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Post by andyhowell on Jul 14, 2021 7:48:19 GMT
You could have just gone with "there are 7 notes in a major scale" and avoided controversy! Enough with the jargon already! ‘Major’, ‘scale’. Sheesh! Lovely.
I've got a friend who I've been trying to get to unerstand how minor scales work. He jsut can't seem to get the hang of it. Mind you, it might be because I've suggested he memorises the Circle of Fiths. I bought him a circle mug one Christmas and he declares that it terrifies him :-)
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 14, 2021 7:46:04 GMT
The 'Inspired by' were stunning value for money I thought the Masterbuilt less so. For the Masterbuilt prices you might be better advised to add a few hundred quid and go for a stock Brook or Fylde — you will certainly get more guitar for your money.
I do wonder where all this will take us. The sales guy also talked to me about the E335. He felt that the Epiphone version had always been way sbort of the Gibson but that over the last year the standard of these had soared as well to the point that the choice was really difficult now.
Gibson acoustics can be vry frustrating and I think they are often bought for all kinds of sentimental reasons rather than just sound. Currently the standard, true vintage and custom ranges all have different neck profiles which drives me mad — I will like the sound of one but the nexk of another! But a great J45 is for me a thing of wonder — I don't own one mainly because they are not that versatile.
Grayn's experiences shadow mine. The very best Gibson I have played over the last decade was a Robert Johnson small bodied guitar — I really wish I'd bought it. After playing it Ralph Mctell told me he had one and that it was his best recording guitar! As always happens, this seems to have been discontinued now. The other one that really stands out was an terrific Advanced Jumbo I found in Wunjo's which was stuck in a corner collecting dust and which — compared to their J45 and J50's — was underpriced. Other than that I've played a number of J35 and J15s recently which I think are far more consistent and great value for money.
Just to through another stick in the wheel, the best sounding J45-style guitar I have played over recent years was by Atkin from the south of England.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 13, 2021 15:47:40 GMT
Inspired by grayn 's recent post I found a decent chunk of time today to use to visit BVirmingham's Guitar Guitar and check these out.
The 'Inspired by Gibson' guitars are all made of solid woods in Epiphone's Malaysian production facility. Currently there is a J200 clone, A Hummingbird Clone and two 'J45's' in the collection, one a cutaway.
The store was quiet and the acoustic guy grateful for some company. He told me the "inspired' line was flying off the shelves. They had sold out but then he managed to find a J45 custom and I sat down to play.
The guitar has a very decent finish, a wonderful sunburst, rosewood fingerboard and a built-in Fishman system and preamp which I was told was pretty decent. The only thing I didn't like were the machine tuners but then I don't like these on Gibsons either. The guitar was somewhere around £600.
When I strummed the guitar I almost fell off my chair. This was a big sound and it seemed more dynamic than a J45. The balance across the strings was excellent and it was loud! I played it in folk and country styles and in country blues/ragtime. The more that I played it the more I recognised that it was part of the J45 family. I worked out that the initial sound I heard was really that this was a spanking new guitar with no playing in at all. However, I reckon that over a couple of months this would open up wonderfully. Out of curiosity I put the guitar into DADGAD, not something I usually associate a J45 with — ti more than adequately held its own.
Playability might be an issue for some as this has a big, chunky, traditional neck which gives a lot of space for the fingers up around the nut. It is not for everyopne but then I guess most J45 players don't go much below the 5th fret.
If this is what your budget can stand don't hesitate to check these out as they are phenomonal guitars even before you consider the price. If you are a J45 owner who plays live this might make for a good stage substitute.
My only issue with it was that the action was too high for me but a good setup is always recomended and will see you alright. There is nothing to dislike with this guitar at twice the price.
It was still quiet so the sales guy suggested I try out the Masterbuilt Texan. This is J45 with an Epiphone headstock and logo on the pickguard. These are built in the Montana factory. Again the finish was superb. The neck was a litte slimmer than the Asian guitar. The sound was a little more mature but I suspect this is to do with production and that this difference would quickly disappear. It comes in at £2.5K and is every bit a J45. If you fancy yourself as more a Wizz Jones than a Ralph Mctell (well somebody must) this may well be the guitar for you. Was this £2K better a guitar? No, not really.
The sales guy was keen for me to try other guitars, particularly a Martin 0-15 (all Mahogany) instrument. Apparently they can only get these now as a custom order. It cost £1500. Apoogies for anyone who has one of these but this one was shit! Compare this bling to an 'inspired' guitar and I reckon there would only be one result. A 000-15 didn't move me either. A small bodied Lowden — all Walnut S — was a far better guitar of this type but then it should be at £7K.
Like Cormier I am a bit stumped by what Gibson are doing but then in the USA 'Made in the USA' carries with it a real premium. And as leoroberts wpuld say it has to have Gibson on the headstock, understandable given the history and culture of this guitar. But if £600-700 is your price range there is no need to feel in anyway inferior!
I also bought a few packets of the new D'Adarrio X strings and will report back.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 13, 2021 9:59:26 GMT
Discovered these two through lockdown. Their album Two is fabulous acoustic guitar playing and songwriting. Here's a little video:
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 12, 2021 14:28:42 GMT
Leo Fender couldn’t play the guitar. He was clearly ahead of his time. He'd have done OK ith heavy metal.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 11, 2021 15:52:51 GMT
Life's a long song, But the tune ends to soon for us all.Life's a Long Song - Jethro Tull Played at a friend's funeral I attended last week. He had just turned 50. Nice choice for a sad event!
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 11, 2021 13:16:39 GMT
Inspired by Ged I'm going to have to post the whole lyric of what is probably my favourite song, 'Last Fare of the Day' by Richard Shindell. Check out the song if you can.
I saw them standing in the rain Out on 7th Avenue He held her tight, like she might fall If he let go
He helped her in, he shut the door Our eyes met in the mirror To Englewood, just take it slow Was all he said
Into the stream, we pulled away I know it well, this old ballet Finding the flow, minding the sway Catching green lights all the way
Up Amsterdam, the meter dark, I turned off the radio She said, Thanks, I could not bear another word.
Out the bridge, the traffic slowed In the brakelights and the wash Of all those truckers heading south On 95
Into the stream, we pulled away I know it well, this old ballet Finding the flow, minding the sway Catching green lights all the way I brought them home, I brought them home I brought them home in that cruel, cruel rain
And now it s spring, and where s the rain? All the wells are running dry And the reservoir has reached An all-time low
And if this red light ever turns If I can make it through the park I ll head uptown For the last fare of the day
And turn it does, I pull away I know it well, this old ballet Finding the flow, minding the sway Catching green lights all the way
And there they are, outside St. Luke s With their flowers and balloons All amazement at the baby In her arms
As Amsterdam makes us a place I ask about her name We all laugh when he says Hope And she says Grace
And then it starts, the heavens give I know it well, this old ballet Finding the flow, minding the sway Catching green lights all the way I brought them home, I brought them home I brought them home in that sweet, sweet rain I brought them home in the sweet, sweet rain
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 11, 2021 13:10:55 GMT
Here's another internet guitar expert who drives me mad. His specialism is to do 'shows' sitting on his office chair.
I thought I might be being unfair until I discovered this cover this morning ...
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 10, 2021 10:02:26 GMT
THe Inspired by Gibson range have received great reviews. If you haven't found it yet check out JP Cormier's featuer:
To be honest I expect these guitars to be very good. The quality of factory built guitars from Asia has rocked in recent years and I'm constantly surprised by what I am hearing in music stores.
These are not cheap guitars but seem to offer great value for money. And their manufacturing process would seem to be far more consistent than Gibson's US production facilities.
SO much value in the US is placed on 'made in the usa' for patriotic reasons I think it clouds people's judgement when it comes to anything from anywhere else. I'm loking forward to trying these, indeed, I might just go and do it this week — reporting back of course.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 10, 2021 9:55:49 GMT
I've always been fond of this lyric from Paul Simon:
And after it rains, there's a rainbow And all of the colors are black It's not that the colors aren't there It's just imagination they lack Everything's the same back in my little town
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 9, 2021 7:41:47 GMT
It does but potential buyers need to appreciate the difference between the P2 and P3 — they work the same way and look the same but they are a new design I reckon. Mine's a P3; visually the difference is that the P3s have an ART logo (which stands for Adaptive Radius Technology or something similar) above the G7 logo There seem to be significant differences between the P3 and P2. The P3 is heavier and stockier and feels a more substantial piece of engineering. It seesm to work on thinner necks that the P2 didn't like. I had two P2s that failed — in both cases the mechanism locked. At least early on in the production process this seems to have been problem. To be fair to G7 they replaced both of thes without any quibble at all. My final P2 worked well over a long period but I couldn't use it on my OM neck.
I'm only banging on about this for people thinking of buying a Performance second hand! I'd recommend only goig for the P3.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 8, 2021 7:43:13 GMT
Well I bought a Performance mainly because I have a Newport, albeit the 12 string version, so that I could make my own comparison. So far I’m impressed easy to fit and sounds good. It does but potential buyers need to appreciate the difference between the P2 and P3 — they work the same way and look the same but they are a new design I reckon.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 3, 2021 9:44:48 GMT
He really is a wonderful songwriter and quite under-rated I think! Bob Dylan said he was/is one of his favorite songwriters and of course he recorded a very early version of Early Morning Rain. In an oft-quoted comment, Dylan said that when he heard a Gordon Lightfoot song he wished “it would last forever”. I would certainly agree with that, especially with early morning rain!
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 2, 2021 10:15:41 GMT
He really is a wonderful songwriter and quite under-rated I think!
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 1, 2021 10:42:56 GMT
Lovely.
I have both. Mostly I use the Performance 3 for ease of use. They are very different though.
I have the performance 3 and the 2. Although similar in use they are vdry different. The 3 is a more substantial piece of metal maybe because there may have been problems with the design of the 2 — the 2 didn't always work with every guitar neck but the 3 seems to have dealt with that.
The Newport is a fine capo and by choice I would use this for detailed fingerstyle pieces in preference over the Performance. But I tend to rely on the Performance because it so much easier to use. If you are playing out anywhere the Performance makes a lot of sense.
I'd say that the Newport sounds marginally better!
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