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the real Duke Spinner

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22 hours ago, captainbeefheart said:

 

I am lucky enough to have the choice to use a Guild AA where we practice as my good friend is an avid collector with quite a collection of guitars and amps. I have learned to playing with certain people that less is more, those big jazz chords are great when playing solo or a duo but with a full band I find that using inversions of chords emphasizing the melody within while keeping the inversions to 3-4 note maximum. The bass player fills in a lot so I am lucky and the wind instruments are on the melody and head most of the time, when I get a solo the AA certainly stands out. It is a tough instrument to master for sure, and I won't lie the Collings I have is much easier to master as it's so forgiving and easy to play. I still keep the mindset of less is more and stay away from jumping around chord forms blindly, I dissect each song melody and rhythm and as mentioned move my chordal rhythm inversions depending on the melody line and which voicing works best in the larger context. Get rid of the notes not needed that can 'muddy' the sound. In a duo I need to work much harder in filling in the context of the piece both rhythmically and melodically, it's really all about playing in the band your with at the moment.

 

Gibson ES175 is another gorgeous jazz box to play (which he has also), he uses that a lot though so it's hard to get my hands on. I have found laziness has got the best of me which is why I have been just playing one guitar as it gets to be second nature when you play the same instrument all the time. Same neck, same scale, same action, etc... easy for muscle memory.

 

When it comes to the type of jazz guitar accompaniment (in this case, also the type of soloing) I would like to share the piece below in the link. Surely some of you will know him but some may not so much. The Canadian Ed Bickert, one of the most exceptional jazz guitarists in my view, the recording is from 1974 with Paul Desmond, Ron Carter and Connie Kay. 
Here the guitar has to do a bigger job because it is the only harmony instrument and no wind instruments. Sometimes Ed sounds like a Fender Rhodes (the chord play, not the „sound“), sometimes like violin pizzicato e.g. at 2:52. 

He has a beautiful jazz sound that comes from the heart but ironically for decades he only played his Telecaster (with humbuckers) as in this recording. I read somewhere the story that Jim Hall was supposed to play on this record but he suggested that his old friend Ed take over the part. So we have this beautiful recording with Ed.

Also, I absolutely agree with you, CBM, one should not "fill up" everything with too wide fat chords. 

 

Gives the recording a try

 

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While on the search for a low budget acoustic I came across this early 80's Sigma DR-28S, made in Japan.

After everything settled out it worked out to a $100 guitar.

 

Laminated rosewood back and sides but a solid spruce top that had been in guitar form long enough to forget about being a tree and it was now used to making music.

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I have great respect for Japanese guitars, including very good ones from the 80s. Some say that the first Scuire Stratocasters made in Japan were in part better than some American ones at the time. Even if the materials of your Sigma are laminated wood, the motivation of the guitar makers in Japan was full of ambition. Your Sigma is probably very wonderfully musical.

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7 hours ago, Marvel said:

That reminded me that I also had an Eko 12 string back in high school. It's an Italian brand, they still make guitars, but I haven't seen them in the US much.

12 strings are a lot of fun. 
A lot of those Eko and other brands imported in the 60’s and 70’s have gained something of a cult following.

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9 minutes ago, KT88 said:

I have great respect for Japanese guitars, including very good ones from the 80s. Some say that the first Scuire Stratocasters made in Japan were in part better than some American ones at the time. Even if the materials of your Sigma are laminated wood, the motivation of the guitar makers in Japan was full of ambition. Your Sigma is probably very wonderfully musical.

This Sigma is a very well made guitar and sounds great.

I’m really quite fond of it and it has provided many hours of enjoyment for me and the kids.

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Ok I felt lazy after seeing all the great pics of all you guys' guitars and I only posted a pic from the Collings site. I took her out to go over some music and figured I would snap pics for you guys. I highly recommend these guitars to anyone in the market. Word of the wise get a used one made before 2017, Bill lost his battle to cancer then. The new ones are still great but the master passed away and I believe his son still makes them but the one's Bill made are worth more and will only increase in value. I got mine back in 2011 and don't think I will ever sell it, it's just lovely to play, hands down best guitar I have ever played and I have played a lot.

 

 

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2 hours ago, captainbeefheart said:

Ok I felt lazy after seeing all the great pics of all you guys' guitars and I only posted a pic from the Collings site. I took her out to go over some music and figured I would snap pics for you guys. I highly recommend these guitars to anyone in the market. Word of the wise get a used one made before 2017, Bill lost his battle to cancer then. The new ones are still great but the master passed away and I believe his son still makes them but the one's Bill made are worth more and will only increase in value. I got mine back in 2011 and don't think I will ever sell it, it's just lovely to play, hands down best guitar I have ever played and I have played a lot.

 

 

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She’s really gorgeous!

the figuring on the maple top is really nice.

I don’t know if he has any pictures of it but the Taylor 615 that @Marvel used to own had some ridiculous 3-dimensional time trip sort of quilted maple for the back and sides.

Its always amazing to me how holographic the different types of figured maple can get.

 

I think the first time I realized that Collings made electric guitars was a few years ago when I was clicking through YouTube and saw a video of the band Big Thief.

Both their lead singer and guitarist plays Collings electrics at times.

 

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19 hours ago, Westcoastdrums said:

Yours is nice, SSL and Neve are where it's at for the sound out this way. 

 

The big consoles have balanced circuits all the way through.

 

It's also true that getting 90% of the way means MOST people wouldn't hear a difference in the end product. And you still need to have talent (musicians) for the final outcome. Unless you are doing techno... 🙄

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Here is a pic of me and my best friend Roger. I'm holding a Martin D-21, similar to a D-28, but it had black binding on the body. IIRC, it belonged to a friend of ours, who sadly, passed away just a few years ago. (This image was scanned from a negative, one of the cheap pocket cameras of the '60s)

 

 

bruce_roger.jpg

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