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Dave Illig
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Houston, TX
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject: Tonequest |
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Let's see who has the most riduculous story in their quest for tone. Here is mine.
I had a nice Fender D'Aquisto and a Fender chorus amp. Hmm,, not good enough. I had to get a new guitar.
I bought a guitar that is worth more than some cars. Well, a new guitar needs a new amp right? I bought a Carvin AG1000 do solo gigs as well as play with the band. That's what I told my wife anyway. That didn't do it so I replaced the perfectly good pick up that came on my expensive hand made guitar with a Bartolini. That wasn't enough so I bought a Blue Tube. I invented double blue tubing (I think).
I ran the guitar into the Blue Tube, the Blue Tube into my amp, the amp back into the Blue Tube, out of the Blue tube into the mixer. I had some great tone.
Was it enough, no. No, I had to go out and buy another amp. Now I have JazKat and the new experiments have just begun.
Guess what, I sure wish I had my Fender guitar and amp back.
Dave _________________ The hippest note you can play is a rest. |
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SBassman
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 12
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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I'm on the bass side. I doubt I will ever find tone that I love consistently.
I think the most I can expect in life is to minimize how much I dislike my tone. _________________ +
Frank
NY |
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Mark VM Coach
Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 479 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: Re: Tonequest |
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Dave Illig wrote: | Guess what, I sure wish I had my Fender guitar and amp back. |
Dave,
Hilarious story!
Of course, I think that I was one of the first to witness your DBT (Double Blue Tube) experiment, and the tone is REALLY impressive, to say the least. Did you use the DBT setup for recording your "Destinations" CD?
- Mark _________________ "Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple" - Mingus |
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Brad Kinder
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 62 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:25 am Post subject: |
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Dave I'm with you brother. I cleaned house recently and sold just about everything except my Fender Deluxe. Nothing I sold was real expensive but some nice playing a sounding guitars. An Epi Elitist 335, Gibson L130 Acoustic, an '82 Ibanez AM model(3/4 size 335). I decided it was time to spend a few bills on 1 really nice guitar. Bought a Gibson ES137 Custom and 8 months later I'm still trying to bond with this guitar. It just don't think it's the guitar for me like I hoped it would be. I really miss that Ibanez AM I payed $350 for
"think the most I can expect in life is to minimize how much I dislike my tone."
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nylenny
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 291
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:39 am Post subject: more expensive is not necessarily better |
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I've gotta tell you that I recently picked up an Eastman 7-string archtop. I wasn't sure how serious I am about the 7-string thing (I love the sound of the low bass notes and some of the voicings you can play), so I figured I'd go with an Eastman to avoid a big investment.
The Eastman is in the same league as my six-string archtop, which is a very expensive instrument made by a famous guy (don't want to say the name because he makes a great guitar that I would otherwise rave about, but it's a famous luthier that you're probably familiar with).
I've got the same issues about outsourcing as everyone else, and the Eastman is made in China, but the thing is amazing. And only $2,000! |
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Brad Kinder
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 62 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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nylonjazz, those Eastman's are all the rage with the jazzers around here (Heritage also). Very nice guitars for the money.
I'm probably going to end up selling the es137 and getting a full hollowbody. I've got my eye on one of those new Eastman 803 15" models. Also on the look out for a blond GB10 or Hofner Jazzica. These were on my short list before I got side tracked by the Gibson. Oh well, live and learn. |
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nylenny
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 291
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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I also have a GB10. The Eastman sounds better unplugged because of the tuned top. The GB10 has a great neck (as does the eastman). The Eastman loooks better and comes with a really cool case. But you can't go wrong with either. When I bought a high-end boutique guitar about two years ago, I kept the GB10 as a guitar that I would "take out of the house," but I find myself playing it a lot just because I like it. The small body is also really comfortable. Both the Eastman and the GB are on the level of high-end boutique guitars (especially the Eastman because of the tone). I have heard that the older Heritages are better than the new ones, but can't say for sure. |
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Larry_DC
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 207
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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Dave,
Looks like a real case of the shin bone is connected to the knee bone! Did you use that set up on any of the tracks you sent? Your tone is fat on everything I've heard from you.
My technical knowledge allows for a guitar, a cord, and an amp. Fortunately, my new Eastman AR905CE sounds great with my Line6 on the clean jazz setting. Now if only I could do it justice.... |
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Dave Illig
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Houston, TX
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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Yes I used that set up on a lot of the tracks I sent you. Funny, last night all I used was my guitar and JazKat. I had a bunch of comments on how great my tone was. We are our own worst critics.
Dave _________________ The hippest note you can play is a rest. |
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woland99
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 155 Location: Austin, TX
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:07 pm Post subject: Re: more expensive is not necessarily better |
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nylonjazz wrote: | I've got the same issues about outsourcing as everyone else, and the Eastman is made in China, but the thing is amazing. And only $2,000! |
I bought one of D'Angelica Excels. Laminated top. Floating KA pup. $800.
Local luthier who builds archtops and is familar with Eastman told me that
it is in same range as Eastman. I cannot tell - I played Eastman once.
I am not huge fan of jazz boxes - prefer 335 or even Tele but that Excel
was so cheap I decided why not.
JT |
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BarbNY
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 29 Location: NY
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject: Tone quest |
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We are all our own worst enemies I've owned many, many guitars over the years, and after my last horrific experience selling a D'Angelico on ebay, I've decided "that's it." I now have a D'Aquisto reissue, a 1995 Taylor 812CE and my special favorite, a new Sadowsky Jimmy Bruno model, which is about the same size as a GB 10. I absolutely adore this guitar. Incredibly neck, fretwork, and amazingly comfortable to play. Like all of you, I've owned tons of different amps, and have settled on a Polytone Minibrute IV. Is it perfect? Am I completely satisfied? You know the answer. We are always looking for the next great guitar or the amp that needs no special tweaking to get great tone. My son is a professional pianist, and he admits to being mystified by guitar players' constant need to change guitars & amps. I guess there's just so much you can do with 88 keys
Barbara |
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woland99
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 155 Location: Austin, TX
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 2:51 am Post subject: Re: Tone quest |
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BarbNY wrote: | I now have a D'Aquisto reissue, a 1995 Taylor 812CE and my special favorite, aWe are all our own worst enemies I've owned many, many guitars over the years, and after my last horrific experience selling a D'Angelico on ebay, I've decided "that's it. new Sadowsky Jimmy Bruno model, which is about the same size as a GB 10. I absolutely adore this guitar. Incredibly neck, fretwork, and amazingly comfortable to play. Like all of you, I've owned tons of different amps, and have settled on a Polytone Minibrute IV. |
I have few guitars but mostly I play either 335 with Kent Armstron P90s
or G&L ASAT Bluesboy Semihollow (Tele w/ humbucker in neck position).
Couple times a week I pick up that S'Angelico Excel.
For fun I sometimes use Ibanez AS120 (335 lookalike) with 57 Classics
and RMC synth pickup - I play it thru GR33.
Couple guitars that I own and never play but cannot part with are:
PRS Soapbar Custom (w/ 3 P90s) and Washburn HB35 that belonged to
late great Clarence Gatemouth Brown.
For amps I use mostly Evans JE150 w/ 10" extension cab.
I also have Polytone MB IV - it is much darker amp than Evans and
it is somewhat forgiving toward your technique - you do not have to
control the attack all that much b/c Polytone tends to hide it.
I keep it in my bedroom - hooked to mixer via direct box. When I
play it loud I like to split the signal and use Yamaha G-100 in parallel
w/ Polytone - it sortta recovers the missing part of the spectrum .
And Polytone gets very muddy when you crank it up 15" speaker
sounds ok if you play solo at moderate volume but not much beyond
that.
Oh - almost forgot - and I have ordered custom made Klein-like
headless guitar with two Benedettos and one single coil pup. I will
have to prolly sell PRS to finish paying for it but it all goes as planned
it may become G-TRAG (guitar to replace all guitars).
JT
PS. and no - I am NOT gear obsessed
JT |
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bigdaddydannyq
Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 7
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 3:26 am Post subject: Tone |
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Tone comes from inside. If any of us were to sit next to Wes , Joe or GB playing the same lick using the same set up we would all sound different. On any instrument the art of it comes from the nuances that we hear and how we feel the instrument. And after all the gadgets and amps are tried and pile up in the corner of my music study I seem to find myself playing my 56 es 175 through a 62 fender champ. Thats what makes me close my eyes and smile. And when I smile I feel good and when I feel good I can hear the true tone of my music comes through my hands. And that my friends is tone. |
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woland99
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 155 Location: Austin, TX
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 10:49 am Post subject: Re: Tone |
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bigdaddydannyq wrote: | Tone comes from inside. |
I have seen Doyle Dykes doing presentation at local Guitar Center.
He played every Taylor guitar in the shop - from 210 to 810 and he
sounded brilliant on every one.
I agree that obsessing about hardware is not productoive - Rory
Gallagher played just one Strat guitar all his life and some of the
most brilliant blues.
JT |
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Dave Illig
Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Houston, TX
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Tone |
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bigdaddydannyq wrote: | Tone comes from inside. If any of us were to sit next to Wes , Joe or GB playing the same lick using the same set up we would all sound different. On any instrument the art of it comes from the nuances that we hear and how we feel the instrument. And after all the gadgets and amps are tried and pile up in the corner of my music study I seem to find myself playing my 56 es 175 through a 62 fender champ. Thats what makes me close my eyes and smile. And when I smile I feel good and when I feel good I can hear the true tone of my music comes through my hands. And that my friends is tone. |
AMEN
Dave _________________ The hippest note you can play is a rest. |
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