It was practically front page news back in the mid 80's when Carlton switched from the ES-335 and Boogie combination to using Strat style guitars made by a company called Valley Arts (they also built guitars for Steve Lukather, amongst others) and a Howard Dumble Overdrive Special amp.
I could fill my whole list with David Gilmour solos.
1. David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb
2. David Gilmour - The Blue
3. David Gilmour - Echoes
4. Eric Clapton - Crossroads
5. Steve Howe - America
6. Trevor Rabin - Owner of a Lonely Heart
7. Terry Kath - 25 or 6 to 4
8. Reeves Gabrels (Tin Machine) - Heaven's in Here
9. Robert Fripp - Baby's on Fire
10. Tony Iommi - Johnny Blade
Last edited by Adrian; 06-14-2014 at 01:53 AM.
Yeah, I didn't care for it either. Funny how you could still tell it was him playing. He's back to the 335 for most concerts now, although I'm not sure whether he has changed from Dumble amps. The main reason he has stuck with those so long is the fact that they would custom build him what he wanted. I don't think Mesa/Boogie ever offered him that type of service.
Yeah, pretty much all of Dumble's output was/is custom built (I thought I had read he had retired some years back, but I'm not sure), so you could just about anything you wanted. And I gather a few guys, like David Lindley, he continued to tinker with the amps, adding or changing things, as per the guitarist's request.
I remember Stevie Ray Vaughan saying one time that the thing he liked about the Dumble amps was no matter how long you left them on, they never got hot. But he made the mistake of asking Howard to build him one with the knobs sticking up from the top, like the early Fender or Vox amps, and that somehow manipulated the chassis in such a fashion that it eliminated the "never get hot" properties. Oops!
But yeah, a good guitarist, you'll be able to tell it's him/her no matter what the gear is. I mean David Gilmour sounds like David Gilmour no matter what guitar he's playing. Listen to the solo on Another Brick II, that's a gold top Les Paul, not a Strat he's playing on that track. And you can identify Eric Clapton as the same guitarist whether you're listening to him play a Gibson with Cream or a Strat on one of his solo records (or even a guitar synth, which he toyed around with in the mid 80's).
The thing with those Valley Arts guitars is, if I remember correctly, they were equipped with EMG pickups, which seem to have a very "modern" (well, modern by 1980's standards) tone. I can never make up my mind if I actually like it or not. I've never played a guitar with them, but on records, like on some of the Pink Floyd stuff, I like the big tone Gilmour got by dialing in the midrange boost control, but then on the live albums when he's using that same tone on the 70's era material, I don't really care for it as much. That's why I liked Doyle Bramhall II when I saw him play with Waters on his 1999-2000 tour: he used more vintage-y sounding guitar tones.
This is a pretty good one by Hackett around 36:40-40:00
Some truly great solos listed, I agree with loads of them, but rather than list ones I agree with I am going off the reservation for these three:
zz Top: La Grange (sure it is short, but there is a point with it becomes ear-splitting: if you crank it up...)
Eloy: Madhouse (Come on progsters, the solo in this song is just insane as Frank just sears the strings into a long and insane frenzy...)
Thin Lizzy: The Rocker (the Original w/Eric Bell): Never heard of Eric Bell? The solo in the Rocker elevates this guy into Jimi/Rory status, like Madhouse, it builds and builds up into an intense frenzy that just explodes, playing any of these three songs at extreme levels borders on a near religious type experience and will certainly leave you breathless and wanting more!)
Love to hear comments from anyone who owns these records...
This is one of those questions that could take a while.. I'll throw out a few of my favs.. my list would have to included something from..
Vai .. For the Love of God perhaps..
and Gilmour... Raise my Rent
and Carlos Santana.. for intensity I guess Sand Castles from Lotus or the mellow side of things.. Moonflower or Europa
Hillage.. something from Fish Rising.. Solar Musick Suite works for me.. although Salmon Song has a nice one as well..
Fripp.. gotta be Pictures of a City
Howe.. too many to choose from.. I'll take Wurm for 100 Alex..
better stop here or this could go on forever.. DiMeola, Harrison, Whitaker, Latimer, etc.
Andrian Belew with KC - Three of a perfect pair
The point of your post being what?
Carlton was nicknamed Mr. 335, because he always played an ES-335. That's what he did all of his session work on, and what he played on his first gaggle of solo albums. Around 85 or 86, he switched over to playing Strat style guitars made by Valley Arts (later also using Tele styled guitars, also made by Valley Arts).
He didn't just switch guitars, he switched from one design philosophy (the classic semi-hollow Gibson model) to the other (a Fender style solidbody, albeit built with a Gibson style 24.75 inch scale and single coil pickups). Maybe you don't care about such ephemera, but at the time, a lot of people who had been following Carlton's career were...well, maybe shocked is a bit hyperbolic, but I think a lot of folks were surprised by him "switching sides", as it were.
Eventually, at some point in the 90's, I believe, he switched back to the ES-335, though I think he continued to use the Dumble amp (hey, if I'd spent $10,000 on a guitar amp, I'd not be too willing to stop using it either).
And I think anyone on a website with a title like Progressive Ears calling anyone else a "dork" is stands up there with the actions of the Harper Valley PTA as the definition of hypocrisy. Besides, I already know I'm a dork. I don't need you reminding me, ok?
Dude, it was a joke, and inclusive. I am a dork, too.
Seriously...suggesting that a musician's change in choice of instruments is Front Page News, it's a funny thing to say. A bit....over the top. Unless all you read is Guitar Player magazine, in which case...okay!
I know, we're on a music forum, and we're all a bit more than casually interested...and I get excited by the number of knobs on Phil Lesh's bass. But it's just a comment on perspective, man....sorry if I offended.
(not necessarily in order - they're all incredible)
1) David Gilmour/Pink Floyd ~ Echoes
2) Steve Howe/Yes ~ Close To The Edge
3) Steve Hackett/Genesis ~ Firth Of Fifth
4) Pat Metheny/PMG ~ Phase Dance (TRAVELS)
5) Michael Schenker/UFO ~ Rock Bottom (STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT)
6) Robert Fripp/Eno ~ Baby's On Fire
7) Ricky Gardiner? / Bowie ~ Always Crashing In The Same Car
8) Allan Holdsworth/U.K. ~ In The Dead Of Night
9) Alex Lifeson/Rush ~ La Villa Strangiato
10) Denny Dias/Steely Dan ~ Bodhisattva (first solo)
There's a billion more, but these first came to mind. And yes, I play.
Steve Hackett Firth of Fifth
Brian May Brighton Rock
Eric Clapton Crossroads
Andrew Latimer Lots of Snow Goose
Roye Albrighton Cryin in the Dark
Mick Ronson Width of a Circle
Jimi Hendrix Vodoo Chile Slight Return
Steve Howe Yours Is No Disgrace
Steve Howe Nous Sommes Du Soliel
Roye Albrighton Show Me The Way
1. John Petrucci (DT)- too many to mention
2. Steven Wilson(PT)- too many to mention
3. Steve Rothery (Marillion)- too many to mention
4. Mike Holmes (IQ)- to many to mention
5. David Gilmour (Floyd)- Comfortably Numb
6. Chris DeGarmo (Queensryche)- Breaking The Silence
7. Ty Tabor (King's - live version of Over My Head (from Woodstock 2) on Best of KX
8. Emmpu Vourinen (Nightwish)- Swanheart
9. Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti (Fates Warning)- Point of View
10. Steve Hackett (G-Spot)- Firth of Fifth
Last edited by progeezer's ghost; 07-02-2014 at 11:35 PM.
Fripp - The Night Watch
Fripp- Sailors tale (those chords!)
Fripp- The entire Lizard album
Krieger- You're Lost Little Girl
Krieger - When the musics over
Krieger - Yes the river knows
Bill Nelson - Adventures in a ...(Live in the air age version)
Bill Nelson - Banal
Nill Nelson- Dance of the Uncle Sam Huminoids
Hackett- Dancing out...
Hackett- Firth
Nels Cline - Either Way
Brian May - Great King Rat (esp solo 2)
Brian May- Love of my life
Brian May- Bohemian Rhapsody (I believe it changed the face of guitar solos)
Roye Albrighton - Desolation Valley (love the m6 to P5 lick)
Ollie Hallsall - May I (June 1, 1974)
Death of a Child
www.soundcloud.com/darklounge
pick any 10 Steely Dan songs........
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