BolivarBaLues

Does anybody know what two chords Jeff slides between for the intro G-A repetition in Hotel Arizona (solo acoustic)? I've been messing round with open C/open G, but keep coming back to standard tuning... I think he probably plays the song without a copo, but I'd really appreciate somebody who's seen him play this live on his own to confirm this.

 

Essentially, the chords on gumpopages look right to me, but the intro?

 

Here's hoping,

Alex

Sounds like standard tuning to me, with no capo. I don't know about how he fingers the chords live, but it's A6 to G6/A, like this:

E |------------

B |-7--7--5--5-

G |-6--6--4--4-

D |-7--7--5--5-

A |-0--0--0--0-

E |------------

Hope this helps.

It sounds like this is an accepted way of wiring up Les Pauls, but it can be easily changed to how you like it. In other words, your tech didn't screw up, but you can probably get him or her to switch it around for free:

 

From the Stew-Mac website:

I hope this helps!

Indeed it does. Thanks!

I just had a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat single-coil pickup installed in the bridge position of my Les Paul. I left the neck pickup in, a Seymour Duncan '59 humbucker. I'm wondering if the tech wired the pickups up wrong. When I have both pickups selected, turning the volume of either pickup completely down also turns the volume of the other pickup all the way down. In other words, no sound comes out with either one of the volume knobs on zero. This wasn't the way it worked previously when I had two humbuckers in it. I should be able to completely dial out one of the pickups when both are selected without affecting the volume of the other. I can, however, dial in varying amounts of either pickup, it's just when it's all the way off, it cuts off both pickups. The single-coil has a single-conducter cable, so I'm wondering if this somehow affects the volume function differently. Anyone?

Oh yeah, what part of Knoxville are you from, Bolivar?

I live in Fountain City. Born and raised in North Knox, been here all my life, give or take a few years here and there.

Where's Livingston?

I've never tried anything like that, but I have a modded pedal that I like quite a bit. Seems like an interesting thing to get into, but I'm mechanically challenged. You might look for a book by a guy called Craig Anderton; he used to write a column in Guitar Player magazine about wiring your own stomp boxes. I've not really read the mag since the 80s, so I don't know if he still writes for them, but at the time he was sort of the guru of this sort of stuff.

I once posted on the Joni Mitchell listserve that I thought she was the most important female songwriter of the 20th century, and someone posted back "Why female? Why not just the most important songwriter?" I had to explain that I rated Dylan above her. Made a few enemies.

Joni transcends gender. She is just Art. With a capital "a." I don't think many other contemporary artists (i.e. not jazz) would have received Mingus' respect.

On a warm summers evenin on a train bound for nowhere,

I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.

So we took turns a starin out the window at the darkness

til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

He said, son, Ive made a life out of readin peoples faces,

And knowin what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.

So if you dont mind my sayin, I can see youre out of aces.

For a taste of your whiskey Ill give you some advice.

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.

Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.

And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.

Said, if youre gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count your money when youre sittin at the table.

Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.

Now evry gambler knows that the secret to survivin

Is knowin what to throw away and knowing what to keep.

cause evry hands a winner and evry hands a loser,

And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.

So when hed finished speakin, he turned back towards the window,

Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.

And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.

But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count your money when youre sittin at the table.

Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count you r money when youre sittin at the table.

Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.

Discography

 

Don't be dissing Joni. She's not just that barefoot hippie chick from 1968 any more than Dylan is just that guy who wrote "Blowin' in the Wind."

For sure. Her run from Ladies Of The Canyon through Mingus is matched by only a very few, and they're all on that list. And she's a hell of a guitar player who used some very unique tunings. I'd venture that whomever it was that criticized her work hasn't properly listened.

I just replaced the bridge pickup in my Les Paul, so I suppose I'll try to sell the old pickup. It's a Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro humbucker with exposed black bobbins, just like the picture. I bought the pickup around 91 or 92 and gigged with the guitar for about 4 years before retiring it because of neck issues, so it's really just sat in my closet since 1996 or so. I just got the neck refurbed and installed a Phat Cat P-90, so if anyone's interested, make me an offer. It's in perfect working condition.

I believe the DVD version is actually an acoustic guitar that's been compressed and distorted. It has a real "fuzztone" type of sound. To my ear, the closest match is the '69 pedal from Fulltone. Go to:

 

http://www.fulltone.com

 

Enjoy!

Robert Keely does some really cool pedal mods; send in your pedal for a mod, or buy a new one already modded. I don't own any of his products (yet), but a bandmate has a few and they sound teriffic.

Check out Humbucker Music, just south of Chattanooga in northern Georgia. They have great service, really fast shipping and great prices. No sales tax unless you're in Georgia. I ordered my Boss TU-2 over the phone and it arrived the next day. I caught it on sale for around $85, but I notice they're back up to $99 right now. But they carry some Keely stuff, as well as the aforementioned Fulltone line.

How do you like those Super-90 pickups? Do you retain any twang? I've been thinking it would be cool to get a tele routed for a humbucker in the neck, but use a Super-90 in the bridge and a Z-90 in the neck,

 

What band are you playing with at Bonaroo?

I love the Super-90s! Another musician friend of mine swears by them, too, and he has them in a Tele and a Paul. They do have a touch of the Tele twang, but that classic Tele tone is not readily identifiable. They're bright, but not brittle, have loads of definition. The individual notes of a chord are recognizable even with loads of overdrive. The dynamic range of these things is terrific. You can back off the volume half-way or so and get some cleaner tones and gradually introduce more attack and bite by increasing the volume. I suppose the sound is somewhere between classic Tele and a P-90, but with a bit more output than a Tele pickup. Hot enough, but not super-hot and certainly not overwound. The owner is super-nice and very helpful. He'll help you achieve what you're looking for tone-wise.

As for the humbucker in the neck, that's a cool setup. They also have a humbucker version of the Vintage Plus. The single coil version is a great match for the Super-90, so I'd be curious to hear how the humbucker sounds in conjunction. When I bought mine several years ago, the owner had reccommended matching the Super-90 with the Vintage Plus single coil.

I'm playing with The Tim Lee Band; Nightclub Tent, Sunday night at 7.

Hey Giant Steps, love the handle. I'm a big Coltrane freak.

Fender Tele with Harmonic Design Super-90 in the bridge and Harmonic Design Vintage Plus in the neck position.

Epiphone Sheraton II with Jason Lollar Imperial Humbuckers.

1975 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with Seymour Duncan Phat Cat in the bridge and Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck.

Peavey Classic 30 tube amp

cheap powered pedal board with a Boss TU-2 tuner, modified Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9DX, Boss GE-7 EQ (used for volume boost when I solo), and a cheap Bespeco volume pedal that I never use. I'm not big into effects; I've always said that the best effect is a good guitar player. And god help me if I ever start dropping the name "Line 6" or rambling on about modeling technology. Bleck.

I've played in rock groups for over 20 years - did some touring earlier this year, playing Bonnaroo in three weeks, after that, picking up gigs here and there. Not hard to find in this town.

elaborate with specifics?

Sure, my original post was a bit hyperbolic. But everytime I discover the origins of yet another Zep ripoff, it pisses me off that they screwed so many musicians out of their deserved royalties and that I spent so much time listening to these guys when I was younger. It also makes me appreciate the moments even more when they were totally original and awesome, like the poppier stuff on Houses of The Holy, side two of Physical Graffiti and Presence.

And for specifics, well here's some of the most specific examples of theivery (cases where the original composer was not credited): http://www.warr.org/zep.html

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" - A folk song by Anne Bredon, this was originally credited as "traditional, arranged by Jimmy Page," then "words and music by Jimmy Page," and then, following legal action, "Bredon/Page/Plant."

"Black Mountain Side" - uncredited version of a traditional folk tune previously recorded by Bert Jansch.

"Bring It On Home" - the first section is an uncredited cover of the Willie Dixon tune (as performed by the imposter Sonny Boy Williamson).

"Communication Breakdown" - apparently derived from Eddie Cochran's "Nervous Breakdown."

"Custard Pie" - uncredited cover of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down," with lyrics from Sleepy John Estes's "Drop Down Daddy."

"Dazed And Confused" - uncredited cover of the Jake Holmes song (see The Above Ground Sound Of Jake Holmes).

"Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" - uncredited version of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down."

"How Many More Times" - Part one is an uncredited cover of the Howlin' Wolf song (available on numerous compilations). Part two is an uncredited cover of Albert King's "The Hunter."

"In My Time Of Dying" - uncredited cover of the traditional song (as heard on Bob Dylan's debut).

"The Lemon Song" - uncredited cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" - Wolf's publisher sued Zeppelin in the early 70s and settled out of court.

"Moby Dick" - written and first recorded by Sleepy John Estes under the title "The Girl I Love," and later covered by Bobby Parker.

"Nobody's Fault But Mine" - uncredited cover of the Blind Willie Johnson blues.

"Since I've Been Lovin' You" - lyrics are the same as Moby Grape's "Never," though the music isn't similar.

"Stairway To Heaven" - the main guitar line is apparently from "Taurus" by Spirit.

"White Summer" - uncredited cover of Davey Graham's "She Moved Through The Fair."

"Whole Lotta Love" - lyrics are from the Willie Dixon blues "You Need Love."

I will add that "Whole Lotta Love" more closely emulates the Small Faces' version of this song, some 3-4 years prior to Zeppelin II.

And just for fun, here's a short sample (529KB) ofBert Jansch's version of "Black Water Side," which Page appropriates for "Black Mountain Side." Other acoustic Page instrumentals flagrantly ape John Fahey's style.

Steve Vai?

No, a friend that plays in a local group.

The list is a top 100. Ray Davies is on there (41 on editor's list), Stevie Wonder is on there (14), Richard Thompson is on there (63), and Led Zeppelin is on there (39).

Led Zepplin? What in the hell did they ever write? They stole everything they ever did and didn't even bother to credit the original songwriter. I grew up loving Zepplin, but I've only recently come to terms with the fact that they're worst than second-rate hacks. Thieves. Plain and simple.

I think that there's a F# bass note on top of the D, second measure of the verse progression.

The Soft Boys are one of my alltime favs, along with The Band and Wilco. If this song is your only exposure to this great band, you should check out their classic Underwater Moonlight.

I know he suffered heart problems, but that doesn't mean died - so why is David Bowie only clocking in at 15?

 

U2 at number 8?

No shit. I'd like to see Bono write a song as good as "The Bewlay Brothers."

Lou Reed is conspiciously missing. I know he hasn't written any real great songs lately, but his VU and 70s solo work should be enough for lifetime inclusion in all top-ten lists.

Well, I was about 20% right. Gary had a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere (three swithces for bypass, stop, and fast/slow -- hence, from where I was sitting last night, I thought it was a multi-effects unit) for Leslie effects (a slow Leslie has a chorusing effect), a Boss TU-2 Tuner, and some green MXR-sixed pedal I did not recognize that acted as a boost.

I don't know about using effects on an acoustic, unless you're in the studio, and in that case compression and reverb is about all you need. I guess it's personal taste, but to me the sound of a good acoustic doesn't need effects.

Owning a Boss TU-2 tuner pedal should be required of any guitar player that plays live, regardless of the size of the venue. There's nothing more annoying and unprofessional to me than hearing someone tune onstage (the TU-2 will mute your signal when you stomp on it).

check out the carvin bel air (50 tube watts, 2x12) and the peavey classic 30 combo (also 2x12) amps. they're surprisingly awesome considering they both cost well under a grand. the carvin comes loaded with celestion vintage 30s.

I've got a Peavey Classic 30, which is actually a 1 x 12 (the Classic 50 is a 2 x 12 50 watt model) and I absolutely love it. Great for almost all applications. I've used it in groups with two other guitarists using tube amps with slightly more wattage and never had a problem being loud enough. I was really skeptical about buying anything Peavey because my previous exposure to their products was during that horrible solid-state infested decade called the 80s, but I did a lot of research on small-ish, affordable tube amps. It comes with a Peavey "Blue Marvel" speaker, which I at first thought would be quickly replaced with a Celestion or something similar, but its performance quickly swayed me against doing that. The power tubes are EL-84s (also used in Vox AC-30s), and to me the sound is somewhere between an AC30 and a vintage Marshall. My only gripe is that the tubes are exposed in the back, and it's easy to snag the power cord between the tubes and pull them out of socket. I've taken mine on the road with me, and every time I would set up I would have to check to make sure the tubes were still in their sockets, and several times I would have to remove the tubes and straighten bent prongs. This problem has been rectified in newer models and in all Classic 50s with a panel that protects the tubes.

I've never heard the Carvin, but I know a musician who swears by his Carvin tube amp.

I'm not real sure about the guitar sound on that specific demo, but I noticed on the IATBYH film that the weird, super-compressed guitar sound is an overdriven acoustic.

here's an example....Vintage Guild

I have a Sheraton II. $425 seems an okay price if it's in good shape. I bought mine used for somewhere around that price, and there was not a scratch to be found on the guitar and the case was in excellent shape.

I love mine. It plays great, the action is great, stays in tune. Couldn't ask for more. However, the stock pickups are shit. I never played the guitar live until I put some Jason Lollar Imperial Humbuckers in it about 6 months ago; I've hardly been able to play anything else since. It just sounds fabulous; the Lollars really capture the essence of vintage PAFs and the semi-hollowbody configuration adds some tonal complexities not inherent to a Les Paul. I took it out on the road with me earlier this year and it was just a monster live. My only complaint is that the design makes reaching past the 15th fret or so difficult. The Lollars aren't potted (like vintage PAFs were), and combined with a semi-hollowbody one might suspect it to be vunerable to feeback problems. Having road-tested the guitar, I'm happy to report that I never once ran into feeback problems, and that includes several shows in small clubs where the p.a. was less than ideal and I didn't mic my amp.

The key to good tone = good tube amp + good pickups. I have handwound pickups in a most of my guitars: some are Jason Lollars, the others Harmonic Design. They can be pricey (my Lollar's were $150 ea.), but well worth it.

Fender makes several affordable tube amps - Blues Junior, Hot Rod Deluxe, Hot Rod Deville, etc. I happen to like the Fender Deluxe Reverb - only 22 watts, but those are tube watts. I wouldn't even consider a solid-state amp, and don't get me started on my rant about modeling technology. Most modern tube amps have a pre-gain type knob that will overdrive the preamp stage while allowing you to keep the volume at any level you like. These are okay, but what you really want is power amp distortion. For this reason, I keep my amps under 50 watts. You want to be able to overdrive the power tubes (which means turning up near full blast) without drowning out everyone else on stage.

I also use a modified Ibanez Tube Screamer to goose up the tubes a bit. I crank the level all the way, but keep the drive knob down fairly low, around 9 o'clock. I'm no electronics expert, but some of circuitry of the pedal have been replaced with the same circuitry used by the original Ibanez Tube Screamers, which bring quite a price on eBay. You can find them already modded (like I did), or do it yourself if you're handy with a solder gun.

My last pedal trick is to employ a Boss EQ pedal for a boost when I solo. Most soundmen aren't going to be bothered with raising your level when you solo, so I use the EQ (set flat with the level boosted several db) to boost my own solos.