Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

How can I get rid of the cheap sound of an Epiphone Casino?


capn_gaz

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply
I think George only played the keyboards on that tune' date=' and Paul overdubbed the other guitar parts[confused'] .....

Ian McDonald has the session attributed as:

 

John Lennon – vocal, harmony vocals, lead guitars, organ, Moog synthesizer

George Harrison – harmony vocals, lead guitars

Paul McCartney – harmony vocals, bass

Ringo Starr – drums, congas

Billy Preston – Hammond organ

 

Additionally, I've always found the Dm-based arpeggio and upper-neck glissandos to be very typical of George's playing at the time (see other tracks on Abbey Road, particularly You Never Give Me Your Money and Something)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian McDonald has the session attributed as:

 

John Lennon – vocal' date=' harmony vocals, lead guitars, organ, Moog synthesizer

George Harrison – harmony vocals, lead guitars

Paul McCartney – harmony vocals, bass

Ringo Starr – drums, congas

Billy Preston – Hammond organ[/quote']

 

he would know[cool]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That being said' date=' Paul's bassline is certainly nothing to be laughed at on that track either.[/quote']

 

Some seem to forget about Paul's bass playing due to his signature vocal and writing prowess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian McDonald has the session attributed as:

 

John Lennon – vocal' date=' harmony vocals, lead guitars, organ, Moog synthesizer

George Harrison – harmony vocals, lead guitars

Paul McCartney – harmony vocals, bass

Ringo Starr – drums, congas

Billy Preston – Hammond organ

 

Additionally, I've always found the Dm-based arpeggio and upper-neck glissandos to be very typical of George's playing at the time (see other tracks on Abbey Road, particularly You Never Give Me Your Money and Something)[/quote']

 

 

From The Beatles Bible

 

Written by: Lennon-McCartney

Recorded: 22 February; 18, 20 April; 8, 11 August 1969

Producers: George Martin, Glyn Johns, Chris Thomas

Engineers: Barry Sheffield, Jeff Jarratt, Tony Clark, Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald

 

Released: 26 September 1969 (UK), 1 October 1969 (US)

 

John Lennon: vocals, lead guitar, organ, Moog synthesiser

Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass

George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar

Ringo Starr: drums, congas

Billy Preston: Hammond organ

 

Available on:

Abbey Road

Love

 

I Want You (She's So Heavy) was written by John Lennon and closed side one of the Abbey Road LP. A cry of love in several parts, it was recorded over a six month period between February and August 1969.

 

The Beatles had, in fact, first played the song on 29 January during the ill-fated Get Back sessions. Originally with the working title I Want You, the group returned to it less than a month later, as the first song to be recorded for Abbey Road. It was also one of the final songs on the album to be completed.

 

Coming in at just under eight minutes, I Want You (She's So Heavy) also contains some of John Lennon's simplest lyrics since the days of Love Me Do. A direct outpouring of his all-consuming love for Yoko Ono, the song contains just 14 different words.

 

A reviewer wrote of She's So Heavy: 'He seems to have lost his talent for lyrics, it's so simple and boring.' She's So Heavy was about Yoko. When it gets down to it, like she said, when you're drowning you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream. And in She's So Heavy I just sang 'I want you, I want you so bad, she's so heavy, I want you,' like that. John Lennon - Rolling Stone, 1970

 

The obsessiveness of the lyrics is reflected in the repetitiveness of the music. The song contains the same phrases played over a number of rhythmic, tempo and time signature variations. Perhaps the sheer otherness of I Want You explains why it was so well-liked by all members of The Beatles.

 

Most remarkable, however, is the grinding three-minute finale, featuring Lennon's and Harrison's massed overdubbed guitars multitracked many times over the same relentless chord pattern, which was slashed at full volume to give the impression that it could have gone on forever. Lennon also used the white noise generator from a Moog synth to get the howling wind effect.

 

The finale from the song was mixed with the organ from Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! and some vocals from Helter Skelter on 2006's Love album.

 

In the studio

 

The Beatles taped 35 takes of the basic rhythm track at Trident Studios in London's Wardour Street on 22 February 1969. The next day, again in Trident, a composite edit was assembled, consisting of the early part of take nine, take 20 for the middle eight, and take 32 for the rest of the song.

 

On 18 April the multitracked guitars for the finale were recorded by Lennon and Harrison.

 

John and George went into the far left-hand corner of [studio] number two to overdub those guitars. They wanted a massive sound so they kept tracking and tracking, over and over. Jeff Jarratt, engineer - The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn

 

On 20 April a Hammond organ part was added, as were congas, brought into the studio by The Beatles' assistant Mal Evans especially for the song.

 

I Want You (She's So Heavy) wasn't then worked on until 8 August, the day the cover photos for Abbey Road were also taken. John Lennon added a Moog synthesiser part, plus the white noise heard during the finale, and Ringo Starr added more drums.

 

Unusually, these overdubs were added to the original Trident master, not the reduction mix that had been created on 18 April.

 

On 11 August, the day I Want You (She's So Heavy) was renamed from its working title of I Want You, and Lennon, McCartney and Harrison recorded their repeated "She's so heavy" harmony vocals, recorded twice to give the effect of six voices.

 

And with that the recording was complete, although the final version - including the distinctive cut-off ending - wasn't made until 20 August, when the mixes from 18 April and 8 August were edited together.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian McDonald has the session attributed as:

 

John Lennon – vocal' date=' harmony vocals, lead guitars, organ, Moog synthesizer

George Harrison – harmony vocals, lead guitars

Paul McCartney – harmony vocals, bass

Ringo Starr – drums, congas

Billy Preston – Hammond organ

 

Additionally, I've always found the Dm-based arpeggio and upper-neck glissandos to be very typical of George's playing at the time (see other tracks on Abbey Road, particularly You Never Give Me Your Money and Something)[/quote']

 

 

You made me dig out my copy of Revolution in the Head, which I haven't read for years...

 

McDonald quotes Robbie Robertson's comment about I want you (she's so heavy) being "noisy sh*t."

 

It's never been a song I especially liked personally, but such stinging criticism from one of the Beatles' contemporaries / peers seemed odd...

 

But yes, apparently Robertson did say that...

 

"The Get Back album isn't good. Some of the songs sound like they just wrote them and immediately recorded them. It's not really valid. It's their way of being spontaneous. But anybody can do that. You know, "Come on, dig it, dig it." But their other album, Abbey Road, is much better. It's got about three things that are really exceptional. The very first song on the album, a John Lennon one...about holy rollers, or something. He sings a few phrases. The next one's a drag. It's one of those Paul McCartney pinkey-dew songs, "Your Mother Should Know" type songs. But the one after that is probably the best song George Harrison has ever written. Called "Something," it's really pretty. There's a couple other good ones too, but there's some noisy sh*t."

 

86204139.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA54829B62C6484B6148AC7371C4D831A1359C9504EF8F94DD1E2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

imo "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is one of their best songs on any album. I guess I'm a fan of "noisy sh*t" [biggrin]

 

*and I don't believe that this guy ever bought a Casino in the first place either. Pic with a dated newspaper should suffice.[biggrin]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...well, according to "Mojo" magazine Robertson is now hard at work on his autobiography - writing it himself rather than contracting it out to a ghost writer a la Clapton.

 

It will be interesting to read his side of things. Neither Levon Helm's autobiography, Hoskyn's book Across the Great Divide, nor, surprisingly, Bob Dylan's Chronicles, Vol. 1 present a particularly flattering or appealing portrait of The Band's virtuoso guitarist...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL, you just gave yourself away so much in your last few ramblings. Look at your reply to the Silvertone YT vid post, that's a bully? If you want to see a bully then I'm the man for the job. All I can say is prepare to be made a bigger fool than you already have made of yourself.

 

Tell us again that your a girl. Like epiLADY wasn't too obvious.

 

You're a moron, wtf am I even entertaining your nonsense? GTFO.

 

and to sheila

Yes you're correct it should have died with the original post, but a few of the good people here gave their time and advice to try and help including myself, imo they are being used for some laughs.

I'll end my input with this: If the post sounds ridiculous right off the bat then don't waste your time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

first' date=' like previously mentioned, get some .010's or .011's on that guitar. then if you really want it nice, to get rid of the muffled sound, have a tech install some treble bypass capacitors on the volumes, or have him change it to gibson 50's wiring style. and then change the tone control capacitors to some .022 orange drops or .022 paper in wax caps. in my humble opinion the stock epi p90's are ok. a little overwound but ok. i have an epi es295, that i had to unwind the pickups from 11k to 8.5k because they were too hot. p90's sound best when wound to 8-9k.[/quote']

 

Hey guys I'm thinking I might go the re-wiring route and see how that goes.

 

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the Gibson's 50s style wiring ryan7olson7 mentioned? Also if there is anyone in the UK, where would be the best bet to pick up some .22 orange drops, eBay?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dude' date=' it's most likely your amp, plug your guitar into a vox ac15 and you'll get the tones you seek.[/quote']

 

Really, all I need to do is buy a whole new amp and spend a lot of money even though at the start of the thread I stated I cant afford to splash out on something expensive such as a new amp?

Helpful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First "What" or "Whose" sound are you trying to get?! You're pretty vague' date=' as to what you're after.

Also, is this your first guitar, or first "hollowbody" with P-90's? Why did you purchase it, in the first place?

Was it because a certain artist, or group, used it/them? What other amps, have you used, or used with

your Casino, at least? What are you used to, or what did you play before, that you DID like? Single coil

(Fender like), Humbuckers, Gretsch or DeArmond like tones? It's nearly impossible, for any of us, to tell

you...with any certainty...what you "should do," when we don't know what tones you're after. A Casino,

has a darker tone, than say...a Fender. But, it's more midrange, at the full open positions on volume and

tone, than Humbuckers. Being full hollow body, limits it use as a high volume, shredding maching. But, it's

excellent "clean," and for "Jazz" and "Blues" tone, as well as some Classic Rock, or even progressive rock.

It really depends on what you want, and/or what you "expect," from it. Maybe a full hollow body, thin-line,

with P-90's ISN'T what you should be using, to get "Your" tone?

 

Not trying to be "difficult" here...at all...but, without knowing, in your mind, what you consider "good/great"

tone, it's really hard to suggest things, beyond what's already been said...for you to do/try. Can you give

us some more input, examples, of what you're after, tone wise?

 

Cheers,

CB[/quote']

 

gee looks like someone touched a nerve :-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys I'm thinking I might go the re-wiring route and see how that goes.

 

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the Gibson's 50s style wiring ryan7olson7 mentioned? Also if there is anyone in the UK' date=' where would be the best bet to pick up some .22 orange drops, eBay?[/quote']

 

I don't know if its just me.. but seems like the folks here have been just a bit harsh with you.... I don't blame you if you think the casino sounds cheap...

 

Just curious what amp are you using... Unlike most people, I tend to think amplifer has more influence on good/bad guitar tone... Try playing your casino thorough a fender deluxe reverb tube amp... I'll bet you will change your mind... But, replacing all the electronics and pickups will be an improvement... Replacing pickups is an easy task but replacing all the pots/switch etc.... can be quite a challenge... especially in a hollow body...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Replacing pickups is an easy task but replacing all the pots/switch etc.... can be quite a challenge... especially in a hollow body...

Actually, a Casino, which is fully hollow, is easier than a semi-hollow such as a Dot.

 

I strongly doubt that replacing the Casino's wiring and pots, and even pickups will satisfy the owner, and would be a waste of time and money. I think the OP needs to explore more equipment to better identify the "problem".

 

And of course the amp question is an important one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Trying a different amp, like a Fender Reverb, may not be a bad idea. Take the guitar into a store and ask if you can try out different amps to see if you can get the tone you want. If you can, then you are faced with a decision... Go early before the metal riff heads show up.

 

Edited to add - the acoustical properties of where you are playing may also be affecting your tone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...