The ShadowMusic Web Community

True, Iain, but acoustics have been and are being used successfully on stage, with the feedback issues generally resolved. The Shadows switch to acoustics for some numbers, and some cover bands use acoustics in videos posted on this forum. Our rhythm guitarist uses a Gibson jumbo for our Shadows pieces (that's us doing "Atlantis" below), and we really haven't had feedback issues.



That is why I wonder why acoustics aren't used generally and even by Bruce. I can only attribute the practice to convention. Perhaps Bruce thought in the early days that no proper rock band should be seen with an old-fashioned acoustic on stage and then never thought to change. Remember the howl when Bob Dylan switched from acoustic to electric?

Sorry for the digression, Bojan. It's been a question that's been on my mind.

My best,

Andy

PS: Shouldn't your lead guitarist have been using a Gretsch for Nivram, Iain? That would have solved your problem. Just kidding.

abstamaria wrote:Shouldn't your lead guitarist have been using a Gretsch for Nivram, Iain? That would have solved your problem. Just kidding.

I'll tell him, Andy

No problem at all Andy. Your band looks (and sounds) great !!

Thanks for pointing this out Jim, it's good to know. However, I wasn't concerned so much about which specific electric guitar Bruce used, but rather to point out that he used an electric guitar instead of the Gibson acoustic.

Anyway, as I said, it seems to me that Bruce changed his settings according to the songs he plays, much like Hank did and that for his rhythm sound he did not use just a single setting with middle pickup as most people thought or as he may have liked people to believe Perhaps he did not fiddle with his amp settings, but tone pots and pickup settings I think definitely.

Then of course, I could be totally wrong and Bruce just used a single middle pickup setting for all the songs they played, which would mean that he really got his amp and guitar settings right and stuck with that.

Bojan

I think you are making it all too complicated!

Sometimes the simple answer may be right...

There was no way an acoustic guitar could be used on stage and amplified to give a sound like the records until relatively recentl years, since piezo pickups became sufficiently developed, and problems with amplification have been mainly solved (e.g. stopping feedback- by use of multi band EQ, sound hole plugs etc).

I think Bruce would have experimented way back in time, until he could consistently get a clean crisp rhythm sound with a solid guitar and regular amp for stage use.

He must have been happy when he got it right and has stuck with it- after all, he is a known perfectionist!

Most Fender single coil pickup guitars have always had the ability to achieve that clean, almost acoustic sound by simply backing off the guitar volume control..

The Strat, Tele and other models will give various differing timbres of the clean 'acoustic' tone in any pickup combination or setting.

I have tried and used these methods playing Bruce's parts on stage and they work. I have also used my acoustic electric (Fender Montara) through the PA. as well as a solidbody with the guitar amp on a few occasions on stage, and whilst using both gives more authenticity in sound like the records (e.g. using acoustic on Apache, electric on FBI) for convenience etc it's easier to just use the solidbody if absolute authenticity is not necessary..

Regarding convenience etc...I've been playing gigs since 1966 and have NEVER had a roadie! If I wanted to use a mountain of gear, I've got to be able to fit it in my car and carry it myself!

When I saw the Shadows at the Paris Olympia in the early sixties, the PA sound system was used only for voice. Guitar amps were not miked, so they had to rely on their AC30s to fill the 2,000 seats venue.
Using an acoustic guitar would have been very difficult. Piezo mikes which exisded at this time were cheap add-on devices with very poor sound.
The Shadows had no guitar tech at this time, and had to take care of their gear themselves.
All theses facts explain why Bruce used an acoustic guitar in studio only, not on stage.

Didier

Thank you, Bojan. Thanks, too, Didier. One forgets what advances were made since the early 60s.

As an aside, where were you seated and what was your impression of the sound? How did Bruce sound? It must have been exciting for you.

Andy

I play mainly Rhythm in my band, & use a simple little Zoom G2 pedal through the PA for all my sounds including Shads. For a clean electric I use the Fender Twin amp simulation & for the Acoustic guitar sound I use the Zoom's Acoustic simulation model. I have adjusted the parameters in the modelling slightly to give exactly the tone I want, but it certainly comes out as a great acoustic sound played on a Strat. I tend to use the Middle pickup, but occasionally switch to Bridge/Middle which eliminates any excessive bass end.

Tony.

[quote="abstamaria"One forgets what advances were made since the early 60s.

As an aside, where were you seated and what was your impression of the sound? How did Bruce sound? It must have been exciting for you.

Andy[/quote]
This was in 1961, and yes it was excinting. I had a seat close enough from the stage, and the overall sound was superb (very much like on the "Kingston" CD), and guess what : Bruce was playing a white Tele !
Hank had the first fiesta red Strat with maple neck, and Jet had a sunburst PB.

Didier

Didier wrote:When I saw the Shadows at the Paris Olympia in the early sixties, the PA sound system was used only for voice. Guitar amps were not miked, so they had to rely on their AC30s to fill the 2,000 seats venue.
Using an acoustic guitar would have been very difficult. Piezo mikes which exisded at this time were cheap add-on devices with very poor sound.
The Shadows had no guitar tech at this time, and had to take care of their gear themselves.
All theses facts explain why Bruce used an acoustic guitar in studio only, not on stage.

Didier

Didier, can you describe the sound - bad or good - clean or distorted ? And how did it sound
far away the stage ? How was the overall sound and - especially the lead-sound !

Hans