I knew Mike back in that era. He was a good guy just really troubled with the stuff if you know what I mean. I even played that guitar a few times. You did a fine job here, David. Thank you very much.
That would’ve been unbelievable to have played with Michael. I actually went to a couple shows at the Fillmore East but not the one they made the Super Session album from. Never saw Michael live.
@@RobinJohnson-u7l I try to be myself in real life situations. But the B B King and Mike Bloomfield influences always sneak in. I think this video reflect my own style much better, although one verse is pretty much straight B B.
I was at the Live Adventures Fillmore East show (believe it or not the Butterfield band with some unknown blonde-haired lead guitarist - not Elvin Bishop) was on the same bill! Lucky and blessed to have seen Bloomfield in his prime. When he really started cooking he would raise the neck almost vertical, near to his face as he stooped towards it, something I've never seen anyone else do. And of course, Al Kooper was great as always. Saw Al years later in 80s San Francisco for a Blues Project reunion, which is another story for another campfire.
Hi Rob, I saw a lot of shows at the Fillmore East but never saw Bloomfield. I think the blond guy in the Butterfield band was a guy named Buzzy Feiten.
It’s a really funny amp. Surprisingly loud. I’ve used in decent sized clubs with the attenuater at 25 watts and it’s I can be heard easily over a four or five piece band. On the other hand, the models are crazy. The only one that’s even remotely close is the Vox AC 30. But as you and I have both found, you can find a good sound after a lot of experimenting. And it ways less than some of my guitars.
Thanks so much. I go through spurts making videos and then it can be a year or more before I do another one. I’m thinking about doing some Peter Green or T-Bone Walker next.
Holy shit! You brought up the 3 to 6 bend. I will give anyone my car if you can come up with anyone else using this in their repertoire of licks. It is something nobody used unless you had total knowledge of the fretboard.GOOD EAR,MAN! The sound is one half step sharper than guys like clapton routiinely play. The effecf has ben used,but not much.,l just love mike. I HAVE EVERY THING OF ,HIS I CAN GET.HE WAS THE AMERICAN ANSWER TO CLAPTON ACCORDING TO ROLLING STONE,AND ANOTHER RESPONSE FROM COMMENTS.
He was so much better than Clapton. Clapton is a very good guitarist but his blues always leaves me flat. I’m not a purist but your playing has to reflect an influence of your predecessors. I don’t hear that in Clapton and most of the British “blues” players with the extremely notable exception of all three of the original Fleetwood Mac Guitarists. It took me years to master Peter Green’s version of The Stumble and when I finally figured it out I can’t play it anymore. At 71 with Parkinson’s my speed is really off. As to the 3-6, Albert King (and SRV doing Albert King) did it a lot. Duane Allman’s solo on Stormy Monday does all kinds of ridiculous bends. In the second verse he’s sitting on the 2 and bending it extremely precisely to every not between the 3 and 6. One thing I forgot to mention in my video how precise Michael’s bends were. I’ve played his playing through a tuner in Studio One and he’s often out of tune, his bends are always right on. The best bender of all has to be Amos Garrett. He played in Butterfield’s Better Days and on the unbelievable solo on Maria Maldour’s Mightnight At The Oasis. In his version of Sleepwalk he bends the first phrase two to seven. I always assumed he used a strat with light strings and used the whammy bar for some his bends. But he actually uses a Tele strung with 11s.
Thank you Sir ... I like your take very much .. and the mighty feed put it up .. right when I am leaning into 'Bloomfield, Gravenites & Friends FmW1969' almost every night .. trying to figure that Slow Blues .. which seems to be 'my blood' completely .. I got so fascinated by Mike Bloomfields' that I have consumed all yt documentary available .. and in one interview he actually says '... I would feel satisfied on guitar if I was playing like BBKing ... ' .. and I think it is that sweet tone in the Chicago brew .. sooo good . Cheers☺️
Glad you enjoyed it. Your fascination sounds like mine fifty years ago. Bloomfield’s playing between ‘68 and ‘70 was just so incredible. And yes the B B King influence is really strong. Before ‘68 his influences were pretty diverse. Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Folk Rock, West Coast Psychedelics, and modal scales. But starting with Super Session it was B B and a little bit of Robbie Robertson. By ‘71 he was starting to lose his sense of phrasing but what he recorded in that brief period will last forever.
@@david_rabinow Thank you :). For playing I am barely at the beginning of my road ... musically it seems I found Terra firma with Mike Bloomfields accumulated perception of Blues elements in that particular time .. it feels like assuming Segesta as the firm but airy fragment of spiritual architecture .. by that being able to get the 'cornerstones' for thousand years back .. as well as on to Le Nôtre up to Foster .. if that makes sense .. I am also adding your notion on 'the sense of phrasing' gladly to my small help-to-grasp set .. and it has been inspiring to watch you on the Vibrato use .. to be really tight and patient with the subtle stuff . in that sense 🙋
The banjo string thing comes from james burton, who played fot elvis and ricky nelson. Story goes he used a banjo string to get by at a gig. I am 71 and l never heard of anyone putting on a set of banjo strings. So strange how these stories come around.lts part of the cool guitar world, and there fun to hear.
@@Ken-os3wg thank you Ken. I felt like I rambled a bit and it is too long. And the lenses on my iPhone had something on it that caused the video to look slightly out of focus. Subscribers to my channel, which was originally mostly Mike Bloomfield lessons, had been asking for this video.
Dont know what gage except his0.10 gage e string.most guys I knew like John Cippolina of quicksilver messenger service,chuggie otis,others used a 009 ,or even a oo8 .only problem is they broke! John Cippollina played beautifully . He is another underated guitarist.
There were a number of those SF psychedelic guitarists that were very interesting, maybe not technically the best, but really creative. Barry Melton, Sam Andrews, Cippolina, Randy California - I think was from LA. I have used .0095s ever since they came out. But since I developed Parkinson’s I just don’t have the strength. I even struggle with .009s sometimes but .008s sound really weak when you’re going for a clean sound.
Rabbit is a player! I TOLD YOU! You are again showing your wealth of knowledge concerning electric guitar.l was impressed with your understanding of vibrato techniques, I sincerely hope you ger berrer,no doubt you would fun to jam with.Cippolina was a friend I MET AT THE CRYSTAL BALLROOM.THERE. WAS A TOTAL OF 42 PEOPLE TO SEE GRATEFULL DEAD AND QUICKSILVER!! I was 15, and of course we opened.cippolina is Italian, so he treated me like I was an equal,which I was clearly not. HE LET ME PLAY HIS GIBSON SG, AFTER TRYING CLAPTONS. I BOUGHT ONE IMMEDIATELY JUST GOT ANOTHER ONE COMES WITH GROVERS INSTALLED😊
Hello Austria! I’ve read about his string gauge a number of times so I tend to think it’s true. Real light gauge strings weren’t available (at least in my memory until the late 60s.
It’s a Fender Mustang GTX 50. Excellent amp! It’s a solid state modeling amp. The models are very convincing. There are a ton of Fender amp models. My favorite (and the model I’m using in the video) is the Blues Junior. One of my favorite amps but usually not loud enough for gigging. In this case I have 50 watts. Unlike many digital amps, 50 watts actually seems like 50 watts.
Mike used Earny Ball 0.10 for the e high strings.very popular in the sixties. I think they were the only kind I used from 1967 until today.the banjo string is a myth. People had no choice because there were no light strings, enter banjo strings!, good job overall. But he did not soak in reverb,there was just enough to be audible.too much and it sounds like surf guitar! Where did you get your information? On elecric guitar he only used pedals once on killing floor .he used a vox tone bender. Vibrato is vertical or horizontal.for instance violin players use horizontal,most guitarists use both.his speed is awesome l and clean! Thanks for your presentation,much appreciation!
Well, Ernie Ball’s early sets were comprised of banjo strings for the E and B strings. Slinky’s (actually manufactured for guitars) were introduced in 1967. Bloomfield was already forming electric flag by then. As to reverb, listen to any of his quieter passages on The Live Adventures album. They are really soaked in reverb.
Oh yeah very few modern electric guitarist use the vertical vibrato. A lot of guitarists use it when they first start playing. And it was a signature of many of the psychedelic guitarists in the sixties. Bloomfield was the only guy I ever heard who could use them both on the same phrase. Another interesting thing about him was that he was often out of tune in live performances but his bending was always spot on. If he bent a C to a D it was exactly a D. I’ve actually played some of his stuff through a DAW with a tuner. It’s amazing how precise he was.
The rabbit is spot on. However live ,or on a recording are different.live his settings were 2 and one half. What they put out the record how much reverb is on it is up to the producer.l changed his strings once because of some medical problems.his reverb was a natural thing to check out being the lesd player for Jacob's ladder.l am 71 and he still reveals links l have never heard him play.my first recording l had a maestro fuzz tone for 29.95 and the engineers said they could not understand l bought it to distort!!,,!!! They said we can't get rid of the distortion on the line!!!this was1966 right after satisfaction by the stones,l think. Everyone got a sunn buzz,or a vox tone bender,or some battery powered unit.when your live your in charge of the final sound,although going thru the board the sound crew gets your sound or you fire them.my old sound man Bob stearns,worked with Crosby stills and Nash. Now he works for the Rolling stones.you just never know
Rabbit has to be a guitar player and older like me. How can he remember earnie ball strings? A guy just gave me a set for my telecaster and regardless of guitar,l used super slinking. Wouldn't surprise me if a e or a b string is from a banjo, as it would certainly work,but l have never heard of any one using them.like they say your mileage may vary.
Doing both vibratos at the same seem impossible to me without using a tremolo. I’ve discovered some new live recordings on RUclips and in those he’s gone back to the psychedelic vibrato.
Hi David, great video about a great guitarist thanks, just wondering what model SG that is and what amp are you using has a great tone/sound. Regards Sean
The guitar is a Harley Benton DC made in Vietnam. I paid $187 plus 30 for shipping. It’s a really good guitar. Harley Benton made quite a splash when they were first introduced a few years ago. They compare favorably to any of the lower priced Asian guitars.
@@david_rabinow Thanks David, I would never have guessed that. Yeah I live in the UK and Harley Benton seem to come via a company in Germany and are quite popular here. What is the amp you were using for that video, I like the sound you are getting. Regards Sean
Hi Andrew, the guitar is a Harley Benton DC Pro. I bought it from a company called Thomann USA I think they’re in Germany. At the time guitar cost $188 US plus $30 shipping. It is easily as good as any Epiphone SG. You’re right the tremolo is a Duesenberg. Nice reasonable choice on a stop tail guitar. I got that from Thomann also. A word of caution, it took quite a bit of adjustment before I had it where I liked.
It’s a Harley Benton DC-Pro which I paid $188 for plus $30 shipping from UK to US. I added a Duesenberg Les Trem to it. You can get both from Thomannmusic.com
I knew Mike back in that era. He was a good guy just really troubled with the stuff if you know what I mean. I even played that guitar a few times. You did a fine job here, David. Thank you very much.
That would’ve been unbelievable to have played with Michael. I actually went to a couple shows at the Fillmore East but not the one they made the Super Session album from. Never saw Michael live.
Why dont you play your own way?
@@david_rabinow I never, ever played with Michael. I just knew him as someone I really liked.
@@RobinJohnson-u7l I try to be myself in real life situations. But the B B King and Mike Bloomfield influences always sneak in. I think this video reflect my own style much better, although one verse is pretty much straight B B.
@@BlindTom61 He was great. I loved his phrasing, particularly in ‘68-‘71
I was at the Live Adventures Fillmore East show (believe it or not the Butterfield band with some unknown blonde-haired lead guitarist - not Elvin Bishop) was on the same bill! Lucky and blessed to have seen Bloomfield in his prime. When he really started cooking he would raise the neck almost vertical, near to his face as he stooped towards it, something I've never seen anyone else do. And of course, Al Kooper was great as always. Saw Al years later in 80s San Francisco for a Blues Project reunion, which is another story for another campfire.
Hi Rob, I saw a lot of shows at the Fillmore East but never saw Bloomfield. I think the blond guy in the Butterfield band was a guy named Buzzy Feiten.
Thanks for that. Tried the Vox amp in your settings, sounds good with my tele. ❤️ Mikes playing.☮️🎸
It’s a really funny amp. Surprisingly loud. I’ve used in decent sized clubs with the attenuater at 25 watts and it’s I can be heard easily over a four or five piece band.
On the other hand, the models are crazy. The only one that’s even remotely close is the Vox AC 30. But as you and I have both found, you can find a good sound after a lot of experimenting. And it ways less than some of my guitars.
Thanks for the great lesson.
So many tips I had to write some down.
Keep them coming David!
Thanks again
Thanks so much. I go through spurts making videos and then it can be a year or more before I do another one. I’m thinking about doing some Peter Green or T-Bone Walker next.
Holy shit! You brought up the 3 to 6 bend. I will give anyone my car if you can come up with anyone else using this in their repertoire of licks. It is something nobody used unless you had total knowledge of the fretboard.GOOD EAR,MAN! The sound is one half step sharper than guys like clapton routiinely play. The effecf has ben used,but not much.,l just love mike. I HAVE EVERY THING OF ,HIS I CAN GET.HE WAS THE AMERICAN ANSWER TO CLAPTON ACCORDING TO ROLLING STONE,AND ANOTHER RESPONSE FROM COMMENTS.
He was so much better than Clapton. Clapton is a very good guitarist but his blues always leaves me flat. I’m not a purist but your playing has to reflect an influence of your predecessors. I don’t hear that in Clapton and most of the British “blues” players with the extremely notable exception of all three of the original Fleetwood Mac Guitarists. It took me years to master Peter Green’s version of The Stumble and when I finally figured it out I can’t play it anymore. At 71 with Parkinson’s my speed is really off.
As to the 3-6, Albert King (and SRV doing Albert King) did it a lot. Duane Allman’s solo on Stormy Monday does all kinds of ridiculous bends. In the second verse he’s sitting on the 2 and bending it extremely precisely to every not between the 3 and 6. One thing I forgot to mention in my video how precise Michael’s bends were. I’ve played his playing through a tuner in Studio One and he’s often out of tune, his bends are always right on.
The best bender of all has to be Amos Garrett. He played in Butterfield’s Better Days and on the unbelievable solo on Maria Maldour’s Mightnight At The Oasis. In his version of Sleepwalk he bends the first phrase two to seven. I always assumed he used a strat with light strings and used the whammy bar for some his bends. But he actually uses a Tele strung with 11s.
Absolutely brilliant thank you
Very kind, thank you. I love your stuff as well.
Really enjoyed this analysis… this is how it’s done
Wow, this is great! Thx so much for taking the time to put this together….I’m going to be referencing this for years to come.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you Sir ... I like your take very much .. and the mighty feed put it up .. right when I am leaning into 'Bloomfield, Gravenites & Friends FmW1969' almost every night .. trying to figure that Slow Blues .. which seems to be 'my blood' completely .. I got so fascinated by Mike Bloomfields' that I have consumed all yt documentary available .. and in one interview he actually says '... I would feel satisfied on guitar if I was playing like BBKing ... ' .. and I think it is that sweet tone in the Chicago brew .. sooo good . Cheers☺️
Glad you enjoyed it. Your fascination sounds like mine fifty years ago.
Bloomfield’s playing between ‘68 and ‘70 was just so incredible. And yes the B B King influence is really strong. Before ‘68 his influences were pretty diverse. Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Folk Rock, West Coast Psychedelics, and modal scales. But starting with Super Session it was B B and a little bit of Robbie Robertson. By ‘71 he was starting to lose his sense of phrasing but what he recorded in that brief period will last forever.
@@david_rabinow Thank you :). For playing I am barely at the beginning of my road ... musically it seems I found Terra firma with Mike Bloomfields accumulated perception of Blues elements in that particular time .. it feels like assuming Segesta as the firm but airy fragment of spiritual architecture .. by that being able to get the 'cornerstones' for thousand years back .. as well as on to Le Nôtre up to Foster .. if that makes sense .. I am also adding your notion on 'the sense of phrasing' gladly to my small help-to-grasp set .. and it has been inspiring to watch you on the Vibrato use .. to be really tight and patient with the subtle stuff . in that sense 🙋
The banjo string thing comes from james burton, who played fot elvis and ricky nelson. Story goes he used a banjo string to get by at a gig. I am 71 and l never heard of anyone putting on a set of banjo strings. So strange how these stories come around.lts part of the cool guitar world, and there fun to hear.
sounds great sir! amazing bends.
Light strings help a lot
This is so good, thx so much for putting this together! Much appreciated 👍👊
@@Ken-os3wg thank you Ken. I felt like I rambled a bit and it is too long. And the lenses on my iPhone had something on it that caused the video to look slightly out of focus. Subscribers to my channel, which was originally mostly Mike Bloomfield lessons, had been asking for this video.
Good job 👍🆗
Thanks Robert
Dont know what gage except his0.10 gage e string.most guys I knew like John Cippolina of quicksilver messenger service,chuggie otis,others used a 009 ,or even a oo8 .only problem is they broke! John Cippollina played beautifully . He is another underated guitarist.
There were a number of those SF psychedelic guitarists that were very interesting, maybe not technically the best, but really creative. Barry Melton, Sam Andrews, Cippolina, Randy California - I think was from LA.
I have used .0095s ever since they came out. But since I developed Parkinson’s I just don’t have the strength. I even struggle with .009s sometimes but .008s sound really weak when you’re going for a clean sound.
Rabbit is a player! I TOLD YOU! You are again showing your wealth of knowledge concerning electric guitar.l was impressed with your understanding of vibrato techniques, I sincerely hope you ger berrer,no doubt you would fun to jam with.Cippolina was a friend I MET AT THE CRYSTAL BALLROOM.THERE. WAS A TOTAL OF 42 PEOPLE TO SEE GRATEFULL DEAD AND QUICKSILVER!! I was 15, and of course we opened.cippolina is Italian, so he treated me like I was an equal,which I was clearly not. HE LET ME PLAY HIS GIBSON SG, AFTER TRYING CLAPTONS. I BOUGHT ONE IMMEDIATELY JUST GOT ANOTHER ONE COMES WITH GROVERS INSTALLED😊
B😊
RABBIT... I MISSPELLED THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE. I HOPE AND PRAY YOU GET BETTER!!! Parkinson sucks,don't give up !!!!
I wore out a copy of Super Sessions. Nice tone.
I’ve actually purchased the Live Adventures album on vinyl three times. I still have the last one but nothing to play it on.
Great job! 👍👍👍you knoe what string gauge mike used? Greetings from austria🌈
Hello Austria! I’ve read about his string gauge a number of times so I tend to think it’s true. Real light gauge strings weren’t available (at least in my memory until the late 60s.
Hi David, I was wondering what amp you were using during this video. Like the Harley Benton SG. Love the sound/tone you are getting. Regards Sean
It’s a Fender Mustang GTX 50. Excellent amp! It’s a solid state modeling amp. The models are very convincing. There are a ton of Fender amp models. My favorite (and the model I’m using in the video) is the Blues Junior. One of my favorite amps but usually not loud enough for gigging. In this case I have 50 watts. Unlike many digital amps, 50 watts actually seems like 50 watts.
Mike used Earny Ball 0.10 for the e high strings.very popular in the sixties. I think they were the only kind I used from 1967 until today.the banjo string is a myth. People had no choice because there were no light strings, enter banjo strings!, good job overall. But he did not soak in reverb,there was just enough to be audible.too much and it sounds like surf guitar! Where did you get your information? On elecric guitar he only used pedals once on killing floor .he used a vox tone bender. Vibrato is vertical or horizontal.for instance violin players use horizontal,most guitarists use both.his speed is awesome l and clean! Thanks for your presentation,much appreciation!
Meant to say violin is horizontal,sorry.
Well, Ernie Ball’s early sets were comprised of banjo strings for the E and B strings. Slinky’s (actually manufactured for guitars) were introduced in 1967. Bloomfield was already forming electric flag by then. As to reverb, listen to any of his quieter passages on The Live Adventures album. They are really soaked in reverb.
Oh yeah very few modern electric guitarist use the vertical vibrato. A lot of guitarists use it when they first start playing. And it was a signature of many of the psychedelic guitarists in the sixties. Bloomfield was the only guy I ever heard who could use them both on the same phrase.
Another interesting thing about him was that he was often out of tune in live performances but his bending was always spot on. If he bent a C to a D it was exactly a D. I’ve actually played some of his stuff through a DAW with a tuner. It’s amazing how precise he was.
The rabbit is spot on. However live ,or on a recording are different.live his settings were 2 and one half. What they put out the record how much reverb is on it is up to the producer.l changed his strings once because of some medical problems.his reverb was a natural thing to check out being the lesd player for Jacob's ladder.l am 71 and he still reveals links l have never heard him play.my first recording l had a maestro fuzz tone for 29.95 and the engineers said they could not understand l bought it to distort!!,,!!! They said we can't get rid of the distortion on the line!!!this was1966 right after satisfaction by the stones,l think. Everyone got a sunn buzz,or a vox tone bender,or some battery powered unit.when your live your in charge of the final sound,although going thru the board the sound crew gets your sound or you fire them.my old sound man Bob stearns,worked with Crosby stills and Nash. Now he works for the Rolling stones.you just never know
Rabbit has to be a guitar player and older like me. How can he remember earnie ball strings? A guy just gave me a set for my telecaster and regardless of guitar,l used super slinking. Wouldn't surprise me if a e or a b string is from a banjo, as it would certainly work,but l have never heard of any one using them.like they say your mileage may vary.
That vibrato sounds easy but it’s
Not. Sounded great.
Doing both vibratos at the same seem impossible to me without using a tremolo. I’ve discovered some new live recordings on RUclips and in those he’s gone back to the psychedelic vibrato.
Hi David, great video about a great guitarist thanks, just wondering what model SG that is and what amp are you using has a great tone/sound. Regards Sean
The guitar is a Harley Benton DC made in Vietnam. I paid $187 plus 30 for shipping. It’s a really good guitar. Harley Benton made quite a splash when they were first introduced a few years ago. They compare favorably to any of the lower priced Asian guitars.
@@david_rabinow Thanks David, I would never have guessed that. Yeah I live in the UK and Harley Benton seem to come via a company in Germany and are quite popular here.
What is the amp you were using for that video, I like the sound you are getting. Regards Sean
? What SG is that, whats fretboard would looks walnut, is that a les trem by dunsenberg???
Hi Andrew, the guitar is a Harley Benton DC Pro. I bought it from a company called Thomann USA I think they’re in Germany. At the time guitar cost $188 US plus $30 shipping. It is easily as good as any Epiphone SG. You’re right the tremolo is a Duesenberg. Nice reasonable choice on a stop tail guitar. I got that from Thomann also. A word of caution, it took quite a bit of adjustment before I had it where I liked.
What make and model is that guitar?
It’s a Harley Benton DC-Pro which I paid $188 for plus $30 shipping from UK to US. I added a Duesenberg Les Trem to it. You can get both from Thomannmusic.com