However, she does have one habit that won't seem to go away... and she knows it's wrong. Oh, she knows.
j.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tilly was BAD!
Overall, Tilly is a pretty great dog. She doesn't bark, she listens very intently, and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She's pretty much everything you could ask for in a dog!
However, she does have one habit that won't seem to go away... and she knows it's wrong. Oh, she knows.
j.
However, she does have one habit that won't seem to go away... and she knows it's wrong. Oh, she knows.
j.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Backstage At Revolve
We're on the Revolve Tour at the moment, and we're having tons of fun. Every weekend we play to an arena full of teenage girls.... It's a teen girl conference, so it's ONLY teenage girls.... So there aren't any boys or men to dilute the high-pitched girl screams when they see Jason. Haha....
I thought I'd take a little video of what our last few minutes before the show are like.... Just for fun.
Our Friends in this video:
Max Lucado
Andy Reale
Austin Gutwein
Two-Tone
Rob Olds
Kevin Jordan
My favorite guitar... My Paul Reed Smith SC245 goldtop.
j.
I thought I'd take a little video of what our last few minutes before the show are like.... Just for fun.
Our Friends in this video:
Max Lucado
Andy Reale
Austin Gutwein
Two-Tone
Rob Olds
Kevin Jordan
My favorite guitar... My Paul Reed Smith SC245 goldtop.
j.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
New Song - The Siege of Atlantis
Hey All...
I'm still in the process of recording a new album, and I'm really enjoying working on it in my own place... Justin came down and tracked drums for me a few weeks ago, and I filmed some of Justin's drum sessions at that time.
A few of the songs are nearing completion, and I wanted to give you a little preview of one of them. This song is called The Siege of Atlantis. The video is taken from a drum session, and the audio is a "preview mix" of the song (with all the quality of YouTube's streaming services... haha). I hope you like it!
Here is a better-quality audio-only preview...
This song will also be available as part of a FREE 3-song EP that will be released online in the coming weeks... THROUGH THIS WEBSITE.
The 3 songs will be a selection from the whole record, which will be available sometime in December. I'll post a more certain release date in the coming weeks. Again, these releases will be through my website only... So keep checking back for details!
Thanks everyone for your love and support!
j.
I'm still in the process of recording a new album, and I'm really enjoying working on it in my own place... Justin came down and tracked drums for me a few weeks ago, and I filmed some of Justin's drum sessions at that time.
A few of the songs are nearing completion, and I wanted to give you a little preview of one of them. This song is called The Siege of Atlantis. The video is taken from a drum session, and the audio is a "preview mix" of the song (with all the quality of YouTube's streaming services... haha). I hope you like it!
Here is a better-quality audio-only preview...
This song will also be available as part of a FREE 3-song EP that will be released online in the coming weeks... THROUGH THIS WEBSITE.
The 3 songs will be a selection from the whole record, which will be available sometime in December. I'll post a more certain release date in the coming weeks. Again, these releases will be through my website only... So keep checking back for details!
Thanks everyone for your love and support!
j.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Guitar Hero - Mr. Stu
There is one man who has influenced me as a guitar player more than any other... Stu G of Delirious.
I listened to Delirious all the time when I was younger. I had every record. Actually, I still do. He inspired me to learn the guitar, and to this day, so much of my style is derived from him. He just has this swagger about him.... He's technical while still being incredibly tasteful. He also has this Jeff Beck-like ability to write parts that are almost vocal.
Of all his work, there is one moment in their musical career that influenced me more than any other... The solo from Investigate.
Enjoy.
Incidentally, my friend Tony was the lighting designer on this show. Looks good, yeah?!!
j.
I listened to Delirious all the time when I was younger. I had every record. Actually, I still do. He inspired me to learn the guitar, and to this day, so much of my style is derived from him. He just has this swagger about him.... He's technical while still being incredibly tasteful. He also has this Jeff Beck-like ability to write parts that are almost vocal.
Of all his work, there is one moment in their musical career that influenced me more than any other... The solo from Investigate.
Enjoy.
Incidentally, my friend Tony was the lighting designer on this show. Looks good, yeah?!!
j.
Motorcycle Madness
I want a motorcycle.
It's not a mid-life crisis (or a quarter-life crisis). It's not a young reckless urge. It's not a last stab at youth. It's these dang gas prices! Ok, it's also cuz it's fun. But seriously... I want to get a motorcycle by the end of the year. Jess and I share one car right now, and if I'm not on the road, getting around is sometimes a bit of a challenge. We end up driving into town 3 or 4 times if we both need to do something on any given day. Not cool, Charlie.
Here's the thing about motorcycles... they each place a stigma on their owner. It's not always the same stigma, either.
There's the crotch rockets (aka sport bikes) that say, "I'm young and dangerous. I like speed, and I'll scoff at you if you tell me to slow down.
There's the touring bikes that say, "I'm a practical guy. Just because it's a motorcycle doesn't mean it shouldn't have a radio, storage, and a microwave oven."
There's the choppers that say, "Yeah, it's loud... Deal with it! I don't have to, cuz I'm a senior citizen and I lost my hearing ages ago."
There's the scooters that say, "I love granola, and I get 95 miles to the gallon. Like my Little Mermaid helmet?"
Then there's the cruisers. These are my kind of bikes. They don't have the curves of sport bikes or the space-ship cockpits of the crotch rockets and the touring bikes. They have baffles in their mufflers, and they have tires more than 7 inches across. These bikes are more like your "regular guy" kinda bikes... and I think I like the older beat-up ones the best. This is the kind of motorcycle I'd like...
This is a beat up old 1978 Honda GL500. It was on sale for $800. That's my kind of bike, and that's my kind of deal. The fact that it's beat up just makes me more attached to it.
So, I'll be on the hunt the next few weeks and months.... For the piece of junk that's just right for me!
j.
It's not a mid-life crisis (or a quarter-life crisis). It's not a young reckless urge. It's not a last stab at youth. It's these dang gas prices! Ok, it's also cuz it's fun. But seriously... I want to get a motorcycle by the end of the year. Jess and I share one car right now, and if I'm not on the road, getting around is sometimes a bit of a challenge. We end up driving into town 3 or 4 times if we both need to do something on any given day. Not cool, Charlie.
Here's the thing about motorcycles... they each place a stigma on their owner. It's not always the same stigma, either.
There's the crotch rockets (aka sport bikes) that say, "I'm young and dangerous. I like speed, and I'll scoff at you if you tell me to slow down.
There's the touring bikes that say, "I'm a practical guy. Just because it's a motorcycle doesn't mean it shouldn't have a radio, storage, and a microwave oven."
There's the choppers that say, "Yeah, it's loud... Deal with it! I don't have to, cuz I'm a senior citizen and I lost my hearing ages ago."
There's the scooters that say, "I love granola, and I get 95 miles to the gallon. Like my Little Mermaid helmet?"
Then there's the cruisers. These are my kind of bikes. They don't have the curves of sport bikes or the space-ship cockpits of the crotch rockets and the touring bikes. They have baffles in their mufflers, and they have tires more than 7 inches across. These bikes are more like your "regular guy" kinda bikes... and I think I like the older beat-up ones the best. This is the kind of motorcycle I'd like...
This is a beat up old 1978 Honda GL500. It was on sale for $800. That's my kind of bike, and that's my kind of deal. The fact that it's beat up just makes me more attached to it.
So, I'll be on the hunt the next few weeks and months.... For the piece of junk that's just right for me!
j.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Old Man Morning
I don't know when it happened. I think it was fairly recently, but I can't really pinpoint the moment it happened....
Nonetheless, I am now a morning person.
We've been home quite a bit the last few weeks, and I've been finding myself waking up at 7:30 or 8:00.... at first I stared at the ceiling for at least an hour before getting up, because I thought, "Surely I can't get up this early on a day off!" Eventually, however, I accepted my fate, and started getting up whenever my body wakes me up.
So, for the last few weeks, I've been getting up around 8am, making coffee, reading the news, taking Tilly for a walk... and just enjoying a quiet morning. Jess doesn't wake up til 10 or 11, so this means that I have several hours to myself every morning. I had no idea how much of an impact this would have on me. I'm happier, I feel healthier, and I feel less anxious when potentially stressful things happen.
Suddenly the mental picture of an "old man" starts to hit a lot closer to home. I picture myself in a rocking chair on a porch at 6am, wearing a bathrobe, sipping coffee and reading the morning paper. This doesn't seem so unrealistic now. Why do "old man" things seem so appealing to me? Bathrobes, cardigans, porches, rocking chairs, morning papers, and slippers... What is wrong with me?
Of course if I mention this to Jess, she's horrified. She's not ready for either of us to be old yet. She's a makeup artist, so to her, "older" means "more wrinkly", and that means it takes more work to get ready in the morning. Every once and a while I mention that a few lines give a face some character, and she generally responds with "Ugghhhh. I don't wanna be old."
Well... I think over time, I'm gonna get my way.
j.
Nonetheless, I am now a morning person.
We've been home quite a bit the last few weeks, and I've been finding myself waking up at 7:30 or 8:00.... at first I stared at the ceiling for at least an hour before getting up, because I thought, "Surely I can't get up this early on a day off!" Eventually, however, I accepted my fate, and started getting up whenever my body wakes me up.
So, for the last few weeks, I've been getting up around 8am, making coffee, reading the news, taking Tilly for a walk... and just enjoying a quiet morning. Jess doesn't wake up til 10 or 11, so this means that I have several hours to myself every morning. I had no idea how much of an impact this would have on me. I'm happier, I feel healthier, and I feel less anxious when potentially stressful things happen.
Suddenly the mental picture of an "old man" starts to hit a lot closer to home. I picture myself in a rocking chair on a porch at 6am, wearing a bathrobe, sipping coffee and reading the morning paper. This doesn't seem so unrealistic now. Why do "old man" things seem so appealing to me? Bathrobes, cardigans, porches, rocking chairs, morning papers, and slippers... What is wrong with me?
Of course if I mention this to Jess, she's horrified. She's not ready for either of us to be old yet. She's a makeup artist, so to her, "older" means "more wrinkly", and that means it takes more work to get ready in the morning. Every once and a while I mention that a few lines give a face some character, and she generally responds with "Ugghhhh. I don't wanna be old."
Well... I think over time, I'm gonna get my way.
j.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Does everyone have an agenda?
I watch the news. A lot. Sometimes when Jess has had enough she just yells "BORING! BORING! BORING!" at the top of her lungs. Yes, I've watched a fair bit of it... and I admit that it's entertainment to me. It's like a soap opera that you just can't quite stop watching....
Recently, the news has focused primarily on two things: The Election, and The Economy... and depending on which "news" channel you watch, you will see VERY different perspectives. They differ with each other, they contradict each other, and sometimes even develop vicious rivalries!
The news channels I get in my area are CNN, MSNBC News, and Fox News.... and WOW, what a difference in the "reporting"!
MSNBC (which I definitely find the most "entertaining") is incredibly left-leaning, and many of its programs spend entire hours picking apart the minutiae of Senator McCain's campaign, finding every misstatement, error, and contradiction (which there are no shortage of). Entertaining? Yes. Fair? Probably not.
Fox News is incredibly right-leaning. Their anchors look much more stern and they do their best to report the news "with no spin". Riiiight. They spend hours mulling over the "conspicuous dealings" of Barack Obama and the "tax-and-spend" democrats.
CNN is the closest thing I've found to a more centrist view, but they're really fairly left leaning as well. They are more likely to make an effort to hear both sides, but in the end, the strategist favoring Obama tends to get the final word in any debate. While not really entirely balanced, this is the closest thing I can find to fair news.
So where on earth are the American people supposed to get their news? How are we supposed to stay on top of current events, determine our priorities, and maintain our world-view when the most accessible sources of information are so terribly skewed?
I get that part of reporting the news is the punditry.... The panels of "experts" giving their analysis of current events... which helps us, the viewers, look deeper into the issues and events of today. However, along with this "analysis" comes a pretty heavy dose of influence...
This influence keeps the public divided, ignorant, fearful, un-informed, and, of course, entertained.
I would submit that it is THIS INFLUENCE, more than the last 8 years of President George W. Bush, that the American people should have a record breaking low approval rating for.
Recently, the news has focused primarily on two things: The Election, and The Economy... and depending on which "news" channel you watch, you will see VERY different perspectives. They differ with each other, they contradict each other, and sometimes even develop vicious rivalries!
The news channels I get in my area are CNN, MSNBC News, and Fox News.... and WOW, what a difference in the "reporting"!
MSNBC (which I definitely find the most "entertaining") is incredibly left-leaning, and many of its programs spend entire hours picking apart the minutiae of Senator McCain's campaign, finding every misstatement, error, and contradiction (which there are no shortage of). Entertaining? Yes. Fair? Probably not.
Fox News is incredibly right-leaning. Their anchors look much more stern and they do their best to report the news "with no spin". Riiiight. They spend hours mulling over the "conspicuous dealings" of Barack Obama and the "tax-and-spend" democrats.
CNN is the closest thing I've found to a more centrist view, but they're really fairly left leaning as well. They are more likely to make an effort to hear both sides, but in the end, the strategist favoring Obama tends to get the final word in any debate. While not really entirely balanced, this is the closest thing I can find to fair news.
So where on earth are the American people supposed to get their news? How are we supposed to stay on top of current events, determine our priorities, and maintain our world-view when the most accessible sources of information are so terribly skewed?
I get that part of reporting the news is the punditry.... The panels of "experts" giving their analysis of current events... which helps us, the viewers, look deeper into the issues and events of today. However, along with this "analysis" comes a pretty heavy dose of influence...
This influence keeps the public divided, ignorant, fearful, un-informed, and, of course, entertained.
I would submit that it is THIS INFLUENCE, more than the last 8 years of President George W. Bush, that the American people should have a record breaking low approval rating for.
Monday, October 6, 2008
THE PRS CHALLENGE
I received an email this morning from a guitar player who wanted me to expand upon my thoughts on PRS guitars... Here were my thoughts... Thanks Sean!
***
Sean wrote:
> Hey Jon-I read your blog on the PRS goldtop and have a few questions.I am endorsed with Gibson and a avid Les Paul player(as well as a 345,ES 137,SG and 1275).The Les Paul is what has shaped and evolved music over the last 50 years or so-from Les Paul himself in the 50's & 60's,Jimmy Page in the 70's and Slash in the 80's & 90's.All other guitar makers have tried to copy this master piece.I agree that PRS make a quality instrument but seriously! You mentioned in your blog about how well made they but what about the tone?I am a fan of your music and the best tone I heard was on the new cd where you played a 335 I believe.Can you expand further into this subject?
>
> Regards-Sean
My response:
Hey Sean...
Thanks for writing me!
It's true, most of our last record was recorded with a 335. I hadn't yet played many PRS guitars, and I certainly hadn't experienced them the way I have now. Incidentally, the 335 we used was an EPIPHONE 335, a less than $1000 dollar instrument. We also had a Gibson 335, an assortment of teles and strats, and 6 Les Pauls. They were as follows: a 1976 Gibson LP Custom, a 2006 Gibson LP Custom Classic Reissue, a 2002 Gibson LP Classic, a 1999 Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Gibson 2001 LP Studio, and an Epiphone 2005 LP.
We compared guitars rigorously. We did our best to ignore price tags and labels, and focus strictly on tone. Oddly enough, the 2 guitars that we liked best were the Epiphone 335 and the Epiphone Les Paul. We had the Gibson versions right there to compare to, and they simply didn't sound as good. The only mods done on these Epiphones were a replacement nut. The various Gibson Les Pauls all had small details we didn't like. One would sound to muddy, the next would sound too "plinky", and another would refuse to hold tune or intonation. The Epi guitars sounded clear, somewhat bright, and "big". The 335 became our main tracking guitar, and we used the Epi LP for a lot of doubles, etc.
I agree that the Les Paul is iconic. It, along with the stratocaster and the telecaster, is arguably the most iconic guitar ever made... and for that reason I spent several YEARS hunting for a great one. I have owned probably 12 Les Pauls, and my favorite was one I spent AGES looking for. I wanted to be a Les Paul player for all the reasons you described. All these amazing players have played Les Pauls, so why would I want to play anything else? My guitar hero during my youth, Stu G. of Delirious, plays a heritage sunburst Les Paul Standard, and he makes it scream! So, when I found my favorite LP (a 2001 Gibson LP Classic Goldtop, which I modded with different pickups), I was satisfied that I had finally arrived. I had played and owned so many Les Pauls to get to this one, so I was satisfied that I had found one of "the good ones".
That was until I took my LP to guitar center, and compared it to a wall of PRS guitars.
I sat down with my LP, and a McCarty, a Singlecut, a CE24, and an SE model (I don't remember which). Every one of them sounded clearer and more "musical" than my Les Paul. In comparison, my LP sounded darker, deader, and muddier. With each PRS I could strum a chord and hear individual notes in a way that I've never heard on a LP. Even the budget PRS SE sounded and played better than my Les Paul. I was floored... actually I was upset. I wrote my contact at PRS and told him I was upset at him for ruining my Les Paul obsession. I started working with PRS shortly thereafter.
Also, a lot of the things about LPs that I saw as downsides didn't exist with the PRS guitars:
1: The Weight.
Some people like the weight of a LP. I do not. I find it harder to have fun with. I feel limited as to how much I can move around and enjoy a show. I know it's part of what makes a Les Paul a Les Paul (until Gibson started putting in chambers in 2006), but I never liked it. PRS Guitars go through a more rigorous and thorough drying process that make them lighter, resonate better, and stand up to environmental changes more readily.
2: The Neck.
Again, some people like the base-ball-bat 50's style necks of many Les Pauls. I do not. I grew up playing fenders, so bigger necks are uncomfortable to me. I know the 60's slim-taper neck on the classics and some standards is smaller, and I definitely preferred it to the 50's neck, but I still felt clumsy on it. PRS guitars come in a wide-fat (like 50's LP) or wide-thin (more akin to 60's LP, or even a Duo-Jet, etc) neck. The Wide-Thin is my favorite, and I feel incredibly comfortable on it.
3: The Fragility
I got sick of babying the poor things. The headstock design is iconic, I know, but let's be honest, it's flawed. How many Gibsons have you seen with headstock breaks? How many PRSes, Fenders, or other guitars have you seen with headstock breaks? It's a fundamentally flawed design that makes it more fragile. I've even heard some people say that SG's sound better once they've had a headstock break, and been fixed. You're telling me a BREAK makes it sound BETTER? Why wouldn't it sound the best when it's right out of the factory in mint condition? I've never seen a PRS with a headstock break. Ever. You'd have to do some serious damage to one in order to get that kind of break. Think of all the metal bands that have been PRS players for years. Now think of how they treat their guitars. Still don't believe me?
4: The Muddy-Muddy
Compared to most other guitars, I always found Les Pauls pretty muddy. Individual notes can be hard to make out. Sustain is often lacking. PRS guitars are, in general, slightly brighter than LPs, and waaay clearer. Play a G chord and pay attention to every note that resonates... also, note how LONG they resonate.
5: The Inconsistency
This could be the biggest issue for me. After owning my fair share of LPs, and playing even more... I feel like you have to undergo a nation-wide search if you're going to find a decent Les Paul. That's what it took for me to find one I thought was worthy of its Iconic status. Even after all that, I compared it to 3-4 PRSes that ALL sounded better. Since working with PRS, I've never played a single one of their instruments that I wasn't impressed with, and I include the SE singlecut ($600 price range) that I have. In fact, my friends at PRS gave me that SE Singlecut the day of our Creation East Main stage performance this summer, and I played it that day. No tweaking other than putting my own strings on it. It performed incredibly. That's the kind of faith I have in their ability to make a fantastic guitar every time.
I'm definitely not trying to say that the Les Paul is anything other than an iconic design that deserves its due credit.... I've just realized that when it came right down to tone and playability... when I was able to ignore the headstock design and shake the nu-metal stereotypes from my perceptions of the brand... when I compared the guitars side by side... and when I was honest with myself about the comparison... there was a clear winner.
I sold my Les Paul that month.
My friend Evan Milby, who is on the same tour as us right now, had a similar experience. So I'm not trying to strong-arm anyone into feeling the way I do... I don't feel like I need to. Take your favorite Les Paul down to a guitar shop that carries PRS guitars, and spend an hour comparing them. No hard feelings if you don't agree with me... But I think you'll be surprised with the results!
Jonathan
***
Sean wrote:
> Hey Jon-I read your blog on the PRS goldtop and have a few questions.I am endorsed with Gibson and a avid Les Paul player(as well as a 345,ES 137,SG and 1275).The Les Paul is what has shaped and evolved music over the last 50 years or so-from Les Paul himself in the 50's & 60's,Jimmy Page in the 70's and Slash in the 80's & 90's.All other guitar makers have tried to copy this master piece.I agree that PRS make a quality instrument but seriously! You mentioned in your blog about how well made they but what about the tone?I am a fan of your music and the best tone I heard was on the new cd where you played a 335 I believe.Can you expand further into this subject?
>
> Regards-Sean
My response:
Hey Sean...
Thanks for writing me!
It's true, most of our last record was recorded with a 335. I hadn't yet played many PRS guitars, and I certainly hadn't experienced them the way I have now. Incidentally, the 335 we used was an EPIPHONE 335, a less than $1000 dollar instrument. We also had a Gibson 335, an assortment of teles and strats, and 6 Les Pauls. They were as follows: a 1976 Gibson LP Custom, a 2006 Gibson LP Custom Classic Reissue, a 2002 Gibson LP Classic, a 1999 Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Gibson 2001 LP Studio, and an Epiphone 2005 LP.
We compared guitars rigorously. We did our best to ignore price tags and labels, and focus strictly on tone. Oddly enough, the 2 guitars that we liked best were the Epiphone 335 and the Epiphone Les Paul. We had the Gibson versions right there to compare to, and they simply didn't sound as good. The only mods done on these Epiphones were a replacement nut. The various Gibson Les Pauls all had small details we didn't like. One would sound to muddy, the next would sound too "plinky", and another would refuse to hold tune or intonation. The Epi guitars sounded clear, somewhat bright, and "big". The 335 became our main tracking guitar, and we used the Epi LP for a lot of doubles, etc.
I agree that the Les Paul is iconic. It, along with the stratocaster and the telecaster, is arguably the most iconic guitar ever made... and for that reason I spent several YEARS hunting for a great one. I have owned probably 12 Les Pauls, and my favorite was one I spent AGES looking for. I wanted to be a Les Paul player for all the reasons you described. All these amazing players have played Les Pauls, so why would I want to play anything else? My guitar hero during my youth, Stu G. of Delirious, plays a heritage sunburst Les Paul Standard, and he makes it scream! So, when I found my favorite LP (a 2001 Gibson LP Classic Goldtop, which I modded with different pickups), I was satisfied that I had finally arrived. I had played and owned so many Les Pauls to get to this one, so I was satisfied that I had found one of "the good ones".
That was until I took my LP to guitar center, and compared it to a wall of PRS guitars.
I sat down with my LP, and a McCarty, a Singlecut, a CE24, and an SE model (I don't remember which). Every one of them sounded clearer and more "musical" than my Les Paul. In comparison, my LP sounded darker, deader, and muddier. With each PRS I could strum a chord and hear individual notes in a way that I've never heard on a LP. Even the budget PRS SE sounded and played better than my Les Paul. I was floored... actually I was upset. I wrote my contact at PRS and told him I was upset at him for ruining my Les Paul obsession. I started working with PRS shortly thereafter.
Also, a lot of the things about LPs that I saw as downsides didn't exist with the PRS guitars:
1: The Weight.
Some people like the weight of a LP. I do not. I find it harder to have fun with. I feel limited as to how much I can move around and enjoy a show. I know it's part of what makes a Les Paul a Les Paul (until Gibson started putting in chambers in 2006), but I never liked it. PRS Guitars go through a more rigorous and thorough drying process that make them lighter, resonate better, and stand up to environmental changes more readily.
2: The Neck.
Again, some people like the base-ball-bat 50's style necks of many Les Pauls. I do not. I grew up playing fenders, so bigger necks are uncomfortable to me. I know the 60's slim-taper neck on the classics and some standards is smaller, and I definitely preferred it to the 50's neck, but I still felt clumsy on it. PRS guitars come in a wide-fat (like 50's LP) or wide-thin (more akin to 60's LP, or even a Duo-Jet, etc) neck. The Wide-Thin is my favorite, and I feel incredibly comfortable on it.
3: The Fragility
I got sick of babying the poor things. The headstock design is iconic, I know, but let's be honest, it's flawed. How many Gibsons have you seen with headstock breaks? How many PRSes, Fenders, or other guitars have you seen with headstock breaks? It's a fundamentally flawed design that makes it more fragile. I've even heard some people say that SG's sound better once they've had a headstock break, and been fixed. You're telling me a BREAK makes it sound BETTER? Why wouldn't it sound the best when it's right out of the factory in mint condition? I've never seen a PRS with a headstock break. Ever. You'd have to do some serious damage to one in order to get that kind of break. Think of all the metal bands that have been PRS players for years. Now think of how they treat their guitars. Still don't believe me?
4: The Muddy-Muddy
Compared to most other guitars, I always found Les Pauls pretty muddy. Individual notes can be hard to make out. Sustain is often lacking. PRS guitars are, in general, slightly brighter than LPs, and waaay clearer. Play a G chord and pay attention to every note that resonates... also, note how LONG they resonate.
5: The Inconsistency
This could be the biggest issue for me. After owning my fair share of LPs, and playing even more... I feel like you have to undergo a nation-wide search if you're going to find a decent Les Paul. That's what it took for me to find one I thought was worthy of its Iconic status. Even after all that, I compared it to 3-4 PRSes that ALL sounded better. Since working with PRS, I've never played a single one of their instruments that I wasn't impressed with, and I include the SE singlecut ($600 price range) that I have. In fact, my friends at PRS gave me that SE Singlecut the day of our Creation East Main stage performance this summer, and I played it that day. No tweaking other than putting my own strings on it. It performed incredibly. That's the kind of faith I have in their ability to make a fantastic guitar every time.
I'm definitely not trying to say that the Les Paul is anything other than an iconic design that deserves its due credit.... I've just realized that when it came right down to tone and playability... when I was able to ignore the headstock design and shake the nu-metal stereotypes from my perceptions of the brand... when I compared the guitars side by side... and when I was honest with myself about the comparison... there was a clear winner.
I sold my Les Paul that month.
My friend Evan Milby, who is on the same tour as us right now, had a similar experience. So I'm not trying to strong-arm anyone into feeling the way I do... I don't feel like I need to. Take your favorite Les Paul down to a guitar shop that carries PRS guitars, and spend an hour comparing them. No hard feelings if you don't agree with me... But I think you'll be surprised with the results!
Jonathan
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Paul Reed Smith SC245 Goldtop
Last week I got a new Paul Reed Smith SC245 Goldtop guitar! I used it for its first show in Minneapolis this weekend.
This guitar is blowing my mind. I already had a high opinion of PRS guitars, but this guitar set the bar even higher.
The body is constructed of nothing but the best mahogany and maple. The wood grain visible on the back and neck is gorgeous. The neck on mine is the wide-thin PRS neck, which I find more comfortable than the wide-fat (Wide-Thin is somewhat like a 1960's Les Paul Neck, while Wide-Fat is more like a 1950's Les Paul Neck). The 24 1/2 inch scale make playing this guitar incredibly smooth. The tuners and bridge do a great job at keeping the guitar in tune. I got about 20 minutes into our set without having to make a single tuning adjustment.
The pickups were designed specifically for this model, the SC245. They are very full and smooth... and slightly hotter than I had expected.
I've owned my fair share of guitars over the last 5 years, but there is something special about this one. It's become my instant favorite... It looks amazing, it's tons of fun to play, and it sounds fantastic.
As a guitar company, Paul Reed Smith has made HUGE strides over the last 5 years. They've proven they can do more than modern rock guitars. This guitar has the kind of vintage appointments that I never would have dreamed that PRS could do.... and the beauty of it is, they do it with all the attention to detail and obsession with quality that they've always had.
If you are a Les Paul player, I challenge you to take your Les Paul into a guitar shop, and compare it to a few Paul Reed Smith guitars. That's how I got hooked. I played a few PRSes, and after about an hour I said, "I'm selling my Les Paul."
Incidentally, my friend Evan Milby had a similar experience on Revolve a couple weeks ago. I let him use my Mira for his worship set.
You know what he said to me afterwards?
"I'm selling my Les Paul."
And he did. He bought a Mira of his own this week!
j.
This guitar is blowing my mind. I already had a high opinion of PRS guitars, but this guitar set the bar even higher.
The body is constructed of nothing but the best mahogany and maple. The wood grain visible on the back and neck is gorgeous. The neck on mine is the wide-thin PRS neck, which I find more comfortable than the wide-fat (Wide-Thin is somewhat like a 1960's Les Paul Neck, while Wide-Fat is more like a 1950's Les Paul Neck). The 24 1/2 inch scale make playing this guitar incredibly smooth. The tuners and bridge do a great job at keeping the guitar in tune. I got about 20 minutes into our set without having to make a single tuning adjustment.
The pickups were designed specifically for this model, the SC245. They are very full and smooth... and slightly hotter than I had expected.
I've owned my fair share of guitars over the last 5 years, but there is something special about this one. It's become my instant favorite... It looks amazing, it's tons of fun to play, and it sounds fantastic.
As a guitar company, Paul Reed Smith has made HUGE strides over the last 5 years. They've proven they can do more than modern rock guitars. This guitar has the kind of vintage appointments that I never would have dreamed that PRS could do.... and the beauty of it is, they do it with all the attention to detail and obsession with quality that they've always had.
If you are a Les Paul player, I challenge you to take your Les Paul into a guitar shop, and compare it to a few Paul Reed Smith guitars. That's how I got hooked. I played a few PRSes, and after about an hour I said, "I'm selling my Les Paul."
Incidentally, my friend Evan Milby had a similar experience on Revolve a couple weeks ago. I let him use my Mira for his worship set.
You know what he said to me afterwards?
"I'm selling my Les Paul."
And he did. He bought a Mira of his own this week!
j.
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