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#Post#: 570--------------------------------------------------
Strings for that very early sound
By: abstamaria Date: February 8, 2012, 1:02 am
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This is a very good article, IMO, on strings for that early
Bob-Bogle Jazzmaster sound.
HTML http://www.ggjaguar.com/quest2.htm
Andy
#Post#: 571--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: wstagner Date: February 8, 2012, 7:54 am
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Maybe Mr. Tabalt11 can get Jeff Green from the Pickniks to weigh
in on this. 8)
Jeff is Mr. Jazzmaster and has Bob's tone down pat.
#Post#: 576--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: Jeff Green Date: February 9, 2012, 5:19 pm
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Maybe Mr. Tabalt11 can get Jeff Green from the Pickniks to weigh
in on this.
Jeff is Mr. Jazzmaster and has Bob's tone down pat.
Thanks Walt. I appreciate your kind words and consider them as
an ultimate compliment.
There are many factors involved that contribute to the sound an
electric guitar will produce.
Sticking only to the Major Factors these are: The Guitar - The
Amp - The Strings - The Pick
The Guitar:
As for my choice of guitar, I pick the Fender Jazzmaster as my
favorite. Although it's unknown to many,
this is a very versatile instrument, that is capable in a wide
variety of musical situations.
And as a choice for an instrumentalist's guitar, in the vein of
The Ventures, Fireballs and other groups of
of that similar style, it's tops.
To find that Bob Bogle sound, I find I that it can be obtained
using one of the new Fender Vintage Models.
I've had '59, 63, 65 & '70 Jazzmasters, but the new guitars are
so well made and so easy to play and
are actually consistantly better made than the "oldies". These
new guitars are not cheap of course, as they now list around
$2400.00. But try to get a real vintage model and you'll have
to take out a 2nd Mortgage!
My life with guitars goes back to when JFK was President of the
U.S.A., so I've truly had a lot time to
"experiment". The old Jazzmasters for the most part are more
mellow than the reissues. The exception
is that '65. Wow! That guitar will clear out your ears! Good
sounding, but extemely penetrating treble!
The '63 was a great guitar. The '70 didn't play or sound so
good. The '59 sounds really good, but it
doesn't paly as well as the others.
So.....my description here is based on the Fender Vintage
Reissue Jazzmaster.
These guitars are not naturally as sharp as a Telecaster or
Stratocaster usually is, but you can get mighty close if not
right on that sound just but adjusting your guitar and Fender
Amp.
Still, the guitar is naturally very bright. To achieve an Early
Ventures Sound, that brightness has to be reduced.
Here's how: Leave the Tone Knob on full, but back off the
Volume Knob to about # 7.
No power problem if you're playing though a Twin Reverb as I
usually do, as there is plenty of reserve power.
The Amp:
Set the Fender Twin Reverb Amp at about 6 Treble, 6 Middle and 6
Bass. Of course this will vary with every
Jazzmaster and Twin Reverb. You can use the same guitar through
another Twin, but it's likely the settings
will not work out quite the same.
You go ahead and set your Reverb or Delay and Vibrato/actually
Tremelo to suit your tastes.
The Strings:
Lots of controversy here. But I played back in the days of
those thick, heavy strings. when light gauge strings
were unheard of, were unavailable. Those strings were tough on
the hands and tough on the frets.
Soundwise, they are more mellow then light gauge strings, but I
can get the same sound with more comfort
with a 9 to 46 set of D'Quisto Set #325 Strings. Which,
by-the-way, I understand is the same gauges Nokie
uses, or has used. Also the light gauges strings are easier to
bend, the vibrato works better and my hands
are happier! I don't pick very heavy, I have a very light
touch. I don't like to hear any buzzing and rattling
when I play. I let the amp do the heavy work for me. Playing
this way, gives me my best tone.
You don't always achieve that perfect tone, but as Wes Mongomery
put it, "You get it close as you can,
to a tone you that can live with."
Bad news: D'Aquisto Strings just went out of business recently.
So now what am I going to do?
I don't know yet, but I bought up all the Set #325's I could
find.
I have 24 new sets, so that will tide me over for awhile.
The Pick:
I use a very small pick. It's teardrop shaped and it's thin.
Ordinarily this is another factor that will produce
treble and of course it does. But I adjust the guitar and amp
for that factor as well.
I like the control I have with the little pick. It's great for
lead work. I also use it to play rhythm guitar.
But for that it took me to 2 years to adjust to it. Before that
I had different picks for lead and rhythm.
I'm at the point now where I can even play the bass with that
little pick!
I don't dig deep into the strings, I just hit them with a bit of
the end of the pick. That's all that's really needed.
The pick is flexible against the strings and like that.
Well....that's about it. For a good example, listen to the 2012
Fan Jam DVD's available from Tom Baltaeff.
I thought that the tone I had on "Blue Moon" and "Silver City"
is just about as close as I can get to
Bob Bogle's early Ventures Sound.
Jeff G -
#Post#: 577--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: wstagner Date: February 9, 2012, 7:56 pm
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WOW!
Great job, Dr. Green.
I think this 4um clearly has the resident eggspert on this
subject. ;D
#Post#: 578--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: wstagner Date: February 9, 2012, 7:57 pm
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Jeff....how about starting a thread in the Guitars of the
Ventures section...subject: Jazzmasters.
You're the doctor! ;)
#Post#: 579--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: Noel Date: February 9, 2012, 9:42 pm
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A Jazzmaster thread? Great idea. In the meantime, I just
acquired an MIJ Jazzmaster made in 1995. Vintage specs. Blond
with a red tortoise guard and gold hardware. Came with Thomastik
Jazz Swing 12-50 flats with a wound third. It's a far, far
better guitar than I am guitar player. And it sounds ...
perfectly amazing. I wish I did.
Chasing vintage Ventures tone is a passion. Their Stratocaster
sound? Jazzmaster? Which Venture? How does Don Wilson make his
guitar sound like that? Lots of fun and a real challenge. The
more information the better.
#Post#: 580--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: wstagner Date: February 9, 2012, 10:46 pm
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You need to get crackin'/practicin w/those midi files I
mentioned.
Then record yourself.
#Post#: 581--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: cockroach Date: February 10, 2012, 4:57 am
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I've had good results getting a Nokie sound (for say, Diamond
Head) with a Squier Tele and either a small Peavey or Marshall
amp with a little amp reverb(Using the bridge pickup)
For Bob Bogle's Jazzmaster era lead tone (say WDR or Perfidia),
the Tele with both pickups on together also works well..
Walt, it's a lot easier getting a suitable tone for Ventures
tunes than for Shadows tunes- don't need to endlessly fiddle
about with multiple echo repeat settings and don't have to use a
vibrato arm (AKA a de-tuner...) ;D
#Post#: 584--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: wstagner Date: February 10, 2012, 7:34 am
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Hank's sound is one of the things I'll be discussin/demonstratin
@ the pre FFest 2012 Fri nite session on 10/12.
BIG diff is Shads=Dlay, Ventures=REverb ;)
#Post#: 614--------------------------------------------------
Re: Strings for that very early sound
By: cockroach Date: February 12, 2012, 5:56 am
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Walt,
I agree- that means that the Ventures stuff is also CHEAPER to
play, as most amps have a reverb built in, but for Shads stuff
you need a fancy expensive echo/delay gadget too! :D
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