BLUES GUITAR CLASSICS
SOUND ADVICE
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Prior to the advent of semi-solid and solid body electrics, blues players of the 1940s and early 1950s found their voices in jazz-oriented arch-top electric guitars like the Gibson ES-175 pictured. These were deep-bodied and completely hollow with F-shaped soundholes in the top. They had one, two or even three pickups (P-90s into 1957, then humbuckers), a moveable bridge and a trapeze-type tailpiece. The combination of these aspects contributed to the dark and woody tone of the instruments.
The most famous user of this type of blues axe was T-Bone Walker (who most prominently played an ES-5). The arch top electrics were also seen in the hands of B.B.King (check out B.B.'S ES-175 the cover of The Best of B.B.King, Volume One. Flair Records CD), Muddy Waters, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Fenton Robinson, Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Rogers in the early to mid 50s.
To hear a classic blues guitar solo on a Gibson arch-top electric check out:
T-Bone Walker: "T-Bone Shuffle"
(Please allow a minute to download)
Your choice:
I played this track on a 1956 Gibson ES-175 with P-90
pickups and
heavy-gauge flatwound strings (.013-.060).
It was plugged straight into a tweed Fender 1959 Bassman
reissue amp
with 4 10" speakers.
For more on
"T-Bone Shuffle" click here...
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