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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 11:55:51 GMT
 I saw Gordon Giltrap at Temperance on Friday night. It was the first time to see Gordon for me, and I haven't followed his music, so a new experience. It was good. He is 75 years old now, so the fluidity and accuracy of his playing has likely deteriorated since his peak, but 50+ years in showbusiness means he has all the patter and knows how to work a crowd. He played Heartsong... twice. I hadn't previously understood his technique before - he plays with a conventional plectrum and then just his pinky! It's amazing he can get that sound. If you are within striking distance of Leamington Spa, then I recommend Temperance. It's a tiny downstairs space (30 people?), which Gordon compared favourably to early 60's gigs in London folk dens. I sat in the front row - about six feet from Gordon (and next to old old guy who smelt of pee...). There is no stage but the sound is good. I have also seen Martin Simpson there (same seat - different, fresher smelling old guy next to me). If you are not busy tonight, then go see Katie Spencer there. Peter |
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 12:30:28 GMT
 The gear. He said that he had bought that guitar at a car boot for £150, that one on ebay for £150, and that one (pointing to what I think is his Fylde signature model) costs "eight grand". He stated that even cheap guitars sound good if you set them up right and play them well - easy for him to say! Nevertheless, he played his Fylde most of the time. At the end of the first set he played the electric and using his Line 6 Helix built up a symphonic multi-track piece lasting about eight minutes or so, which was impressive. At the other extreme, he played Loren on the small Vintage Viator. It's a very sweet tune. I am rather taken with the Viator, which is surprisingly inexpensive. I am looking around for a small, sofa guitar. I might just order one, although this would be in defiance of two rules - never buy a guitar without playing it first, and never buy one with an active pickup. I also liked his footstool, which looks more stable than the standard guitar footstool I use now, and has pneumatics to boot. Peter |
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Feb 18, 2024 13:08:32 GMT
From having seen GG close up on a few occasions (but a while ago) - including workshops at the Llyn Acoustic Guitar Festival - I remember him talking about using all 3 of his ‘free’ fingers to play. I wonder if his style has had to change for some reason…
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 13:20:46 GMT
From having seen GG close up on a few occasions (but a while ago) - including workshops at the Llyn Acoustic Guitar Festival - I remember him talking about using all 3 of his ‘free’ fingers to play. I wonder if his style has had to change for some reason… Maybe. On Friday he proclaimed that "I am not a fingerstyle guitar player." He said that his second and third fingers just "float". He said that he is completely self-taught, and devised this method by himself as a way of getting in some melody notes with his strumming. He made a thing of it. I have never seen him before, so it struck me as being both unusual and tricky! Peter |
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 18, 2024 13:32:11 GMT
He's quite an amazing player. I was fortunate enough to see him at a local village hall a few years ago and was able to sit just 6 feet or even less away from him - fascinating to watch his unique style at such close quarters!
His footstool in those pictures does look interesting - almost like a trolley jack but smaller, a bit.
Keith
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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 18, 2024 13:42:55 GMT
I’ve only seen him once, about 35 years ago at the Wyvern(?) theatre in Swindon. It was possibly the first gig I ever went to. Glad to hear he’s still performing. B the little Vintage guitars are great! I had the 12 string version of its bigger brother. I think the aviator was designed by Paul Brett? Mine certainly was. What’s your objection to pick ups? Problem is most cheaper guitars seem to have them fitted by default but if it’s to be a sofa guitar you could just ignore it. |
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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 18, 2024 14:12:26 GMT
I’ve only seen him once, about 35 years ago at the Wyvern(?) theatre in Swindon. It was possibly the first gig I ever went to. Glad to hear he’s still performing. Actually it was more like 45 years ago! |
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 14:17:58 GMT
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 14:32:12 GMT
B the little Vintage guitars are great! I had the 12 string version of its bigger brother... What’s your objection to pick ups? Problem is most cheaper guitars seem to have them fitted by default but if it’s to be a sofa guitar you could just ignore it. I am sure! I am just wary of the neck profile, as I have read that they have a strong "V" profile, which I don't like - small hands, podgy fingers... will need to try one, I think. No objection to pickups per se. But I hate them with batteries - they run out, leak, are often difficult to change, they have extra wires which rattle, and all manner of other nonsense. Yuck! I also hate those little black plastic panels on the top upper bout, with usually inadequate tone controls and tuners. They have cut a fecking hole in my instrument to put one of these ugly useless grotesque controllers in it. Yuck! Yuck! I know, I could just not install a battery and try to ignore the hideous insert in the upper bout staring at me, but life's too short for my aesthetic to be compromised. If I want a pickup I install a K&K Pure Mini. Peter |
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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 18, 2024 14:43:43 GMT
B the little Vintage guitars are great! I had the 12 string version of its bigger brother... What’s your objection to pick ups? Problem is most cheaper guitars seem to have them fitted by default but if it’s to be a sofa guitar you could just ignore it. I am sure! I am just wary of the neck profile, as I have read that they have a strong "V" profile, which I don't like - small hands, podgy fingers... will need to try one, I think. No objection to pickups per se. But I hate them with batteries - they run out, leak, are often difficult to change, they have extra wires which rattle, and all manner of other nonsense. Yuck! I also hate those little black plastic panels on the top upper bout, with usually inadequate tone controls and tuners. They have cut a fecking hole in my instrument to put one of these ugly useless grotesque controllers in it. Yuck! Yuck! I know, I could just not install a battery and try to ignore the hideous insert in the upper bout staring at me, but life's too short for my aesthetic to be compromised. If I want a pickup I install a K&K Pure Mini. Peter The description is ambiguous as to whether it has a pickup (the title says acoustic, the detail electro-acoustic) but the pictures on the Vintage website vintageguitarsrus.com/collections/paul-brett-series/products/vintage-viator-paul-brett-travel-guitar-natural don’t show a control plate. I know mine just had some controls in the sound hole. |
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 14:50:40 GMT
No objection to pickups per se. But I hate them with batteries - they run out, leak, are often difficult to change, they have extra wires which rattle, and all manner of other nonsense. Yuck! I also hate those little black plastic panels on the top upper bout, with usually inadequate tone controls and tuners. They have cut a fecking hole in my instrument to put one of these ugly useless grotesque controllers in it. Yuck! Yuck! I know, I could just not install a battery and try to ignore the hideous insert in the upper bout staring at me, but life's too short for my aesthetic to be compromised. The description is ambiguous as to whether it has a pickup (the title says acoustic, the detail electro-acoustic) but the pictures on the Vintage website vintageguitarsrus.com/collections/paul-brett-series/products/vintage-viator-paul-brett-travel-guitar-natural don’t show a control plate. I know mine just had some controls in the sound hole. I was looking at this one: vintageguitarsrus.com/collections/paul-brett-series/products/vintage-viator-paul-brett-electro-acoustic-travel-guitar-antiqued In this case, there is a panel, with the jack socket, USB and battery compartment on the underside. Peter |
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Post by juliant on Feb 18, 2024 15:32:08 GMT
Re plectrum and pinky: that's certainly how he played when I took lessons from him many decades ago, and possibly one of the reasons why I didn't really learn very much, it was so alien to my way of playing.
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Post by Phil Taylor on Feb 18, 2024 15:59:41 GMT
From having seen GG close up on a few occasions (but a while ago) - including workshops at the Llyn Acoustic Guitar Festival - I remember him talking about using all 3 of his ‘free’ fingers to play. I wonder if his style has had to change for some reason… He uses a pick and his little finger only. I learned one of his called 'Loren' a few years ago now and that was difficult to play even with all my fingers! Phil |
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 18, 2024 16:07:20 GMT
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Jo whoever he is.
