Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: jazzyvee on July 27, 2009, 02:01:55 AM

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: jazzyvee on July 27, 2009, 02:01:55 AM

I'm not sure if this question has been asked of you before on the forum, ( apologies if it has). I just wondered if you know what Allan Holdsworth's views are on Alembic guitars and has he ever been a user of them?
 
 
Jazzyvee

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: JimmyJ on July 27, 2009, 06:23:22 AM

Jazzyvee,
 
The question has never been asked and I don't know if he has ever tried one.  He has always been a modifier and is extremely specific about what he likes in an instrument these days.  His main axe over the last few years had among other features a hollow resonant body in which the top was floating above the internal structure...  He likes a flat fingerboard radius, one pickup in a very specific location, etc., etc...  That said, I have heard him pick up and play a generic instrument and make it sound amazing so some day I will drag him to by the factory and make him sit in the front room for a minute.  Ha!
 
Jimmy J

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: jazzyvee on July 27, 2009, 07:35:31 AM

Thanks for your response Jimmy. It would be an interesting experience if you managed to get him in there, to find out what he feels about Alembics.  
 
Jazzyvee

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: terryc on July 30, 2009, 03:06:37 AM

I think je used a Steinberger with Level 42 when he recorded 'Guaranteed' prior Jako joining.
Didn't he use that SynthAxe, the one with the neck set at a weird angle as the 'strings' were just triggers??

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: mario_farufyno on July 30, 2009, 04:18:32 AM

Yes, the SynthAxe is in the Atavachron album cover. But he also used a signature Carvin and a Fender Strato in early days. He seems to be always changing...

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: jacko on July 30, 2009, 04:25:39 AM

This is from last year's Glasgow gig. No idea what the guitar is...

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: jacko on July 30, 2009, 04:27:34 AM

oops - wrong button..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/67955.jpg)
 
Graeme

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: chrisalembic on July 30, 2009, 07:49:24 AM

oh yes Allan Holdsworth playing Alembic, together with Jimmy Johnson!! That is something my hears want to hear so badly!! :-)

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: JimmyJ on July 30, 2009, 03:59:02 PM

Don't forget about his SG days with Tony Williams.  The guy gets an amazing tone out of whatever he picks up.
 
The guitar in the picture is the one I was talking about above.  It was built for him by a luthier in central California, Steinberger hardware but otherwise a fully custom one-off. He has used it a lot over the past few years but may have recently moved on again.  He is one of those guys on the constant gear quest.  But with his results what can we do but encourage him to continue!
 
The most fun for me would be just to introduce Allan to Ron Wickersham and then stand back and see what a couple creative geniuses might end up chatting about...  Someday.
 
Jimmy J

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: David Houck on July 30, 2009, 04:17:19 PM

Hah!  Now that would be cool!

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: bluplirst on July 30, 2009, 09:02:39 PM

According to Tony Levin's website:
 
Dates are soon to be confirmed for a January tour of the group Bozzio Holdsworth Mastelotto Levin. (Terry Bozzio, Alan Holdsworth, Pat Mastelotto - who likes to refer to the band as 'HoBoLeMa and me.) It'll be on the West Coast of the U.S, and possibly we'll do some Europe dates in April. The lineup played in Japan last year, and we had great fun doing sets of completely improvised music.
 
So, you lucky dogs on the west coast are in for a treat!

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: mario_farufyno on July 31, 2009, 06:26:45 AM

Oh, it is hard to live so far...

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: afrobeat_fool on July 31, 2009, 03:42:50 PM

Hey Mario, I'll try to tape it for ya. I for one will be there, if I'm not on the road.

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: white_cloud on August 01, 2009, 01:53:13 AM

Allan has used many guitars over the years from Gibson to Fender to Ibanez to Carvin, Steinberger etc etc.
 
There is a really excellent Carvin promo video on youtube at the moment where Allan demonstrates/explains what he looks for in an axe - well worth viewing!
 
Oh and Jimmy pass on  my regards to Allan pls!
 
John.

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: dfung60 on August 01, 2009, 05:46:59 PM

The custom guitar in the picture was built by Bill DeLap.  I believe he's been doing technical work for Holdsworth on other guitars as well as on his own customs for many years now.  
 
There were some pictures from the last European tour where he was using a DeLap modified Steinberger ZT-3, the most recent model under that name (designed by Ned Steinberger, but factory built in Korea).
 
David Fung

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: JimmyJ on August 02, 2009, 02:00:32 AM

David,
 
Bill Delap was indeed the builder and has done a lot of setup for Allan over the past few years.  But the two have recently separated for some strange reason...  I don't believe the ZT-3 Allan had with him in the EU had been modified but Gibson / Steinberger may be preparing a new instrument for him as we speak...  Ned's latest trans-trem hardware is quite amazing.
 
Jimmy J

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: mario_farufyno on August 02, 2009, 05:54:16 AM

Thanks Nick!
 
This is what I've found:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miOmVHyxpuc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miOmVHyxpuc)

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: mario_farufyno on August 02, 2009, 06:04:31 AM

What is that Bozzio's Kit??????
 
There are people living in smaller spaces... This guy loves a big kit indeed:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxe-SWxDEcw&feature=fvw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxe-SWxDEcw&feature=fvw)
 
And uses each corner:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcJpD6n-TnY&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcJpD6n-TnY&feature=related)

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: afrobeat_fool on August 02, 2009, 05:08:58 PM

Yeah, they have a Bozzio kit set up like that at Guitar center PDX. Something like 14 roto toms and at least that many cymbals. Good find Mario!!!

Title: A question for Jimmy Johnson
Post by: terryc on August 04, 2009, 03:46:42 AM

Sounds very King Crimson to me, well it would with Levin and Mastelotto in there.
It could be Adrian Belew if you closed you eyes for a moment.
Holdsworth and Fripp with that line up..that would be a treat.