Young Bands & Gibson

[lowend1]

If we're talking guitars, my impression is that the Strat era had reached its zenith by the time Nirvana arrived. With Indie bands today, I can't see a Strat (and Strat-influenced guitars) dominance like what existed in the 70ies and 80ies when you hardly ever saw anyone with a Les Paul or an SG (and then they were likely to be either Al Di Meola or Frank Zappa diehards!), at least in Germany.

Bah.
While Les Pauls were definitely out of vogue during the first half of the 1980s following the explosion of EVH and the wave of  "Superstrat" guitars that followed, there were still plenty of Gibsons on big rock stages. Kiss, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Bros, Nugent, Ozzy, Aerosmith - all went through the 70s and even the early part of the 80s primarily playing Gibsons of some ilk. And of course, once Appetite For Destruction was released, the clouds parted and most of the guitar playing world suddenly forgot about their Floyd Rose-equipped Charvels and Kramers, ditching them in favor of any Les Paul they could lay their hands on - even the Norlin-era instruments which had been (mostly) unfairly maligned. (there was a run on top hats, Jack Daniels and heroin as well) Of course SRV fueled a Strat resurgence with his meteoric rise and untimely death, and PRS guitars started showing up more and more, but Gibsons have been wielded during that period by even the most particular of guitar players.

[lowend1]

I play in the house band in the local blues dive , we do a jam on Sundays , been doing the gig for around twenty five years . Now I realize that blues aficionados are a pretty funny little sub group among guitar players , but we have seen a continual stream of fairly young guitar players over the years .
Many initially show up with Squiers and Epis , and it's with some pride when they turn up with a real Gibson or Fender . Some manage to dig up old Harmonys , Supros , and there's a certain cool factor with the older Japanese stuff .
Gretsch remains king with the trad country and rockabilly gangs .
Things seem to be much as they've always been .
And the future is in good hands .

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I showed up at jam night or dive gig with a 'spensive instrument, or even something quasi-collectible. Most of the time it's been the aforementioned Squier, Epiphone, or something cobbled together. The risk of theft or damage is too great to bring out the good stuff.

[gearHed289]

Picture won't post... Carry on...

[morrow]

I generally did enough gigs to pay for something and then went back to the favourite , or usual . I like to convince myself that instruments pay for themselves .  Now I generally bring a Dano Longhorn , but only because it sounds great . It's got twenty four year old strings and has an incredible old school woody thump .
My favourite to play is that little Gibson DC Jr , but the Dano slides under a mix better . Just a fluke the Dano also happens to be about the cheapest thing I own . I often bring a backup , which could be most anything , I've got the usual bunch of classics although I tend to favour shortscales now .
I let people sitting in use my gear at the jam . Regardless of what I might be using . Seems everybody falls in love with that Longhorn .

[Pilgrim]

I've heard 335s in the hands of Justin Hayward, BB King and Johnny Rivers.  That tells me a lot.

[uwe]

I actually like the ES 330 even better - with those dog ear pups and no center block, it really combines acoustic and electric elements.



My son has one - and among the dozen or so guitars he owns (Firebird, Les Paul, Flying V, Tele, Es-125 etc) it's his favorite one. That thing is a real player - originally from the early 70ies, there is probably no non-wood component on it that hasn't been replaced, refretted, rewound, refinned or at least dabbled with - but he says it speaks to him like no other guitar.

[uwe]

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not of those people that still bemoan that Eric Clapton is no longer playing his Firebird or SG from Cream days - I believe that, say, Blackmore, Brian May, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Uli Jon Roth, Carlos Santana and Steve Vai would all still sound like themselves even if they played one and the same guitar over the same amp right before your eyes in your living room. A workable guitar, talent and experience will take you a long way.

[Pilgrim]

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not of those people that still bemoan that Eric Clapton is no longer playing his Firebird or SG from Cream days - I believe that, say, Blackmore, Brian May, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Uli Jon Roth, Carlos Santana and Steve Vai would all still sound like themselves even if they played one and the same guitar over the same amp right before your eyes in your living room. A workable guitar, talent and experience will take you a long way.

There's that old saying about sound being in the fingers.  Lots of truthiness there.