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November Challenge 2024 A Lil’ Bottleneck Blues For Ya

Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › November Challenge 2024 A Lil’ Bottleneck Blues For Ya

  • This topic has 33 replies, 33 voices, and was last updated 6 months, 3 weeks ago by David H.
Viewing 32 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • December 6, 2024 at 7:56 am #382835
      John H
      Participant

        I am playing this on my Gretsch 9240 Alligator which is different from the ‘Boxcar’ model in that the Boxcar has a ‘biscuit cone’ rather than a ‘spider’ cone. The spider cone is more blue-grassy sounding. The biscuit is more bluesy. The latter is harder to control b/c it is much louder. Attention has to paid to damping excess buzzing and noise. Hope you enjoy!

      • December 6, 2024 at 8:05 am #382837
        Jennifer D
        Participant

          Oooh I really like Lick 1! You are amazing!

        • December 6, 2024 at 8:58 am #382846
          Mike W
          Participant

            Terrific video John, I love the down home vibe from the Alligator. Not only does it sound great but it looks stunning, too. The licks sounded great individually but really came into their own when combined. A bit of context always helps.

          • December 6, 2024 at 10:34 am #382884
            James B
            Participant

              Nice finger picking, John. Love the resonator blues tone. Good technique with the slide and damping of the strings.

              James

            • December 6, 2024 at 12:02 pm #382900
              charjo
              Moderator

                Very cool, John. That first lick has a Fleetwood Mac, “The Chain” vibe. Love your new toy.
                John

                • December 6, 2024 at 12:38 pm #382926
                  John H
                  Participant

                    Yes it does, now that you mention it. It’s a bit like the opening riff to the Chain.

                • December 6, 2024 at 12:24 pm #382916
                  Alan L
                  Participant

                    Great stuff John. Soulful licks, masterfully played. 👍

                  • December 6, 2024 at 12:56 pm #382934
                    Michael L
                    Participant

                      Hi John, this was really great! Love that you went “bottleneck” on us, such a great sound. Fine fingerpicking when you put it all together at the end. So good I listened twice!

                    • December 6, 2024 at 1:01 pm #382937
                      Alan O
                      Participant

                        Hi John, excellent finger picking and slide guitar! Also, nice looking guitar.

                        Alan

                      • December 6, 2024 at 1:48 pm #382947
                        Paul S.
                        Participant

                          This really appeals to my bluegrassy tastes and I think I could use some those licks even if I don’t use a slide. Certainly the finger-picked stuff is totally spot-on for me. And even without accompaniment, you manage to produce a full and complete sound. Nice work!

                        • December 6, 2024 at 6:05 pm #382997
                          Mike D
                          Participant

                            All the licks were great…but I really like lick 2 ….great delta blues playing.

                            Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

                          • December 7, 2024 at 8:21 am #383079
                            Andy N
                            Participant

                              Excellent picking and slide work there John. That first “The Chain”(ish) lick set things up perfectly for the delta blues slide lick that followed. I very much like the sound of the spider on the Alligator. Still bluesy but great clarity

                            • December 7, 2024 at 8:59 am #383090
                              Gary W
                              Participant

                                Oooh lovely moody stuff John – i really like that kind of sound & may try to steal some of your
                                moves. Fantastic. Well played.

                                Gary

                              • December 7, 2024 at 9:47 am #383095
                                Denise
                                Participant

                                  Oh, I love that rooty sound of your Alligator 🐊. These bottleneck licks sounded soo good! I loved all of the licks. Sounded so haunting. Very inspiring.
                                  You have become a bottleneck master my friend. That style suits you well.
                                  Denise

                                  More Blues!

                                • December 7, 2024 at 12:05 pm #383117
                                  AndréM
                                  Participant

                                    I agree with others, first lick (The chain) was brilliant.
                                    Excellent slide playing.
                                    Well done.

                                    AndréM

                                    AndréM

                                  • December 7, 2024 at 1:02 pm #383132
                                    cloughie
                                    Participant

                                      Really enjoyed that. Great sound & tasty licks. Swampy.

                                      Be kind to yourself (especially when you're trying to play this instrument!)
                                      Brian Clough

                                      “Got a lotta sinful ideas but they seem kinda sensible” Jim Casy the ex-preacher in The Grapes Of Wrath

                                    • December 7, 2024 at 2:23 pm #383171
                                      Bob Utberg
                                      Participant

                                        Keb’ Mo’ called me my Yinzer Bro!! All the licks ahr Dahntahn deeelicious!
                                        However, Licks #2 and #5 are in the spirit of . . . .
                                        Every Morning by Mr. Mo’
                                        Checkit aht ‘n @ John! You can NAIL that fine tune!
                                        Go Stillers!
                                        Ut

                                        Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

                                      • December 7, 2024 at 2:29 pm #383174
                                        sunjamr
                                        Participant

                                          Hey John, you have totally inspired me. I’m a complete beginner at slide guitar, lots of horrible raspy sounds coming from my Open E guitar tuning. Nothing that any one would ever want to listen to. It looks like you’ve been at it for quite a bit longer than I have. I’m still at the stage of finding a decent slide that fits my finger. And learning how to mute the strings to make the slide sound more clear. By accident I learned that slide works pretty good on my new nylon string baritone uke. Try it sometime. You’d be a lot better at it than me.

                                          Sunjamr Steve

                                        • December 7, 2024 at 4:18 pm #383216
                                          JoLa
                                          Participant

                                            Oh yeah, your’e killin’ that bottleneck!

                                            Love your slide playing phase, wish I could multiply myself into two or three beings and give it more practice as well! The Alligator sounded fantastic in your hands, I actually appreciate your thoughts on that and comparison to the Boxcar because I have been looking into those other Gretsch resonators for a while as well. Does it mean you have both of them now in your collection? I wouldn’t mind having one of each, including the all metal one as well… but I just don’t play the one I have enough.

                                            Love all the licks, John. You have nailed them 🎶💯

                                            🎸JoLa

                                          • December 7, 2024 at 7:03 pm #383251
                                            Bill
                                            Participant

                                              That’s some nice playing John. Love the sound of the resonator, and don’t know about the different cones. Sounds so good with that brass slide.

                                            • December 8, 2024 at 12:34 am #383280
                                              Laurel C
                                              Moderator

                                                So so good, this is just a pleasure to listen to. The resonator sound is in a league of its own. All the licks were interesting, especially the first because of sounding … ‘Chain’ like … which set the scene. Your inspiring others to get out their slide & resonators and lead the way with your excellent grip on this style.

                                              • December 8, 2024 at 2:08 am #383294
                                                Manfred M
                                                Participant

                                                  The sound of this Alligator resonator is so beautiful, John, but I‘m not sure, is it because of the guitar or the player. I assume it is both. I like the shuffle lick the most and of course all your slide playing. I enjoyed that very much.

                                                  Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
                                                  The next Meetup will probably take place in July/August 2025

                                                  There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in good time.

                                                  I look forward to meet you.
                                                  Manfred

                                                • December 8, 2024 at 2:19 am #383297
                                                  Juxi
                                                  Participant

                                                    That sounds like really great old down-to-earth front porch blues playing, John. Like the old masters but with much better tone. Wow! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

                                                    Bluesige Grüße
                                                    Juxi

                                                  • December 8, 2024 at 4:08 am #383316
                                                    Guido
                                                    Participant

                                                      For a lover of the resonator guitar and open tunings and bottle neck slide playing like me this is a pure gold, very enjoyable to listen to and inspiring at the same time (translated, I’ll try to borrow some of these licks 😉!).

                                                      Very well played, brilliant job John!

                                                      Guido

                                                    • December 8, 2024 at 4:55 am #383322
                                                      Serena C
                                                      Participant

                                                        Wow John! This is really something original in this challenge… It reminds me I have to explore playing with the bottleneck, love these sounds, congrats!

                                                        If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
                                                        It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

                                                      • December 8, 2024 at 5:38 am #383348
                                                        Dieter
                                                        Participant

                                                          Yes, bottleneck sound in open tunings is something very special. Great lick ideas, superbly realized.

                                                          Dieter

                                                        • December 8, 2024 at 6:31 am #383366
                                                          Martin W
                                                          Participant

                                                            Great stuff John , you’ve captured that roots sound perfectly, lots of inspiring licks here , lick 3 has a subtle haunting quality to it , they all sound great combined together.
                                                            That alligator resonator has a quality sound , interesting about the different cones .

                                                            Martin

                                                          • December 8, 2024 at 1:26 pm #383546
                                                            Catherine Arsenault
                                                            Participant

                                                              Omg John that was great love the slide!!!!!!

                                                            • December 8, 2024 at 6:19 pm #383600
                                                              Pap
                                                              Participant

                                                                John, I like that 9240. That’s sweeeet! I noticed you have really been working on slide lately and that was a series of really cool lics that fit together well at the end. You have good precision with that slide. Great volume control too. Fantastic submission man! Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. Pap

                                                              • December 8, 2024 at 6:53 pm #383608
                                                                bwade913
                                                                Participant

                                                                  I liked all your sweet Ope G licks John. I also did something with Open G intervals but tuned down. I had originally been doing a lot of Open D slide, but have moved over to Open G on the last year. You lose a string but gain some sweetness. – Bret

                                                                • December 8, 2024 at 9:49 pm #383651
                                                                  sciencefiction
                                                                  Participant

                                                                    Wow, John, this sounds great!! That guitar is really cool and you play it so well. Great fingerstyle lesson both slide and regular. You can do it all. Enjoyed!!
                                                                    Larry

                                                                  • December 9, 2024 at 6:29 am #383722
                                                                    Richard G
                                                                    Participant

                                                                      I was absolutely sold on your opening riff, and then it just got better and better. John, that was a super performance showing all your skills playing the blues.

                                                                      Richard

                                                                    • December 9, 2024 at 7:32 pm #383845
                                                                      Reuben B
                                                                      Participant

                                                                        That was amazing John. Lick #2 is my definite favorite, with the slide and everything, followed closely by lick #5. But overall that was a really great presentation. I wish I could play slide just half as well as you and I’ll be happy.

                                                                      • December 11, 2024 at 3:23 pm #383920
                                                                        David H
                                                                        Participant

                                                                          Oh nothing like good slide. That was soooo good.

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