Author: timguitar

Great Guitarists #15: Cornell Dupree

Great Guitarists

Following my last article on the recently passed Herbie Flowers, it felt fitting to return to some of the behind-the-scenes musicians in the next instalment of my (ever-so-intermittent) Great Guitarists series. I have already shone a light on some of my personal favourites, including Steve Cropper and Barney Kessel, and this time I’m focusing on another sideman who played on so many sessions he had the nickname “Mr 2500”, Cornell Dupree (1942-2011).

There’s not many guitarists, even in the session world, whose credits include such a diverse range of artists, from Barbara Streisand and Mariah Carey to jazzers Herbie Mann and Sonny Stitt, as well as rockers Joe Cocker and Ian Hunter.

Born Cornell Luther Dupree Jr in Fort Worth, Texas. His career began in Texas, having decided to learn guitar after seeing Jonny ‘Guitar’ Watson in concert. While playing in local bands, he will have undoubtedly encountered and opened shows for other well-known and respected Texan artists such as T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, Albert Collins, Lightning Hopkins, as well as country stars such as Roger Miller and Ray Price.

In the early 1960s, Dupree was called to New York by saxophone player King Curtis (whom he had known from their days in Fort Worth) to join him in his band The Kingpins. This group were a joined a few years later by a second guitarist – a certain James Marshall Hendrix…

Left to right: King Curtis, Cornell Dupree, and Jimi Hendrix performing with The Kingpins

In a band without a keys player the two guitarists worked together to fill out the band’s sound; Hendrix quickly taking on soloing duties while Dupree filled out the rhythm section. While Hendrix was dismissed from the band in 1965 (for being too loud, too flashy and often late to gigs), Dupree stayed with King Curtis, both onstage and in the studio, up until the band leader’s death in 1971.

Dupree made is first foray into session work in the mid-sixties, while still in the Kingpins. He spent much of the next decade and a half as a much called upon ember for Atlantic Records’ in-house studio band. In the the 1970s alone, his playing graces the albums of artists such as Aretha Franklin, Grover Washington Jr., Donny Hathaway, Miles Davis, Lulu, Herbie Mann, B.B. King, Freddie King, Billy Cobham, Paul Simon and many, many more.

Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler stated (in the liner notes to Dupree’s 1994 solo record Bop’n’Blues) that Dupree’s ability to play lead and rhythm at the same time meant that only one guitarist was required to provide what was needed. Thanks to recommendations from former bandmates such as bassist Chuck Rainey, Dupree soon gained a reputation as the only guitarist a producer might need.

Amongst all this, Dupree not only found time to release over a dozen solo records, but also founded the jazz fusion group Stuff. Stuff were a who’s who of session musicians including bassist Gordon Edwards, Richard Tee on keys and Steve Gadd on drums and fellow session guitarist Eric Gale. Their appearance at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival is available as a concert video and LP (see one of the tunes, Stuff’s Stuff, below), showcasing these players at the top of their game.

Stuff live at Montreux, 1976

In later years, Dupree continued to perform despite declining health. He can be seen at the end of the Bill Wither documentary Still Bill playing ‘Grandma’s Hands’ with Withers while using an oxygen tank to aid his breathing. He died in 2011 while waiting for a lung transplant as a result of emphysema.

Playing style

As a soul-based guitar player, much of Dupree’s playing used a clean sound with minimal effects, except for a touch of reverb, in most cases. This allows his playing to shine through without becoming overly dominant in the mix. His style demonstrates that blues and gospel-based pattern of question & answer, where one melodic phase acts as a short opening statement (of less than a bar in length), before being ‘replied to’ by another phrase of similar length.

His choral work makes use of the sort of flickering embellishments familiar to use through Jimi Hendrix making extensive use of them (along with Curtis Mayfield and others). In Dupree’s case, they always feel very tastefully executed, and seem to leave ample space for the artist (usually a vocalist) whom he is backing. In this sense, he is following the golden rule of the sideman: to make the featured artist sound good.

Stuff; the all-session jazz fusion supergroup

An integral part of Dupree’s lead guitar style is his use of sliding sixth to augment and enhance the chords he was soloing over. For those who are unsure about sixths, you can find my explainer on sixths and similar intervals here. Steve Cropper was a big proponent of this technique, and like Dupree, one of the guitarists I kept hearing on soul records time and again, without really knowing who these backing musicians were until I was older and starting to dig deeper into this side of my own guitar playing.

Equipment

Although reported to have started out on a Les Paul, then a Les Paul TV Special (a stripped down, P90-equipped version of the Les Paul), Dupree appears to be mainly pictured with a modified telecaster (another common element he shares with Cropper). He is often shown in older pictures with a white/faded blonde model, with a third DeArmond style pickup added in the middle position. This addition meant the pickguard could not be refitted onto the guitar, so Dupree appears to have filled in the screw holes with rivets. It certainly makes for a distinctive look!

A recreation of Dupree’s long-time telecaster (with added bird artwork not on the original guitar) by Scero Guitars

In 2002, Yamaha made a Cornell Dupree artist model Pacifica, using their telecaster-style ash body with a one piece bolt-on maple neck. This signature model had the same atypical pickup configuration that Dupree had been using for decades on his modded Telecaster. The Pacifica came with a neck humbucker and Seymour Duncan ‘Hot Rails’ in the bridge position, controlled by a three-way switch to toggle between them, but not a rivet to be seen!

Dupree with his Yamaha signature Pacifica

There was also an alnico V single coil in the middle, which could be added to any selection via it’s dedicated on/off switch. I’ve seen this mod on the guitars of a few professionals, particularly those who like to get the most sounds out of just one guitar (something I have written about before). Indeed, I’ve modded a few of my own guitars to ensure a similar level of flexibility and range of sounds (read about some of my mods here).

What can Cornell Dupree teach us?

Dupree was the master of economy of style, never overplaying. I guess that’s one of the reasons he was always asked back to more sessions; he knew how to serve the song. Another factor is his clear professionalism. As with Herbie Flowers, showing up, acting professional, and learning to anticipate the producers needs is a key element to a successful career as a session player.

While his former bandmate Hendrix might be more recognisable, having made a wonderful career on his own terms (and in his own time, it seems), Dupree seemed content to remain slightly off-centre stage. As a result, he had a long and varied career. Indeed, although Hendrix is undoubtedly the more seen, I’d argue that Dupree – thanks to his appearances on thousands of recordings by some of the music’s biggest-selling artists – may actually be the more heard of the two. In my mind, that’s quite the achievement.

R.I.P. Herbie Flowers, one of the best bass players you’ve never heard of – and what you can learn from his long career

Music

Top session bassist Herbie Flowers sadly passed away on the 5th of September, aged 86.

Although most people may not have heard of the British session musician, Flowers was well known within the music industry, having been performing and recording since the 1960s. After starting out playing tuba and double bass in the RAF in the 1950s, Flowers moved into session work and soon the bass guitar became his main instrument. Among his earliest recorded work was the band Blue Mink, who had hits with ‘Melting Pot’ and ‘Good Morning Freedom’.

Flowers soon began playing sessions for artists in the late sixties, working regularly for famous producers such as Mickie Most (The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Donovan, Lulu, and many more), Tony Visconti (T. Rex, David Bowie, The Moody Blues, and countless others), and Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, among others). His playing credits are almost too long to list. In fact, it’s estimated he’d played on at least 500 hit recordings by the end of the 1970s!

Here’s a few of the more well-known highlights…

Flowers played bass on Bowie’s eponymous second album, including his first hit, ‘Space Oddity’. He then returned to the studio with Bowie to record his Diamond Dogs album.

When working on Lou Reed’s Transformer album, Flowers created his most recognisable bassline, used on the song ‘Walk On The Wild Side’. This bassline is actually two basses a double bass with a fretless Fender Jazz playing the higher part. As well as creating a unique sound that’s harder to achieve when playing both lines on one guitar, it also allowed Flowers to collect additional royalties for playing additional instruments on the song!

In 1971, Flowers co-wrote the novelty song Grandad, sung by actor Clive Dunn. The song reached the number one spot on the UK charts the same year, where it stayed for three weeks.

Flowers played bass on Jeff Wayne’s famous masterpiece, his musical and spoken-word adaptation of War of the Worlds. He then toured with Wayne when he took his famous concept album on the road decades later.

Flowers also appeared on recordings for Elton John, David Essex, Olivia Newton John, Bryan Ferry, AL Kooper, Harry Nilsson, Cat Stevens as well as on solo albums by three of the Beatles; Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

His work on a crossover record Changes by Australian classical guitarist John Williams (which included Williams’ arrangement of ‘Good Morning Freedom’) created a connection which came to fruition in 1978, when Flowers and Williams teamed up with other session musicians to form the famous instrumental group Sky. This supergroup of sorts (although only Williams was recognisable to most of the general music-buying public) released several albums over five years and toured regularly, bringing their fusion of classical, jazz and pop music to a wide audience.

What can we learn from Herbie Flowers?

Unlike other famous session men, such as ‘The Wrecking Crew’ in the USA’s pop music scene, Flowers seems to have developed a good reputation as a reliable performer, making him the first-call for several producers and composers. Why was this?

Put simply, he was not only a good musician, but a reliable one. Studios are expensive places to waste time, so having a roster of musicians who can not only play to a high standard, but also turn up on time is essential to producers, arrangers, musical directors and band leaders. Musical skill and a good ear allow the best session players to grasp a new song quickly and do their best to make it sound as good as possible, but the real professionals are he ones who treat it like the job that it is.

Nowadays, studios and recordings work a little differently. The ones that do make use of session musicians on a regular basis are far more rare, and getting a gig in such a place can feel almost impossible. It’s worth remembering that this side if the industry is – and to an extent, always has been – something of a closed shop. However, opportunities still exist in live performance, which in my experience have led to recording opportunities that I would otherwise not been offered. To give yourself the best chance of being considered for such roles, ask yourself:

Do I have a reputation for turning up on time, setting up quickly, and having working equipment?

Am I recognised as a competent musician (not the flashiest) who can cope with most styles?

Am I considered easy to get along with?

Divas don’t get invited back to future sessions. Nor do musicians who show up with faulty gear. I’ve also known artists to get frustrated with the brilliant ‘hot new thing’, fresh from music school with a head full of jazz theory and the chops to back it up, citing their input as overplaying or lacking in any real soul. Be like Herbie Flowers and that select group of ‘top’ session players: turn up, don’t make trouble, and serve the song. It worked for him. It will work for you.

In both cases, a little hard work and luck is involved, but t’was ever thus. And Herbie Flowers seems to have made the best of the cards he was dealt.

RIP, Herbie (1938-2024).

The (not so) secret to getting a great guitar tone

Advice & Tips

Is tone more important than technique? That’s a great debate to have, but not today…

Yet when most people listen to music, it is the tone of an instrument such as a guitar which catches and holds our attention first, so tone is pretty important. But how do we improve our tone? To do this, we need to understand what makes the tone we hear when we play guitar.

Tone knobs. Also available on dishwashers

In this article, I will list the various various factors that impact the tone of your instrument, starting from the last one in the chain before the sound reaches our ears, all the way back to where the notes come from…

Amplification

As the last step in the signal chain, the sounds that come out of your amplifier (or PA speaker if you’re using an amp simulator, etc) if what you and the audience hear. Everything that comes before this will be coloured by the natural sound of the speaker, it’s valves/circuitry and whatever tones you dial in.

It’s so common to see guitar players spending most of their money on a guitar, while skimping on amplification. While it’s certainly true that it’s a good idea to have the best equipment you can afford, that super-expensive Deluxe Strat would actually sound too different to the Squier Bullet Strat if you’re playing them through the same amp.

Image credit: Fender.com

A good amp can adapt your sound. Weaker, thinner-sounding pickups (such as single coils) can be ‘beefed up’, while humbuckers with too much push can be fixed with a mid-range cut. And that’s before we look at overdrive, distinction, reverb and effects such as chorus, flange, phaser, etc, all of which further colour the natural tone of the guitar. There is dangers here, too. Overuse of EQ or effects can lead to something which sounds over-processed, or just plain bad (think of the infamous ‘wasp in a jam jar’ sound attained from too much fuzz and treble).

Luckily, the market is full of affordable amplification options. There are also various digital modelling amps and units that can recreate the classic tones of famous (and incredibly expensive) vintage and boutique amps. To have so many genuinely realistic sounds available in one place, at an affordable price, is a relatively new luxury that all guitarists should be taking advantage of.

Pickups

After amplification, the second most crucial factor affecting the sound of an electric guitar is the pickups. These devices, magnets wrapped in wire, convert the vibration of the guitar’s strings into an electrical signal to send onwards in the chain.

Image credit: http://www.homeoftone.co.uk

I have spoken in earlier posts about the differences in pickup type and how some may be more versatile than others (see the articles in question here and here), but to sum up, keep in mind these basic points:

– The lower the output of a pickup is, the cleaner it will sound as you increase volume
– Humbuckers can handle higher-gain settings with much less extraneous noise (hence the name, a reference to their hum-cancelling qualities)
– Different types of pickups will naturally sound different (i.e., those made with individual magnet ‘slugs’ for each string, as opposed to ceramic bars which run the length of the pickup); do plenty of research before you commit to buying!

Volume

As hinted at above, some pickups will retain their ‘natural’ tone more easily than others, depending on their strength. However, in many cases, judicious use of the volume control(s) on your guitar can help find the sweet spot in terms of sound. Unless there is a treble-bleed circuit installed within the circuitry of your guitar, most pickups lose a little top end as the volume is turned down. I find that rolling back the master volume on my Strats to around 7 or 8 takes out some of the harsher treble frequencies for a nicer, more rounded-out sound. It also leaves a little headroom to boost your volume and cut-through for lead lines.

Similarly, turning down the gain on the front end of an amp or overdrive pedal can allow for a cleaner sounding boost instead. On a pedal like a Tubescreamer (or the many brilliant clones available), turning down the gain allows you to use the volume to amplify the tone of your guitar/pickups without colouring it too much – and a cleaner sound usually cuts through more effectively than drenching your tone in distortion. Listen to those classic Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple records, and notice how there is surprisingly little distortion on the guitar most of the time. The power comes from the volume.

Strings

We’ve now reached one of the cheapest things which affects the sound of your guitar: strings.

Generally speaking, most people experiment with different thicknesses and brands when starting out as a guitarist, eventually settling on the ones which feel most comfortable under their fingers and break as infrequently as possible. But not all strings are alike. Their material (usually a type of metal or alloy) and various coatings have an effect on how the string vibrates, and therefore how it transfers sound to the pickups. Also, a strings that feel different will result in us adjusting the way we play, perhaps without meaning to.

Image credit: ErnieBall.com

Many guitarists used to believe that thicker strings meant more tone. Think of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s gauge 13 strings and the huge bluesy tone he achieved. Yet also bear in mind that the Texan guitarist used heavy strings because he had large hands and and had developed a heavy-handed playing style; he used thicker strings to try and keep them from snapping all the time (and there’s lots of evidence from live footage of his performances to suggest he wasn’t entirely successful in this aim). Foe a while, I had one of my Strats set up with gauge 11 strings and down-tuned a half-step to Eb (as I have been told the late, great Jeff Beck used to do). This was largely a practical setup for the band I was working with at the time, but any guitar players believe doing this allowed the thicker strings to vibrate a little more ‘loosely’, which led to an improvement in tone. I can’t say I noticed much of a difference in the heat of a live show.

As a counter argument, B.B. King and Billy Gibbons used gauge 8 strings, and still managed to achieve great sounds from their instruments. For Gibbons, this may have been down to the famous ‘pearly gates’ humbuckers on his Les Paul, as well as his amplifier tone. As for the King of the Blues…

Fingers (and picks)

B.B. King would have sounded like B.B. King on any guitar. Indeed, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page did always manage to sound uniquely like themselves on any guitar they played. The same can be said of virtually any famous guitarist you can think of, and indeed the rest of us. Why? Fingers.

The most overlooked area affecting the tone of your guitar (and following the rough cost-order of this list, the cheapest!) is the parts of your hands which make contact with the strings and create the sounds in the first place. This goes for either hand, but the fretting hand is the one which is holding the strings and notes in place.

Obviously, there can be a huge difference between picking with your fingers or using a plectrum, and the type of material you use for picks should be taken into account and experimented with until you find what works best for you. However, for your fretting hand, there’s not much we can do to change how this affects the sound overall. The good news is, that’s okay! You have been using the same hands since first picking up the instrument and your sound will always take this into account, if you didn’t realise you were doing it. Embrace who you are! Also, as your fingers are the first stage in the ‘sound chain’, there’s plenty of ways to change the sound as we go through pickups, effects, amps, etc… Take some time to explore the huge range of options and see what works for you!

One engineer’s breakdown of the factors that go into guitar tone. Do you agree? Image credit: http://www.stevenmeloneyrecording.com

Final thoughts

From all of the elements described above, which one would I single out as the most useful for tone shaping? That’s a tough call, and ultimately a very subjective topic. However, for me, I think volume is the most underrated element in the signal chain, and one I’ve taken years to master in terms of my own guitar sound and playing.

In my early days of playing guitar, I sometimes strove to change the sound of my guitar tone, frustrated that I could only go so far without seriously reprocessing the sound into something which might end up sounding synthetic. Yet as I performed live more often, I noticed that out of all of the comments people would make to me about my playing, tone was only ever mentioned in a positive light (the same could not be said for technique, unfortunately). Records capture faithful reproductions of the sounds I started with when tracking them. No one has ever said I have a bad tone. The only person who (sometimes) wanted to change it was me.

One of my modified Stratocasters

Maybe guitar players worry about this too much? Maybe we’ve been conditioned to overthink our tone because it serves the interests of the musical instrument industry? Thousands of companies, from instrument makers to amplifier manufactures, and creators of effects or inventors of accessories, rely on our need for more gear, to finally find that one product that will fix the problem in our sound. But it rarely does. Luckily, there’s always another thing to buy…

I’m sometimes prone to this line of thinking too. That’s the side-effect of living in a capitalist economy, I suppose. I’s never been easier to get purchase anything we need, but we have to be careful not to lose ourselves in the process, and hold on to the simple joy of music-making which got us started in the first place. I came to be happy with the sounds I produce from my fingers. I think it’s had a positive effect on the music I create. It can do the same for you too. Just remember to pay attention to the various stops along your signal chain to ensure everything is working in the best possible way for your sound, and you won’t go far wrong.

One to rule them all – which guitar is the best all-rounder?

Guitars & Gear

I an article earlier this year, I weighed-up which two guitars in my collection would be the ultimate top two – the two I could take along to any gig any be comfortable they would cover (almost) any style of music being played. This is especially useful for me at studio dates, where surprise requests can often occur, and I don’t usually have capacity to take my entire guitar collection along to every session!

In the end, after examining different types of guitar (differentiated largely by their pickups), I concluded that – for me – one of my Stratocasters and a p90-type guitar (in my case this Gould Stormbird) made a winning combination in terms of tones and range of genres. With these two, I could cover everything from jazz and funk to classic rock and noisy indie, and everything in-between.

But what if you could only take one guitar out? Which one would it be?

In the original post, I sang the praises of the 335-type guitar, which only just missed out on making it into the ‘top two’. I love my own 335 copy, but I felt more confident taking a Strat to a gig with multiple (or unknown) genres on the go, mainly because the single-pickup solid body cleans up better, is far less prone to feedback onstage (especially when playing heavier styles), and offers more tonal options. Also, I think the fact that I’ve played Strats since I was sixteen likely played a part in my thought process. I sometimes take a job where I don’t know exactly what I’ll be asked to play until I arrive, so familiarity with an instrument I trust is crucial.

However, I might have been a little unfair to the 335, and feel like I’ve changed my opinion in the last few months. I’ve certainly been using one as my main guitar for 80% of my gigs this year so far, and it performed perfectly at my most recent studio bookings – but would I be happy with it as my only guitar for any gig?

Let’s look at the three types of guitar by pickup type again, with a summary of what I use them for, as well as a few examples of where I use them professionally.

Single-coil solid body guitars (Strat, Tele, Danelectro, etc)

Classic guitar tones – bright and clear with lots of twang or spank to their sound
Sound great overdriven, but retain some of their original character
Sit well in a mix with other instruments/guitars
Reliable, solid instruments which are easy to mod
Perfect for: pop, funk, country, blues, rock, indie
Can be noisy, especially in high-gain settings

P90 solid body guitars (Stormbird, Some PRS models, some Teles, etc)

Beefed-up version of a classic single-coil sound
Beautifully warm, yet still clear, distorted sound
Great ‘best of both worlds’ between a single-coil and humbucking pickup
Covers most styles (but volume has to be rolled back slightly for cleaner sounds)
Can be very noisy in certain settings

Humbucker solid body guitars (Les Paul, SG, PRS)

The classic overdriven guitar sound, warm but aggressive
Warm, full sound for jazz (with the volume rolled back a little)
Perfect for: Rock of all types, jazz and blues
Not as good as single-coils for those iconic glassy clean sounds

Humbucker semi-hollow guitars (335, Elderwood, etc)

A humbucking guitar with a slightly airier sound
Lighter than a Les Paul (to save your poor back!)
Capable to playing most styles imaginable
Perfect for: jazz, funk, soul, blues, classic rock
Neck & Bridge pickups together gives a wonderful funk tone
Prone to feedback onstage, especially in higher-gain settings

Picture credit: Music Radar

Final thoughts

Which would I choose? I still couldn’t say for certain. It depends so much on the gig in question, but if I wasn’t sure what I was going to asked to play, I expect it would be the Strat or the 335 I’d be reaching for. I guess it comes down to a choice between a solid body or (semi) hollow bodied guitar; whether I’m seeking the thicker snap of the Strat, or the airier sound of the 335.

And of course, bear in mind that we’ve only been discussing electric guitar options here – if I was really unsure about the requirements for a studio date, I’d have an acoustic packed into the car too!

But what about you? Obviously, what works for me doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, which is why I’d love to hear your thoughts – get in touch!

No room for Show Ponies – Could you manage all of your gigs with just two guitars?

Guitars & Gear

And if so, which two?

When looking up reviews if new guitars, I often come across the acronym GAS, or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. This humorous shorthand phrase sums up the seemingly inante drive in many guitarists to buy more equipment, from amps and effects pedals to, of course, guitars.

But how many guitars do we really need? Can one setup (be that one guitar, plus a backup, or two guitars used equally) be used in a wide variety of styles and genres?

For many guitarists working in more than one band, this feels like an impossible question – perhaps only slightly easier to answer than asking what one guitar would easily cover all bases for every type of gig you play?

Let’s work on the assumption that most players cross genres in one way or another, and begin with a few opening questions…

How many different genres do you play? And how varied are they?

If you only play one style of rock, metal or punk, then this might be quite simple. Similarly, if you rarely stray out of jazz or soul, you likely have couple of guitars which provide all the sounds and textures you are looking for, and fit the sound of your groups quite well. But what if you’re expected to hop from one extreme to another on different gigs – or even (such as some cruise ship or theatre pit musician gigs) in the course of one gig? Do your guitars cover as many options as possible?

Which guitars in your collection are the most practical?

For most of us, stage space is at a premium, so it’s unreasonable (and widely impractical) to bring four or five guitars to an average show.

Most of the working musicians I know (myself included) soon find themselves reaching for the same two or three guitars in their armoury, confident that these instruments deliver the goods time and again at any gig they bring it to. These instruments are usually well set up and hold their tune reliably, and are often not the most expensive or luxurious instrument option. As lovely as that vintage jazz hollow-body from the 1930s is, it only really does one sound well, and the rest of the time would be sitting there waiting to get knocked over and damaged beyond repair! (it probably feeds back like no one’s business in a live setting, too!)

To sum up, a few questions to consider…

Could this guitar play an entire show?

Is it reliable & comfortable enough to play for long periods of time?

Am I crippled with fear of it getting damaged?

These are the factors we have consider in making a choice such as this. Now let’s look at some of the obvious contenders…

Single-coil guitars (e.g., Stratocaster or Telecaster)

Generally the lowest output pickups (although there’s a world of variations out there), single-coils have been fitted as standard on Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters since they first appeared on the market in the early 1950s. Played clean, these have a wonderful clear sound, and with a little push from the amp or overdrive pedals, breakup beautifully. They aren’t best suited to heavier styles of music, but they perform brilliantly in almost everything else. Think of Buddy Holly and Hank Marvin inspiring millions of future guitar players with the original Strats, as well as the countless players who pushed the instrument beyond expectations such as Jimi Hendrix. For blues, look at Buddy Guy’s searing attack or Stevie Ray Vaughn’s much-too-imitated blues sound (pushing the neck pickup of his Strats through a Tubescreamer pedal)…

Some of the Strat players who have left a significant influence on how we approach the electric guitar. All of them finding their unique voice on the same instrument (Clockwise from top right: Hank Marvin, Buddy Guy, Nile Rogers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mark Knopfler, Rory Gallagher, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly)

Telecasters have had a similarly lasting effect on music history, from the early country musicians and Dylan ‘going electric’ with one in 1965, to it’s emergence as a reliable solid body jazz instrument and the soulful stylings of Stax and Blues Brothers legend Steve Cropper. And let’s not forget that the Telecaster was often the unsung hero in the studio, used on more sessions and hit records than you might imagine – Jimmy Page used one to record pretty much all of Led Zeppelin’s debut album!

Of course, there are far more than Strats and Teles in the world of single-coil guitars. Danelectro make use of their unique ‘lipstick’ pickups, as well as all the weird and wonderful guitars which came out of Japan and Eastern Europe during the 1960s and 1970s. But the guitars made by Fender were by far the market leaders this area, and even if it’s not a Strat or Tele on that record you love, if it’s a single-coil sound, it’s most likely inspired by one.

I’ve been a Stratocaster player since I was sixteen years old, using them for everything from funk & soul to classic rock, with loads of blues and indie-rock in-between. It’s hard to keep count, but I’ve probably had at least ten different Strats in my possession (not all at the same time, I hasten to add!), and I keep coming back to them for a number of reasons, but that clear single-coil sound is chief amongst them.

Both of my current Strats are fitted with alnico iii (3) magnets, like the very first Strats produced in 1954 (although they soon switched to Alnico V and have stuck with them ever since). The 3’s are slightly lower output and vintage sounding, breaking up nicely through a slightly driven amp, and still retaining crisp clarity when paired with a classic Marshall overdrive sound. One of them (the orange one, above right) also features a button to engage the neck and bridge pickups at the same time, giving me the so-called Tele mod, and allowing me the sounds of both guitars in one. A lot of my function gigs in recent have involved numerous switches in musical style, and these two guitars do a great job of handing whatever I throw at them.

Humbucking guitars (e.g., Les Paul, SG, 335)

Humbuckers are, in essence, two single-coils wound together. The two magnets combined create a higher output sound, and their opposing polarity cancels out the 60-cycle hum which occurs in single-magnet pickups, hence the name hum-bucker. These two factors make humbuckers ideal for heaver guitar sounds, from classic rock to metal and beyond. The original humbuckers tended o sound a little ‘dark’ at lower gain settings, but this (along with their inherent noise-cancelling properties) made them an ideal choice for jazz guitarists, and they remain so to this day.

Examples of different guitarists who have used humbucking guitars in a wide array of genres, from jazz & blues to metal & avant-garde (Clockwise from top right: BB King, Frank Zappa, Michael Schenker, Billy Gibbons, Peter Green, Wes Montgomery)

Semi-hollow guitars (such as the 335 style Harley Benton, below left) offer a great hybrid for playing jazz, funk and soul, as well as dirtier blues, rock, pop and indie.

Both of my humbucker-equipped guitars (the Harley Benton and my custom Elderwood, above right), have the option to split the coils, giving a single-coil sound when needed. This is a really useful option, although the split sound is a little too ‘thin’ sounding to use too often; sometimes it’s better to wind back the volume slight on a full humbucker, or find a pickup that’s a good halfway point between a single-coil and humbuckng pickup…

P90 guitars

P90s sit somewhere between the clarity of a single-coil and the power of a humbucker, meaning that they can be a useful cover-all option for gigs that require both heavier and gentler sounds. With careful listening and judicious use of the volume control, you should have the full gamut of sounds available. It’s also worth noting that quite a lot of the classic pop & rock music you love was in fact recorded with p90-equiped guitars – although that’s a story for another time…

I have a triple p90 Gould Stormbird (a copy of a non-reverse Firebird with Entwhistle pickup) which acts as my main guitar for one of my original projects (dirty psychedelic funk), as well as the backup to my Strats and humbucking guitars, at a range of shows. These pickups clean up wonderfully and can produce enough grit for the styles of music I regularly play.

Gould Stormbird, based on a Gibson non-reverse Firebird, with three p90 pickups

One of the main drawbacks to a p90 is that they can be quite noisy, even more so than with single-coil pickups, due to their increased output. This is especially apparent in venues with lots of mixed lighting circuits (such as stage lights with timers and dimmers), so you have to be ready to mute your sound between songs. Is it worth it? In my opinion, yes. I currently only have one p90 guitar, and it’s become so essential to my rig that I need to look at getting another p90 guitar to act as a spare in case anything goes wrong with this one…

So what are my ultimate two?

Let me start by saying I think every guitarist should at least try out a 335-style guitar. They are incredibly versatile and comfortable instruments, capable of covering a wide range of bases. If I was ever in the position where I could only take one guitar to a session (be it live or in the studio), I think a 335 (or in my case, the HB-35 Plus) would be my safest bet.

However, in terms of covering the most styles possible while remaining comfortable and reliable, I would choose one of my Strats and the p90-loaded Gould. Between these two guitars, I can go from clean to quite heavy, with a high degree of note clarity, and little (if any) risk of onstage feedback. Both axes are well built and well setup solid bodied instruments that rarely present any issues while working. Although I’m sure I’d find myself missing the 335 before too long…

Final thoughts

Of course, these are my opinions, based on my own experience and current work. As always, I’d love to hear from you – what two guitars would you take out as your cover-all-bases setup?

Acoustic guitar review: Cort CJ Retro

Guitars & Gear

You’ve probably played a Cort guitar before, without even realising it.

The Korean firm is one of the largest guitar building companies in the world. Yet most of their operations are to serve as contractors, building the lower-budget guitars of several major brands over the last few decades, including Ibanez, Squier, Schecter, PRS, Musicman and G&L, to name but a few.

So guitars sold under their own name should be treated with respect, considering the expertise and resources behind their creation. Their CJ range of acoustic guitars are a good value alternative for players on a tighter budget and offer high quality instruments at a more than reasonable price.

For me, I need a guitar I can take out to live shows that will perform without me feeling anxious about it getting damaged. My Taylor acoustic’s endpin jack is coming loose again, despite several attempts at repairing this issue (never, ever buy a guitar where the jack input is part of the strap button – in my experience, it pays to keep these two important elements separate), so I have taken the decision to retire this guitar from regular gigging. I found the CJ Retro available on sale and loved the vintage aesthetic, and here we are…

The CJ Retro seems designed to put you roughly in mind of the Gibson J-160E acoustics famously played by John Lennon and George Harrison. Lennon in particular made use of his J-160 throughout his career, and the fact that his guitar was also all-laminate didn’t stop it from becoming the acoustic you hear on countless classic Beatles songs. The CJ is a different shape (a jumbo compared to the J-160E’s dreadnought shape), and with the soundhole-mounted pickup, it also projects a vibe harking back to the earliest days of pickup-equipped guitars (think Charlie Christian).

Specifications & dimensions

The CJ Retro is a jumbo-sized electro acoustic guitar at a budget price. Instead of a solid top, this guitar is constructed entirely out of laminated woods, so the sound won’t mature in the same way as a more expensive acoustic. But laminates have their own positive qualities, being more resistant to the elements than a solid top guitar – useful for regular gigging, especially if you play a lot of outdoor shows.

Here’s the basic specs & dimensions:

  • Top: Laminated Spruce
  • Back & sides: Laminated Mahogany
  • Fretboard & bridge: Merbau
  • Nut width: 43mm / 1 & 11/16th in
  • Scale length: 648mm / 25.5 in
  • Pickup: Fishman® Neo-D Humbucker (over soundhole)
  • Electronics: Fishman® VTB EQ passive system (Volume, Treble, Bass)
  • Length: 105cm / 41.5 in
  • Lower bout: 42cm / 16.5 in
  • Upper bout: 32cm / 12.5 in
  • Depth: 12.5 cm / 5 in

(all measurements are approximate).

The white double binding is well done and matches the simple single-ply pick guard. The off-white tuning pegs (attached to open gears on the back of the 3-a-side headstock) compliment the vintage feel of the matte sunburst finish and dual, overlapping rectangle position markers.

You can read the full blurb and specs on the Cort Guitars website.

First impressions

This is a loud guitar that projects well. The new set of strings which the guitar came with still have that treble-heavy ‘zing’ that needs playing out, but this all-laminate jumbo box certainly moves the airwaves.

It feels comfortable to play. The matte finish feels like the satin fimish found on some electric guitar necks and invites fluid movement. The neck shape itself feels comfortable and the frets have been well finished (no sharp edges here).

One thing I hadn’t noticed prior to purchase was the lack of a second strap button, meaning one end of the strap would have to be strung around the headstock. However, installing a second button on the treble side of the neck joint (with a small amount of careful drilling) allowed me to attach the strap here. This meant that playing felt a little more naturally ergonomic for me when standing up.

Sounds & playability

This really is one of the loudest acoustic guitars I’ve ever played. The combination of it’s jumbo size and the bright strings make for an instrument that cries out to be strummed, whether it’s big open chords or comping more complex jazz voicings. The strings are well balanced and all notes ring clear. This remains the case when fingerpicking, which sounds wonderful on this guitar. For single line playing, the Cort offers a midrange bite that’s perfect for bluesy leads (think acoustic Clapton).

Plugged in, the guitar’s acoustic ‘zing’ is a little muted but still present. Through a PA, this guitar sounds a little boxy, like the archtops of the 30s and 40s, which is a result of the position of the pickup (as opposed to the traditional place, inside the guitar, under the bridge). The treble and bass controls have a wide range and do a good job of rounding this out, although it took me little experimentation to tune my ears into the sound I wanted.

Final verdict

I didn’t need to worry too much about onstage monitoring with this guitar, as it is more than loud enough for me to hear it live acoustically while playing. The Cort has performed admirably at several shows already, and recieved compliments for it’s appearance and sound.

My main gripe is the difference in sound between the guitar’s natural acoustic tone and the pickup. Although this served as an advantage when I took it along to a recent studio date. At the overdubs session in question, I used the CJ to add a solo and harmonies to a song with a laid back, country rock feel. Here, the neutral sounding plugged-in tone of this guitar provided the engineer and producer with a natural sonic base they can shape and sculpt to fit the sound they’re looking for.

Overall, there could be improvements, but at this price, there’s little to complain about. The build quality is exceptional and I now have a guitar I am happy to take out to shows of all shapes and sizes.

Seek one out and see for yourself.

Hot space: the secret of good improvisation

Advice & Tips

It almost seems too obvious to even require mentioning, but it’s the best advice I was ever given as a young musician:

Do less, and do it well

If in doubt, leave it out goes the old adage about instrumental soloing. It equally applies to composition as well – but what else is improvisation, if not instantaneous composition?

Think about what you’re trying to say, and be sure to communicate that message in a way listeners will be able to understand.

Imagine trying to listen to someone give a lecture, but the speaker in question spoke incredibly fast and never paused for breath. It’s exhausting to listen to. And sometimes, when you are trying to be get your point across, it can be better to say less.

This is why all those flashy million-notes-per-second solos are generally only preferred by other musicians. The best solos carry a song without filling the entire sonic pallete, leaving room for the listener to hear the context in which the solo exists.

“The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen”

Duke Ellington

The great jazz improvisers such ad Miles Davies referred to this as ‘hot space’ and valued it as highly as – if not higher than – the notes being played in solos.

However, that’s not to say that the noodling doesn’t have its place. Of course it does. It’s certainly true that speed and long, winding melody lines have their place, but they need to be used sparingly, like spices which might otherwise overpower the dish when you’re cooking.

Naturally, there’s no clearly defined correct way to improvise. The whole point of improvisation is we literally making it up as we go along! Go out there and take risks – just leave room for everybody else!

And remember, context is key, always.

Iconic Northumberland landmark, The Sycamore Gap, has been destroyed. Vandalism believed to be the cause.

Poetry & Writing

The residents of Northumberland, and fans of the county’s stunning scenery around Hadrian’s Wall, woke up to devastating news this morning, as they discovered that the Sycamore Tree nestled in a dip along the wall near Twicebrewed has been felled.

The tree, which led to the spot it stood in becoming known as The Sycamore Gap, was discovered on it’s side, lying across the ancient ruins of the Roman Wall, by Amanda Marks, an author who happened to be staying nearby. Her Facebook post (below) soon went viral among local interest groups focused on the Wall and local towns of Hexham and Haltwhistle.

Pictures courtesy of Amanda Marks, Author (via Facebook.com).

Believed to have been 300 years old, the Sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) is the surviving member of what was once a small cluster of trees in that spot along the Wall, the ancient border between Roman Britain and Scotland. It was named ‘Britain’s Favourite Tree’ in 2016 and was the subject of countless photographs, both amateur and professional. You can read more about history of the tree here.

Aurora Borealis at Sycamore Gap, 2021.
Photo credit: Steven Lomas.

The tree became a much more famous landmark following this scene in the 1991 blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a Hollywood retelling of the Robin Hood legends starring Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Alan Rickman.

The film brought even more tourism to an already popular spot for walkers and fans of Romano-British history.

Copyright Warner Brothers.

At present, it is claimed hat the tree was damaged by the winds from Storm Agnes, which blew through the region on Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday morning. As a result, the tree may have had to be cut down for safety purposes. Yet looking at the pictures of the felled tree above, many argue that the truck is not showing any signs of storm damage. In fact, the only damage that CAN be determined is the very clean chainsaw cut running through the centre of the trunk.

Furthermore, several local residents are questioning why the tree has been left lying on top of the Wall itself? Historic England, who manage and maintain the sections of Hadrian’s Wall which remain, have long asked walkers and visitors to refrain from walking on to of the wall itself, to prevent further wear and damage to the monument, and the route has more than one sign reminding people of this fact.

Consequently, many believe that the tree has bee cut don in a mindless act of vandalism. As soon as more information becomes available, I will update this post.

Update (5th of October 2023): It has been confirmed that this incident was a deliberate act if vandalism. Local police arrested a 16 year old boy and a man in his sixties in the days following the felling. Both were released, without any charges being pressed at this point, and their investigation continues.

Whatever the reason, it’s a truly sad day for Northumberland. Already, the loss of this iconic tree has provoked sadness and rage amongst those who live close to it, and those who have walked past it on their route along the Wall. Hopefully we will find out exactly why this tree was felled, and if it was a mindless act of vandalism, then suitable measures are taken.

Trees were an important part of Celtic culture (indeed, the alphabet system used trees to differentiate and help organise their letters). In cultures all over the world, trees play an important part, from the Trees if Life & Knowledge in the Garden of Eden to the World Tree in Norse mythology. I believe trees have continued to play an important part in our psyche, hence the huge outpouring of grief in the local area and around the United Kingdom, and even among fans of Hadrian’s Wall around the world.

What happens to the felled tree now, and what might replace it at the Gap itself, remain to be decided. Memories can be shared at a special room set up at The Sill, a local visitor centre very close to the site of Sycamore Gap. More information can be found here.

Picture credit: Simon Bradfield.

Recent goings on and upcoming projects

Music

As the rain sets in here in the UK, for what looks like a prolonged period, it seems that summer is well and truly over.

The last few months have been pretty busy, so I thought I’d quickly let you in on what I’d been up to…

…aside from the usual, that is

My main working week is still taken up with the music therapy service I provide in a range of settings. Most of my therapy work is with children and young people, and one of the best things about my job is seeing how music helps to communicate feelings which, for some of my clients, can be hard to articulate with words. It makes the more difficult aspects about this work (such as the seemingly endless stream of reports) worthwhile.

Wedding season is coming to an end

In terms of live music, it is the covers bands that continue to make up majority of my professional output. However, I enjoyed playing more solo guitar gigs, performing at wedding services and receptions.

Credit: Imogenkate Photography (2023).

It’s nice to see this type of work coming back through into my diary again. After Covid, I feared that live classical guitar may have been an expense too far for couples planning their big day, but this summer has thankfully proven my fears to be unfounded. I’ve already got several dates in my diary for 2024 (if you are looking for a solo guitarist for your own big day please get in touch via my contact page).

Nick Gladdish is recording his next LP

In August, Nick called his usual crew into the studio to lay down baking tracks for his new album, he follow-up to 2021’s Last One Get The Lights. Although we all (Nick included) expected this record to feel like a companion piece to LOGTL, we soon discovered a slightly more rock-orientated edge to the arrangements. This may be a result of the tighter arrangements, as Nick told us he was consciously trying to keep the tunes on this record shorter than his usual fare. With John Timey back in the joint producer/drummer chair, and the brilliant Adam Cornell on bass guitar, this felt like one of the smoothest recording sessions I’ve ever been involved with.

NG Band in-studio.
Positive feedback?

The results so far are promising; ten pop-rock songs about love, loss, disillusionment and corruption. I certainly enjoyed writing and layering rhythm guitar tracks. There’s not many guitar solos this time around, but there is some interesting experimentation going on, from drowning out the end of one song in multi-tracked guitar feedback, to a bluesy ukulele solo on the opening track! Next come the overdubs, editing and mastering…

New original project finally ready to launch

Finally, despite various obstacles thrown at me, I am pleased to announce that I have a new original music project about to start performing live. Solcade began as an outlet for music I was writing which didn’t fit anywhere else – too jazzy, bluesy or indeed too varied for many of the ensembles I have been working with.

After recruiting a stable five-piece lineup, the project quickly became much more of a democratic process, and the music is all the better as a result. With each member having an equal credit in writing and arranging, everyone involved has been bringing their ‘A game’ and making some amazing contributions. If you’re a fan of psychedelic funk, Jazz, soul and rythym & blues, then watch this space for upcoming details about our forthcoming debut record (likely scheduled for completion & release in 2025).

We have some live shows coming up in the autumn, too. Follow us on Instagram to hear the latest updates.

But what have you been up to?

Let me know! Also, I’m planning on writing a Q&A article so if you have any guitar, composition, music therapy or psychotherapy-based questions, get in touch and I may well include it!

Happy birthday, Kenny Burrell

Music

July the 31st this year marks the 92nd birthday of Kenny Burrell, who, unlike many of the greats I feature in my Great Guitarists series, is still with us!

Such an occasion is enough of an excuse to revisit his classic cut from 1963, Midnight Blue (if an excuse is even needed)…

Those interested can read more about Kenny here.

Best wishes to Kenny and his family!