#1
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Acoustic Archtop Albums/Artists
Hello all.
I've recently become enamored with the tone of a purely acoustic archtop guitar. Could you guys and gals point me in the right direction of some albums/artists? I like the chunk rhythm, single-note lines, and chord melody stuff (I like it all, I suppose). I also like the combination of violin and guitar in a band/tune. Any suggestions would be appreciated, and they don't have to be limited to jazz. |
#2
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Django and Grappeli,yousa!
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#3
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Steve Greene has a couple of trio (2 archtops, 1 bass) CDs. Excellent stuff. www.stevegreene.com
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#4
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I can attest to this. Steve's work is very nice. |
#5
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Thanks for the suggestion. |
#6
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Most contemporary players are unaware that there was an entire school of "classical archtop" guitar that flourished from about 1925-1940, and upon which Mel Bay based his method; when I was learning in the early-60's the method books bore a statement that they were in fact designed and intended to place the plectrum-style guitar "in the same class as the violin, piano, and other 'legitimate' instruments" (and if you've never hung around in certain so-called "serious" music circles it's difficult to imagine the pejorative attitude directed toward the guitar, even in its "classical" incarnation)...
FYI, in its original form the classical archtop movement drew from the earlier American school of classical guitar exemplified by the likes of William Foden, Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, et al. (rather than that of Segovia and his Spanish contemporaries, which would become the accepted concert style and instrument), as well as the parlor, "light classical," and vaudeville music of late-19th/early 20th century America. In addition to transcriptions of well-known classical repertoire, a number of guitarists of the day produced original compositions in a late-Romantic style - music which, while largely out of fashion today, still retains its technical and artistic merit eighty or more years later. Bear in mind that the original L-5 archtop guitar was in fact envisioned as a "classical" instrument both tonally and visually, intended as a part of the mandolin orchestras of the late vaudeville era and designed for hall-filling acoustic projection in the days before electronic amplification; were it not for Segovia's sensational American debut in 1928, the plectrum-style archtop guitar - with its violin-family looks and construction - may well have become the accepted "classical" guitar... BTW there are a number of recordings of these period pieces on YouTube, either in the original (by the likes of Harry Volpe, Al Hendrickson, et al.) or re-recorded by contemporary revivalists; in addition, you might also want to check out some of the work of Eddie Lang (both solo and with Joe Venuti on violin), Carl Kress and Dick McDonough, and George Van Eps. Finally, there's an excellent collection published by Mel Bay, entitled Masters of the Plectrum Guitar, that should keep you busy for a while - and give you a taste of what might have been...
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#7
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Martin Taylor and David Grisman did an album with bass and drums call I'm Beginning to See the Light. Great acoustic archtop tones.
http://acousticoasis.com/rooms/hi-de...the-light.html |
#8
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Sat next to Ranger Doug (The Idol of American Youth) of Riders In The Sky on a plane a few years back. He said none of his archtops have a pickup - that he preferred acoustic tone.
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#9
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..and not quite jazz, but Dave Rawlings (both with and without Gillian Welch). He's a good part of what got me chasing the acoustic archtop sound.
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#10
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I think there are few things better than the sound of an acoustic archtop, here's a couple of examples of GREAT players playing GREAT acoustic archtops, for your dining and dancing enjoyment.
Joey McKenzie of the Quebe Sisters Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANZnAKDvc8 and of course, the master, Homer Haynes (love the gum chewing while playing!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eYIa9ZTCLQ And a little more modern, Frank Vignola: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo9vX7kZeb4 Jimmy
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#11
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Probably not the sound most people associate with "acoustic archtop" playing, but nonetheless, this is probably my favorite "acoustic archtop" stuff.
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#12
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Acoustic Archtop Albums/Artists
No acoustic archtop playlist is complete without Mother Maybelle being mentioned on it.
http://youtu.be/XE80Ed59uCY |
#13
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A great contemporary player is Johnathan Strout. Check out his informative and instructional blog(w/videos) at his Campus Five website.
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#14
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(fred Mcdowell is coool!)
Michael Hurley playing his Gibson L50.Its all over his recorded albums to. And another guy who i've never taken much notice of although he is good is Pokey LaFarge - California Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTa72DmLQPU Last edited by mahoriver; 01-23-2016 at 08:07 PM. |
#15
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There's lots of good stuff to listen to at youtube.com/campusfive And all of our albums are about 60/40 Acoustic Archtop to Electric, and they're all on itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/j...us/id481872659
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