I'm guessing that the Who played a lot of cheap instruments, during their "destroy at the end of set" phase
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Great music recorded on cheap instruments
- Thread starter ElectroVibe
- Start date
Nope, Rics and Strats and anything else; that’s why they were about to go under before Tommy saved them financially. Pete did use a Danelectro/Coral Hornet a bit, recently brought back…
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J.J. Cale had soul by the bucket load and was undoubtedly one of the grooviest singer/songwriter guitarists ever.
He once said in an interview:
"My favorite guitar is this old fifty dollar Harmony, now back-less for easier access to the electronics. Originally it was a round hole acoustic, but I’ve added five pickups for making records and playing concerts. Four of the pickups are Gibson, two of which are low impedance for recording direct. The other bar type pickup came from a Sears Silvertone guitar, it was manufactured by Dan Electro. The guitar has three high impedance outs and one low.”
And in another interview:
“Back when I could only own one guitar I played an old $50 Harmony, a real cheap round hole acoustic, and I made all of my old records on it. Then it deteriorated through the years with touring and going on planes and everything, and I got into the position where I could afford several guitars. I played a Stratocaster for some time after that, and also messed around with Les Pauls and 335s. The Harmony was good because it was an acoustic guitar and that got me into songwriting.”
He once said in an interview:
"My favorite guitar is this old fifty dollar Harmony, now back-less for easier access to the electronics. Originally it was a round hole acoustic, but I’ve added five pickups for making records and playing concerts. Four of the pickups are Gibson, two of which are low impedance for recording direct. The other bar type pickup came from a Sears Silvertone guitar, it was manufactured by Dan Electro. The guitar has three high impedance outs and one low.”
And in another interview:
“Back when I could only own one guitar I played an old $50 Harmony, a real cheap round hole acoustic, and I made all of my old records on it. Then it deteriorated through the years with touring and going on planes and everything, and I got into the position where I could afford several guitars. I played a Stratocaster for some time after that, and also messed around with Les Pauls and 335s. The Harmony was good because it was an acoustic guitar and that got me into songwriting.”
When I lived in Tanzania as a kid, at celebrations in the village where my parents worked, guys would be drumming for hours. There was one guy who sounded particularly good as a part of the ensemble. His instrument? A rusted-piece of sheet metal. It made a big impression on me.
Great musicians pick up an instrument, and if they get a sound they thing is cool, they're immediately thinking of a way to use it. The notion that great musicians would only play expensive instruments seems completely alien to me. When Jerry Allison was slapping his knees on Buddy Holly records was he wearing expensive pants? I understand that in classical music and other highly standardized music, instruments performing to spec is all important, but in pop, rock, and some jazz, musicians are just looking for a sound that works. It could be anything.
Great musicians pick up an instrument, and if they get a sound they thing is cool, they're immediately thinking of a way to use it. The notion that great musicians would only play expensive instruments seems completely alien to me. When Jerry Allison was slapping his knees on Buddy Holly records was he wearing expensive pants? I understand that in classical music and other highly standardized music, instruments performing to spec is all important, but in pop, rock, and some jazz, musicians are just looking for a sound that works. It could be anything.
The best live bass sound I've ever heard in 40 years of countless concerts I've seen; Zander Schloss playing this Harmony Silhouette through an SVT VR with The Weirdoes. Very warm and bloomy sounding but with enough rough or primitive sonic content to sound absolutely but unstereotypically (is that a word?) punk rock.
This picture was probably taken at that show at the Echoplex in L.A. It was intersting to see all who came to see the show. Seeing David J. from Bauhaus there was most surprising.
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This picture was probably taken at that show at the Echoplex in L.A. It was intersting to see all who came to see the show. Seeing David J. from Bauhaus there was most surprising.
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I don't think they killed hair metal. I think Hair Metal committed suicide (in a few ways).
I just found them to be noise for noise's sake. I think Kurt was one of the worst sounding singers I've ever heard. I rank him right about on par with Janis Joplin.
I love that album, and Mr. Dave, and his other albums. So it’s great in my book.
MDBass
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Dave played with drummer Wally Ingram a lot. Wally used pot lids for cymbals and things like that. Found instruments. You can’t get much cheaper than that.
I don't know. Kim Gordon often played a T-Bird and Moore's guitars were junky looking rat-rod jobs but they were Fenders for the most part, no?
If you price a decent grand piano, a decent cello, a decent bassoon, a decent harp (I’ve played with all of those), then price electric guitars and basses, you quickly come to the conclusion that ALL rock and roll is recorded on cheap instruments.
If you're referring to the the Hamburg days (including the Tony Sheridan sessions), then yes; Their studio albums, not quite.
BobDeRosa
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Legend has it that Charlie Parker used a plastic sax for the famous Massey Hall concert/recording with Dizzy, Mingus, Roach, etc. because his horn was in hock.
