Philosophical Musings on the Emotional-Synaptic Response...

[mcphoto]

Philosophical Musings on the Emotional-Synaptic Response of the Aging Caucasian Male to Japanese Guitar Design Trends of the 1960's Era.

I was trying to explain to my wife why the old asian guitars have captured my imagination - particularly the funkiest of the Asian and Italian models (and I tend to analyze myself constantly anyway...) But, why do people love these things?

When I think of the history of fender and gibson, they designed their early electrics to be great, functional guitars. So much of the early shapes that became standards of guitar design - cutaways, body relief, knob placement, etc. - grew from acoustic guitars to fat-bodied "jazz" electrics and then into Strats, LPs, Teles. It seems to me most of the early era of solid body electric guitar design was "form follows function" - the guitars weren't "rock and roll" designs, they became synonymous with rock music because they were well-suited to playing it. There weren't crazy finishes, wild shapes, etc.

And about that time, rock & roll happened, and US (and a few European) guitars were the pro instruments. You could say rock music was a "response" in part to those early US electrics. When Japan came into the design business, it was very clearly as a response to rock & roll (and the market for guitars it created). You could say that the Americans designed guitars, but the Japanese designed "rock and roll guitars" (OK, at least they really tried to).

I think that's where so much of the cool factor comes in - as an example, it's obvious some makers said "more buttons! more knobs!" (Les Paul and Leo Fender never needed FOUR pickups, y'know?) There's a weird cross-cultural mangling of the concept of "a guitar for rock music", mixed with an outsider view of American teen culture. (Thank god the Asians had gotten pretty good at engineering by then or this would be the "cool looking guitars that are utter crap" forum).

It's not, for me, a "replace my first guitar" - my first electric, purchased brand new in 1974, was en entry-level Mosrite, hollow thinline, rosewood bridge (that slid all over the place) and no binding - an American guitar. (Purchased with a Fender Champ - god, what those two would fetch now). (Not to mention my first "real" electric, a 1968 Gibson SG, sold for a few hundred bucks in the 80's).

I like the crazy-looking models. What I LOVE is getting one and finding out it actually plays OK and sounds killer. What's pricleless is getting all that for 60 bucks. Which means I can swap pickups and bridges all day and not get all tweaked up about "the value".

I love the fact that some of my guitars have been around - and obviously been played - for four decades. That really, really appeals to me, seeing the age all over the guitar, that it really came from a different time and is still around, like a time capsule. And, I've got a thinline hollow Teisco that is just "magic" - it, and a Gibson Acoustic, are the guitars I own with that magic/mojo/whatever (not even my Strat has it).

Anyone bored? Tell us what & why you dig in this department.

[johnnyb]

very well put, id have to totally agree with your philosophy on the subject. what i also like, is the total surprise when a new guitar comes in the mail. will it sound great and play well, or be a total dud. either way very little cash was put out. i now have an old silvertone and a teisco et-230 that i play all the time. the rest have gone by the way of the closet. Their tones are surprisingly great and very unique, and both are unique in their feel as well. i dont think ill buy a dimarzio pup again.

[mcphoto]

I've got an EP-8T that I always loved. But only recently did I have a chance to really rattle the windows with that thing - Peavey Classic 30 with JJ tubes and a 1970's era JBL K-12 speaker, all dimed out - which is freakin' loud. Just luscious. There's the strangest vibe to that sound... it's very full, but there are some subtle-but-bizarre spikes and dips in the tone that really hook into your brain and say "AM Radio" - but not in a tinny way. Can't explain it, but it really gets you at a subconscious level. Sweet for clear tones, but really thrashing on the thing makes this ballsy, crazy wail that's simply primal, yet not trashy - very defined. Paid $100 for it, haven't even changed the strings yet.

In late spring I'll be posting videos of that guitar and my ET-200 - the ET stock video is done, I'm about to put P-90s on it for an "after" video. I'm doing the vids through protools with good mics and backing tracks - I think I'll write an entire song with all parts done on the Teiscos (with bass guitar and strike drums). Fun project, hard to get the time (and an empty house - those things really sing when they're cranked).

I'll start a thread when those are done.

[johnnyb]

very cool. i pump mine in stereo through a fender hot rod deville and an old '67 fender bassman. not true stereo though, i put cabs close so they blend. the bassman adds the bite. i also like it loud(although my wife may not) she is a singer and wants to be in front. i have a couple of recorded projects using some of these old guitars. the first is an old maxitone. it was recorded with everything flat on the deville and i only used different combos of pups for tones. its not the best feeling guitar, but when you plug it in that all fades away and it feels great. its the only instrument used in the recording. the second is an old '50s hollowbody teisco. another junker but the pickup is better than the whole guitar.

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplaye ... 18668&q=hi

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplaye ... 18646&q=hi

[sneakypete]

like old MIJ electrics? try some of their even older nylon strings.

[mcphoto]

Dude, I'm already there - got a late 70's Alvarez cutaway (I'm guessing it's Japanese, can't tell right now - my 16 year old son has adopted it. And, as a father of teens, how cool is that?).

The pickup in it is ehhhhhh... but stick a fat condenser on that with a good pre, and man... big sound. throw a good reverb plugin on the track and it's just huge.

I think I should put that on my video list....

[mcphoto]

Johnny b - nice tracks, man. I can really hear that ET series grind!

That hollow body is on eBay right now. If "the economy" (®) wasn't kicking me where it hurts, I'd be bidding...

[sneakypete]

no no...I mean OLDer MIJ nylon strings...I have a 1948 Suzuki, a 1950 Kiso Suzuki pick guitar, numerous Yamaha Dynamics built before the FGs came on line in `66, some old Sadao Yairis and assorted other makers.
By the `70s plywood was used by many builders and I see tons of those all over the web here, I`m after the solid woods and have found some great guitars for next to nothing.