[Dixielandjazz] Hollow Body amplified guitars.

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

An amplified acoustic guitar tends to feed back pretty badly depending on 
the room.  There is a difference in sound (amplified) but depending on the 
pickups and amps not a lot IMHO.  The solid body guitar doesn't have that 
problem and as we all know guitars are all about volume these days.

The jumbo flat top sometimes called the grand concert is a great sound and I 
like it a lot more than the arch top.  They have a very warm sound.  I think 
the arch top has a more cutting sound and would be more preferable for a 
large dance band if un amplified.  Other things make a difference too in 
overall sound and quality.  Heavy strings a bit higher than I would like 
make a lot of sound but it takes a guy with good chops to play that.  It's 
kind of like what strength reed a horn player uses.

An acoustic guitar can pump out a lot of sound but again I don't care for it 
very much if the instrument is maxing out.  The arch top is better for 
rhythm in a band where I think the Jumbo Flat top is king for singers.  Just 
like the flamenco guitar is not mellow at all but cuts like a knife.

Since an electric guitar doesn't depend on how hard you hit the strings to 
get sound they can have the strings a lot closer to the fingerboard and 
lighter in weight.  They are a lot easier to play for that reason.

There are a lot of different factors in amplified sound.  Today you can buy 
boxes that will model any number of amps and mikes and there are dozens of 
kinds of amplifiers.  Then factor in the taste of the musician and the 
listener which is what it's all about anyway.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 4:34 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Hollow Body amplified guitars.


> Mark Weber at Zerxpress at aol.com wrote:
>>
>> * regarding Kenny Davern using electric guitars:
>> Are those Gibson hollow-body  ( "fatbody" ) guitars consider'd  electric?
>> Kenny probably wouldnt work with a Stratocaster.   ( I was a  close
>> friend of his in his last 5 years,  here in New Mexico.)  He  referred to
>> the electric piano he got saddled with,  on a gig in Santa Fe  (Bumblebee
>> Bob's Baja Grill )   as  "that thing," repeatedly,  and  abhorred it.
>>
>> His guitarists were James Chirillo, Michael Anthony, Howard Alden,
>> Jim Fox, Tony Cesarano, Marty Grosz,   and all those guys  played
>> those fatbody guitars in almost an acoustic fashion when with Kenny.
>> Kenny himself preferred to play in concerts sans PA if he could.
>
> I figure if they plug in, those hollow body Gibson's are considered
> electric.  Most of the guys you mention use amplified, plug in versions.
> Chirillo is on that Arbors album with Kenny and Randy that I mentioned.
> Kenny also worked a bit with Bucky Pizzarelli.
>
> I'm not sure about Marty Grosz's guitar. I think he prefers an un plugged
> hollow body and plays close to a stage mike most of the time.
>
> Barbone Street's guitarist, Sonny Troy, plays an amplified, hollow body
> Gibson, circa 1955 or so. Beautiful sound, beautiful player.
>
> Interesting point about Stratocasters and other solid bodies. Is it the
> solid body, or the way in which they amplify them that produces a 
> different
> sound quality?
>
> Once when subbing for Sonny, I got a young man who was a wiz. He had an
> Ibanez hollow body and a tower of amplifiers and electronic gear hooked up
> to it. It sounded very different from Sonny's Gibson, but the kid swung 
> his
> butt off and it seemed nobody complained about the sound.
>
> Like you, I am a big Davern fan. I grew up with him in New York City. He 
> was
> a giant of a player and a very interesting personality.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
>
>
>
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