Critique/feedback please.

bobo

Hello all,
I've been playing guitar most of my life but began studying JG about 6 months ago.
Someone really should've warned me how extremely addictive it is. I haven't touched my archtop, strat or 335 in months! The only axe that has survived this musical midlife crisis (I'm 35) and still gets attention is my tricone resonator, maybe because it's such a radically different technique ? (I play it w/thumbpick and a brass slide). I've been following the various forum topics, and I'm encouraged to read that I am not alone in many of my GJ newbie growing pains. Here is a link to some recordings I did last month https://www.reverbnation.com/allengiardinelli
I would really appreciate any feedback and playing tips from any of you GJ "elders"
I tracked rhythm to a click track and overdubbed my solos (When I play live I use a loop pedal for rhythm as there are no GJ'ers in my area) To my ear it doesn't sound very gypsy, I feel like a total hack lol. There are a few delta blues tracks with my tricone on there too, if anyone's interested. If any of you more experienced players can spare a few minutes to listen and throw me a few tips I would really really appreciate it.
Here are a few pic's of my new Alexander Polyakov petit bouche (more pic's on the djangobooks custom GJ guitars archive),
but in the recordings I was playing a 500 dollar Zenato
I use Savarez Argentine reds and a fat tone wegen pick.

Thanks
and thank you Micheal for creating such an awesome GJ resource & online community, by far the best IMO.

Allen
https://www.reverbnation.com/allengiardinelli

Scoredog

Playing sounds great, clean...nice feel!

some runs have a more pull offs or hammer ons then typical but why not do your own thing.
Recording quality could be better and not referring to the guitar.

Buco

I listened to some of it, very good playing indeed. You're obviously skilled player with really good fluidity, very hard to achieve and a mark of a top notch player IMO. For this genre you only need more pick/string attack and as noted above keep doing your own thing. If you keep up with the genre you're going to listen to other players a lot,hopefully, and that'll reflect in your own phrasing eventually.

If this the guitar I've been seeing on eBay? How is it?

bobo

Thanks so much guys,
Yes, I am painfully aware of the pick/string attack issue -it feels like I'm still playing in "phrase by phrase" mode instead of long fluid pick attack syncopated stretches/runs. It's like I'm having to come up for air every measure or I'll run out of steam and start using pull offs and hammer ons, I've run into similar issues in bluegrass circles too, both on guitar and playing my upright bass, IMO both genres have a serious stamina factor, both in soloing and rhythm that I don't feel so much in blues and jazz. Can anyone relate to this? Comments? I'm listening to alot of Stochelo , Joscho & of course always Django, which induces in me a weird mix of awe, inspiration and self loathing lol.
Scoredog if I hadn't closely edited the intros and outros you would be able to hear just how bad the signal to noise ratio really is lol. Recordings were done on my laptop w/cubase & a focusrite soundcard while on the road in my land rover/camper, I'd find a quiet spot in a state park and have at it. And although I was able to avoid bird and cricket sounds it is far from a sound room environment. BTW correction - it was a "Zerone" guitar not Zenato.
Buco, yes it's the guitar you've been seeing on ebay. I guess you were one of "the watchers" (cue creepy music) lol.
It was a toss up between the Altamira-m30d-antique and the Alexander Polyakov. I was leaning more towards a grande bouche model as I like more bass response and low mids, but the AP manouche felt like much better value - boutique/handmade vrs Asian factory built? But I've never played the Altamira, anyone? I've had it for 4 days now -wed - saturday and gigged with just the AP and my tricone every night (again tonight). It sounds, plays and feels absolutely amazing, I couldn't be happier! The white ebony back and sides produce a dry barking tone that is at the same time kind of dark and has less of the typical sizzle and brightness. The 2nd sound hole on the on the upper bout treble side points right at your face and is a BIG round acoustic monitor that I just love. I had him make me a compensated rosewood saddle instead of the bone shown in pics - darker tone. I like the saddle/bridge design I know it's not traditional selmer and it's not like I'd EVER stick a piezo under it.... but it's still kinda cool. Anyone seen this on other GJ builds? I'll get some video or at least audio of it soon. Thanks again for your comments guys

Buco

) Ha no I wasn't one of the watchers but occasionally I search eBay for Sel-Macs just to see what's out there. When that guitar came up I was stricken with the beauty of the wood. I wasn't even aware of any ebony species being used for back/sides, only fretboard, bridge, trim etc. I wonder why, is it rare kind of wood?
Nice to know about another luthier putting out quality guitars in this genre. I forgot the price but I know it was more than reasonable given the prices for handmade instruments in this style.
I'd love to see the bridge with the rosewood saddle. And hear it as well of course. Which brings me to your comment about short phrases.

I thought playing short phrases, but ones that connect in the way that makes sense, was a good thing. That's what Django's playing sounds like to my ears, a few bars phrase, breath, another few bars phrase and so on. I can even hear it in actual breathing of some of the current greats, like Tchavolo for example. You can audibly hear him take a breath between phrases, as if that's his cue for how long a phrase should last.

But interestingly at this years Django in June that was the critique I got from Damien Levasseur, one of the instructors this year when he asked us to solo on a song for a chorus: "it's good but longer phrases would be better".
Could be that several short phrases that are well connected would sound like a longer phrase to the listener.

There are a ton of comments and posts on Altamiras on the forum, they're received generally well to excellent with what seems like a few duds where people didn't like them at all.

Your self loathing? Yeah...I'm not worried about you.

anthon_74

Hey man - As far as endurance, you need good technical gypsy picking and a very relaxed wrist. I assume you own gypsy picking ? If not, get it.

And here are a few things to try to have the right gypsy picking attack with a relaxed hand -
First make sure your wrist is bent slightly in a relaxed way. Just let the wrist go slack with the pick in your hand, and wherever it lands is your position.

Next, turn your palm slightly upward and inward so you can see into it slightly. (this helps at first, though after awhile you may let it be totally parallel to your body)

Thirdly, as you attack, imagine you're throwing your picking hand at the strings, like a drummer with a drum stick, and your up-strokes prepare you for another throw.

Finally - Practice easy stuff, slowly, with a good gypsy picking attack. Stuff like arpeggio exercises. That and any lick/solo you know, slow it down and play it with good picking technique, slowly and relaxed. If you're wrist tenses up, play it slower.

Cheers!
Anthony

Buco

On a second listen, is this Zerone guitar you recorded with a Selmer style?
If it's not and it doesn't sound like it is, that would explain at least some of the missing attack. By the way, say in the bluegrass circles this would be really good, it's for this style of playing that it needs more pop but it could be the instrument.

Jazzaferri

It's a bit difficult to pick out the details of the rhythm playing with the solo going on and the engineering but my sense is your 1/3 strokes are held a bit too long and your 2/4 could be more balanced in volume with the 1/3 unless you are deliberately trying to get that odd lope in the rhythm.

Check out @Hemert 's Q and A posts here. His videos are very helpful.

Plus 1 to what @anthon_74 says about lead. With the guitar you are using you might try a thinner pick a la Wegen Big City 1.8 to get a crisper attack and slightly different tonal balance.

bobo

Great insight about phrases Buco I think yr right, that it's about how well they flow together. Perhaps even with long pauses a strong flow to the phrasing can give the illusion of a longer phrase. Django certainly left plenty breathing room in his solos - maybe even more so then my favorite modern GJ players. It's not a problem I've run into b4, I always felt my phrasing worked pretty good but GJ it seams demands a different approach.

Hey thanks a ton Anthony! I'm ordering gypsy picking right now! In theory, I know correct right hand position & technique, but it all goes out the window unless I'm focused on it. I like how you describe it , very helpful.
I have the Stochelo/dennis chang dvd, and use it alot. Can you recommend anything that's more exercise based?

Buco I didn't know white ebony existed before seeing my AP. I think it's pretty rare to find such large pieces. From what I understand the black is best for fretboards and other small appointments, but the white sections have different tonal qualities more suitable for back and sides. The low end has the dry dark attack of walnut, the treble/high mids and brightness are more silky then sizzle-y like if it were a cedar top (but of course without overdriving like cedar often can with a heavy pick attack)
the overall impression is warm n woody.
I'm working on another build with Alex already, his prices are about half of what any American or European luthier would be charging.
It's a real beauty the pics don't do it justice, every time I gig people comment on it. It's been 7 days and I still constantly have a stupid new guitar grin.

bobo

The Zerone was ( I sold it) a petite bouche Selmer reproduction, I think Asian built and sold by a New Jersey based outfit "Zerone & Co LTD since 1967" I couldn't find much info on it. The previous owner had sanded down the bridge feet ALOT and I tried to shim them up...but I hear what your sayin it never sounded right to me either.
Thanks Jazzaferri, I'm on the @Hemert 's Q and A post now. I've been wondering about maybe goin a little slimmer then the wegen fat tone.

Hemert

@bobo
Here's a link to the YouTube playlist with all episodes so far:



Episode 2 has a bunch of right hand exercises. I wil release the first of two or three episode on lead playing this week.