The Ventures

[wstagner]

Only way to get "that" lead guitar sound is to play on a Fender Jazzmaster with pickup switch in center position. All that early stuff on lead was played with Jazzmaster and probably for rhythm too.

[cockroach]

Strangely enough, whereas I prefer the Shadows early sounds (1960-62) I prefer the Ventures middle period sound (1963-66)

Whilst the late Bob Bogle was a nice player, and Jerry McGee is also very good, Nokie is my favourite lead player in the Ventures, and I enjoy his sound the most too.

[wstagner]

Just want all of you to know that I'm enjoying this thread immensely. It will never happen now, but it's really unfortunate that the Ventures and Shadows never shared the same stage or were billed together.

It's NOT too late (yet) to get Nokie together with Bruce's Shads. Nokie says he knows Bruce and had lunch w/him once, but something tells me it will take more than that to get them "togther".

Anyone interested in some good V backing trax should PM me with a list of what you'd like.

[wstagner]

Feel free to post something in Bob Bogle's Guestbook in memoriam:

http://www.theventures.com/

I met Bob the first time at a NAMM show in Chicago in 1965. The Ventures were in the Mosrite booth promoting their guitars. He bought me a Coke and we had a nice chat...I was surprised he even wanted to talk to a 15 year old kid!

[wstagner]

While you're at the Ventures web site:

http://theventures.com/shop/index.php?m ... cPath=2_13

2 CD of backing trax are listed there.

You can go here:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Play-Ventures-V ... 170&sr=1-5

or here:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Play-Ventures-V ... 398&sr=1-7

To listen to samples.

[abstamaria]

I prefer the really early Ventures. The 1st Walk Don't Run, Bulldog, Blue Moon, Sleepwalk, perhaps Mr. Moto ... Was it Bob Bogle playing lead on all of them? I know Jerry and Nokie were better guitarists (Bogle said so himself), but it was the simpler style of the early Ventures pieces that attracted me. Those pieces are the "Ventures sound" to me.

Bogle used a Jazzmaster, but I am not certain when rhythm shifted from a Stratocaster to a jazzamaster. And with what string gauge, I wonder. The '62 reissue Jazzmaster a Japanese friend gave me had an extra set oi Fender strings in the case, identifying the strings as "specially made for the Jazzmaster." They were flatwound, 10-50s, I recall. Could the Jazzmaster have been originally sold in 1959/60 with flatwounds? Possible, as they were supposed to have been aimed at the jazz guitarist.

And which amp? I read somewhere that the Ventures used a Fender Twin for Walk Don't Run. True? And did they use a reverb?

Andy

[wstagner]

Post a list of trax, Andy, and I'll tell you the ones Bob played lead on.

[BobGreg]

I had the priviledge of hearing Nokie Edwards, backed by Ad Ventures a few years ago at the same venue as Shadowmania - Lakeside. The biggest difference was that there was an exceptionally small audience to hear a real master, playing a prototype HitchHicker guitar - simply outstanding technique and performance. A most interesting guy to talk to as well.

I agree that I too preferred their earlier sound - I imported the original Dolton LPs directly in the 60s when they weren't available in the UK. The Colorful Ventures was a superb album. For me the LP that was their first real departure from the original sound was their $1,000,000 Weekend - very disappointing album, which unfortunately for me set their style for many years.

Preferred the sound of Walk Don't Run/The Ventures/Another Smash!!/The Colorful Ventures (US spelling!) and possibly one or two others including the Twist albums. The V-Gold re-recordings were great but occured recently.

When SFM re-issued The Ventures LPs on CD I decided to bite the bullet and got the whole set - liked some of the later tracks but not all by any means until the V-Gold Japanese re-recordings with the old standards included!

[wstagner]

Agree w/much of what you have to say. 1M $ weekend was a complete waste of the $5.00 it cost way back in 67 when it was released. That one had NO original toons by the boys was just 1 of it's problems.
Their biggest selling LP, Telstar, I didn't like much either.

It's unfortunate that Rarity Records (the company that released Nokie Edwards Live at the Sunhouse) is now gone, as that's a great DVD. There's a studio CD of him with Adventure, also worth having.

Our band has several CD and DVD that we recorded with Nokie in our basement studio that we've never released.

We prefer not to play WDR, Apache, Pipeline, etc.

[BobGreg]

Having picked on The Colorful Ventures album, which on balance is one of the best IMO, I'd pick Bluer than Blue as one of the best tracks closely followed by Blue Moon and White Sands. But then again Another Smash has their version of Wheels, Bulldog and of course "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Last Date" and "Trambone" also contenders for the top spot.

WDR certainly got The Ventures noticed along with Perfidia and Pipeline but when WDR 64 was issued I felt it devalued their original hit and didn't have the same feel again IMO.

I've managed to acquire 6 albums from Nokie, some via the late Gerry Woodage and Nokie's own web site. I also managed to "acquire" the sound track of Nokie Edwards playing live at Lakeside on the 27th October 2002! I also have the Nokie Edwards with AdVenture Live at the Sunhouse which was recorded in Amsterdam on the 8th November 2002 after their appearance at Lakeside! A classic!

Incidentally I spelt Hitchhiker incorrectly last time!