in love with Gibson's management but Gibson guitars are great.
- Rated: 25 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 4:53 p.m. Scott:

...IMO, not in the last 25 years...
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Apr 21, 2008 7:44 p.m. Mitch:

... and here we go again
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Apr 21, 2008 8:05 p.m. Century Bob:

Wow Proteus, that was a good way to qualify your opinion.I do for the most part agree with you on some points. Kenny G makes me wretch. I have no love of the alto and many tenor players annoy me as well. I however love Jim Horn and Steve Douglas and truly would love to own everyone of their licks. For me, King Curtis sums it up. Youtube Champion Jack Dupree with King Curtis. Kings phrasing is something all us guitar players should strive for.
- Rated: 83 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 8:31 p.m. Mark Synchro:

My favorite sax player has long been Paul Desmond. He had a way with that alto and got a great sound. The closest contemporary player I've ever heard is Rich Chiarluce in Denver.

Kenny Gee (I suck) sounds like syrup poured over honey poured over something disgusting. I've never heard such an unimaginative player. He does some pseudo Jazz-wanking improv that sounds like a student first learning to improvise and then he does turn-arounds and phrase endings that sound like something out of a John Candy skit about a clarinet player in a Polka band. "Songbird" started geting heavy airplay precisely as I was driving cross-country because of a family emergency so it forever reminds me of one of the worst days of my life but even before that event I thought it sounded sappy.

However, compared to Pat Metheny's comments on Kenny G I'm a mild case of Kenny G revulsion. From what I understand Pat M sees Kenny G (I wish people took me seriously as a Jazz musician) as emblematic of the worst of Jazz.

Rock sax players are a different breed. Bob and I have discussed this before and I see it all the time. Guys like King Curtis took the sax into a new frontier and established it as a Rock instrument. It followed for years, waxing and waning but never disappearing from the scene. Then, in the mid '70s, perhaps because of Saturday Night Live, the sax broke through in a big way as a Pop/Rock instrument and has maintained greater prominence ever since.
- Rated: 56 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 11:36 p.m. yettoblaster:

Welp, I guess now isn't the best time to share my aspirations of becoming the "Kenny G of guitar."

It think it's probably already been done, but by whom?

Answer this and I'll try to post a picture to re-rail this thread.
- Rated: 204 ↑
Apr 21, 2008 11:51 p.m. Proteus:

Wow, the Kenny G of guitar...interesting challenge.

A lite-jazz poseur?

I've heard dastardly charges of such nature leveled at players as diverse (and generally respected) as Al DiMeola, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Carlton, Ritenour, and Earl Klugh. But none of those has quite the same combination of both inescapability and annoyingness. (DiMeola is annoying enough.)
- Rated: 56 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 12:03 a.m. yettoblaster:

Aw well. I don't think I have the hair for it anyway (however you wanna take that).

As promised, here's a word picture of my guitar:

Think of a vintagey lookin' partsotele with a clear finish over ash and a maple Fernandes neck. Oh yeah, black scratchplate. Next to it a "Sundown Serenade" Gretsch Americana. Beside it Brad's "Sweethearts" red version.

They're all I'm interested in playing lately.

Here's a mental picture of my future swimming pool: Notice it's shaped like my guitar amplifier (either Polytone or Victoria 512).
- Rated: 7 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 12:45 a.m. Vern:

Trying again..... (sigh)

I tried to do a post w/multiple pics last night and smurfed it up royally! I'll just do individual posts here. This is most of them, aside from the Gent which I very regretfully sold for much needed cash. Back row from l-r: Samick D-5-12 string, El Maya guitar nobody knows anything about, Cort Earth 50, Takamine EG523sc. Front row is pretty obvious except that's my oddball Historic Series G3131 in the middle.
- Rated: 7 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 12:47 a.m. Vern:

I got this sucker cheap and it sounds pretty good.
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Apr 22, 2008 12:49 a.m. Vern:

This isn't the actual guitar but a pic from MF. Rogue Hofner copy, 200 smackers, how can you go wrong? It's actually a pretty decent bass for the money.
- Rated: 7 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 12:52 a.m. Vern:

Another where I'm too damn lazy to take an actual pic, this is from the Cort website. I had the urge to try a nylon string guitar, I like this one too. Cort AC-12, love the wide neck!
- Rated: 25 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 7:10 a.m. senojnad:

Mark Synchro said: My favorite sax player has long been Paul Desmond

Desmond has been my favorite for many decades. That makes two votes, so the Desmond-voters win!

Speaking of Paul D.... I saw Brubeck in a restaurant (dining, not playing) in Sanibel (Island), Florida in March. Looking very well...!
- Rated: 83 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 10:43 a.m. Mark Synchro:

senojnad said: I saw Brubeck in a restaurant (dining, not playing) in Sanibel (Island), Florida in March. Looking very well...!
Brubeck is something of an oddity in the Jazz world. He seems eternally cheerful, he's had a good life, to the best of my knowledge he's never come close to killing himself with drugs, booze or smokes. He's like a middle-class next door neighbor that's capable of filling Carnegie Hall.
- Rated: 78 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 11:22 a.m. Deed Eddy:

Maitre D' to Pat Metheny..."Bitter? Party of one? Right this way."
- Rated: 83 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 11:34 a.m. Mark Synchro:

I don't know one Jazz musician that likes Kenny G. Pat may be a bit over the top in how he expressed it but my sentiments are with him for the most part . . . and I'm not even a Metheny fan.
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Apr 22, 2008 12:03 p.m. Deed Eddy:

Pat was not only over the top in his remarks about Kenny G, he also took a shot at the entire country of Poland, for crying out loud! As in, "Oh yeah, they used to be hip, but now they like Kenny G, so much for that country." (I'm paraphrasing here)

I just don't get it...there is a huge selection of stations, tons of choices of music to listen to. Millions of poeple around the world respond to Kenny G's tunes, and that seems to just drives some folks nuts. Why? What?
- Rated: 70 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 12:15 p.m. bonedaddy:

I dunno, I don't think he's bitter, I think he see's it as someone insulting his craft so to speak.

Personally, I can't stand Kenny G's music, so I just don't listen to it.

I do agree with the assertion that he (Kenny G) is awfully arrogant to even remotely imply he's close to Satchmo. That's just folly.
- Rated: 83 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 1:21 p.m. Mark Synchro:

That seems to be the crux of his criticism, the fact that he placed himself on a Louis Armstrong recording. In the Jazz world Armstrong is highly revered. To have been in any way musically associated with him would be an honor that even the greatest Jazz artists would take very seriously. The presumptuousness displayed by Kenny G in making that recording is off scale.

Let's put it into another perspective, I'm OK with my playing, but I'd never presume to superimpose my playing into a contrived "duet" involving one of Duane's recordings, it just wouldn't be appropriate. Even if I were as accomplished of a player as Duane (which I certainly am not), I would never presume to impose myself upon his work, it's just not respectful. For the record, I feel just as strongly about rappers "sampling" other music and inserting it into there material, I find the practice beneath contempt.

So think of this Deed, how would you feel if some rapper disected one of Duane's songs and put his rant together over such a backdrop? Would you want Rebel Rouser spliced into some sexually explicit rap? Even a musical recording intended to pay homage the Duane's work would be a travesty if it involved a faux "duet" using technology to superimpose someone's recordings upon Duane's work.

To a Jazz musician Kenny G's actions were little different. True, he wasn't putting filthy language into Pop's music, but to imagine that his noodling belongs on a recording of Louis Armstrong's is very bit as disgusting to me as a Jazz player. Many Jazzers call Armstrong "Pops" because he is a founding father of Jazz. I can't imagine adding anything to his recordings and I would never presume to place myself anywhere near his pedestal.

I'm smart enough to know that I can't improve upon Rebel Rouser and Kenny G should be smart enough to know he can't add one positive thing to Pop's recordings.
- Rated: 43 ↑
Apr 22, 2008 1:31 p.m. Tsar Nicholas :

Marky S said: Brubeck is something of an oddity in the Jazz world. He seems eternally cheerful, he's had a good life, to the best of my knowledge he's never come close to killing himself with drugs, booze or smokes. He's like a middle-class next door neighbor that's capable of filling Carnegie Hall.

I saw him last year in Lausanne in Switzerland.. he looked frail enough walking up to the piano, then he suddenly lost 50 years when he sat down! Easily one of my top 5 best concerts ever.