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Advanced Jumbo for solo performance?


Rambler

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Anyone care to comment how the tone  of an AJ works for you as a solo performer: vocal accompaniment, singer-songwriter, blues picking,  Americana, small group.   Ive been playing a lot of Stratocaster of late, gotten used to the long scale and finding that my 000 feels cramped capoed up the neck.

 

Edited by Rambler
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  • Rambler changed the title to Advanced Jumbo for solo performance?

I didnt find the AJ a particularly good comapanon for vocals. Its tone is quite rustic, and it projects very loudly. I found it competes with the vocal rather than complements it, like a J-45 for example would. I sold my AJ however to a kid thats going places on the scene and his voice sounds really good with it .. so as usual, its all highly subjective.

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3 hours ago, Rambler said:

Anyone care to comment how the tone  of an AJ works for you as a solo performer: vocal accompaniment, singer-songwriter, blues picking,  Americana, small group.   Ive been playing a lot of Stratocaster of late, gotten used to the long scale and finding that my 000 feels cramped capoed up the neck.

 

Well, you did mention that you use a capo,. the shorter scale made by that will take away some of the hard sound that EA was referring to. IIR- don’t you do a lot of fingerpicking? Do use finger picks? Maybe lose those, or go to some softer ones. That, and all of the other usual tricks... quieter (dead) strings, etc.

Edited by 62burst
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IMO,  it's the long scale that will make it more playable vs the sound of an AJ for you (vs a J45 per se...)  unless you're an afficianado like EuroAussie.  He listens to the equipment and knows his stuff when evaluating things..  but I'd be willing to say he notices more than 90% of the population.  So really, if the long scale fits - give the AJ a go, it's a Gibson, I bet I will sound awesome.

Randy Scruggs plays an AJ, and he's got some awesome clips out there on youtube ...if you have a hankerin to hear an AJ used well.  Now I want an AJ - freakin' GAS.

Edited by billroy
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I fell in love with the big beautiful Gibson AJ rosewood longscale, but quickly found it completely overwealmed the voice for singing. It is loud, beautiful, and rich sounding..but way too loud for singing in my view...had to sell it...bought a J-45. ....Heaven. And for the vocals...a Hummingbird just might be even better. I have both. Love them, adore them. They are like perfect children in a bad world. 

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My Maple AJ is a much better fit with vocals than my old Rosewood AJ was. The Rosewood model could be very midrangey and tended to fight with my vocal. The chap who owns it now (Mick Terry, fantastic songwriter-check him out!) plays it with a light pick and his style really works with the AJ as a vocal accompaniment instrument. 

It's very subjective, as has been said...in my experience very little beats a Hummingbird, J45 or D18 as a vocal accompaniment instrument. My Dove is an exceptional guitar to sing with too. Mahogany or Maple for me as a singer.

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On 11/7/2019 at 7:28 AM, EuroAussie said:

Its tone is quite rustic

Interestingly, this is how I would describe the tone of any Gibson that I consider to be a great example. But I get what you are saying. When picking hard the sound from a model like the J-45 would generally be more inclined to compress. AJ's typically seem to have more headroom. The harder you pick the louder it gets and the more it starts to bark (the tone gets a bit more one-dimensional). How all this would accompany a solo performer would likely depend on the performer's style, voice, and preferences.

My interest in the AJ partially developed from watching Roy Book Binder perform with one.  In that context the AJ sounded great.

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10 hours ago, Guth said:

How all this would accompany a solo performer would likely depend on the performer's style, voice, and preferences.

 

To me, this is it.  What type of singer are you - loud, full, fill the room type of person...  should be able to go toe to toe with the AJ - or maybe a bit more subdued, low key, then the AJ might be too much.  I'd get an AJ and Songwriter (believe both are long scale, but different bracing?) and let them duke it out.

Edited by billroy
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21 hours ago, Jinder said:

My Maple AJ is a much better fit with vocals than my old Rosewood AJ was. The Rosewood model could be very midrangey and tended to fight with my vocal. The chap who owns it now (Mick Terry, fantastic songwriter-check him out!) plays it with a light pick and his style really works with the AJ as a vocal accompaniment instrument. 

It's very subjective, as has been said...in my experience very little beats a Hummingbird, J45 or D18 as a vocal accompaniment instrument. My Dove is an exceptional guitar to sing with too. Mahogany or Maple for me as a singer.

I agree with Jinder 100 %.

 

Maple and Mahogany are the way to go if you sing. 

 

 

JC

 

 

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