View Full Version : John Paul Jones
sgrexa
Jun-11-2012, 8:50am
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Is this a mandola? I have never seen a mando with what appears to be such a wide neck? Maybe I just have a case of the Mondays! Anyone?
Sean
sgrexa
Jun-11-2012, 8:51am
Not sure if I wrapped that right:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLU08nOtUkc&feature=related
lenf12
Jun-11-2012, 9:02am
Hi Sean,
It sounds like a mandolin to me. The notes are too high for a 'dola in standard tuning. You're right that the fingerboard looks a bit wider than 1 1/8" but I'm not familiar with who the maker may be. Nice version of GTC. Thanks for posting.
Len B.
Clearwater, FL
Ben Milne
Jun-11-2012, 9:08am
About thirteen seconds in it sounds like he hits an open E string coming through a run from a high G... So mandolin IMO.
Bob Bronow
Jun-11-2012, 10:00am
Whatever it is, it sure sounds great!
sgrexa
Jun-11-2012, 10:16am
Yes, I believe it is one of his Manson F-5s.
sgrexa
Jun-11-2012, 10:38am
Serious mando eye candy. I am not 100% sure this is a Manson, but Andy has built a lot of instruments for JPJ.
http://www.andymanson.co.uk/mandolin_family/
Mandolin Mick
Jun-11-2012, 11:14am
He's in standard mandolin tuning ... :mandosmiley:
Gerry Hastie
Jun-11-2012, 4:08pm
Nice clip. Always good to hear/see JPJ play mandolin.
samlyman
Jun-11-2012, 9:33pm
He plays mandolins built by Andy Manson... They look to be fine instruments but I have never played one...
Can anyone verify that's Paul Gilbert on guitar? Sure looks like him to me and if so that's two "giant" musicians right there.
Mike Black
Jun-11-2012, 11:49pm
Can anyone verify that's Paul Gilbert on guitar? Sure looks like him to me and if so that's two "giant" musicians right there.
Yes, it's Paul Gilbert.
Darren Bailey
Jun-12-2012, 1:22am
As a bass player he probably prefers a a broader fret board - switching to a standard mandolin wouldn't be good for the brain after using the huge frets he's normally holding.
Nick Quig
Jun-12-2012, 3:19am
Sublime! love his Zep 4 symbol on the truss rod cover!
Marty Henrickson
Jun-12-2012, 8:43am
Yes, it's Paul Gilbert.
Is it just me, or does Gilbert seem absolutely stoked to be playing with one of his idols? Judging by his head motions, he certainly seems to agree with every note JPJ plays. ;)
sgrexa
Jun-12-2012, 8:55am
Stoked? I know I would be!
Mandolin Mick
Jun-12-2012, 9:33am
John Paul Jones is a master at instrument ornamentation as he demonstrates on this video. I've always thought that he was the most talented and interesting instrumentalist in Zeppelin ... :mandosmiley:
Verne Andru
Jun-13-2012, 3:55pm
Totally enjoyed that - thanks for posting it.
I always felt JPJ was the more versatile musician of the group. Then I read an interview with him where he basically describes himself as an airhead - claims he can't remember set-lists and gets lost in the middle of songs. I've watched a number of videos of him and can't quite figure out what he's on about...looks totally fine to me!
Ed Goist
Mar-16-2013, 11:37pm
Here's John Paul Jones on a solid-bodied electric mandolin-family instrument (mandola?) performing with Seasick Steve at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2012. So great.
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DeamhanFola
Mar-20-2013, 5:26pm
Is this a mandola? I have never seen a mando with what appears to be such a wide neck? Maybe I just have a case of the Mondays! Anyone?
Sean
Many 'teens/early 20s Gibson mandolins have very wide necks by contemporary standards. Just a perusal of the instruments currently in Elderly's inventory shows this: 1919 A, 1921 A4 & 1920 F4 all with 1 7/32" nut.
My custom Bridger has a 1 1/4" nut: the extra space is very useful to keep strings droning whilst playing a melody line.
SternART
Mar-20-2013, 6:29pm
And to think I sat next to JPJ in a few classes at the Mandolin Symposium in Santa Cruz, CA...... back in 2004. He did a really nice duet with Grisman during the final night performance.
I saw him play mandolin about seven or eight years ago and it was definitely a mandolin.
Bob Murphy
Mar-20-2013, 6:45pm
Check this one out. It's one of my JPJ favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qoWcIl53ac
Check this one out. It's one of my JPJ favorites
And not but a bit ago I was defending multi-necks as being not "hit with the ugly stick" ugly.
PJ Doland
Mar-20-2013, 7:45pm
JPJ is one of a handful of people walking the Earth who are cool enough to play an instrument with three necks without looking like a complete d-bag.
"I celebrate his entire catalog."
jefflester
Mar-20-2013, 7:56pm
Ya wanna wide neck, check out this custom-made Crystal Forest, yowza!
http://crystalforestmandolins.com/CF9sold.html
TDMpicker
Mar-25-2013, 10:50am
That mandolin was definitely a custom, built for a guy who had nerve damage in his fingers and could not fret a standard width fretboard.
Ed Goist
May-02-2013, 2:02pm
...AND he's my all-time favorite bass balalaika player.
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