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he had the best vibrato in the business...


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The best to me - Jeff Beck.

 

Vibrato to me is about total control of subtle nuances of playing, like overall dynamics. (at least I sound smart and informed - even if not [rolleyes] )

 

Y'know, I thought about Jeff Beck but so much of his vibrato is with his relentless use of the wammy bar. Even though the end result may sound similar to using your fingers, the aesthetic isn't. I don't know if that matters or not. Clapton never uses a wammy bar and I've read that he blocks the tail piece. Maybe it's just another way to skin a cat.

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Although a great player. His vibrato wasn't that good. Vibrato has to be in time to be good. ie, Angus Young is awful.

 

In my opinion you need to be a bit sloppy to be soulful, it shows you're human. Vibrato is a very honest guitar effect, it just doesn't sound right to me when it's overly calculated.

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Yes to Charlie Byrd using classical guitar for jazz... although I personally have some mixed emotions the degree to which it's "jazz" as we tend to think of it, especially the South American material... You could make a case for Django's acoustic work being "something else" in ways, too - although later on he used an electric.

 

Jose Feliciano? Dunno what you call his material. Chet Atkins apparently had some guitars he preferred for doing certain styles, but... I think it's obvious he didn't care all that much whether he was doing Chopin on nylon or steel strings electrified or not.

 

RE: Vibrato...

 

I don't go with the idea that it must match the beat. Vocalists haven't been that bothered by that over the years that I can tell. Some saloon, pop, blues, etc., folks have used a lotta vibrato, some not. Edith Piaf vibratoed more than a fiddle, but her stuff was and is kinda an acquired taste, as has been Sylvia Tyson once of Ian and Sylvia.

 

Vibrato on tube amps in the old days tended to be used pretty sparingly. Whammies were kinda "special effect" thing as used by the better pickers when they first came out, anyway. I had a couple in the old days and blocked 'em from working, myself.

 

m

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Yes to Charlie Byrd using classical guitar for jazz... although I personally have some mixed emotions the degree to which it's "jazz" as we tend to think of it, especially the South American material... You could make a case for Django's acoustic work being "something else" in ways, too - although later on he used an electric.

 

Jose Feliciano? Dunno what you call his material. Chet Atkins apparently had some guitars he preferred for doing certain styles, but... I think it's obvious he didn't care all that much whether he was doing Chopin on nylon or steel strings electrified or not.

 

RE: Vibrato...

 

I don't go with the idea that it must match the beat. Vocalists haven't been that bothered by that over the years that I can tell. Some saloon, pop, blues, etc., folks have used a lotta vibrato, some not. Edith Piaf vibratoed more than a fiddle, but her stuff was and is kinda an acquired taste, as has been Sylvia Tyson once of Ian and Sylvia.

 

Vibrato on tube amps in the old days tended to be used pretty sparingly. Whammies were kinda "special effect" thing as used by the better pickers when they first came out, anyway. I had a couple in the old days and blocked 'em from working, myself.

 

m

 

And, as with guitarists, a great vocalist uses vibrato as a natural part of the style. In "Rock,"

Chrissie Hynde comes to (my) mind immediately. Her vibrato is such an integral part, of her style,

that she's immediately recognizable. I don't think she calculated that, as much as it was just her

natural "style," to begin with. But, either way, I love how and where she uses it.

 

CB

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Y'know, I thought about Jeff Beck but so much of his vibrato is with his relentless use of the wammy bar. Even though the end result may sound similar to using your fingers, the aesthetic isn't. I don't know if that matters or not. Clapton never uses a wammy bar and I've read that he blocks the tail piece. Maybe it's just another way to skin a cat.

 

Aahhh but it's the use of the whammy bar and the fingers simultaneously - now that's what I'm talkin bout.

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Here he's with the great Mundell Lowe who also could - can - play whatever he wants and have it be classic. Roy's vibrato, bending, etc., is far more subtle in this to the point that,as with BB, you don't even think about it unless you try.

 

Much as I love Roy's playing, btw, it ain't my thing since frankly it's almost as if it's on an different sort of instrument than how I ever was able to approach guitar.

 

m

 

:) Thank you, milod, for reminding us of the truly great Mundell Lowe! I haven't heard his name mentioned in years, but he surely is a fantastic player.

 

And a very happy Christmas and New Year's to you, also.

[thumbup]

J/W

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