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previous: Mark Hammer Re: Blues lovers: not to be missed! -- 10/2/2003 2:01 PM

Re: New, thinner BB King

10/17/2003 6:42 AM
Brett	Re: New, thinner BB King Hi. I've noticed the same thing about BB. Recent attendance at a concert also indicated that his setup lacked the deep "punch" that he had thru much of the 1960s/70s/80s. Of course, in those days his guitar didn't have the 5 position "Varitone" control that lets him cut lows out of his sound. Having owned one of those guitars, I can tell you that except when set to position 1, it really thins out the sound. On position 3 it sound like a strat and on position 5 it sound like a cheap strat with cheap pickups. Another possible reason that BB plays so thin and high is that he has always said he doesn't hear lows very well. And he's now about 78 years old (I think he said he was 77 last September when I saw him). So he's probably not hearing the highs like he used to, either.

10/17/2003 6:42 AM

Brett

Re: New, thinner BB King

Hi. I've noticed the same thing about BB. Recent attendance at a concert also indicated that his setup lacked the deep "punch" that he had thru much of the 1960s/70s/80s. Of course, in those days his guitar didn't have the 5 position "Varitone" control that lets him cut lows out of his sound. Having owned one of those guitars, I can tell you that except when set to position 1, it really thins out the sound. On position 3 it sound like a strat and on position 5 it sound like a cheap strat with cheap pickups.

Another possible reason that BB plays so thin and high is that he has always said he doesn't hear lows very well. And he's now about 78 years old (I think he said he was 77 last September when I saw him). So he's probably not hearing the highs like he used to, either.

Replies:

Steve A. Great "new" album from B.B. -- 10/18/2003 7:08 PM