Demo with 1926's Gibson L-0 / L-1 (with or without thumbpick?)

[Ibantxo]

Hello !

 

I've been playing with this maravellous guitar this evening. I supose all of you have already heard this beauty played by Little Brother in some videos, so I'm not going to post anything new, regarding the potencial of the guitar.

 

The fact is that this is the only guitar I've played after coming back from the french workshop with Woody Mann, the more I play it, the more I like its tone. I put a light strings gauge (mangan PBs) in July, and I still like the sound.

 

After hearing the sound that Woody Mann took out of his Franklin without thumbpick, i've been playing this way too, and have recorded some diferent tunes with and without pick this evening, to watch myself and hear the diference. As I've commented other times, I still continue thinking that I'm somehow,... too agresive with the snapping, although it is something that I do without realizing. That's why I've played in diferent ways during the video. The first ragtime (Alice's Restaurant) is easier for me with pick, beacause it is a little fast, alternating bass strings, ... I've tried to play a little softly,.... When I play the old blues in C, I prefer the sound of the finger, but I play more "dirty", less clear than with the thumbpick. With the two blueses (in E and in A) I prefer much more to play them with the natural feeling and sound of the finger (but maybe less agresive than I do it). Any opinion is wellcome. Sorry for the mistakes.. Here are the links:

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

[TheLiveSoundGuy]

Thanks. I enjoyed those.

[Thermionik]

Nice with a capital N.....

 

.....you want criticism, well, first a comment - the thumb pick doesn't sound as good as the thumb to my ears. The thumb makes a fuller bass sound which doeas a better job of balancing the whole sound.

 

Criticism - well, occasionally the thumb hooks and lets the string slap back real hard - and in the context of that particular piece just a tad too hard..... but hey, if'n I could play that like you, and that was all the criticism I had, well, I'd be 'chuffed to nuts' as we say in Blighty - probably 'mighty pleased' in US-speak.

 

Can I just say - you can post as many of those no nonsense, no bull, here's me playing a piece to camera, videos as you want to, I'll watch every one of them.

[Hoss]

Nice playing! I liked both tunes-- Your approach and technique sounded just fine to my ear.

I think I'd reserve the option of using the thumbpik when it suited the music. The ragtime/notey stuff needs the pik, IMO, to maintain the balance and clarity the piece requires. Slower blues- work just fine with a bare thumb. (And it's a little hard to 'slap' the bass notes with a pik!)

[Modac]

Fine playing!! Just wait until you get a nice hard callus on the side of your thumb....keep playing without the pick, and it will eventually come. It will get hard as a rock, and the tone you'll be able to get will be exceptional.

[JamesHunterRoss]

Really nice! What a nice sound from that little box. I have a newer L-1 which sounds a little different, but the vibe is there. I'm not playing at that level yet, might never, but hearing it and seeing it definetly inspires.

 

James

[Ibantxo]

Hey, thank you all so much for your replies, folks ! I apreciate them a lot ! I agree with you about the thumbpick. I prefer the sound of the bare finger, but it is dificult to playfast ragtimes and alternating bass pieces without it.

 

Modac, what you have said about the callus is something that I've allways wanted, but i play 15 mins a day or so, (have little children and work and no time). I supose that more time is needed this to hapen. Maybe in the future, when I get less busy !