Heaven St. (Original Blues Instrumental)

[jumpnblues]

I'd welcome any feedback on the recording, mix, song, playing, etc. It's a straight/uptown style blues played with a USACG Tele with Don Mare pu's, direct to a Louis Electric Tremblelux and Scumback H75 speaker (not broken in yet). The amp currently has a Scumback M75 speaker.
The recording was made with a dual Power Mac G-5, Digi 002R running Protools 7.4. The guitar amp recording chain included a Sennheiser e906 dynamic mic and a Royer R-122 active ribbon mic. The e906 is going direct to the Digi 002R and the R-122 is going through a Universal Audio LA-610 tube preamp set for very light compression. Both of those mics are used for close micing of the amp. A Shure KSM-44 condenser mic going through a Universal Audio Solo 610 is used as a room mic.
This is a rough recording with some mistakes, but I'm more interested in feedback on the song, mix, and general quality of the recording. It was all done in my home studio which is far from an ideal environment. By the way, there is about a 15 second lead in before the song begins...obviously I'm new at this. Thanks to Pete Bradt for helping me get this posted.
Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Have at it. Listen here: http://www.box.net/shared/static/z96atf0zn2.mp3

[nonvintage]

I have to laugh because my wife just said what are you listening to. I said why do you ask and she said, "It's too TWANGY". So I guess your on the right track. I liked the track, at times I heard some nice "sing" on some long notes. That's the type of music I like swing, shuffles & slow blues. The pickups and amps sound really vintage. Nice work.

[Phaze]

Kickin'!

Thanks! I'm savin' that to my jam-a-long pile.

[Phaze]

Oh yeah, per your critique request: The "horn section" (?) that first comes in about :50 sounds kinda buzzy. (Doot doot dah doo-dah). But oh man, the rhythm and lead git parts is smokin'! Fabyoolus tone and what a swingin' groove. Thanks!

[jumpnblues]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the kind words. Ha, ha, "twangy"? Well, it's called "Twang Central" ain't it? LOL!! Yeah, I kinda' like my tone on the bright side. I've been told it's because I don't have any hearing left. Maybe that's it?

Phaze,

I'll let ya' in on a little secret if ya' promise not to tell...the keyboards and horns? They're all synth (Sample Tank II triggered with a Roland GR-33). Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.


Tom

[M I K E D.]

Man, i think that the amp-guitar combo sound amazing- fantastic tone.

Nice feel as well; thanks for posting this

[TeeBird]

I think it's fairly obvious that you are using a high end amp, nice mics, and a high end mic preamp. I can tell without a doubt that you are using the two pickups setting on your Tele.

If it were me I would roll off the guitar tone knob a hair for a little more of a swampy tone, but I would say you are doing it right...especially the behind the beat feel! And I'm a little jealous of that UA mic pre.

[stxrus]

Seavall has some incredible speakers. killer tone & playing BTW

steve

[jumpnblues]

Hey TeeBird,

The UA Solo 610 is about $800. at Sweetwater Sound. Not too terribly expensive. And UA has a new mic preamp in the same price range that allows you to select high quality tube or SS preamping. A good preamp is almost as important as a good mic for a quality recording. But you obviously already know that. High quality preamps are becoming more affordable all the time.
Thank you, Miked, and stxrus for your comments and kind words.


Tom

[TeeBird]

Thanks for the info! I'm saving up for a Hamptone kit.

[jjh37854]

fantastic tele tone and great playing!

horns sound a little unnatural and the groove feels kinda stiff to me, i think its some of those double snare shots,

but cool stuff for sure man, nice work!

[jumpnblues]

Yeah, the horns do sound different over the net. They sound a little better on the session and out of my studio monitors. But they are virtual horns and not the "real deal". The percussion is a BFD 2 groove sample and I probably should have put more fills in to make it sound more realistic. Thanks for the compliments and feedback. I really do appreciate it.


Tom

[jumpnblues]

Guys, one thing I failed to mention regarding headroom on the Louis Electric Tremblelux...I don't have any humbucker guitars right now. So everything I've said so far pertains to single coil pu's. I play 95% of the time with a Tele but I have 2 Strats, an Epi '56 Les Paul Goldtop with Lollar P-90s and a Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster with 3 Lollar P-90s. The P-90 guitars, as you might expect, break up much sooner with the Tremblelux. Fender style single coils stay fairly clean up to about 7 or 8 whereas P-90s start breaking up around 4 or 5. It would probably be about the same with humbuckers.


Tom

[Motor]

Hi jumpnblues,

Awesome playing and great song. The tone is fat and warm. The scumback sounds raunchy. Love it.

I saw you mentioned a Super Sport T set in another thread. Which Don Mare set is this? What are the specs of the neck and bridge pickup (if this is the Super Sport T, I'm assuming this is the the S Telly neck and the 7.x bridge)? I'm about to order a set from him and I'm having trouble deciding. Can you get country twang out of the bridge?

Cheers,
Motor

[Motor]

PS - What are the specs on your USA Custom guitars telecaster? Are you happy with the guitar?

[dogletnoir]

great stuff, Tom !
now all I need is some good fried chicken & a cold beer &
life will be perfect... at least until the tune ends...

[ianblond]

Absolutely wonderfull playing and classy tune! I`m very interested in Scumback speakers for 2X12 .So you`ve swapped H75 for M75? Is M75 rounder sounding to your ears?
regards!

[JTM45blues]

Tom,

Wonderful laid back swing groove sir!!! I hear lots of Jimmie Vaughan and Anson in there, mostly Jimmie to my ear, but also some influences of T-Bone of course. Nice tone, great note definition with just enough "grease" to it. If we ever play down your direction I'd love for you to sit in. I'll just have to make sure that you know the same 3 chords that I do!

Sorry it took so long for me to listen I just got my computer back last Friday.

[jumpnblues]

Hey Guys,

Sorry, I thought this thread had kinda' fizzled out quite awhile ago. Obviously that's not the case. I'll try, albeit a little late, to answer some of your questions. Thanks again for all the kudos and comments.

ianblond: Yes, the M75 is a little rounder sounding and the mids and top end a little smoother. Although both speakers are killer. Don't get me wrong...the H75 is not raspy by any means. It's just a little brighter over all.

Motor: Its been so long ago (about 7 years) that I ordered and (had) assembled all my USACG guitars I can't recall exact neck and body specs. But the neck is an offset medium "V" (maple neck and fret board) tapering to a light "V" at about the 9th fret. It's very similar to the Fender Jimmie Vaughan Strat neck. My USACG Teles and my USACG Strats all have identical necks. Both my Teles have swamp ash bodies and the Strats have alder bodies. And, yes, I LOVE all my USACG guitars...light, resonant, and very high quality.
The Don Mare Super Sport Tele and S-Telly neck pu's are the same pu. I think the specs are on the website. I don't recall them. And, oh yes, the bridge pu twangs quite well. But it's a Don Mare/Rick Holstrom model on the clip.

Hope all that helps.


Tom