Bonamassa review and gear info

[mkalei]

OK, 1st , just let me state that Bonamassa can play SO much faster than he does on record (CD for you young'uns). He played some stuff, both on electric AND acoustic, that was so friggin fast and clean - it was mind boggleing. The thing that made it cool for me was the note choice when he played fast. We've all heard the Neo-Classical stuff that is incredibly fast and it has become so common-place that it doesn't impress like it used to (imo). Some of the quick things he did might as well have been Eric Johnson; Way too close for me, and I don't like E.J. much anyway; But other stuff was all his own - think Frank Marino meets Steve Lucather. I'm telling you, it was impressive.

Equally as impressive was his voice. Sounded great.

He was using 2 TSL 100 half stacks that never left the Yellow / Green channel. I don't know anything about those amps, so I don't know if that is the clean channel, overdrive channel, whatever...
His tone was good, but again a little too close to Eric Johnson for me. I thought it needed some sizzle, but what do I know. I didn't hear any FX except for a slight delay here and there. No chorus, flange, phaser, nothing.

At any rate, it was a great show and DAMN is he fast!

 

[Rob Tahan]

Word man. He IS fast! Ive seen him a few times.
He does (with all respect) cop a LOT of Eric Johnsons licks!
Seriously, i saw one of his many videos and was thinking are you serious?
I love the guys playing though! Awesome tone AND feel!

 

[Telephant]

He was using TSL's eh? Weird. He probably stayed on the crunch channel on all night. Thats what I do with those amps. He has been on a serious EJ kick though. Not that I mind.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I saw him open up for Frampton at Town Hall in NYC a few years back. He was using his jubilee and it everything about the show was amazing. My wide and I had second row seats, and got to see both of them up close. JB playing was dead on and his voice impressed the hell out of us.

Both guys came to play and they didn't disappoint!!!

 

[mkalei]

He was using TSL's eh? Weird. He probably stayed on the crunch channel on all night. Thats what I do with those amps. He has been on a serious EJ kick though. Not that I mind.

So, the yellow channel on the far right of the amp is the crunch channel?

 

[Gainfreak]

OK, 1st , just let me state that Bonamassa can play SO much faster than he does on record (CD for you young'uns). He played some stuff, both on electric AND acoustic, that was so friggin fast and clean - it was mind boggleing. The thing that made it cool for me was the note choice when he played fast. We've all heard the Neo-Classical stuff that is incredibly fast and it has become so common-place that it doesn't impress like it used to (imo). Some of the quick things he did might as well have been Eric Johnson; Way too close for me, and I don't like E.J. much anyway; But other stuff was all his own - think Frank Marino meets Steve Lucather. I'm telling you, it was impressive.

Equally as impressive was his voice. Sounded great.

He was using 2 TSL 100 half stacks that never left the Yellow / Green channel. I don't know anything about those amps, so I don't know if that is the clean channel, overdrive channel, whatever...
His tone was good, but again a little too close to Eric Johnson for me. I thought it needed some sizzle, but what do I know. I didn't hear any FX except for a slight delay here and there. No chorus, flange, phaser, nothing.

At any rate, it was a great show and DAMN is he fast!

My Ex-girlfriend used to work for EMI records and she asked me if I wanted to go to a show featuring a guitar prodigy that they signed name smokin Joe. I was introduced to Joe when he was in the band Bloodline and he was all about 16-17 years old at the time. I got to see the soundcheck before the show and I nearly shit my pants. I would gather that Joe purposely slowed down over the years because I guess he has matured as a musician but I can tell you with 100% conviction that he played as fast as Yngwie did in his hayday and he was an encyclopedia of licks that rivaled his years. I heard traces of EVH ,Yngwie ,muddy Waters, Gibbons and Eric johnson that night and just about every blues lick you could imagine all played to perfection! He was also playing through a 5150 and made it sound killer!!

Ive always told Kage that I wish he had seen Joe when he was younger!!

Good to see that he brought some of it back!!

 

[Rob Tahan]

Whaaaat? So jealous...
Ive been trying to get a hold of a bloodline cd forever!

 

[Gainfreak]

Whaaaat? So jealous...
Ive been trying to get a hold of a bloodline cd forever!

I had no idea lol

With that said, I actually didn't like the bloodline CD but loved how Joe played live at the show. I think I have the disc somewhere and ill see if I can find it. If I can I'll put it up for a d/l if you want

 

[Rob Tahan]

Whats a d/l? I would definitely buy it off you if you had it.

 

[MrDan666]

Whats a d/l? I would definitely buy it off you if you had it.

He means he will put it up as a link so you can download it

 

[ke2]

Whats a d/l? I would definitely buy it off you if you had it.

DownLoad

And I think the album smokes! I have it somewhere, and the opening track, "stone cold hearted" might very well be one of the coolest bluesrock songs I`ve heard.

 

[Rufus Leaking]

Cool Youtube vid on Joe with Bloodline;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0se9v3n9Gs

Check out the licks at 8:00 in or so...

 

[mentoneman]

Whaaaat? So jealous...
Ive been trying to get a hold of a bloodline cd forever!

I had no idea lol

With that said, I actually didn't like the bloodline CD but loved how Joe played live at the show. I think I have the disc somewhere and ill see if I can find it. If I can I'll put it up for a d/l if you want

i kinda feel the same about sloe gin. i bought it on a road trip last year and had tons of time to soak it in while driving a few thousand miles, and i didn't connect.....just OK for me..but i bet his live chops kill

 

[killertone]

I saw him open up for Frampton at Town Hall in NYC a few years back. He was using his jubilee and it everything about the show was amazing. My wide and I had second row seats, and got to see both of them up close. JB playing was dead on and his voice impressed the hell out of us.

Both guys came to play and they didn't disappoint!!!

I saw that same tour in austin and it was great. Frampton's tone was killer. So was Joe's.

He did an in-store in the music store I used to work at and he used my Jubilee. He tried to buy it off of me but it wasn't for sale. I did however, sell him a new 1987X that he used for at least two or three years. He dug the shit out of that amp. His manager was telling him, "Don't buy one, we can call Marshall and they will send you one for cost" and he said "but I like that one, and I want it." He bought it and was a totally cool guy.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

I did however, sell him a new 1987X that he used for at least two or three years. He dug the shit out of that amp. His manager was telling him, "Don't buy one, we can call Marshall and they will send you one for cost" and he said "but I like that one, and I want it." He bought it and was a totally cool guy.

Good story I get the impression he's pretty down to earth, great to know there's still a few people out there who are unwilling to unleash the fury at any given moment

 

[mkalei]

Cool Youtube vid on Joe with Bloodline;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0se9v3n9Gs

Check out the licks at 8:00 in or so...

I've seen that before, and it's a good thing that I love Uli, coz those licks in that 1st song are "shamelessly lifted" from Mr. Roth. Of course, the same can be said about Uli perloining from Hendrix.

 

[Rayneman]

Word man. He IS fast! Ive seen him a few times.
He does (with all respect) cop a LOT of Eric Johnsons licks!
Seriously, i saw one of his many videos and was thinking are you serious?
I love the guys playing though! Awesome tone AND feel!

Uh, off topic, but I swear I saw your name in the latest Guitar Player. Maybe it was spelled differently, but I think it mentioned "Ashes Remain." I will have to go thru it next time I'm there (there being the shitter, where the mag resides), I can't even remember the section it might have been in.

Am I nuts?