A student of Jim McCarty ...

[uwe]

Don't worry, nothing about politics, Corona or hunting, not even an undiplomatic assessment of Ms Jett's guitar skills. Just his early influences (most of them black, McCarty excepted), his counter-rhythm & percussive approach and, uhum, "ejaculating songs". But his rhythm playing is a sight and sound to behold.









A long-haired, lotus-sitting, introspective and gentle hippie crediting Jim McCarty already early on (in 1971) at 2:30:

[ilan]

Opinions and antisemitism aside, I always loved his playing and his taste in guitars.

He mentioned Jim McCarty in his 1995 Star Licks video. 25:34

[uwe]

There is so much to disagree with him. But he has tone in his fingers.

[ilan]

A fun part is where he demonstrates whammy without a whammy (28:40) and wah without a wah pedal (30:25)

[4stringer77]

Sorry, but Illan could you elaborate on exactly how Ted said anything antisemitic? I must have missed it.

[4stringer77]

Okay, I see he said a few things on Facebook back in 2016. Well nobody ever accused him of great forethought before speaking.

[gearHed289]

He may be a delusional and hypocritical whack job, but he's a helluva guitar player. I like his first three solo albums.

[doombass]

He may be a delusional and hypocritical whack job, but he's a helluva guitar player. I like his first three solo albums.

Same here. And somehow he is a fascinating character. I can't believe how much self confidence you can stuff inside one single person.

[uwe]

And somehow he is a fascinating character.

Unfortunately so. Just when I thought I was out, he pulls me back in ... (00:58). 

[uwe]

I have the new album (Detroit Muscle), even a signed copy of it 'cause nothing else was available (who knows, that signature might come in handy when asking for a discount for the next NRA Convention in town!). It's lively and sometimes of course  Nugy-frantic, a few inane tracks (musically and lyrically),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO74BGKIrSc&list=RDLnuwp4EVx4g&index=2

but Ted the Musician wondrously appears on tracks where he sings in a lower register. Though he will never be Derek St. Holmes, his voice has much more warmth that way:





And when I say there is Motown and generally black music in Ted's music, this is what I mean (at 0:55 and again at 2:08):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnuwp4EVx4g&list=RDLnuwp4EVx4g&start_radio=1

That breaks cries "JAMES BROWN!" all over and is just beyond what most white hard rock outfits could come up with.

For some reason, I've always liked his instrumentals and here is a new one which sounds like a bagpipe melody in places.

[ilan]

The instrumental sounds like his PRS.

[uwe]

I always took the Byrdland to be more an image thing/unique selling point. I doubt we heard only that on those classic recordings. Nugent sounds like Nugent and if he plays a Mosrite.

And PRS are fine guitars, no issue with them.

[ilan]

Like the Beatles with their Gretsches and Rics, when the one guitar that is on more Beatles recordings than any other guitar was a Sonic Blue Fender Strat, you mean?  Or Jimmy Page with his Gibsons, when the records were made with a Tele?

[lowend1]

Like the Beatles with their Gretsches and Rics, when the one guitar that is on more Beatles recordings than any other guitar was a Sonic Blue Fender Strat, you mean?  Or Jimmy Page with his Gibsons, when the records were made with a Tele?

I thought the most recorded Beatles guitar was the Gibson J160E?

[lowend1]

I always took the Byrdland to be more an image thing/unique selling point. I doubt we heard only that on those classic recordings. Nugent sounds like Nugent and if he plays a Mosrite.

And PRS are fine guitars, no issue with them.

Ted’s tone has changed somewhat over the years. Going from a wall of Fender Twins with Dual Showman bottoms, to Marshall to Sunn to Peavey and the ever present Kustom Quad 100 DFX will do that… I have no doubt, though, that probably everything before 1980 was the Byrdland through one of the myriad small Gibson or Fender amps that he liked to record with (except for a Fender VI here and there). Around the time of the “Nugent” album, he started playing a Les Paul, followed by a Howard Roberts and ultimately the PRS guitars. Some of my favorite Ted playing is on the “Penetrator” album. There is a live CD from this tour which is worth owning - the set list is loaded with Penetrator cuts. When I saw him on that tour, the whole set was played on the Howard Roberts.  Likewise, the Damn Yankees live DVD is a great document of his PRS sound and he generally plays his butt off. I regret that I never managed to see them live.