Danny Gatton's Tele

[Artie]

I was listening to 88 Elmira St. on the way into work this morning. The album cover shows him holding a Telecaster, so you would assume thats what he plays on the CD. However, the sound he gets, specifically on "Quiet Village", is just not the sound I equate with a Tele. I tend to think of Tele's as bright, twangy, "country" sounding guitars. On this CD, his sound is smooth and rich as double-rum eggnog.

Does anyone know if he's actually using a Tele on this CD . . . or perhaps I just don't know Tele's.

 

[teledude]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

ArtieToo:

I do know that Danny Gatton had pickups designed by Barden (joebarden.com). That may have been a big factor in his sound. I have that cassette (I'm old) also, it's a jewel.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

This should explain a lot of Danny Gattons sound.

http://www.dannygatton.com/guitars.html

 

[Artie]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

This should explain a lot of Danny Gattons sound.

http://www.dannygatton.com/guitars.html

Thanks Bludave. I kinda feel stupid for not finding that website on my own.

It even shows the Tele Danny used for the complete recording of "88 Elmira St.", which pretty much answers that question.

I'll have to look it over closer when I get home.

Thanks again. Artie

 

[Wattage]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

I'd swear his old ES-350 showed up on a few tracks there but Danny could make a Tele sound like damn near anything he wanted.

 

[xerxes]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

ditto wattage.....


also, artie, check out his site for some just stupid clips of him playing.........and check out the humbler, the best album he ever made, ever.

 

[Artie]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

.........and check out the humbler, the best album he ever made, ever.

Thats what I was going to ask next. Which CD?

As I look over that website some more, I realize I've been there before, just came into it from a different direction. I remember seeing those photos before.

It was in a thread where we were talking about his rendition of "In My Room".

Another great tune.

 

[xerxes]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

The Humbler
by Robert Gordon and Danny Gatton


you hhhhaaaavvvveeee to check it out, if u can find a copy. i have a copy, however, i allready owe wattage one....and its taken a while for me to get it to him. (eventualy though, lol).

i mean, the tape (when it was a tape) "humbled" berkely music school......

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

Hi Artie, I'm a Tele player. When I was younger I couldn't get a pleasant sound out of a Tele to save my soul. It's a touch/connection thing. Now, after playing guitar for 40 years, I can make my Tele play jazz, rock, blues or anything I put into it. But it really takes some practice to coax everything from warm jazz to country twang out of such a simple guitar. But it really is all about touch. My buddy Rondo is a terrific guitarist but all he likes to play is Gibsons. He has much to strong a touch to get a good sound out of a Tele...sounds like he's scraping and hitting the strings way to hard...it sounds choked. It takes a refined touch to coax nice tones from a Tele...you have to work at it and some guys just don't seem to have a complimentary personality to make them work. Lew

 

[xerxes]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

hey artie, go to the clips section of his site, and listen to some of the humblers clips........the ubanga stomp's solo is sick...

 

[Artie]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

I believe you're right Lew. That CD is truly inspiring. Makes me want to turn off the computer and focus a bit more on the 'ole fingers.

If you don't see me on-line in the evening as much, you'll know why.

Artie

hey artie, go to the clips section of his site, and listen to some of the humblers clips........the ubanga stomp's solo is sick...

I will. It'll just have to wait 'til I get home.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

The Danny Gatton CD I like alot is a compilation called Hot Rod Guitar. It's a 2 CD set compiled from great cuts off of most of his CD's. Might be on Rhino? Really good tho...not a bad cut on the whole collection. Lew

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

someone mentioned the barden pickup: from what i understand they were humbuckers with blades like the hotrails but i really don't know much more about them other than they just sound killer but not like your normal tele pickup.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

someone mentioned the barden pickup: from what i understand they were humbuckers with blades like the hotrails but i really don't know much more about them other than they just sound killer but not like your normal tele pickup.

Some guys love 'em...some guys don't. Like a Telecaster Guitar, the Bardens give back just what you put into them. Some people found them to revealing of finger noises, fluffed notes, sloppy playing, etc.

You know a Les Paul with humbuckers through a distorted Marshall is pretty forgiving of sloppy playing.

A Tele is not very forgiving at all. A Tele with Bardens is even less forgiving...but if you've got nothing to hide (like Danny Gatton, who had chops galore) they're great pickups.

Lew

 

[xerxes]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

i was actually at a bat mitzvah last saturday and for the ****tail hour they had a little jazz trio thing (sax, guitar, bass guitar). the guitarist (whom surpisingly looked a little like gatton) was playing a nice tele. the pups looks like rails...so i asked him if they were duncans...he said they were bardens (ironic with this thread no?). he had a great jazz tone with them.......(neck and bridge). also, he could do all the "bat mitzvah" songs to (no dj, just band).

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

I'm pretty sure the liner notes for that album state exactly what gear was used. I remember at least one Gibson jazz box was listed...

 

[Artie]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

I'm pretty sure the liner notes for that album state exactly what gear was used. I remember at least one Gibson jazz box was listed...

You're right.

Straight from the liner notes:

1990 Fender Telecaster, Danny Gatton Signature Model Prototype with Joe Bardon pickups
Fender Acoustic Slide Guitar
Martin D 58-32 Acoustic
1954 Gibson ES 295 on "Elmira St. Boogie" & Second Guitar on "The Simpsons"
Gibson RB 800 5 String Banjo
1950 Fender 6 String Lap Steel
1958 Fender Precision 5 String Bass on "Quiet Village"

1963 Fender Vibrolux
1963 Fender Super Reverb
1958 Fender Twin
1964 Fender Deluxe
1958 Fender Bassman

Clearly, Danny was a "Fender" man.

 

[Marty Horne]

Re: Danny Gatton's Tele

5 or 6 years ago I was invited to Lance Quinn's house for some jamming and recording. Lance was in 2 or 3 bands with Danny and had all kinds of personal memorabilia of his including one of his vintage Teles.