Comments on: The Guitar Post http://lauralately.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/the-guitar-post/ they never seem to play the stuff that Laura likes to hear Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:33:14 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: lauralately http://lauralately.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/the-guitar-post/#comment-74 lauralately Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:55:03 +0000 http://lauralately.wordpress.com/?p=114#comment-74 yep, Shakti is awesome. Mahavishnu Orchestra hurtles above my head at shocking altitudes and speeds, but I get Shakti. I'm also flattered that you like this thread. yep, Shakti is awesome. Mahavishnu Orchestra hurtles above my head at shocking altitudes and speeds, but I get Shakti. I’m also flattered that you like this thread.

]]> By: Mark Griffin / mc 900 http://lauralately.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/the-guitar-post/#comment-71 Mark Griffin / mc 900 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:46:12 +0000 http://lauralately.wordpress.com/?p=114#comment-71 By the way, this is an awesome thread. You mentioned John McLaughlin early on. Now THAT'S an interesting guitar. Listen to Shakti. By the way, this is an awesome thread. You mentioned John McLaughlin early on. Now THAT’S an interesting guitar. Listen to Shakti.

]]> By: superjanitor http://lauralately.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/the-guitar-post/#comment-35 superjanitor Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:05:39 +0000 http://lauralately.wordpress.com/?p=114#comment-35 Sounds like Tom Morello went to the Ted Nugent school of guitar playing. Sounds like Tom Morello went to the Ted Nugent school of guitar playing.

]]> By: shufflocity http://lauralately.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/the-guitar-post/#comment-34 shufflocity Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:20:55 +0000 http://lauralately.wordpress.com/?p=114#comment-34 Hi Laura: The "floating" pickup arrangement on the Ibanez Benson GB-10 model was popularized (AFAIK) on the Gibson Johnny Smith model. The neck pickup is actually mounted on end of the neck and the bridge pickup to the pickguard. Having a pickup on an archtop that isn't cut into the top is, however, very common. The reason for a floating pickup is to avoid interfering with the acoustic properties of the guitar. Since archtops were originally acoustic guitars that were intended to be very loud acoustically (so they could keep up with a band as a rhythm instrument), when they were first electrified the pickups were typically mounted hanging off the neck and the knobs were either mounted to the pickguard or on a separate control box. DeArmond made many models of these. There are, however, a couple of things that are unusual about the GB-10 for a guitar with floating pickups. The first is that the top is laminated, not solid wood -- as acoustic archtops are, and as are ligher end electric archtops like the Gibson L-5CES. The other is that the volume and tone knobs are installed directly in the top. My understanding is that the reason for the way the GB-10 is set up is to avoid feedback, which is normally a huge problem with any archtop. When Benson started using these (he actually used the Johnny Smith model before that for quite a while -- that is what is pictured on the "Breezin" album cover) he was playing arena-sized venues that required very high volume. The setup of the GB-10 (thick laminate top, floating pickups so that vibrations are not transmitted between pickup and top) really reduces the feedback. I owned one back in the early 80's. They are really nice guitars and sound great (though it is hard to make them sound other than Benson does). Sorry to blab on so long. I am also a lifelong guitar lover and will go on and on about them. If you check my blog (http://shufflocity.wordpress.com/) you can see something about where I came from, find samples of my work, and link to others. Best Regards, Hi Laura: The “floating” pickup arrangement on the Ibanez Benson GB-10 model was popularized (AFAIK) on the Gibson Johnny Smith model. The neck pickup is actually mounted on end of the neck and the bridge pickup to the pickguard.

Having a pickup on an archtop that isn’t cut into the top is, however, very common. The reason for a floating pickup is to avoid interfering with the acoustic properties of the guitar. Since archtops were originally acoustic guitars that were intended to be very loud acoustically (so they could keep up with a band as a rhythm instrument), when they were first electrified the pickups were typically mounted hanging off the neck and the knobs were either mounted to the pickguard or on a separate control box. DeArmond made many models of these.

There are, however, a couple of things that are unusual about the GB-10 for a guitar with floating pickups. The first is that the top is laminated, not solid wood — as acoustic archtops are, and as are ligher end electric archtops like the Gibson L-5CES. The other is that the volume and tone knobs are installed directly in the top.

My understanding is that the reason for the way the GB-10 is set up is to avoid feedback, which is normally a huge problem with any archtop. When Benson started using these (he actually used the Johnny Smith model before that for quite a while — that is what is pictured on the “Breezin” album cover) he was playing arena-sized venues that required very high volume. The setup of the GB-10 (thick laminate top, floating pickups so that vibrations are not transmitted between pickup and top) really reduces the feedback.

I owned one back in the early 80’s. They are really nice guitars and sound great (though it is hard to make them sound other than Benson does).

Sorry to blab on so long. I am also a lifelong guitar lover and will go on and on about them. If you check my blog (http://shufflocity.wordpress.com/) you can see something about where I came from, find samples of my work, and link to others.

Best Regards,

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