Jump to content

What a long strange trip it's been.


gardo

Recommended Posts

  • Members

The Dead offered a million reasons to avoid them, and so I did for a long time. The terrible secret is that their music is very, very good.

 

And I'm glad to be on a forum where someone actually says "essential listening for a come down." I'd put some Spacemen 3 in that category.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Funny thing about breaking in a Jensen, for me . . .

 

I have the "upgraded" Fender Blues Junior NOS which came with a lacquered tweed tolex covering and what I thought was an upgraded speaker, an Italian made Jensen C12N. It did get better (a bit bassier and deeper) with time, but it still doesn't sound like it has much bass or depth and there's just a bit too much presence in mids to highs. Not very vocal if you know what I mean. I could give it more time, but after reading up on Billm's posts, it sounds like the base Blues Junior speaker performs better, a Fender "Special Design".

 

So I've decided I'll not wait for the Jensen to continue to properly age to display its full meager potential, I'm moving on to a Swamp Thang. (Although the Texas Heat, or Celestion G12H Heritage also sound tempting).

 

On the other hand, I also recently picked up the Blues Junior III Wood Butter (solid wood cab) with the Jensen P12Q (alnico) and I'm liking that one better out of the box.

 

 

But Greatful Dead, yeah, it's still pretty much uncharted territory for me. I understand their best stuff was in their jams, but the "Trucking" "Sugar Magnolia" Casey Jones driving a train, whatever, it's never done anything for me. But as stating above by slvrsrpnt, I do like Touch of Grey. One of this days, while avoiding the brown acid, I will have to get buzzed and watch a concert film to see if I can figure out the groove.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Funny thing about breaking in a Jensen, for me . . .

 

I have the "upgraded" Fender Blues Junior NOS which came with a lacquered tweed tolex covering and what I thought was an upgraded speaker, an Italian made Jensen C12N. It did get better (a bit bassier and deeper) with time, but it still doesn't sound like it has much bass or depth and there's just a bit too much presence in mids to highs. Not very vocal if you know what I mean. I could give it more time, but after reading up on Billm's posts, it sounds like the base Blues Junior speaker performs better, a Fender "Special Design".

 

So I've decided I'll not wait for the Jensen to continue to properly age to display its full meager potential, I'm moving on to a Swamp Thang. (Although the Texas Heat, or Celestion G12H Heritage also sound tempting).

 

On the other hand, I also recently picked up the Blues Junior III Wood Butter (solid wood cab) with the Jensen P12Q (alnico) and I'm liking that one better out of the box.

 

 

But Greatful Dead, yeah, it's still pretty much uncharted territory for me. I understand their best stuff was in their jams, but the "Trucking" "Sugar Magnolia" Casey Jones driving a train, whatever, it's never done anything for me. But as stating above by slvrsrpnt, I do like Touch of Grey. One of this days, while avoiding the brown acid, I will have to get buzzed and watch a concert film to see if I can figure out the groove.

 

 

My Jensen is in an old Ampeg Gemini I ,its supposedly what they came with but not as good as the originals. It was to harsh but now it's mellowed enough that single coils sound sweet. It's humbuckers that give me problems,mainly because I'm too picky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The Groove is indeed a big part of it. I have a fairly diverse palette, but have always liked melodic psychedelia, so "the Golden Road" was an easy access point ... and then I learned that the band hated that song. Pair that with some truly annoying fans at my preppy college in the 80's, and I said "meh, forget it." I found "Moby Dick" egregious; couldn't imagine 30 minutes of 'space' doing anything other than making me run for the door.

 

Life goes on. I liked "Touch of Grey," and if you can't dig the opening riff in "St. Stephen" I politely suggest you don't really like rock guitar. But then I started hanging around nicer Deadheads, and in turn wound up having a really tremendous experience hearing "Morning Dew" and realized: these people Can Really Play. And not in that horrific Yngwie / Satriani way (sorry, fans), but they can really play music. Songs. Themes. Riffs.

 

It's a nice sound; the harmonies were often tremendous. Jerry's playing is fluid and bright, and works very well with the way they arrange the tunes.

 

Do I feel a need to spend hours on end comparing versions of "Sugaree?" No. But the point of a jam band (and I'd suggest the Dead are the ultimate jam band) is to combine some structure with a lot of improvisation, and move it down the road in a way that's nice to listen to. And at that, they truly shine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...