--> Though most TF models featured a scroll designed by Tal in the horn of the upper bout, this example from 1964 does not. This month we are celebrating
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In 1958, Tal moved to the coastal town of Seabright, New Jersey, and lived a placid life of boating, teaching and sign painting, mixed with local performances and the occasional reemergence from āretirement.ā In the following decades, he was occasionally deputized to fill in at the Great Guitarsā (a trio consisting of Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Charlie Byrd) performances. Although he seemed to vanish from the scene for years at a time, he would reemerge occasionally to produce fine jazz recordings, as he did during his āreturnā in 1969 and again in the eighties. In one such resurfacing, the Concord label produced three Farlow records, including the relentlessly swinging Cookinā on All Burners. These recordings from the 1980s spotlight Tal as a veteran founder of bebop jazz guitar and prove his enduring viability as an exciting performer with a unique voice. He was equally at home playing chord melodies as working in a combo setting, as evidenced in the excellent solo chord melody of āMistyā (thereās a great video of this on YouTube).
Tal Farlow was a Gibson ES-350 player during the fifties, and was referred to as āThe Gibson Boyā as he became better known on the music scene. He had gained enough acclaim that in 1960 he was approached by Gibson to be one of the three important jazz performers for whom signature artist models would be designed. This exclusive triumvirate was made up of Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel and Tal.
He had a significant hand in the design of the Tal Farlow model. Thankfully, one of his early designs was rejected: a pickup that could slide along the pickguard on a track rail to achieve the tonal variances otherwise made possible by two pickups*. On the first Tal model, Gibson opted instead for a standard routed, two pickup design with nickel hardware. Early models can be found with PAF pickups. The Tal model came with two full-size humbuckers, unlike many of the other high-end Gibson archtops (such as the L-5CES, Byrdland, Super 400CES and Barney Kessel models) that all came from the factory in the early sixties with the narrower spaced neck pickup.
The TF model in some ways resembles Talās earlier ES-350 with its Venetian cutaway, 17ā lower bout and maple top. The TF model adds a 25.5ā scale length (same as the L-5 and Super 400), a unique pickguard shape, reversed J-200 inlays on the rosewood fretboard, double crown inlay on the headstock, L-7 style tailpiece with signature inlay, and Kluson Super (waffle-back) tuners. Many of the models have a Tal-designed scroll in the horn of the upper bout (some, like our example, do not). A sunburst finish, āViceroy Brown,ā was standard. Unlike Barney Kessel, who seemed disinterested in actually using the BK models, Tal played his TF signature model the rest of his life.
Due to poor sales and a lack of popular interest, the TF model lasted only five years (1962-1967), which pales in comparison to the 14-year longevity of the BK models (1961-1974). The TF model was reissued by Gibson in the nineties, and players today seem to have a kinder eye for the TF modelās more traditional geometry and style than they do the BK model, with its roguish, double sharp cutaway.
As we look at Talās career, we can imagine that there must have been some inner struggle with the question of how to best make a living ā a question most artists are familiar with. As early as 1962, Tal seemed to begin drifting in and out of retirement and this continued through his later years. For many years he worked locally in New Jersey, doubling as a sign painter. Tal gave guitar lessons at his home until his death in 1998 at age 77. He left behind a fine legacy of recordings ā and an excellent Gibson artist model.
*Never a company to completely abandon a bad idea, Gibson introduced the sliding pickup concept in 1973 on the Grabber bass, with deservedly poor results. (Gibson Electrics ā The Classic Years, Hal Leonard Corp., 1994; page 99)
Jim Bastian
A clinician and jazz educator, Jim Bastian is a 10 year veteran of teaching guitar in higher education. Jim holds two masters degrees and has published 6 jazz studies texts, including the best-selling How to Play Chordal Bebop Lines, for Guitar (available from Jamey Aebersold). He actively performs on both guitar and bass on the East Coast.
An avid collector and trader in the vintage market, you can visit Jimās store at premierguitar.com (dealer: IslandFunhouse).
Featuring torrefied solid Sitka Spruce tops, mahogany neck, back, and sides, and Fishman Presys VT EQ System, these guitars are designed to deliver quality tone and playability at an affordable price point.
Cort Guitars, acclaimed for creating instruments that exceed in value and quality, introduces the Essence Series. This stunning set of acoustic guitars is designed for musicians looking for the quintessential classic acoustic guitar with fabulous tone all at an exceptional price point. The Essence Series features two distinct body shapes: The Grand Auditorium and the OM Cutaway. Whatever the flavor, the Essence Series has the style to suit.
The Essence-GA-4 is the perfect Grand Auditorium acoustic. Wider than a dreadnought, the Essence-GA-4 features a deep body with a narrower waist and a width of 1 Ā¾ā (45mm) at the nut. The result is an instrument that is ideal for any number of playing styles: Pickingā¦ strummingā¦ the Essence GA-4 is completely up for the task.
The Essence-OM-4 features a shallower body creating a closer connection to the player allowing for ease of use on stage. With its 1 11/16āth (43mm) nut width, this Orchestra Model is great for fingerpickers or singer/guitarists looking for better body contact for an overall better playing experience.
Both acoustics are topped with a torrefied solid Sitka Spruce top using Cortās ATV process. The ATV process or āAged to Vintageā, āagesā the Spruce top to give it the big and open tone of older, highly-sought-after acoustics. To further enhance those vintage tones, the tops bracing is also made of torrefied spruce. The mahogany neck, back, and sides create a warm, robust midrange and bright highs. A rosewood fingerboard and bridge add for a more balanced sound and sustain. The result is amazing tone at first strum. 18:1 Vintage Open Gear Tuners on the mahogany headstock offer precise tuning with vintage styling. The herringbone rosette & purfling accentuates the aesthetics of these instruments adding to their appeal. Both acoustics come in two choices of finish. Natural Semi-Gloss allows the Sitka spruceās natural beauty to shine through and classic Black Top Semi-Gloss.
A FishmanĀ® Presys VT EQ System is installed inside the body versus other systems that cut into the body to be installed. This means the instrument keeps its natural resonance and acoustic flair. The Presys VT EQ System keeps it simple with only Volume and Tone controls resulting in a true, crisp acoustic sound. Lastly, ElixirĀ® Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze Light .012-.053 Acoustic Strings round out these acoustics. This Number 1 acoustic guitar string delivers consistent performance and extended tone life with phosphor bronze sparkle and warmth. The Essence Series takes all these elements, combines them, and exceeds in playability, looks, and affordability.
Street Price: $449.00
For more information, please visit cortguitars.com.
Cort Essence-GA4 Demo - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.Moth Electric's C. regalis overdrive pedal offers massive boost, natural overdrive, and searing distortion for guitar and bass. With active treble and bass controls, clean blend, Smooth/Crunch modes, and true-bypass switching, this USA-made pedal is a versatile addition to any pedalboard.
Adding a new model to their line of overdrives, Moth Electric has released the C. regalis. Equally suited for guitar and bass, the meticulously designed C.regalis is capable of massive boost, natural, singing overdrive, and searing mid-gain distortion. Its six op-amps power a dynamic, crunchy overdrive circuit with a suite of features including:
- Active treble and bass controls that allow for +/- 15db boost and cut. Perfect for tailoring the C. regalis to your instrument and amp.
- A powerful clean blend for introducing either your ampās natural character or another effect into the equation. Allows the C. regalis to become a more transparent overdrive.
- Smooth/Crunch modes, provide a subtle change in feel with āSmoothā increasing sustain and āCrunchā introducing high-order harmonics for additional texture.
The C. regalis offers the following features:
- Bass, Treble, Blend, Volume, Drive controls
- Smooth/Crunch modesā More volume than youāll ever need
- True-bypass switching, top-mounted jacks for easy placement on crowded pedalboards
- 9-volt DC operation with external power supply ā no battery compartment
- Designed and hand-built in the USA using through-hole components
The C. regalis carries a $179.99 price and is available for purchase at mothelectric.com.
For more information, please visit mothelectric.com.
OK WOW. Moth Electric C.REGALIS - Pedals and Tea EP 57 - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.The rising guitar star talks gear, labels, genre troubles, and how to network.
Grace Bowers just released her debut record, 2024ās Wine on Venus, with her band the Hodge Podge, but sheās already one the most well-known young guitarists in America. On this episode of Wong Notes, Bowers talks through the ups, downs, and detours of her whirlwind career.
Bowers started out livestreaming performances on Reddit at age 13, and came into the public eye as a performer on social media, so sheās well acquainted with the limits and benefits of being an āInstagram guitarist.ā She and Cory talk about session work in Nashville (Bowers loathes it), her live performance rig, and Eddie Hazelās influence.
Bowers plugs the importance of networking as a young musician: If you want gigs, you gotta go to gigs, and make acquaintances. But none of that elbow-rubbing will matter unless youāre solid on youāre instrument. āNo oneās gonna hire you if youāre ass,ā says Bowers. āPractice is important.
āTune in to learn why Bowers is ready to move on from Wine on Venus, her takes on Nashville versus California, and why she hates āthe blues-rock label.ā
A dose of magic gain potion.
Works like a little vial of magic gain potion. Fattens without obscuring individual frequency bands.
None.
$129
Solodallas SVDS Boost
solodallas.com
The Schaeffer-Vega Diversity Systemāan early and very successful wireless systemāexcelled at the tasks it was designed for. But there was more magic than met the eye. Though designed to sound as transparent as possible, it nonetheless colored the signal in a way that people like Angus Young and Eddie Van Halen found essential.
SoloDallas explored the possibilities of this circuit before in pedals like theSchaeffer Replica, but the new SVDS Boost strips the formula to essentials. Minimalist controlsāone knob, thatās itāmake this boost no less delicious. Iām not surprised Angus Young was smitten with the original SVDS. An SG and Marshall 18-watt amp sound fantastic naked, but the SVDS Boost has the rare talent for fattening everything without seeming to favor or obscure any frequency band too much. And as zest to the PAF/Marshall style formula, it makes the kind of rowdy, organic, airy, large, and punch-packing Marshall sound you would dream of getting in a studio or hearing on the radio. There are many shades of this basic awesome color in spite of the single knob. Unity gain lives in the earliest third of its range. From there you certainly get more volume, but mostly you bathe in various hues of compressed, saturated, thick, and dynamite growl. You donāt need a Gibson and a Marshall to use it to devastating effect, either. A Telecaster and Vibrolux snap with attitude and whip-crack energy with the SVDS in the line. And with both guitar/amp combos, the SVDSā wide dynamic responsiveness to volume and tone attenuation assures that things stay cracking when you need more control.