How good of a guitar player is Elvis?

Pretty self-explanatory
millen
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How good of a guitar player is Elvis?

Post by millen »

Simple question directed to the people who might know...

I'm no good at any instrument,
and I don't know anyone who is,
but I am curious, because I never hear/see anyone mention it,
but after all, he carries along a zillion guitars on tour...

So who can tell me?
Is he good/average/what?
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normabuel
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Post by normabuel »

This is a great question, and I assume a few of the posters who are also musicians, will chime in.

He is not a guitar virtuoso by any means.

In my opinon, his rhythm guitar playing is pretty good. He certainly knows lots of chords and can play rather well in a variety of styles.

His lead guitar playing has improved over time.

I like when he plays the staccato low end-type leads (like you'll hear in Watching the Dectectives and in several songs on When I Was Cruel (one of the Dusts and --I think --Soul for Hire, someone help me out here)).

In tours supporting WIWC and The Delivery Man he has been playing extended guitar solos. He has been experimenting with different effects and techniques. I particularly like his use of volume swells on Nothing Clings Like Ivy from The Delivery Man. (For example, when he played at Lincoln Center with the Dutch orchestra -- not the Il Sogno shows -- I noted that EC's lead guitar, usually not one if his strong points, was excellent (and a little trippy) on Dust. He used a volume pedal to create volume swells that sounded really cool.

I'm sure others will have a different opinion.
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King Hoarse
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Post by King Hoarse »

He's called the Little Hands Of Concrete for a reason.

His right hand style is edgy and rough, but I like it, especially when playing electric guitar. His few leads are either written and rehearsed melodies or rhythmic and often dissonant spurts.

I don't think he's done a lot of scales and runs practising, but seeing as he's got such an ear for melody/harmonies, good sounding chord fingerings seems to have come naturally for him from the get go.

Maybe he is a fine rhythm guitarist when he isn't singing at the same time, but I doubt it.

He HAS improved a lot these last ten years, though.
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Post by sabreman »

I liked it better when he played mostly rhythm and BT was doing the soloing on bass. I heard EC mention this in the HiTone DVD. He likes it better now with a true rhythm section. I have seen many of the great electric guitar players (jazz, fusion, blues, country) in action so my standards are very high.
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Post by lostdog »

He has obviously put a lot of thought and effort into his lead playing, but I still feel he's a bit hit and miss. I agree, he's a fine ryhthm player, but I preferred Bruce or Steve providing the solo melody lines.
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Post by staggerlee »

I always thought the solo on "I Want You" was one of the brilliant guitar solos of all time.
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Post by LittleFoole »

staggerlee wrote:I always thought the solo on "I Want You" was one of the brilliant guitar solos of all time.
I agree !!! 8) but there's a difference betwixt "brilliant" and "great". Twas a "brilliant" solo, but he's not a "great" guitarist," by any means. He's a great artist/songwriter, likely the greatest of MY generation, but definitely not great as far as guitarability....not that there's anything wrong with that ;)
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Post by noiseradio »

He's a very good rhythm player. And he's got an occasional lead that's impressive. But most are not hard to play.

But that said, I'm so glad he's not a fretboard wanker. What he does is just right.
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

noiseradio wrote:But that said, I'm so glad he's not a fretboard wanker.
What is the definition of this? I might want to use this in future!

My friends in band camp also say that Elvis is not a great guitarist but he is competent.

All I would say is I know what I like and I like what I hear.
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Post by migdd »

At Chastain Park, EC actually "played" slide on Needle Time. It was really not much more than a few well placed squeels but it was fun to watch. His guitar playing during the rest of the show displayed the continued growing confidence (if not expertise) that has been evolving over the past few tours.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

He has surely never used as many guitars in one set as on the current tour. I can't remember how many times he changed it in 2002, but now it's pretty well every song. I love this guitar-obsessive aspect of the showm and the special relationship between Elvis and his Guitar Man that allows him to pull this off. I love the sounds he's getting out of the big Gretches or other fat semi-acoustic type things, e.g. on Country Darkness (maybe that's a Gibson?).
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Post by stormwarning »

When I saw The Pixies last year, Frank Black made one guitar change - electric to acoustic. The show had much more continuity than EC shows of the last few years - to be honest I find the changes distracting.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

But Elvis pulls off the changes with almost no break in the flow. I'm with Elvis, and I love the idea that each song has its particular guitar needs. he could probably get the range with fewer guitars and more effects, but that's not the point. It's a shame Pete doesn't apply the same rule with drumkits.
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Post by SweetPear »

verbal gymnastics wrote:
All I would say is I know what I like and I like what I hear.
Me too, VG.
I'm not a guitarist so I can't really analyze or pick apart his performances but I'd agree that he's competent. Not one of the all time great guitarist by any means, but I do like what I hear. Like Noise said, it's just right.

(His guitar collection is really growing. He's got quite a selection. He must have played a half dozen different guitars at the show last night.)
How come now, after all these years? Money? Just a bigger variety of sounds? Actually, does he still play his old acoustic guitar, the one with ELVIS COSTELLO on it? I don't think I saw him use it last night.
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

SweetPear wrote:Actually, does he still play his old acoustic guitar, the one with ELVIS COSTELLO on it? I don't think I saw him use it last night.
He definitely still has and uses that one (I assume you're referring to the one with the yellow sticker). At least he did in May. He uses it for You Really Got A Hold On Me amongst other songs.
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Miss Macbeth
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Post by Miss Macbeth »

He used it in Atlanta.
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Post by spooky girlfriend »

He used it in Memphis last year.

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Mike Boom
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Post by Mike Boom »

I do believe that acoustic is an epiphone John Lennon EJ-160 E. The reason he has that Elvis sticker on it is probably because there is a John Lennon signature underneath it. I actually have one on order.
Unless its the much more expensive Gibson version which it could well be I guess.

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Post by verbal gymnastics »

spooky girlfriend wrote:He used it in Memphis last year.
Spooky - that was last year. Do keep up :roll: :lol:
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normabuel
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Post by normabuel »

I believe you can see him play that guitar on the Today show performance.
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Extreme Honey
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Post by Extreme Honey »

So it used to have a john lennon signature, now it's got a an elvis sticker :shock:
It would be good competition amongst others under the christmas tree :lol:
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SweetPear
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Post by SweetPear »

Yeah, yeah, you're right, VG...I know he still uses the one with the yellow sticker on it and I did see him play it on the Today Show.
I was talking about the (it's probably electric) guitar with Elvis Costello written in script down the neck. I was probably too far away to see that detail if he did play it the other night at the Tower.
Never mind me. I'm way too far out of my element. I don't know anything about guitars, not to mention my feeble memory.
(I can tell you, though, that it does have a name......for my feeble memory, that is. I have "chemo-brain". I just finished chemotherapy not too long ago and they say it comes from that. A little side effect. The doctors tell me it'll get better...I mean, like my hair has stopped falling out.....but I don't find that any brain cells are growing back!)
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Mike Boom
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Post by Mike Boom »

Best of luck with the health Sweet Pear, chemo must be quite an ordeal. Stay strong!
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
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SweetPear
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Post by SweetPear »

Oh, that's so nice of you. Thank you, Mike.
Oddly enough, I've only been concerned with how much of an idiot I may sound like! (Does that make sense?)
It's like one of these..... :roll:
I'm not angry anymore....
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Extreme Honey
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Post by Extreme Honey »

Sweet Pear, just say that you're into Elvis Costello and they'll take you for a musical genius! Anywho, I agree, stay strong...the battle ain't over 'till it's over!
Last edited by Extreme Honey on Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Preacher was a talkin' there's a sermon he gave,
He said every man's conscience is vile and depraved,
You cannot depend on it to be your guide
When it's you who must keep it satisfied
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