Ventures Guitars and Amps

[dave robinson]

To each his own I guess - I don't reckon it's good to turn guitar playing into a contest either, Clapton and Beck each have their own strengths and it serves no purpose to compare them.

[cockroach]

Hello Dave, i see you're on line..

I don't view peoples' playing as a contest- it's my opinion, that's all, I prefer one to another...having a different opinion doesn't mean it's wrong.

[dave robinson]

Good, that's OK then 'cos I like them both.

[abstamaria]

Andy,
As you correctly stated, the Ventures guitars used on the early recordings were a Jazzmaster for lead, Stratocaster for rhythm and a Precision bass.
The information I have available states that on March 22 1960 , when the Ventures entered Joe Bole's home basement studio to record 'Walk Don't Run', they took a Fender Bassman (for Nokie Edwards' bass) and a Fender Vibrolux and a Gibson GA - 40 for the guitars.
An RCA 44 ribbon microphone was used for the bass, a single Telefunken U47 cpatured the drum sound and the guitar amps were recorded with Electrovoice 666 and Altec 639 microphones.
Hope this is of some use to you.
Cheers,
JB

Thank you, John. I would not have figured Vibrolux and Gibson GA40. A Japanese friend is visiting from Tokyo, so I plan to have him and another Japanese friend over this weekend to play Ventures. No Voxes this session (they are very loyal to the Ventures and don't know any of the pieces by "Cliff's backing band." I'm trying to educate them!

Andy

[hansaustria]

On the coverpic of the single "The Swinging Creeper" the band ( Ventures ) was shown with amps I`d never seen before. Does anyone know the brand ?


Hans

[abstamaria]

"I always preferred that 'middle' Ventures period (about 1963-65) with Nokie playing lead- the early Ventures era stuff sounded a bit amateurish to me, especially compared with the Shadows in that same 1960-1962 period. Sorry Andres!"

That's fine, the diversity is what makes the forum interesting. The two Japanese enthusiasts (one a lead gyitarist, the other a drummer)I jammed with last Sunday are firmly in the "middle Ventures" era. The drummer declared the 1965 Ventures album the "best." I think that was "Live in Japan."

I like and have been trying very hard to play well, without much success, "Gandy Dancer" and "Trambone." That's Nokie on the lead, I think. I wish someone would try to play those and post a video. I'd like to see how those pieces are done.

Last Sunday, we used a '62 Jazzmaster, which sounded closest to the early Ventures on a '65 Twin Reverb, rather than the '56 Twin. We also used a Mossrite "Ventures" model, which had quite a growl in the lower registers and quite aggressive. We have no vintage instruments, so all the references are to reissues. A lot of fun, though I was out of my element.

Andres

[RUSSET]

On the coverpic of the single "The Swinging Creeper" the band ( Ventures ) was shown with amps I`d never seen before. Does anyone know the brand ?


Hans

The Ventures are known to have used many amp brands. I'm not sure when the single you refer to was released, but two of the brands they have used, apart from Fender, are Guyatone & Encor.

Tony.

[abstamaria]

One can find almost anything on the net. Here is a cover of Trambone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YW2cckH ... u_in_order

Gandy Dancer is in the series as well, This player has put together very clear videos, which I find quite instructive. His Ventures pieces are closer to the original than his Shadows covers (which are very good in any case, I think). He shifts from Jazzmaster to Mossrite, Stratocaster, and Burns (I think he should have been using the Strat for "Apache). He is plugged a tweed Fender for the Ventures pieces, but I can't tell what model this is. Entertaining and useful. It's good he took the trouble to post.

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi John. I take it you have never seen Clapton live then.
Regards Geoff.

John C wrote,
Jeff Beck, eats the over rated Clapton for breakfast, and always has in my opinion

[burnsernst]

Hi Friends,

Just read about the differences of “Slaughter on 10th Avenue” Ventures and Shadows versions.

If you like have a look at my two videos where I play both versions.

You might notice litte changes in my fingerwork . I record the audio track and then the video (sometimes 1 or 2 two days later playing to my pre-recorded audio) and put it together on the WindowsMovieMaker. So little changes in phrasing are normal. And it was not possible to switch to the flanger part on the Shadows version (around 2:05 ) just with one click on Magic Stomp.

May be some of you will like both versions- but I have to admit I`m still confused that this two should be the same melody-theme.

Regards Ernst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Us9gC13_Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=942HtitNbnM