Just to add and confirm my previous list, he had these guitars:
- Two ES-335 / 345 models, one (red?) with a vibrola, the other (sunburst) with a fixed bridge. I assume both are Gibsons. (see Rewind cover leaflet)
- a sunburst Danelectro Longhorn guitar (see Rewind cover leaflet). He also had a Danelectro bass (or Silvertone).
- Several Les Pauls (one was a '52). Gibson Johnny Smith model, Gibson ES-330, Stratocaster, Martin acoustic with a DeArmond pickup (GP, April 1977)
- At first The Harmony only had a Danelectro pickup. Then it went bad and was taken out. Then two low output Gibson humbuckers from a Gibson LP were added, and out-of-phase swithcm and bass cut off selector. Strings were 009-039 (GP, April 1977). Later two more higher output "P90s"-like pickups were added, and a Sears Silvertone bar/lipstick pickup. And add a lot of knobs and switches for taste. (more info in the Paradise studio DVD)
- Gibson double pickup 125 used in recording.
- And what is this vintage Epiphone style of a jazz guitar: http://images.jambase.com/bands/jjcale/blur_train1.jpg
- Previously I mentioned JJ had Texas-made telecaster pickups. I meant Rio Grande Muy Grande, Halfbreed, Vintage Tallboy. But actually these could be a Stratocaster set instead (being a set of three). But somewhere Rocky Frisco, JJ's keyboard player, said JJ gave him one of JJs Telecasters. So he's had one.
As for amps:
- Also had a 1964 Twin Reverb and used also a 4x10 Bassman
- Fender Deluxe amp used for some recording
- a tiny Pignose amp
- for mid-seventies European tour rented a Marshall (maybe he played it Finland too?) (GP, April 1977)
And effects he had in the 70s (as per GP article):
- VOX patent pending wah-wah pedal
- MXR limiters, MXR phaser
- Maestro Boomerang pedal
- Fender Wah-fuzz
- Fender Volume pedal (Mark Knopfler used a volume pedal on his great early stuff too... makes the guitar cry and sing! :) )
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Hi again - Yep I am Martin indeed from the old webbyen site. I
ReplyDeletem actually thinking of making my own JJ Style guitar. What would you recommend?
- Im thinking about buying a cheap Epiphone broadway or a Zephyr Blues Deluxe if I can find one and then maybe switch some pickups and have a Dearmond lipstick on there, a humbucker and a single coil. I think JJs sound on the Harmony is very similar to T- Bone Walkers Gibson Es-5 - do a search on youtube for T-bone Walker don't throw you love on me so strong - and you'll hear it.
What would you suggest if you were to make a JJ Cale harmony clone guitar ?
the best
Martin
I love T-Bone Walker. Especially the "T-Bone blues" album, which has great sound compared to the earlier stuff. Also I think he plays humbuckers on that one, not the P90s. Not that it makes any difference to me, really. Great style, great player! He plays thick strings, and close to the bridge with a pick to get the that tight sound. Where as JJ plays with fingers, and not at the bridge, I assume.
ReplyDeleteThe sameness part might be the lines they play, the groove they get, the hollowbody of the guitar, the same style amps (Tweed Fender).
Personally I think the Ibanez Artcores are a better value, than most of the Epiphones (yes, I do have two Epiphones, and I dig them). Throw a P94 in one of those, if you want that fat single coil tone. I never had one, nor the P94, but I've heard one played by a friend (in a roots rock trio), and heard good things from others too.
I think T-Bone's three P90s were wired out-of-phase (or something) to get a sweet extra tone option that the Zephyr doesn't offer (stock) (and are they still making those Zephyrs?). I dig the Artcore's price, feel and tone... in this, for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DUGoWEFJ2k
But I'd also love to try a flattop instead. I've played some flattops with thin nickel (=electric) strings, that've sounded really good (not that loud acoustically, of course). Also really liked my Ibanez Reference model acoustic pickup I had some years ago. It wasn't "perfect", but had some of the tone I like. Anyway, too bad they don't make electric pickups for acoustic. Or, they at least don't advertise products as that. Of course, acoustic guitars will easily howl on stage with unwanted feedback. Not that I'd really have any stage experience with that!
I also once (in a store) tried a Yamaha AEX1500, which had a piezo and a humbucker. I liked the idea, but the piezo sounded too shrill to my ears, so I mostly played it through the humbucker, only a little of piezo.
My experince with Danelectro's isn't much. I've heard vintage ones played on stage for 50s RnB slide stuff. Sounded great. The Korean ones I've tried sounded good and played well, but never saw the hollowbody one. Too bad Danelectros aren't really available in my hometown.
Besides what JJ said, I've never heard of DeArmond lipsticks. But I know they did make some great pickups. Like the blues style pickups of Lightning Hopkins etc. Up to sort of rockabilly style pickups (similar to Gretsch stuff, I assume). But never had the pleasure to try any of those.
Besides JJ, my personal guitar tone goal are the 50s style RnB tones, like in this Gatemouth Brown clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBrE509Y40A
(overdriven Fender tweed amp being the key here)
oh I realized, JJ didn't say he had a DeArmond lipstick (it was "Sears silvertone" instead)... So in the above, I mean, lipsticks are not what DeArmond is known for.
ReplyDeleteHi Folks!!! I'm Luca Magnoli an italian musician crazy about the music of :JJ CALE,ERIC CLAPTON.CLASSIC ROCK and all about the marvelous genre called BLUES...
ReplyDeleteI play Guitar,Bass,Double Bass,Keyboards and Drums...
Also I play with 3 Bands here in Italy: CRIS MANTELLO & THE JOLLY ROGERS (Swing'a'Billy) and the powerful ACUSTIC TRIP & THE TIME MACHINES (Genuine Rock Blues)and DIRTY HANDS (tribute band of JJ CALE...)
But when the night as come,I start to play in my homestudio from 12.30 p.m. till dawn and create a variety of Tulsa/Blues songs...Listen to believe!!! Hope to hear all of you!!! Roll'on Luca Magnoli
http://www.reverbnation.com/lucamagnoli
On a somewhat recent fan photo on facebook, it appears JJ is playing through a Mesaboogie and a tweed BluesJunior (there are two of them on stage) also he is stepping on what appears to be a MXR phaser pedal (orange color). Also there is one black Peavey amp on the floor (maybe for bass?).
ReplyDelete