Damn...it's 3am, why am I listening to you talk about Epiphones? Love it, because it's new to my brain..please don't stop your freewheeling format Mr. T.
There is no human in existence or that has EVER existed that has more soul than Ray Charles!! The way his voice had that tube like break up and was just on the edge of the note…man!! Never be another!! THAT’s what I would sound like if I could sing. Lol!!
I have a 50's Epiphone Century archtop with that new yorker pickup. Sent it to Jesse at Revel Pickups in Minneapolis, who disassembled it and built a custom firebird pickup in the casing. Looks original and sounds KILLER!
I saw the thumbnail for this vid and couldn't believe I was seeing a Crestwood. I had never seen one before a few months ago and I had my eye on a Crestwood Custom reissue (red), I had never seen anyone play one. After eyeing it and looking around for a while a Schecter Ultra III (also in red) came up for the same price and it seemed like an amazing guitar so I went for that one. The Ultra is fantastic, but would still like to try a Crestwood some day.
Regarding Ray Charles, when he passed I believe it was Quincy Jones that described his voice as one that could emit joy and sorrow at the same time. I thought that description was spot on.
Tom "Phil" Bukovac... showing us how to FILL up a vocal track. It's about taste, class, restraint. Ain't nobody got more of that than Uncle Larry! Thanks for the Epiphone lesson. I learnt something!
...the moment you asked the question, who has the most soul, half a second before you answered it I thought: Ray Charles. But Tom: every note you play is soaked with soul! You're a big inspiration to do everything with soul, regardless the level of playing or singing someone is at the moment.
Thanks for the class today Uncle Larry! You know it's a good lessen when I get to sharpen a pencil and take notes. Cool and Uncool are solid foundations....hell yeah I love it man. Rock on your bad ass self.
Growing up in the 60's, and watching the Beatles , I drew pictures of Johns Rick all over the place.. books, sheets of paper, placemats.. Shit, I wanted that guitar. Thanks for the fill mini lesson... !
Medical issue landed me in hospital recently. Missing my guitars terribly. When that AC⚡️DC loop kicked in, I almost teared up. Keep the vids coming Uncle Larry!
Yes, that is a badass late 50's early 60's Magnatone Panoramic with true Vibrato from what I can tell. Great amp, I build custom tube amps these days more than playing. I got on this tone quest and since the music scene is dead in New Orleans and I am 55 and don't want to play weddings I started building amps. Actually, it really started because I lost everything I owned during Hurricane Katrina and I wanted a vintage tube amp again but didn't have the cash so I used my Electronics experience and just started dicking with tubes. Nothing sounds like a simple old skool tube amp cranked.
Hey, Tom, thanks for the Epiphone lesson. That was cool. Always a sentimental favorite. I actually have a 1953 Zephyr with the New York pickup, bikini headstock and those knobs. Honestly, the pickup is okay in that guitar, which is large and fully hollow, so the whole thing is barely manageable. But it is what it is and it's fun to have in my lap while watching a game or something. Thank you for all these lessons.
I have a beautiful, older (made in Japan) Epiphone 12 string two tone sunburst acoustic I bought for $250 bucks ten years ago. It sounds so freakin good! I leave it in open D. Love my Epiphones, play them as much as my Strat and my Gibson. I don't have a lot of guitars, but I play the crap out of the ones I have. Thanks for the vid Tom
On the cool fills topic, my mind went straight to ‘Debris’ by the Faces. What a great song, Ronnie Wood just having a good old time, filling all over the shop.
Thanks Tom, I finally see where my cupcake knobs came from. I had an early Gibson ES175 with these knobs and never knew where they came from. Obviously, someone must have put Epiphone cupcake knobs as an personal upgrade or just for the hell of it……now I can sleep at night.. thanks for these videos
My Mom used to work for United and then American Airlines. She met Ray Charles on a flight. He was in 1st Class (of course). And was reading a braille Playboy mag. To fuckin' cool man ;-) She just told him how much she enjoyed his music, and didn't want to bother him further. He was very gracious.
Sweet Tommy Bukovac from Cleveland, Sagittarius, You are the man. I don't think you're over posting, can't get enough of your content. You talked about Ray Charles, yea man, when he sings tears come to my eyes. My dear mom, who lives in Sun Valley had a bunch of framed pictures she was organizing and in there is a picture of her, my dear departed step dad, and Ray Charles. He was in Sun Valley for an event and they got to meet him. You can tell how cool he is in that picture, they are smiling and laughing, he is such a joyous cat. I love how when asked about soul you go straight to Ray Charles, I agree! Thanks Uncle Larry!
Another incredible EPIsode!!! Elliot Easton has always been one of my absolute favorite players for 1. Always serving the song and the melody and 2. Adding amazing little pieces of color and light without ever getting in the way.
As a Greek/Italian, music was such a pivotal part of growing up. Didn't know Epiphone was started by a Greek guy! Just started playing Bouzouki again. Mom's getting to her 80s now and she likes to hear the sounds of the old country.
Fuck man, your chart on "fills" is like a road map to life. We measure things in stringent time increments, but the most enjoyable times are the "blurred edges. Thanks man.
I was a huge Randy Rhoades fan when I was a kid (still am). When I got the live tribute album and listened to the outtakes of him recording Dee - when he spoke it sent shivers down my spine. I had never heard his voice. Now you have Instagram and all that mystery is gone. Our heroes are ordinary now. Prince was the king of being a mysterious MF.
Unc needs to write a book. I don’t mean a memoir. Just a random book of insights. Chapter 17, cool vs uncool fills with a hand drawn chart. Take my money.
I had a old epiphone Electar lap steel. It had the coolest knobs I’ve ever seen. Plus a very cool bass contour control and the same tuners as a pre war Martin. It hand a surprisingly cool sounding horse shoe pickup.
When I was a young man (no pun intended) Angus was the man, but now that I am older I find myself really appreciating Malcolm. So solid. I learned about fills listening to Earl Scruggs while driving around with my dad when I was a kid. To answer Tom's challenge, my first thought was Sam Cooke. But I would put Otis Redding up there too. Both left us way too young. Young men with old souls, I sat here a minute imaging them as old men with more experienced souls. But would agree about Ray.
Louis Armstrong takes my choice most soulful, nobody could touch him and he set the standard of soulful vocals, bending a melody new life and his time, he influenced all others to come.
Thanks for the Duke Levine recommendation. I knew his name, but I wasn't familiar with that much of his stuff. I was blown away by some of the videos! That's some "Old Bull" stuff there!
“Damn alligator bit my hand off!” -Chubbs Funniest line from Carl Weathers in the movie-Happy Gilmore. Must’ve worn out that part of the VHS rewinding it over and over, sides sore from laughing. A great talent and a great man, we will miss him. Great episode uncle Larry, no need to apologize for longer running videos, I know you like to keep them short, but I always like it when they go past 15 minutes because the content is always excellent. -Ain’t it grand to dig in to a B5 chord first thing in the morning 😀
Panoramic is magnatone! Another accordion amp I daresay;) I’ve got one that’s like a tonemaster plus reverb. 18 watts. I gotta change out the 2 prong though.
Hi Tom, thanks for the cool shout-outs! Epiphone, Stevie Mariott( uh huh) and brother Ray Charles. I have always loved a good used Epiphone guitar. In the early 1970's(1971-'72) the pawnshops in Michigan were full of all models of Epiphone guitars. And they were cheap. $120 - $250 range. Also, my favorite cheap guitar, a 1966 Gibson Melodymaker with the SG(one piece) mahogany body. I bought that in 1974 for $120 (big spender). I still miss that little guitar...
Hey Tom, speaking of fills... Been enjoying the Sarah Jarosz Poloroids record that dropped last week. Some tasty fills on that one! The bendy stuff on Dying Ember sure sounds like a B-bender, if I didn't know better lol.
