Who's heard Little Richard sing "Shake a Hand"?

Hard to remember or believe that a Gold Top cost $300. Inexpensive was never a Gibson trait. Isn't it strange that two American guitar manufacturers dominated the world of popular music for so many decades and still do? Seems strange to me, anyway. The Koreans and Japanese make fine instruments for very little money nowadays...but Fender and Gibson they ain't.

Slow tempo "ballads" sure aren't as popular as they were then. I wonder if today's best players could handle them as well? Well they sure don't, so maybe it's safe to say no? Or maybe my mind isn't grokking the last twenty years very well atm.

The Diamonds Little Darlin'

Ronettes Be My Baby Enhanced version

Richie Valens Donna

The Crystals Da Doo Run Run Phil Spector RIP?



Gawd I love this song.

Phil Spector, the producer of this amazing song and many more died from Covid-19 in prison yesterday. He was an unpleasant fellow and eventually a murderer. It's very difficult to hold both pictures in focus. He helped create some of the best music of the 20th century yet murdered an innocent young woman as an old fart.

You were playing professionally when you were in college? Have to doff the hat in your direction once again!

And I don't know if a mere "Standard" would do. Such a plain Jane guitar. The thing maybe boils down to this? Fender and Gibson have different scale lengths. In other words the distance between the string's length from nut to bridge is different. Don't have the spec handy, sorry. Fender's is a bit longer, a fine guitarist I know pooh poohs Gibson's shorter length. He thinks that the longer string length of Fender makes all the difference in the world. Well, they sure as hell sound different. The difference has much to do with the different pickups, so I can't say that one scale length is a lot different than the other to the ear.

The fact is that Les Paul and Leo Fender had different ideas about scale length. And Les Pauls are MUCH easier to play than Strats. The strings feel like butter on a Les Paul, and things you have to subjugate to your will on a Strat or Tele.
I'm exaggerating how hard Fenders are to play. The memory from fifty three years ago is that it was extremely easy to play my friend's Les Paul.

It's possible that the guitars I tried out featured different string gauges. Thin strings are easier to finger, but thicker ones make for a more robust sound.

I don't know if Gibson and Fender basses have different scale length. But I know that a Fender Precision Bass is the most recorded bass guitar sound in popular music history. Gibson's basses never sounded quite right to me. Iirc, Gibson manufactured the first bass guitars. But Leo Fender made his right.

I have three basses, but only one is a Fender. I chose a Jazz Bass over a Precision Bass, why? The Precision (Fender's first bass) sounds just right. However, the Jazz Bass has a neck to die for. So thin and easy to play. Sweet! J-Basses have a thinner more nasal tone. The holy grail would be a Precision Bass with a Jazz Bass neck. Afaik, don't think anyone tried to build one. So there must be an apple and orange reason for that. Sigh.

Speaking of cost, Fender's Standard American made Jazz Base cost about $1100 five years ago. A Mexican made one is far cheaper--however when you examine them closely the heavier hardware and attention to detail make the USA made bass a shoo in. For me anyway.

Mongo like to post about the subject of music, thank you for your posts!

James Taylor B.S.U.R.

Rick Beatto What Makes This Song Great? Number 80 Kansas