Gonna Try Something a Little Different...

Jethro,

Yup, my first guitar ever was a plain Jane, Ebony Les Paul Std. When I got it, it was so beat, it gave the term Mojo- " Mojo"
BUT, THAT lowly $350 LP had the SHIZ. Maybe that is why it looked like it was played 24/7 by the likes of Pete Townshend.
I managed to swap in some good Schaller Tuning Machines and a Black Generic pickguard and a set of clear black Speed Knobs and some strap locks, then a good set of Dean Markley strings and she was my JEWEL of a guitar.

After selling it and missing playing for about 9-10 years, I managed to get a 1991 Strat and then had my floating trem type guitar to play. Sold it to pay some bills and wound up with a Black 1989 Am Std and a 1991 Am Std. Then, I sought to get back in the Les Paul game but did so with my $359 Epi LP.

If anyone chose to critique me on having too many guitars when I had 3, they could then begin once I bought my first SG. the Black '89 3 Knob Special. Ya see,ever since I got that guitar in 2012, I really loved the SG and yet had not intended to buy another until one day at Music Go Round, I found a Midtown Custom AND a Faded Walnut SG. With the Midtown being a beautiful axe, I essentially let it win me over, and I plunked down the $1300 for it, only to feel the pull of that $500 ish dollar SG Faded. In the end, the Faded won out and I returned the Midtown and recouped more than 1/2 my money back, which eventually led to my getting the P90 equipped SG Classic.

In the long run, I could have played endless numbers of songs on my Strat and Strat only, or I could have sold them and played only my Epi LP,
but in the end, I have enjoyed the differences all my guitars afford me. Oh yeah, and now I have the other reason I answered Jethro the way I have. When I began, I had 0 Whammy type guitars, Now I have 4. 2 Strats, 1 Jackson RR3 V, and my PRS Santana SE. The last 2 guitars having 24 frets and the PRS bridge and Floyd on the Jackson.
 
Back on topic, I don't see why an SG wouldn't work for you on any funk tunes. There are videos where the guitarist for Sly and the Family Stone is playing an SG Custom, and then Eddie Hazel and Mike Hampton of P-Funk both gravitated towards Gibsons. Eddie usually can be seen playing an Alembic, and Michael a Gibson. Many other funk bands usually had one of the guitarists playing an SG or ES style guitar.

Though not really dance type Funk, here's Michael Hampton Killing it on Maggot Brain with a '58 Flying V.


 
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gball said:
I have not really ever tried to make any Gibson sound like a Fender. I don't really like how Fenders sound (wimpy, wimpy, wimpy) but love how Gibsons sound (hefty, hefty, hefty), so it hadn't occurred to me to try such a thing ;).

I've mentioned before - I was in a project for a while that basically required me to play Strats: I needed both the thin shrill sound and a wang bar for what they were doing. But, as soon as that was done it was back to set necks and humbuckers 100%.

I know lots of people in these parts love their Fenders and other similar things, and if they work for you then I am all for it - these comments are based 100% on my own experiences and preferences. But personally I have never gotten a sound out of one that I found satisfying unless I have loaded it with humbuckers and if I'm doing that they I may as well stick with my Les Pauls.
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Gibson Les Paul, is by far, the most versatile instrument...and even 'humbuckered,' the Fender scale length kills the punch.
 
Inspector #20 said:
Gibson Les Paul, is by far, the most versatile instrument...and even 'humbuckered,' the Fender scale length kills the punch.
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While I agree mostly, the Godin LG series has a piezo in the bridge too for acoustic sounds. Kind of a Les Paul killer in a way. The synth is simply a bonus. 5 way switch has single coils too.


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Jethro Rocker said:
It's one thing being a house band. It is another to be on a tour or at least playing all over the country for 40 years.
Helix.
Good hard rock Canadian staple.
Playing here with supplied backline.
I realize to each their own but to imply that anyone that brings more than one guitar to a show somehow "can't do it" or is wrong somehow, simply goes against what the vast majority of touring musicians do.
Here they are with their other guitars. Don't get me started on Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. A different guitar every song!! Touring with a 58 LP and good on him.

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Geoff the Les Paul, is just for show..:D
 
67plexi said:
I have piezo pickups on the bridge of the 1992 Parker Fly Deluxe not bad for a 31 year old guitar it's never broke a string.
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That reminds me of some more things I need to do. Ken lives not far away from me, and a friend of mine has been trying to introduce us for ages. I need to give him a ring in the next few days. I'm not getting any younger.
 
I didn't want to tour, although i had opportunities. I wanted to be home every night and i wanted 6 figures a year...i accomplished both.

I earn much more than a touring support musician.
 
Inspector #20 said:
I didn't want to tour, although i had opportunities. I wanted to be home every night and i wanted 6 figures a year...i accomplished both.

I earn much more than a touring support musician.
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I like being at home too on gig nights.
I didn't earn diddly.
But we did sell off a raft of farmland so we could retire very comfortably.

Not trying to brag about it, just responding.
I can play whenever or wherever I like.
I like that.
 
Inspector #20 said:
I didn't want to tour, although i had opportunities. I wanted to be home every night and i wanted 6 figures a year...i accomplished both.

I earn much more than a touring support musician.
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I do over that along with a company car, 401K, full benefits, and lots of paid vacation time. And, I get to keep music as trying to create art, not product. If it ever sells, it will be a bonus to the real paycheck I get now.
 
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SG John said:
I do over that along with a company car, 401K, full benefits, and lots of paid vacation time. And, I get to keep music as trying to create art, not product. If it ever sells, it will be a bonus to the real paycheck I get now.
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That's commendable indeed and you are truly blessed.

That's not such an easy task earning that amount here in L.A. in the music industry...and steadily...without even so much as a high school diploma...:-)

We've recorded a few original songs - for enjoyment - with Radio AtÖlia. Do i consider those original songs art??? Not really, but they were fun projects.

I never saved up for retirement. It just never crossed my mind to do so. That wasn't at all wise of me, but in reality, I've actually lived longer than i ever imagined, so that factors into the equation too.

Lately, my wife has gently reminded me that i have accomplished everything that we set out to accomplish and so I'm basically running a race for no good reason.

In fact, i feel as though my work ethic has largely made me obsolete.

As a result, I've started pulling musical things way, way back. I'm not sure I'm going to just up and quit just yet, but I've actually been considering it.

I was hospitalized in March 2019 for exhaustion and that did cause me to rethink things a bit, but I've got a really hard head too and i was soon back pushing myself.

About 6 months ago, I pulled out of teaching my Saturday class at Rockstars Academy, but i remain on staff and may do some limited workshops for them in the future. It's a venture that i really do believe in.

Of course, working for Fender was an interesting experience but, more importantly, it was less than 10 miles from home and it afforded me the opportunity to be home earlier each night...@WavMixer knows what its like to spend 4 hours a day commuting on these freeways.

Trust me...It gets old really, really quick.

Its funny, really...when i do - rarely - get together with guys from the music industry, we never talk about guitars or even music for that matter. We discuss cooking, bird feeders and how our kids - and grandkids - are doing.

We can sit here in my room of guitars and recording equipment and never have a conversation about guitars, amps or the industry. LOL.

It's like evolution i suppose...gradual changes over time, but everytime I've ever met a well known artist in this industry, music was never, ever the topic of discussion.

In some respects, its become interesting just to see where my train will stop next...
 
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Inspector #20 said:
I didn't want to tour, although i had opportunities. I wanted to be home every night and i wanted 6 figures a year...i accomplished both.

I earn much more than a touring support musician.
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Totally get that.

Even though I am nowhere close to ever touring, I have had to lay down boundaries as to how often I gig, even in this little band. A few of the guys have no attachments at all, so gigging all weekend every weekend and even days in between are fine with them.

I have no illusions of grandeur. My sense of being isn’t tied to this band. I am enjoying the experience and I’m learning a lot. But, if it ended tomorrow I wouldn’t be devastated.
 
SG John said:
Back on topic, I don't see why an SG wouldn't work for you on any funk tunes. There are videos where the guitarist for Sly and the Family Stone is playing an SG Custom, and then Eddie Hazel and Mike Hampton of P-Funk both gravitated towards Gibsons. Eddie usually can be seen playing an Alembic, and Michael a Gibson. Many other funk bands usually had one of the guitarists playing an SG or ES style guitar.
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Thanks, John.

I appreciate learning that. That is good info.
 
SG John said:
Back on topic, I don't see why an SG wouldn't work for you on any funk tunes. There are videos where the guitarist for Sly and the Family Stone is playing an SG Custom, and then Eddie Hazel and Mike Hampton of P-Funk both gravitated towards Gibsons. Eddie usually can be seen playing an Alembic, and Michael a Gibson. Many other funk bands usually had one of the guitarists playing an SG or ES style guitar.

Though not really dance type Funk, here's Michael Hampton Killing it on Maggot Brain with a '58 Flying V.


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I had these same thoughts when I first read smitty's message of his pursuit.
 
So, I'm still playing around with this.

In the mean time, it's pretty plain to me that I can to everything I need to do in this band with my Strat, my Les Paul, and my Jackson. The only real use for the Jackson is if I need some reliable Floyd Rose action. At times, the '80s vibe of the Jackson (which is purely a visual, eye candy thing) is a nice touch.

Otherwise, I'm doing everything with the Strat and Les Paul.

But, for variety's sake, I like to know I can use different guitars on gigs from time to time.
 
smitty_p said:
So, I'm still playing around with this.

In the mean time, it's pretty plain to me that I can to everything I need to do in this band with my Strat, my Les Paul, and my Jackson. The only real use for the Jackson is if I need some reliable Floyd Rose action. At times, the '80s vibe of the Jackson (which is purely a visual, eye candy thing) is a nice touch.

Otherwise, I'm doing everything with the Strat and Les Paul.

But, for variety's sake, I like to know I can use different guitars on gigs from time to time.
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Sounds very cool...

I just prefer things simple. Economy of movement is super important to me and the less gear i have to move, the better.

Much like how i enjoy flying planes without a parachute, i like to walk the tightrope without a net.

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