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Post subject: Re: john mayer
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:14 pm
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cu_jarrett wrote:
bluesstrattone wrote:
...he wrote most songs in the continuum album...


I believe he either write or co write all of the songs on Continuum actually.


One thing is sure he did definitly NOT write Bold As Love.

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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:09 am
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Yogi wrote:
windwalker9649 wrote:
I can take or leave him, but I think the fact they want $1500 for his strat is plain robbery. Very shoddy strat, it should be half the price. It has less quality than most MIMs, and a gigbag?? Are they serious?


Where did you come up with this? The John Mayer strat is great. Fat neck profile, nice African rosewood, vintage cloth wiring, Custom wound pickups you can only get in that guitar. The Incase "GigBag" is really I hybrid case. trust me, it keeps the guitar safe, and is much easier to lug around.You can only find it with this guitar, and they easily sell for more than a really good hard case.

I think a lot of people harp on the guy because of his image, but he is an excellent player. I can see the justification to comparing him to clapton, because IMO Clapton is not that great. Young or Old version, I've never cared for his playing much. SRV on the other hand is a different beast all together.
he isn't comparable to clapton. if you want to compare him to anyone from that era it should be Frampton. pretty decent guitarist, but more trendy fluff than substance, 15 minutes and out.


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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:13 am
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He's a great "gateway" to the blues ...[/quote]

He's not a "gateway" to the Blues. You need to listen to Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Lightnin Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Hound Dog Taylor, John Lee Hooker etc. to get a better understanding of what the Blues is about. Mayer plays blues scales and has decent tone. Just because he does that and makes painful faces when he plays does not make him a Blues musician by any stretch of the imagination. There is no depth to his so called Blues material.

Jeff Healey was a much better blues guitarist than Mayer, but he always said he was not a Blues guitarist but a musician. He had more respect for the older Blues artists as do many newer blues guitarists like Joe Bonamassa, and Derek Trucks. When you dig back into the Blues, it's easier to get a better understanding of them and the true roots of the music.

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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:31 pm
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63supro wrote:
He's not a "gateway" to the Blues. You need to listen to Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Lightnin Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Hound Dog Taylor, John Lee Hooker etc. to get a better understanding of what the Blues is about. Mayer plays blues scales and has decent tone ... There is no depth to his so called Blues material.

Let me be very clear ... there is validity to what you say. However, he does play blues and there is room for him in the greater blues community. Yes, you are absolutely correct that he is not a "pure blues" player. Agreed -- no argument. But the guy has talent and can be very expressive with it ... beyond his tone. Is he an idiot in real life? It seems so. Could he be less commercial? Definitely. But, all that being said ... it does not mean he's got nothing to offer up or say.

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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:46 pm
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I've been to the Delta, Texas, and Chicago. He is not the real deal. Malmsteen can play blues scales too. I'm not saying Mayer is a lousy musician, but he is long way from being a Blues musician. He's still a Pop artist and a little girl magnet. There were many more Blues Artists more deserving to be at the Crossroads Festival than Mayer. that could have used and appreciated the attention.

Give him some time and I'm sure he'll be a force to be reckoned with. It took some of the old guys half a lifetime to get the attention they deserved after being ripped off by the likes of Led Zepplin. Hopefully, it's not just a phase he's going through.


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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:39 pm
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Yogi wrote:
windwalker9649 wrote:
I can take or leave him, but I think the fact they want $1500 for his strat is plain robbery. Very shoddy strat, it should be half the price. It has less quality than most MIMs, and a gigbag?? Are they serious?


Where did you come up with this? The John Mayer strat is great. Fat neck profile, nice African rosewood, vintage cloth wiring, Custom wound pickups you can only get in that guitar. The Incase "GigBag" is really I hybrid case. trust me, it keeps the guitar safe, and is much easier to lug around.You can only find it with this guitar, and they easily sell for more than a really good hard case.

I think a lot of people harp on the guy because of his image, but he is an excellent player. I can see the justification to comparing him to clapton, because IMO Clapton is not that great. Young or Old version, I've never cared for his playing much. SRV on the other hand is a different beast all together.


I've played several, they were put together bad, all of them. They feel like mexican strats, in theory they have good features, but the quality leaves much to be desired. I was told that by my luthier before I tried it, he kept calling it the Mayer Mexican strat, so I made it a point to check them out, and he was right. IMO, its the worse made artist series they make, I find the mexican versions of the Buddy guy and Jimmy Vaughn to be much better built, and half the price.


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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:41 pm
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63supro wrote:
I've been to the Delta, Texas, and Chicago. He is not the real deal. Malmsteen can play blues scales too. I'm not saying Mayer is a lousy musician, but he is long way from being a Blues musician. He's still a Pop artist and a little girl magnet.

Yeah, I think we are all saying the same thing. I completely agree with him as "not the real deal" comment, which I think is the crux of your posts. That's a very fair criticism. All's I was saying is that there is musical value to his stuff ... even though he' not the real deal. We're good...
8)

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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:17 am
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I think that next to E.C. in crossroads he was a real blues guitarist. In his live album with the trio he really shows us some very good skills. His other stuff not blues at all , but I would like all the pop music of the world to be like that.

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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:35 am
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petros_antoniou wrote:
I think that next to E.C. in crossroads he was a real blues guitarist. In his live album with the trio he really shows us some very good skills. His other stuff not blues at all , but I would like all the pop music of the world to be like that.


:roll: Neither Mayer, nor Vai is qualified to carry JJ Cales or Jimmy Vaughan's guitar case. Mayer has some skills but lacks the roots. It's not how many notes you play or even the gear or technical skills you have, It's the ability to evoke emotion that Mayer for me lacks. To my ears, it's kind of like Bubble Gum Blues. As a power trio, for me, he lacks the skills to really hold it together. I've been listening to, and playing blues for 40+ years. It doesn't make me an expert at all, but I have had many conversations with the likes of Honeyboy Edwards, Long John Hunter, Robert Lockwood, Luther Allison etc, because of the business I'm in. You get a much deeper understanding of what's going on.


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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:43 am
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Gateway to the blues is absolutely correct. Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf have not introduced any teenagers to the blues since Clapton and SRV were learning to play.

Mayer is an excellent ambassador to the blues because he attracts a younger crowd and packages it right. Young players hear his tone and playing want to know where it came from. Then they go to SRV and Clapton, then if they like it they'll go back farther. That is what is meant by gateway to the blues.

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Post subject: Re: john mayer
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:47 pm
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bluestube wrote:
One thing is sure he did definitly NOT write Bold As Love.


Sorry I spaced about Bold as Love. Of course Jimi wrote that. Sorry.

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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:06 pm
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In my mind right now, he's like the Pat Boone of the blues. It's kind of like when the record company's had Pat Boone sing Rock N Roll to get around race issues in music. I guess you could call Pat Boone the gateway to Rock N Roll.

All kidding aside, hopefully like you said, young people will look back further. Blues is the Mother of Rock N Roll. I'm glad young people have an interest the Blues. I consider people like Joe Bonamassa the real deal in the younger generation. This guy jammed with BB King when he was 11 years old. He studies the Blues and lectures in schools to young people. Is Mayer more popular? You bet. I guess Joe's not as good looking as Mayer but he seriously knows his blues and don't sound like SRV, but like SRV, he crosses into Jazz and rock too.

The statement about Wolf is just silly. Way back, Son House influenced a teenage Robert Johnson who influenced a very young Robert Lockwood. Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters influenced a teenage Johnny Winter and scores of others including myself as an 11 year old boy. People need to get past Clapton and Hendrix. There were scores of Blues and Rock musicians influenced by Wolf, Waters, House, T-Bone Walker. You don't need to be famous to be influenced.

Think about it, these old Blues artists even influence musicians today from the grave. I hope people give them a listen. If you ever heard Robert Johnson's Crossroad Blues and Clapton's, you may find Johnson's version more emotional because he wrote it and lived it.

Sorry about the rant, as you can see I have a deep passion for the Blues.


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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:55 pm
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63supro wrote:
In my mind right now, he's like the Pat Boone of the blues.

I don't think I agree with that, but it is a very funny comment.
63supro wrote:
Neither Mayer, nor Vai is qualified to carry JJ Cale's or Jimmy Vaughan's guitar case ...

Vai?? Where did Steve Vai come into this? Steve Vai is not a blues guitarist, so let's leave him out. Vai is an absolute master. He is one of the very few "shred" ( a term I hate, btw) players that plays very soulfully and is incredibly innovative. You can pick Vai out of a crowd of shredders in less than ten notes, with playing that is as distinctive as Van Halen, Walsh, or Santana. He also has a tremendous sense of dynamics, being able to play delicate, soft and slow -- not just 10,000 notes per measure. He's amazing. And I bet JJ Cale would be honored if someone of the likes of Steve Vai did carry his case...

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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:38 pm
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Vai performed at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. No, he's not a Blues guitarist. He didn't really belong there either. He did a good thing for a good cause, but he seemed out of place as did Santana. They're incredible at what they do though. Actually, I think Cale would like to carry his own case. I actually knew of JJ Cale long before Clapton started recording his stuff. Incredible song writer and musician.

Sorry, I get off on tangents. :oops:


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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:56 pm
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63supro wrote:
Vai performed at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. No, he's not a Blues guitarist. He didn't really belong there.

Yeah, I will give you this on Vai. He's great, but he is definitely not a gateway to the blues, either. :wink:

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