Action: Joe Pass

charlieguitar

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Nov 5, 2013, 1:20:02 PM11/5/13

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Does anyone know what type of action Joe had set up on his guitars? Sometimes,when playing fast single note lines,it sounds like they are right on the board but at others,when playing chord melody it sounds like they must have been fairly high. Just curious...Charlie

TD

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Nov 5, 2013, 2:14:32 PM11/5/13

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On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 1:20:02 PM UTC-5, charlieguitar wrote:
> Does anyone know what type of action Joe had set up on his guitars? Sometimes,when playing fast single note lines,it sounds like they are right on the board but at others,when playing chord melody it sounds like they must have been fairly high. Just curious...Charlie

As I recall, medium, but always had well accommodating necks. Not very low.

charlieguitar

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Nov 5, 2013, 3:18:42 PM11/5/13

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Thanks...Charlie

thomas

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Nov 5, 2013, 3:39:19 PM11/5/13

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On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 1:20:02 PM UTC-5, charlieguitar wrote:

> Does anyone know what type of action Joe had set up on his guitars? Sometimes,when playing fast single note lines,it sounds like they are right on the board but at others,when playing chord melody it sounds like they must have been fairly high. Just curious...Charlie>

I played his 175 once for a few minutes. I don't recall the action being unusual in either direction.

znan...@gmail.com

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Nov 5, 2013, 5:57:09 PM11/5/13

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HI Charlie...there is a video "a night with Joe Pass' where he is at GIT with DOn Mock. He talks about keeping his action low for his solo gigs..then on the video he is going to play with a trio so he raises it. MOck says 'It's high?" and Joe says..yea but I like that for digging in"...

check out the vid..his tone is one the all time best ever.

charlieguitar

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Nov 6, 2013, 9:59:34 AM11/6/13

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On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 5:57:09 PM UTC-5, znan...@gmail.com wrote:
> HI Charlie...there is a video "a night with Joe Pass' where he is at GIT with DOn Mock. He talks about keeping his action low for his solo gigs..then on the video he is going to play with a trio so he raises it. MOck says 'It's high?" and Joe says..yea but I like that for digging in"...
>
>
>
> check out the vid..his tone is one the all time best ever.

That would explain the differences in sound although I had it backwards....Thanks! Charlie

Jonathan

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Nov 6, 2013, 12:44:37 PM11/6/13

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That's pretty cool that he let you play his guitar.
Did you meet him during a performance?

thomas

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Nov 6, 2013, 4:32:16 PM11/6/13

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On Wednesday, November 6, 2013 12:44:37 PM UTC-5, Jonathan wrote:
>
> > I played his 175 once for a few minutes. I don't recall the action being unusual in either direction.
>
> That's pretty cool that he let you play his guitar.
> Did you meet him during a performance?

Joe was hanging in a practice room at GIT, jamming with some students. I walked in to listen, and he just handed me his guitar and told me to take a solo. I stumbled through a chorus or two and then he snatched the guitar back, saying "Gimme that!" in a faux-gruff voice.

charlieguitar

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Nov 7, 2013, 8:54:47 AM11/7/13

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A similar thing happened to me with Benson when he let me play his last set for him (no one in the club) when I was young.I was in such shock that I only remember that the guitar was a Guild Johnny Smith and can remember nothing at all about the setup. Charlie

TD

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Nov 7, 2013, 9:09:56 AM11/7/13

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And do you remember anything else about being young?

Paul

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Nov 7, 2013, 2:43:48 PM11/7/13

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On 11/5/2013 11:20 AM, charlieguitar wrote:
> Does anyone know what type of action Joe had set up on his guitars? Sometimes,when playing fast single note lines,it sounds like they are right on the board but at others,when playing chord melody it sounds like they must have been fairly high. Just curious...Charlie
>

I hope you don't think getting your guitar action to
match the way Joe set up his guitars is going to make you
play like he did.....

charlieguitar

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Nov 9, 2013, 8:21:22 PM11/9/13

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Yes a vocalist that I was working with was a friend of his. Charlie

charlieguitar

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Nov 10, 2013, 9:57:14 AM11/10/13

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Nah, at this point you know me better than that,I was just curious due to the differences in sound that were mentioned. We all know that Joe with his one of a kind talent could have probably picked up any guitar of a rack and sounded good.

TD

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Nov 10, 2013, 10:12:26 AM11/10/13

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Bravo for your humble and restrained reply, Charlie. I would have ignored it.

Paul

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Nov 10, 2013, 10:33:18 AM11/10/13

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Good. It's just that when people start the typical "what strings"
or "what picks" does >>>insert your favorite player<<< use....I just
laugh to myself.

Kinda like the people who thought playing a lefty Strat re-strung
for a righty would make them play like Hendrix. A complete joke.

Set up your guitar action for what works FOR YOU.

Gerry

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Nov 10, 2013, 5:17:40 PM11/10/13

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On 2013-11-10 14:57:14 +0000, charlieguitar quoted:

>> I hope you don't think getting your guitar action to match the way Joe
>> set up his guitars is going to make you play like he did.....
>
> Nah, at this point you know me better than that,I was just curious due
> to the differences in sound that were mentioned. We all know that Joe
> with his one of a kind talent could have probably picked up any guitar
> of a rack and sounded good.

I assume if you picked up any guitar off the rack you'd sound good too.
So thing seem to be working out for everybody!
--
Those who wish to sing always find a song. -- Swedish proverb

charlieguitar

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Nov 13, 2013, 6:49:29 PM11/13/13

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On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 1:20:02 PM UTC-5, charlieguitar wrote:

> Does anyone know what type of action Joe had set up on his guitars? Sometimes,when playing fast single note lines,it sounds like they are right on the board but at others,when playing chord melody it sounds like they must have been fairly high. Just curious...Charlie

Thanks guys! Charlie