The Guitar Show (Show Yours)

[TapperMike]

Gary that is a sweet Taylor

 

I thought I posted this... If not a second time won't hurt.

 

Here's my latest Tele

It is a Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus

 

Folks can read my review here - 

http://forums.songstuff.com/blog/159/entry-1499-review-fender-modern-player-telecaster-plus/

 

Strange how the neck seems way different then my blacktop. I checked the specs on both and they are identical  Aside from the fact that the blacktop tele has "Medium Jumbo" frets and requires the action a little higher as opposed to the Modern Player which has only "Jumbo" frets and the action can be set ridiculously low.  The difference between them is only a few mm in height. It's near candyland in regards to playability.

[Rabbi8meat]

There are some truly beautiful axes posted in this thread. Here are my main workhorses.

[Rabbi8meat]

Nice, I love those soloists. I played a performer series wired with an 81 for years. Lately I've been going for the passive pickups, I have a Dimarzio X2N in the bridge of my Ibanez in that pic.

When it comes to Ibanez, there are plenty of tiers of quality- just gotta spend for it.

[Rudi]

http://forums.songstuff.com/gallery/image/1581-big-box-little-box/

 

Big Box  Little Box

 

J-17 and ES-339

 

The J-17 has no fret markers. A lack of feature I like. Its got strap pins, but I cannot imagine trying to play this stood up

I've been told of a jazz jam night at a pub within reach. I am trying to find the courage to take the J-17 along and sit in. Maybe I should just visit first & just listen. hmmm...

 

The ES-339 is also a little awkward to play standing due to the forward strap pin on the body. I solved the problem by using the foot rest I use for the classical guitar. Its adjustable for height so I have it raised to about 5" inches and keep it next the the mic stand. Just placing my right foot on it will allow me to see what I'm doing during a solo. I wish this didnt have dots too though.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Rudi

[TapperMike]

Yeah, I hated gigging while standing with a big jazz box. It's like slow dancing with a fat lady

[Rudi]

 slow dancing with a fat lady

 

That needs to be a song or tune title.

[TCgypsy]

Lots of interesting guitars on here! My collection:

 

1983 Les Paul Custom

Schecter Diamond XXX

Ramirez 2CWE classical

Ibanez Balladeer 12-string

Ibanez SR300 bass

Sigma (Martin) DR-41

 

PS: the piano in the background is a 1948 Wurlitzer

Edited June 19, 2015 by TCgypsy

[Rudi]

Nice collection. Especially like that Ramirez

[TapperMike]

Yeah 95% of my ztar playing is tapped now.  It's funny but a huge portion of my regular guitar playing was tapping when I conceived the name.(which predates songstuff) Once I got a ztar my regular guitar tapping faded.

 

Regarding the collection.

Re LP Custom. Keep it in a vault not to be opened until you've been dead for 20 years.  I had a '78 custom weighed a tone sang beautifully.- I've also had a Deluxe. There is something "magical' in a custom.  If I were to ever own a LP again it would be a custom.

 

That 12 string reminds me of an ovation I once owned.

 

I've never seen a Ramirez anywhere ever. I've read about them all the time they were the goto classical guitar in the 60's 70's and 80's for Television and Movie production.

[TCgypsy]

I used to tap a ton, too. I haven't done much of it since I stopped playing professionally so my tapping kinda sucks now, lol. Also, I keep a good set of nails on my right hand because I play classical guitar a lot more these days which makes tapping tricky.

 

I love my Ramirez, it's a great guitar (got it cherry off eBAY for a steal from a guy who REALLY took care of it). That and my Les Paul are my two best axes, imo. I would like to get a nice Fender at some point like your Tele or a nice strat. They just sound so different than a Gibson, and I can't really come close to that sound with either one of my electrics. The Schecter gets a little closer but it doesn't really cut it either.

 

My Les Paul is just one of those guitars you NEVER sell. Even for an 83 LP (which was a very good year) it is a cut above other similiar era LPs I have played. I got lucky I guess ...

 

If I was rich I would own SO many guitars it would be ridiculous. I have a guitar in my hand half of all my waking hours!

 

Peace,

TC

 

PS: a big bump on the Steely Dan influence. Solos in Reelin' in the Years are epic!

Edited June 21, 2015 by TCgypsy

[church38]

Here's my baby. Beat up and word down, but still sounds like a dream.

 

[TapperMike]

Here's my baby. Beat up and word down, but still sounds like a dream.

 

PART_1430550055069_IMG_20150502_0300220116.jpg

 

Nice, There's nothing like a well worn acoustic.

[TapperMike]

I used to tap a ton, too. I haven't done much of it since I stopped playing professionally so my tapping kinda sucks now, lol. Also, I keep a good set of nails on my right hand because I play classical guitar a lot more these days which makes tapping tricky.

My playing has fallen off quite a bit since I stopped playing professionally as well. The other side is that I'm a more diversified player then when I was professionally. I usually find I have to work at it very hard for awhile and put my current playing styles aside to bring back the old flame. As soon as I get there and I don't have someone irl to show off to I lose interest and revert. It's a big juggling act.

I've never been good at classical picking. I've tried and tried and tried I've got a great deal of respect for those who can properly classical pick. I've also never been able to grow a decent set of nails. Mostly it's hybrid picking for me. Flatpick and Middle/Ring fingers. I use alaska pik which one really has to go through a process for proper fit.

I'm kind of interested in Fred Kelly Freedom Picks.

If I was rich I would own SO many guitars it would be ridiculous. I have a guitar in my hand half of all my waking hours!

 

Peace,

TC

Back in the 80's I was watching a news show with a story about Carlos Santana. He had this nice little two story house with not much of a front yard in SF. In the back yard there was no yard to speak of. It was a huge barn that dwarfed the house. In the barn was stall after stall of guitars. All neatly packed in cases on shelves. Each day when he's not touring he pulls out two or three guitars practices for a few hours with all of them. Then he switches to his tried and true PRS. It was the largest collection of guitars I'd ever seen.

I think I'd need something to at least slow my purchase path to buying guitars. And that would come in the form of a Variax Standard by Yamaha. Yamaha bought Line6 and have been slowly integrating the product line as well as enhancing the quality of the generated sounds for the Variax and POD. I'd get the Variax first then promise myself not to ever buy a guitar that couldn't be created in workbench.

[TapperMike]

Regarding Reeling In The Years.... how about that Elliott Randall solo? Guy does a walk on, rehearses for about an hour, then lays down one of the most iconic solos ever done on a rock song. Turned down a spot in Steeley Dan because he predicted the band would fail after their third album, and he was right.

Oh, and yeah, I know they did more work after recombining as a group later on. But still, the balls.....

Some amazing sh*t. Randall's had a dream career in my opinion... so far at least. Does only what he wants to, is known by God and pretty much everyone else who is anyone else in the biz. Has a killer band in London and stateside. Consults with... well, pretty much God and everyone else in the biz.... plays killer guitar, works with new product creation in midi and helps design new recording/editing and play back software for web based applications.

I'd like to be just like him when I grow up.

It's funny I love Steely Dan. Had everything in vinyl ever done by them and much of the later work in CD. Seen them twice since they started touring. I follow Elliot Randall on FB.

Steely Dan was never really a band.

"It wasn't like they played musical chairs with band members, They'd play musical bands. One day they are telling you that they love you and your friends and the next day a whole nother band comes in and completely redoes the song"

https://youtu.be/waIBA6_0GQc?t=205

It's funny you see the old TV show performances of Steely Dan from the 70's and they are lip syncing a guitarist may start the solo right but then as you watch and listen further you can tell he's not playing the notes you are hearing.

[TCgypsy]

Elliott Randall - very few of the population at large know who this guy is but EVERY guitarist I know does! A truly gifted player, and, yeah, he has had an interesting and diverse career with recognition, money, and getting to do what he wants to without the trappings of fame - a pretty rare thing. I have gotten a bit rusty with those solos but every now and then I revisit them and get them close just to keep myself honest There are a few iconic solos I do this on for inspiration and to keep my chops up. It's interesting that I haven't heard any really killer ones I care to learn for a few years now. Maybe I am just getting old and jaded, lol.

 

I have never tried those aLaska picks or the Freedom ones. I use nail/finger 50/50 so I am not sure how easy it would be to adapt my right hand to those picks. I use pick + fingers (90% nail) too, especially on the electric so they could work great for that, I don't know. It might be fun to check them out, I am always up for something new. I have been using a capo a bit more lately which is something I never got into much to try for some different colors, and I am always screwing around with different tunings (intonation can be a b!tch on some of those, lol). I especially like odd tunings on 12-string like tuning the upper E pair to E and D, etc. With the right chord voicings utilizing open strings against fretted ones it can sound really really cool. Strings are meant to be messed with! Synths are fun but I really enjoy getting the sound right off the steel/nylon - it is more intimate to me than playing keys.

 

Peace,

TC

Edited June 23, 2015 by TCgypsy

[TapperMike]

I've always played with flesh before while fingerpicking. I like the fat tone it gives but many a guitar teacher and others cringe. Flesh is fine for folk-ish type playing but I lack speed when I use the flesh of my fingers and...it's hard to get that authentic anything finger/hybrid type sound.

When I was younger I played with capo's and various non standard tunings. I could play covers well enough but I never felt like I was making it mine.

I used to play the hell out of steely dan. I wouldn't just learn the guitar parts I'd learn the bass, horns, sax, and recorder parts as well. Heck if I thought I could do a fair interpretation of the keyboards I'd try to tackle it on guitar (i suck on keys)

I'm by no measure a country guitarist but I'm trying to put some country licks under my belt for variety. When I was thinking of getting a tele it was for jazz. I was very much into Ted Greene (great music lousy audio) and Ed Bickert

Along the way I became fascinated with all things tele including country playing.

[Rudi]

I've never been good at classical picking. I've tried and tried and tried I've got a great deal of respect for those who can properly classical pick. I've also never been able to grow a decent set of nails. Mostly it's hybrid picking for me. Flatpick and Middle/Ring fingers. I use alaska pik which one really has to go through a process for proper fit.

I'm kind of interested in Fred Kelly Freedom Picks.

 

 

I have tried those slip-on picks and without exception they have fallen off as soon as I try to use them. Both the players here are picking lightly, maybe thats why it works for them?

 

(I found it funny that the girl cut those things with nail clippers)

 

I've tried gluing split nails up, using clear varnish over layers of tissue paper, fake nails of various kinds.

Most of the time I give trying to record anything unless I have 5 strong(-ish) nails. The rest of the time I make do with bare fingers until they grow back again.

 

Why couldnt I have inherited my mothers nails! She had the strongest nails Ive ever seen on anyone.

[TCgypsy]

I have tried those slip-on picks and without exception they have fallen off as soon as I try to use them. Both the players here are picking lightly, maybe thats why it works for them?

 

(I found it funny that the girl cut those things with nail clippers)

 

I've tried gluing split nails up, using clear varnish over layers of tissue paper, fake nails of various kinds.

Most of the time I give trying to record anything unless I have 5 strong(-ish) nails. The rest of the time I make do with bare fingers until they grow back again.

 

Why couldnt I have inherited my mothers nails! She had the strongest nails Ive ever seen on anyone.

 

Lol, I don't think I CAN pick lightly. I have to be careful not to dig in like Stephen Stills when I fingerpick. I tend to like the tone from medium to heavy more than light but maybe that is a function of the guitars I have, too. Or maybe it's just the rocker coming out even on classical. I do love Renaissance era classical tunes which are more rockish than most other classical except for more modern stuff like some Leo Brower, etc. I use classical guitar on practically every tune I write on guitar for at least one part. If it's a keyboard based tune, not so much. My nails are a pain in the ass, too, I would win no awards for nice nails, lol. I had a friend that wore a glove on his right hand all the time to protect his nails - he looked rediculous so that is NOT an option.

 

@Mike: I just learn the guitar parts and sometimes the bass on Steely Dan, and I learned the keys on a couple songs, too. Sax is out because I haven't the slightest clue how to play one! I don't really spend much time on covers these days because I have been busy working on my own tunes. The main reason I learn stuff now is because a student wants to learn how to play a specific song. It's funny that the kids nowadays want to learn many of the same songs I did as a young guitar player. A great song is always a great song!

 

Peace,

TC

[TapperMike]

I haven't been teaching in close to a decade but yeah. I remember quite a few students wanting to learn classic rock tunes as well.

As far as the sax part was concerned. Well I waited till the mid 80's came along and picked up an ibanez x-ing IMG2010

As soon as I got my hands on it I wanted to transpose everything I couldn't do before.

Eventually I went through about every guitar midi device dumped on the market. After playing a ztar it's hard to go back to guitars for midi.

A week or two passes these days before I'll touch anything midi. I find if I go to far all of my regular guitar playing goes out the window.

[TCgypsy]

I haven't been teaching in close to a decade but yeah. I remember quite a few students wanting to learn classic rock tunes as well.

As far as the sax part was concerned. Well I waited till the mid 80's came along and picked up an ibanez x-ing IMG2010

As soon as I got my hands on it I wanted to transpose everything I couldn't do before.

Eventually I went through about every guitar midi device dumped on the market. After playing a ztar it's hard to go back to guitars for midi.

A week or two passes these days before I'll touch anything midi. I find if I go to far all of my regular guitar playing goes out the window.

Now that looks like a fun guitar to play around with! I have a GK pickup but to be honest I haven't been especially crazy about the Roland systems (yeah, I know they are popular). Since I can play keys, I don't really play MIDI guitar very often although I have always had the hankering to use one. I absolutely hate the Fishman system. Yeah, they track ok but their computer interface stuff blows imo.

 

I might have to look into getting one of those babies you pictured!

 

Peace,

TC

Edited June 25, 2015 by TCgypsy