Riffster Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 So why does Mike use a capo on his LPs a lot of times? I can tell he tunes flat sometimes and then adds a capo to then play power chords. Any particular reason he does this? string tension and sound? so he can play chords in a different part of the neck?
charlie brown Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 First guess....to change keys, and be able to play open fingerings, in those keys, as opposed to "bar" chords. But, that's only a guess... CB
NHTom Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 I am not positive, because on some songs (usually NOT when playing the gold top) he does not use the capo. I saw in the Social D Rig Rundown on youtube, he mentions that due to an injury to his hand years ago he plays some cords differently.. Not sure, but if you find more info, please share!!! NHTom
surfpup Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 Yeah, I always thought it was cuz he liked open chords wherever possible. Even if he's playing power chords in a song, he might be walking up from an open string (he does that a lot).
Riffster Posted August 7, 2013 Author Posted August 7, 2013 I understand the concept of using the capo to change key and play open chords but his approach just puzzled me 'cause that is not what he does. This is one of the vids that made me wonder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQjNdYVtFUY
Riffster Posted August 7, 2013 Author Posted August 7, 2013 Ok so it looks like it is a matter of preference with the Gold Top
Riffster Posted August 7, 2013 Author Posted August 7, 2013 Well I tried it out last night and by using the capo this way it takes a lot less effort to play the chords, a good thing if you have issues with your fretting hand.
Riptide Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 He injured his pointer finger on his hand when he was young. He can't bend it past the 1st knuckle... that has a lot to do with it. Also he likes open chords, he likes it tunes to Eb because it fits his vocals. The reason he uses the capos on the Goldtops usually is because he feels like he gets something special out of that combination. It does "feel" and little brighter and powerful to me. Hope that helps! He's my favorite guitarist (I didn't say best...) and so I've seen just about every video and read just about every interview of hime! I love me some ness :P :)
Riptide Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 It's not to change the key, because he never moves it around... it's "set" on the guitar it's used with. Think of it as a short scale Goldtop :) Edit: If you like the feel get some Slinky Top / Heavy Bottoms, I love it! Of course you need a Goldtop with P-90s to go with it
Riffster Posted August 7, 2013 Author Posted August 7, 2013 Yea I had to look up how he plays some songs because while I had the right chords they did not sound quite right. Once you do what he does it all makes sense and you get closer to the sound. I never knew the Seymour Duncan P90s he uses have ceramic magnets.
Californiaman Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 From Wikipedia: "Ness uses Eb Standard tuning and usually uses a capo on the second fret while using his goldtops."
Riffster Posted August 7, 2013 Author Posted August 7, 2013 Yea I figured that out on my own which is something to say because I am a hack. I simply did not know he did it on his GTs only. Weird approach but after trying it it makes sense.
milod Posted August 7, 2013 Posted August 7, 2013 In theory a properly setup guitar shouldn't require a capo to allow easy playing. In practice as mentioned above, it does lessen fingering effort and also functions as a "short scale" guitar. I've wondered at times what it would cost to get a decent guitar - say a better grade Epi - and have the scale shortened to roughly 23.5 or 24 as I have on an old archtop - and as on a Byrdland. m
Californiaman Posted August 8, 2013 Posted August 8, 2013 In theory a properly setup guitar shouldn't require a capo to allow easy playing. In practice as mentioned above, it does lessen fingering effort and also functions as a "short scale" guitar. I've wondered at times what it would cost to get a decent guitar - say a better grade Epi - and have the scale shortened to roughly 23.5 or 24 as I have on an old archtop - and as on a Byrdland. m Epi was selling Byrdland's as recently as a few years ago. Maybe they still do.
milod Posted August 8, 2013 Posted August 8, 2013 Cali... I don't think the Epi version has been available in a number of years and apparently it's gonna be over $2 grand for a used one. Hmmmm. Makes one wonder why there ain't more short scale hollows and semis out there, eh? m
Riptide Posted August 8, 2013 Posted August 8, 2013 Yea I had to look up how he plays some songs because while I had the right chords they did not sound quite right. Once you do what he does it all makes sense and you get closer to the sound. I never knew the Seymour Duncan P90s he uses have ceramic magnets. Yeah for sure. I think it's quite remarkable what he's done with guitar. You really have to watch him play and learn there songs off of that :) On a side not I love his tone more than anything!
Riptide Posted August 8, 2013 Posted August 8, 2013 From Wikipedia: "Ness uses Eb Standard tuning and usually uses a capo on the second fret while using his goldtops." I wrote that section of the Wiki article...
Riffster Posted August 8, 2013 Author Posted August 8, 2013 I wrote that section of the Wiki article... The funny thing is that the video posted shows Jonny Wickersham's '54 Gold Top what looks like a capo on the second fret too, I guess to match the sound... Those '54 GTs make me drool...I have an R8 but if I could fork out 3Gs for another LP it'd be a '54.
Riptide Posted August 8, 2013 Posted August 8, 2013 The funny thing is that the video posted shows Jonny Wickersham's '54 Gold Top what looks like a capo on the second fret too, I guess to match the sound... Those '54 GTs make me drool...I have an R8 but if I could fork out 3Gs for another LP it'd be a '54. Yeah he matches Ness on some songs but not all of them. I don't think he uses a capo on his Juniors (which also make me drool ) What I really want is a '76 GT with a Maple neck
Riffster Posted August 9, 2013 Author Posted August 9, 2013 Yea, I noticed, looks like Jonny likes the wrap-around bridges too. Also, for a fraction of the price you can get a 70's Tribute Les Paul and add Seymour Duncan P90's, the 70's tributes have maple necks. I recently bought a Firebird and I am installing P90s on it next week.
Riptide Posted August 9, 2013 Posted August 9, 2013 Yea, I noticed, looks like Jonny likes the wrap-around bridges too. Also, for a fraction of the price you can get a 70's Tribute Les Paul and add Seymour Duncan P90's, the 70's tributes have maple necks. I recently bought a Firebird and I am installing P90s on it next week. What do you mean? That's good to know! Thanks. :)
Riffster Posted August 9, 2013 Author Posted August 9, 2013 I meant that Jonny Wickersham's Gibson axes seem to have wrap-around bridges. The two Junior and the '54 LP.
Riptide Posted August 10, 2013 Posted August 10, 2013 I meant that Jonny Wickersham's Gibson axes seem to have wrap-around bridges. The two Junior and the '54 LP. Oh yeah that's true. They seem to be really hit and miss... some of them are just set up perfectly and some are screwed up.
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