I couldn't agree more. His hit record "Fire & Rain" was one of the very first records that I ever bought. I was in love with that sound! Besides "The Beatles", James Taylor inspired me to learn the Guitar, which I did and still play today. Although I didn't learn his guitar picking Technique, I plan on doing it. All I want to say is, " кєєρ σи кєєριиg σи נαмєѕ"!🎸🤗
For the amount of incredible and iconic music, he put out. I say the man can stash as many fancy guitars as he wants. A career that long and diverse...I'll bet he can put a song or a story or both to every one of them. And probably a cool story too...
Great video, thanks! I do not even play the guitar, but I have always loved JT's music and just the way he has about him. He is so articulate and expressive about music and just live in general.
Love this man hit the spot for me in my early 20' his music played a big part of what was going down in the early 70's good to see He's still at it.Geoff /uk L
Cars are the same way! My motto has always been, “There’s no such thing as too many cars, but five is the point at which they become a total pain in the a$$!” 😂
Take a look around :50-:51 & notice the extreme saddle height & pronounced forward pitch of the bridge! Maybe it isn't "worn out" but it certainly has suffered from improper storage/exposure. However, I feel it's definitely worth trying to revive. A qualified & experienced luthier could do it!
I agree! I love the melancholy sound James produced on the J50: the twinkly highs and the warm, slightly thuddy bass notes. I wish he would record with it again and play it during his concerts.
I always wondered why I couldn't get the bass tone for Riding on a Railroad quite right. I tried subtle muting and came close. Then I tried a Gibson J45 and the puzzle was instantly solved.
Almost reminds me of my guild what was it a d50 that was rosewood and spruce and after putting a lot of money into it changing all the bridging and bones and redoing everything I could and while bartering with a luthier named Phil patilo than an Asbury Park and keeping his house painted and such he kept my guitar in mint condition until the day I took a trip on people's Express well that wasn't a good idea and when opening the case after returning I found out that rosewood isn't as hard as I thought it was cuz that guitar had many more parts to it than it originally started with
I love it when I see someone with a room full of instruments they've collected. I show it to my wife, who thinks I've got a screw loose because I have, "...too many", and say, "...see?Twenty basses is nothing!" Of course I don't think she'll recognize James Taylor, as THE James Taylor! [Laffin'😄]
I have to disagree with his assessment of guitars. Neil Young still tours with Hank’s old guitar and Eric Clapton resurrected the acoustic guitar to its current status with a pre-war Martin for his MTV Unplugged performance. Vince Gill’s locker is full of old beauties. Sure, necks need to be reset and saddles adjusted, but fine guitars, like fine wine, only get better with time. Another weird thing I heard James say in one of his lesson videos is to tune each string flat. In my experience, a compensated saddle works just fine for better intonation-no need to tune weird. James also plays the D chord backward. To each their own, but I would not point beginners in James’s direction for any “advices” with all of his eccentricities. It’s obviously worked for James, but he's one of a kind. Disclaimer: I'm stupid. James is smart. I was wrong. James was right. James is the best. I'm the worst. He is very good-looking. I'm not attractive.
Steve Hanson, I might agree if a guitar was like wine, kept in a corked bottle, but it ain't. Also, many hundred year old wines uncorked are undrinkable!!
@crokey64 Thanks! Have you checked out the other eight videos in this series and the rehearsal videos for James's 2011 Carnegie Hall concerts? They're at ruclips.net/p/PL84F7447EE3C4948D
That’s an old wives tale. If you tune way down you’re still gonna have the truss rod putting pressure on the neck. The best way to store a guitar, especially in a controlled environment is to keep it in tune.
I would hesitate before blowing off any observations of James Taylor regarding Guitars. Not only is he a magnificent guitarist, but he has spent a lifetime entertaining people through recordings and live performances, not just sitting in an armchair and pontificating about the topic. There may be an aspect of truth regarding his comment about the difference between guitars and members of the violin family as the latter have much stronger construction to withstand forces. It is not fair to compare Neil Young and Eric Clapton‘s guitars which are less than 100 years old to instruments that have been in performance for nearly 300 years.
Man the saddle height on that!! Needs a neck reset. Guitars can last almost forever with a good guitar tech. They do pull apart from the tension if you don’t correct problems like neck angle, or bracing problems. ( luthier for thirty years).
I am a big fan by the way I an a child of the 60's , so I followed your music many years and there are not many albums that you had made I don't have. Copperline is one of my favorites
Still learning how to play since 73…I thought I did well on fire y rain y sang it…did not put it on RUclips th😂ugh…y I just had my om 28 weeks ago…y before that I got my Guild D55 …y the cheaper ones so…but I tried playing y learning the old classic fr different styles…I sing solo y with my gf then that played th3 piano y formally we both sung together in harmony y my other ex😢…ty James for the music ❤🎉🎉🎉
Seems to me, if a musician has had success and accumulated wealth AND nice guitars sometime in his waning years he should give them to poor young musicians. Just seems like passing a torch.
Also, if you’re lucky enough to be able to afford, it find a local luthier and get one built just for you. I have three, I don’t deserve to have such fine instruments but when I’m gone they’ll be going to kids who do...
And they stay in tune... stored away. Mine go out of tune with any whim of the weather, hiccups in gravity, solar flares, a sideways glance, a dog's bark, leaving them be, picking them up, guitar gremlins and a host of other factors that are way too many to mention. I need one of them special guitar rooms... I guess.
Regarding storing guitars with strings loosened... I wonder if that’s what actually happens, and the three guitars he shows here were chosen and tuned up before filming? Just to keep the narrative moving in a short clip. Lovely glimpse at some beautiful instruments with stories in them.
They wear out, but can they be "forever renewed"--new bridge, new--whatever other parts--brought back to life, time and again? Of, is there a point where they must be retired?
My girlfriend and I called in on Jim Olsen in Circle Pines Minnesota three years ago just to meet him. Unbelievably he had James' Olsen #4 in for some work and he let me play it. Still haven't quite recovered! Roger from England.
@@Blinki18284 I don't know that's a strange situation I mean how do you steal the blues how do you steal jazz how do you steal classical music music is free for the taking to switch to adjust to moderate to change I've got a feeling it'll change his mind about that one if he really thinks about it
@@arlenmargolin1650 Stealing was not the right word. I think, James wouldn't mind that and would absolutely agree with you (so do I). Take Eric Clapton or the Stones, the did a great job. But there were all this middle class kids with no life experiences hanging around in the 60s, talking about "the blues" and imitating black musicians. James hated that kind of attitude and that's what the song is about.
I love James with his guitars but come on how many people would say that there Gibson or Martin wore out in a special room.Really I should have that problem.
Ya love James musical talents ❣❣ I agree with some others to disagree with some of his assessment on guitar , such as flattening some strings a certain tweek , tried it for awhile & honestly I couldn't tell much of a difference anyway ; far as guitars growing old and breaking down as compared to old violins etc. he has a point but can be taken out of context , I do Not think he specifically implied the tones will diminish with the guitar aging ; I think he simply meant guitars stand a lot more string pressure, and wear on the road comparatively and could not possibly keep in tact like an old well cared for violin (of course guitars do not really have the same amount of history) ; also even good guitars are produced in far larger quantities than good violins which leads me to believe the craftsmanship and time required to make the best violins are the next level above good guitar making.
Interesting disagreements. Can someone elaborate on why steel string instruments have less tension? I always heard and assumed steel would create more. Is it because of the bracing?
@@mariomanningfan steel has more, that is why they have heavier bracing then classical. Also is y u can put nylon strings on an acoustic but not steel on a classical, it would likely pull the bridge off a clasical.
@Cortisol: I hate to disagree with you but I also have to agree with JT. I still have a beautiful 1961 Solar Gonzalez Classic guitar, however, the tone or voice has sadly softened, the neck is warping and the action is much high than it use to be. It has always been in a case and has also received a few knocks over the past 50 years.
I think guitars get better. Back in the 60's I had a classical that was made around 1935. Very sweet. I currently have a cheap Hohner pushing 20 years old and it sounds better than new guitars that cost a lot more.
to everyone ... i truly mean no disrespect to JT. he's one of my heroes. i mean no disrespect to anyone else here. i've been a fairly serious collector of guitars for a few decades and this isn't only my opinion ... i also have spent A LOT of time in professional studios with professional musicians ... and still do ... it's how i make a living ... and i even get paid for playing myself. i have the deepest respect for JT as for a guitar lasting 300 years ... well, none of us will ever know.
Despite some of the opposing comments here, I agree with JT regards old/well played guitars wearing out. At least SOME anyway. If you listened to what he said about the physical stresses and strains on a guitar under constant 6-string tension, let alone the daily playing, sweat, dirt, humidity changes, wear and tear of a pro musician constantly on the road and in the studio. It makes perfect sense. There's a good reason he doesn't play that old J50 anymore, it's because it's old, clapped out and the one's he's using now are far superior in sound and playability. He should know, as one of THE great acoustic pickers we all respect. I've heard other busy working musicians say similar, but they're talking about a specific guitar that's their principal instrument (even electric), played day-in, day-out. Sure, you can have it repaired, patched up, necks reset, fingerboards, soundboards replaced, but when such extensive work is done and you get em back, they're never quite the same, and often as not never as good. The magic has gone. It's certainly happened to me, as you can't get sentimental over these things, they're a musicians tool for making money. Also, I don't go with the "older is better" myth. Sometimes maybe, but how wrecked is the guitar, how worn out is it? Let your ear be the judge in terms of sound. A lot of new, modern guitars these days sound awesome right outta the box, or after a great set-up, and it's not just about price. No, I'm with JT on this.
True - it wouldn't be the end of the world. Every other change I tend to take that opportunity. But it doesn't take long for me to change strings. So, my caveat would be aimed more toward those who may not think twice about leaving the instrument string-less for long periods of time. Thanks, stuco.
Maybe those Guitars don’t last as long because they are not taken care of like violins. Unless I don’t see it- it is hard to believe these are not in a humidifier and temperature controlled room. Are the gibson and Martin guitars which are in very good shape ( the few) from the 40s - fakes?
You're not kidding "a glimpse..." little information that didn't go far enough IMO. That J50 had about 10 seconds and could have been the whole 2plus minute glimpse n story .....
You guys are all missing the point...I'll bet that J50 did get beat out, from when he started to maybe the early-mid '70s, then I think Whitebrooks were his first custom-made guitars. I noticed the J50's repaired top crack, the replaced bridge. Does it sound great? Probably, but structurally it's beat. I'm sure his 25-grand each Olsons have fared far better, but in a few clips I've seen, at least one Olson that looks finish-worn-through. He only uses two or three Olsons and that's it.
I guess because violins are so much smaller. If a guitar had the same ratio of thickness in it's framework that a violin does for it's size, a guitar would probably be quite heavy yet last centuries too.
Just a very daft comment here,if you took the stress out of the neck by taking the tension off the strings would that not make them last a bit longer ?
I like to think that those were the guitars he played while he was playing w a young Carly Simon, James is an institution, with a world of knowledge and experience, love to have a cup of coffee with him one day, like when they ask the sports stars 3 people you’d like to have dinner with
You know for as many interviews as these people have out on the internet you can almost pour some coffee for yourself and imagine cuz these people do reveal a lot in those
Who wouldn’t love to spend an evening in that room with a couple of beers and James telling stories about the various guitars and maybe even singing a song or two by request? And you thought the first night you got laid was good......😮
I think you'd get bored really quick when you started talking about how many times he's strong the dough bro or how he didn't polish the f50 enough I don't know guitars are really just wood and metal it's the people and the fingers and the soul that has the stories
@1942LG2 Really ? Even when you're playing a gig a night thru decades, throughout five continents ? Picking them from way below zero temperatures at the luggage plane's compartiments to 100-plus ºF inside overcrowded arenas ? Wow...
Consistent and constant pressure from tightened strings is imperative, a an acoustic guitar ages. For this reason, when you change strings, change them one at a time.
I have an underground vault under my house where I store my 3000 Les Pauls and an equal number of vintage amplifiers. It's great, I hold viewing parties from time to time. I hire people to turn them over every week, just like my collection of thousands of fine wines... James Taylor is a fine player and an equally fine person, BUT: this is part of the problem that makes vintage instruments so freakishly expensive. And seeing a superb instrument go virtually unplayed is incredibly sad to me
My last post about the poignancy of seeing fine instruments locked away may sound like sour grapes. Not so. My 10 year old Les Paul copy is a source of joy to me. I make music on it and it makes me happy. No offence to collectors, but this seems a bit like keeping exotic birds in captivity. I dig the deep reverence for the art of guitar making, but why not loan some of them out to some serious, respectful young players? It would have meant the world to me.
Playing 200-250 shows a year on the road year after year will beat the shit out of ANY guitar, let alone an acoustic. Its the road abuse, not always the playing that does it. You can only change the frets so many times. But...."regular" use....no, it won't wear it out. Also, I keep my guitars out, not in a case. They hang on the walls of my living room. Why? Because if I AM comfortable, they are too.No direct sun, controlled humidity. They breathe the same air I breathe. My house is between 68 and 78 degrees all year 'round. Plus....and this is the big plus.....they're all right there....just grab one and play it! Of course I'm not married and have no kids!
@@9_nein_9 Have you seen that guitar? Its a mess! Which proves my point. I live in Austin and I know Mark, the guy who "repairs" his guitar.....see it in person...its a wreck.
@@larrydrozd2740 I know its a mess but all I was saying was tell Willie his guitar is worn out. It still sounds damn good for what its been through. My uncle bought a Gibson J45 I think in 1952 thats been through hell and back but still sounds wonderful.
James is a brilliant guitar player.
I couldn't agree more. His hit record "Fire & Rain" was one of the very first records that I ever bought. I was in love with that sound!
Besides "The Beatles", James Taylor inspired me to learn the Guitar, which I did and still play today. Although I didn't learn his
guitar picking Technique, I plan on doing it. All I want to say is, " кєєρ σи кєєριиg σи נαмєѕ"!🎸🤗
James has always been the man!
I like the way he treats his guitar like they're his family. He tells the last one he showed "goodnight" before putting it away
That was classic.
The way he gently puts it back in the case.
Thanks for sharing your time line of guitars. Awesome. I still have my first Les Paul custom built in 1969, it still plays very well.
What a treat that was…………thanks
I have LOVED James Taylor since I was a 10 yr old- Im 52 now.
Yes and Jim Olsen is a great builder! Love that midrange !!
I’d love to sit in that room and play his guitars. ❤️
Love this guy since day one.
Gran compositor e interprete. Me ha inspirado en muchas de las canciones de THE TRAVELLER
He is an underrated guitarist. Always has been.
How do you figure? He’s widely heralded as having one of the most unique and influential guitar voices in the fingerpicking world.
@@davestarns Well maybe he thinks his name should be spoken amongst the Hendrixes and the claptons and the Santana's the Garcia's
For the amount of incredible and iconic music, he put out. I say the man can stash as many fancy guitars as he wants. A career that long and diverse...I'll bet he can put a song or a story or both to every one of them. And probably a cool story too...
Great video, thanks! I do not even play the guitar, but I have always loved JT's music and just the way he has about him. He is so articulate and expressive about music and just live in general.
Love this man hit the spot for me in my early 20' his music played a big part of what was going down in the early 70's good to see He's still at it.Geoff /uk
L
These guitars should be in the hands of players and being played and not wasting away! It took me quite some years to get Gibson and it's all I need!
Yes, it is amazing how one's instruments (particularly the guitars)
so easily become your children along with any pets you may have.
You really can have too many guitars, I know us guitarists joke about it, but it's true. If they aren't being played it's pointless owning them.
Cars are the same way! My motto has always been, “There’s no such thing as too many cars, but five is the point at which they become a total pain in the a$$!”
😂
Beautiful Olson is collecting dust ?!! No comments...
James is like your cool old uncle that you love to hang out with.
I wish, none of my uncles are that cool.
Take a look around :50-:51 & notice the extreme saddle height & pronounced forward pitch of the bridge! Maybe it isn't "worn out" but it certainly has suffered from improper storage/exposure. However, I feel it's definitely worth trying to revive. A qualified & experienced luthier could do it!
Olsen's are sweet but for me I love the sound James got out of his Gibson J50, especially the bass parts.
I agree! I love the melancholy sound James produced on the J50: the twinkly highs and the warm, slightly thuddy bass notes. I wish he would record with it again and play it during his concerts.
I always wondered why I couldn't get the bass tone for Riding on a Railroad quite right. I tried subtle muting and came close. Then I tried a Gibson J45 and the puzzle was instantly solved.
I agree. His Olson guitars sound a little too pretty.
Agree...that J50 is iconic...
Almost reminds me of my guild what was it a d50 that was rosewood and spruce and after putting a lot of money into it changing all the bridging and bones and redoing everything I could and while bartering with a luthier named Phil patilo than an Asbury Park and keeping his house painted and such he kept my guitar in mint condition until the day I took a trip on people's Express well that wasn't a good idea and when opening the case after returning I found out that rosewood isn't as hard as I thought it was cuz that guitar had many more parts to it than it originally started with
I could sit in that room all day.
I love it when I see someone with a room full of instruments they've collected. I show it to my wife, who thinks I've got a screw loose because I have, "...too many", and say, "...see?Twenty basses is nothing!" Of course I don't think she'll recognize James Taylor, as THE James Taylor! [Laffin'😄]
Just try neglecting your wife in the same way and see what happens.
I had 75 basses and 35 guitars at one time. It can become an OCD situation.
@@pretorious700
Wanna sell me a bass?🤔
I have to disagree with his assessment of guitars. Neil Young still tours with Hank’s old guitar and Eric Clapton resurrected the acoustic guitar to its current status with a pre-war Martin for his MTV Unplugged performance. Vince Gill’s locker is full of old beauties. Sure, necks need to be reset and saddles adjusted, but fine guitars, like fine wine, only get better with time.
Another weird thing I heard James say in one of his lesson videos is to tune each string flat. In my experience, a compensated saddle works just fine for better intonation-no need to tune weird. James also plays the D chord backward.
To each their own, but I would not point beginners in James’s direction for any “advices” with all of his eccentricities. It’s obviously worked for James, but he's one of a kind.
Disclaimer: I'm stupid. James is smart. I was wrong. James was right. James is the best. I'm the worst. He is very good-looking. I'm not attractive.
i'm right there with you, Steve.
And think of Willie's
Steve Hanson, I might agree if a guitar was like wine, kept in a corked bottle, but it ain't. Also, many hundred year old wines uncorked are undrinkable!!
That disclaimer at the end cracked me up
Agreed
Amazing I hope one day I'll have a collection like that.
That's cool.
@crokey64 Thanks! Have you checked out the other eight videos in this series and the rehearsal videos for James's 2011 Carnegie Hall concerts? They're at ruclips.net/p/PL84F7447EE3C4948D
That Olsen ! Superb. Maybe de- tension the strings a little if they’re just sitting in the cases. Doesn’t take much to tune up. Gotta do it anyway.
I never never got behind that lowering the tension because the most stable a guitar is in tune.
That’s an old wives tale. If you tune way down you’re still gonna have the truss rod putting pressure on the neck. The best way to store a guitar, especially in a controlled environment is to keep it in tune.
I would hesitate before blowing off any observations of James Taylor regarding Guitars. Not only is he a magnificent guitarist, but he has spent a lifetime entertaining people through recordings and live performances, not just sitting in an armchair and pontificating about the topic. There may be an aspect of truth regarding his comment about the difference between guitars and members of the violin family as the latter have much stronger construction to withstand forces. It is not fair to compare Neil Young and Eric Clapton‘s guitars which are less than 100 years old to instruments that have been in performance for nearly 300 years.
Jonathan. I agree. A violin, or mandolin is a much tighter, condensed construction than forces on a big flat top.
If the make a Wish Foundation came to me, I’d ask to spend a day in that room.
Cool guitars to play with.
Man the saddle height on that!! Needs a neck reset. Guitars can last almost forever with a good guitar tech. They do pull apart from the tension if you don’t correct problems like neck angle, or bracing problems. ( luthier for thirty years).
I am a big fan by the way I an a child of the 60's , so I followed your music many years and there are not many albums that you had made I don't have.
Copperline is one of my favorites
Wow.
The parlor Olson really rings !
It's not true - I have restored many guitars from the 1800's and early 1900's. They sound amazing! Also, the Olsen parlor sounded amazing.
if you restore em in the current day are they still from the 1800 and 1900's?
Agreed! I love James Taylor, but I have to disagree with him on that statement.
The final scene here shows he realizes how insane it is to have that many guitars! 🤣
I've only got six guitars and my wife reckons that's five too many!
Still learning how to play since 73…I thought I did well on fire y rain y sang it…did not put it on RUclips th😂ugh…y I just had my om 28 weeks ago…y before that I got my Guild D55 …y the cheaper ones so…but I tried playing y learning the old classic fr different styles…I sing solo y with my gf then that played th3 piano y formally we both sung together in harmony y my other ex😢…ty James for the music ❤🎉🎉🎉
Seems to me, if a musician has had success and accumulated wealth AND nice guitars sometime in his waning years he should give them to poor young musicians. Just seems like passing a torch.
Also, if you’re lucky enough to be able to afford, it find a local luthier and get one built just for you. I have three, I don’t deserve to have such fine instruments but when I’m gone they’ll be going to kids who do...
James would you be willing to share your songs on RUclips?.. I'm ready for my lessons from James Taylor, anyone else?.
go to his website. he has multi camera angle lessons to walk you through some of his classic tunes. he has been doing it for years now. good luck.
Well that's small body custom with the abalone trim sounded superb I could see why you wouldn't want to part with that one
James Taylor - "Guitars wear out. You can only play them so long"
Willie Nelson's Trigger Guitar - "You were saying?"
And they stay in tune... stored away. Mine go out of tune with any whim of the weather, hiccups in gravity, solar flares, a sideways glance, a dog's bark, leaving them be, picking them up, guitar gremlins and a host of other factors that are way too many to mention. I need one of them special guitar rooms... I guess.
Me too. I had a guitar that went out of tune if you looked directly at it. Had to sneak up on the bastard.
@@MrBsbotto You think thats bad, mine verbally abuses me when I attempt to fix its twang
1:58 - 2:08 My kingdom to know in which song those sounds ended up ....
Someone should buy him a nice bench to open up the cases on. Don't get me wrong, I like the plastic chair.
Regarding storing guitars with strings loosened...
I wonder if that’s what actually happens, and the three guitars he shows here were chosen and tuned up before filming? Just to keep the narrative moving in a short clip.
Lovely glimpse at some beautiful instruments with stories in them.
They wear out, but can they be "forever renewed"--new bridge, new--whatever other parts--brought back to life, time and again? Of, is there a point where they must be retired?
I volunteer to come play your guitars😉
Gotta love James humour.🙂
I wonder how many Olsen Guitars he has sitting around not being played....granted its James Taylor....but all in all, thats a shame
2:16 JT to Olson guitar: "Good night. Your mother and I will be back to check in on you in a couple hours." 😊😂❤
KIm. Yes, I loved that too, and then he hugs it. Just brilliant James. Like him, we really do love and adore our instruments almost like our children.
My girlfriend and I called in on Jim Olsen in Circle Pines Minnesota three years ago just to meet him. Unbelievably he had James' Olsen #4 in for some work and he let me play it. Still haven't quite recovered! Roger from England.
Let someone else have them then !
No kidding, how selfish!!!
'' LOVE ''
He sounded mighty fine on the dobro. I was instantly transported to a shack in the Mississippi Delta just after the Great Depression.
no you werent time machines dont exist
James always hated white morons who try to steal the blues. That's why he wrote "Steamroller Blues".
@@Josh-it6uy they do if you have an imagination and not a head full
@@Blinki18284 I don't know that's a strange situation I mean how do you steal the blues how do you steal jazz how do you steal classical music music is free for the taking to switch to adjust to moderate to change I've got a feeling it'll change his mind about that one if he really thinks about it
@@arlenmargolin1650 Stealing was not the right word. I think, James wouldn't mind that and would absolutely agree with you (so do I). Take Eric Clapton or the Stones, the did a great job. But there were all this middle class kids with no life experiences hanging around in the 60s, talking about "the blues" and imitating black musicians. James hated that kind of attitude and that's what the song is about.
Auction them 🎸👍
I love James with his guitars but come on how many people would say that there Gibson or Martin wore out in a special room.Really I should have that problem.
Ya love James musical talents ❣❣
I agree with some others to disagree with some of his assessment on guitar , such as flattening some strings a certain tweek , tried it for awhile & honestly I couldn't tell much of a difference anyway ; far as guitars growing old and breaking down as compared to old violins etc. he has a point but can be taken out of context , I do Not think he specifically implied the tones will diminish with the guitar aging ; I think he simply meant guitars stand a lot more string pressure, and wear on the road comparatively and could not possibly keep in tact like an old well cared for violin (of course guitars do not really have the same amount of history) ; also even good guitars are produced in far larger quantities than good violins which leads me to believe the craftsmanship and time required to make the best violins are the next level above good guitar making.
Steel string guitars have a lot more tension than a "natural" string guitar. (classical) That is why.
You can let some of the tension off when storing your
instruments (or all the way off when shipping them.)
Not even close.
Wrong.
Interesting disagreements. Can someone elaborate on why steel string instruments have less tension? I always heard and assumed steel would create more. Is it because of the bracing?
@@mariomanningfan steel has more, that is why they have heavier bracing then classical. Also is y u can put nylon strings on an acoustic but not steel on a classical, it would likely pull the bridge off a clasical.
His own little Mandolin Brothers. How quaint.
I have an 1880 Martin 00-21 NY and sounds better than any of my modern guitars including my Bourgeois!
I think what he was saying is Gibson accostic guitars wear out.
i wish James would do a flat out old school Delta Blues album , just him and a dobro
@Cortisol: I hate to disagree with you but I also have to agree with JT. I still have a beautiful 1961 Solar Gonzalez Classic guitar, however, the tone or voice has sadly softened, the neck is warping and the action is much high than it use to be. It has always been in a case and has also received a few knocks over the past 50 years.
Anyone know what song he’s playing at 1:57?
He is just picking around some of his go-to stuff, no song per se. BUT, its pretty much the beginning to On the Fourth Of July more or less
u will never ever witness anything cooler in your life than this.
Anyone know what year his Gibson J-50 is?
I think guitars get better. Back in the 60's I had a classical that was made around 1935. Very sweet. I currently have a cheap Hohner pushing 20 years old and it sounds better than new guitars that cost a lot more.
Do electrics wear out, too? I believe they might.
Gotta love JT.
Anyone know the guitar he played after the Gibson J50 in the mid to late 70s? It had a W on the headstock
Whitebook.
Carly has his old ones
to everyone ... i truly mean no disrespect to JT. he's one of my heroes. i mean no disrespect to anyone else here. i've been a fairly serious collector of guitars for a few decades and this isn't only my opinion ...
i also have spent A LOT of time in professional studios with professional musicians ... and still do ... it's how i make a living ... and i even get paid for playing myself.
i have the deepest respect for JT
as for a guitar lasting 300 years ... well, none of us will ever know.
Despite some of the opposing comments here, I agree with JT regards old/well played guitars wearing out. At least SOME anyway.
If you listened to what he said about the physical stresses and strains on a guitar under constant 6-string tension, let alone the daily playing, sweat, dirt, humidity changes, wear and tear of a pro musician constantly on the road and in the studio. It makes perfect sense. There's a good reason he doesn't play that old J50 anymore, it's because it's old, clapped out and the one's he's using now are far superior in sound and playability. He should know, as one of THE great acoustic pickers we all respect.
I've heard other busy working musicians say similar, but they're talking about a specific guitar that's their principal instrument (even electric), played day-in, day-out. Sure, you can have it repaired, patched up, necks reset, fingerboards, soundboards replaced, but when such extensive work is done and you get em back, they're never quite the same, and often as not never as good. The magic has gone. It's certainly happened to me, as you can't get sentimental over these things, they're a musicians tool for making money.
Also, I don't go with the "older is better" myth. Sometimes maybe, but how wrecked is the guitar, how worn out is it? Let your ear be the judge in terms of sound. A lot of new, modern guitars these days sound awesome right outta the box, or after a great set-up, and it's not just about price.
No, I'm with JT on this.
Do you really keep the tension on the strings when you store the guitar for awhile? Is that good?
@2:12 "Okay. Nice. Goodnight. Your mother and I will be back to check in on you in just a couple of hours"
True - it wouldn't be the end of the world. Every other change I tend to take that opportunity. But it doesn't take long for me to change strings. So, my caveat would be aimed more toward those who may not think twice about leaving the instrument string-less for long periods of time. Thanks, stuco.
I love RUclips for stuff like this😭
Maybe those Guitars don’t last as long because they are not taken care of like violins. Unless I don’t see it- it is hard to believe these are not in a humidifier and temperature controlled room. Are the gibson and Martin guitars which are in very good shape ( the few) from the 40s - fakes?
I could not afford the strings in that room..HAHAHAHA
What characteristic would be evidence that a guitar is worn out?
You're not kidding "a glimpse..." little information that didn't go far enough IMO. That J50 had about 10 seconds and could have been the whole 2plus minute glimpse n story .....
Please do a dobro lesson?
Norman @ Norms rare guitars.....just fell off his chair...!!
hey now,,,, like your avatar.
Shouldn't you take the tension off the strings when you store them like that?
No, that’s an old wives tale.
James You Maybe Give them away
You guys are all missing the point...I'll bet that J50 did get beat out, from when he started to maybe the early-mid '70s, then I think Whitebrooks were his first custom-made guitars. I noticed the J50's repaired top crack, the replaced bridge. Does it sound great? Probably, but structurally it's beat. I'm sure his 25-grand each Olsons have fared far better, but in a few clips I've seen, at least one Olson that looks finish-worn-through. He only uses two or three Olsons and that's it.
I guess because violins are so much smaller. If a guitar had the same ratio of thickness in it's framework that a violin does for it's size, a guitar would probably be quite heavy yet last centuries too.
Has Yngwie Malmsteen ever performed at Carnegie Hall ?
Yngwie Malmsteen has not performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
Well James old Boy. Beings you think that old Gibson J-50 is Past it’s life/Dead--Send it to me! I like old Vintage Guitars🇺🇸
Just a very daft comment here,if you took the stress out of the neck by taking the tension off the strings would that not make them last a bit longer ?
500 bucks for all of it. One time offer. Yes or no.
$510
I like to think that those were the guitars he played while he was playing w a young Carly Simon, James is an institution, with a world of knowledge and experience, love to have a cup of coffee with him one day, like when they ask the sports stars 3 people you’d like to have dinner with
You know for as many interviews as these people have out on the internet you can almost pour some coffee for yourself and imagine cuz these people do reveal a lot in those
Almost nut when he shipped out the resonator
Give me one
Where is the guitar you have in Flag picture album!?? :-)
NOT FAIR!!!
sorry man but all i play is a old gibson acoustic guitars. she still sounds great.
Who wouldn’t love to spend an evening in that room with a couple of beers and James telling stories about the various guitars and maybe even singing a song or two by request? And you thought the first night you got laid was good......😮
I’d rather go back to the first night I got laid !
I think you'd get bored really quick when you started talking about how many times he's strong the dough bro or how he didn't polish the f50 enough I don't know guitars are really just wood and metal it's the people and the fingers and the soul that has the stories
@1942LG2 Really ? Even when you're playing a gig a night thru decades, throughout five continents ? Picking them from way below zero temperatures at the luggage plane's compartiments to 100-plus ºF inside overcrowded arenas ? Wow...
Consistent and constant pressure from tightened strings is imperative, a an acoustic guitar ages. For this reason, when you change strings, change them one at a time.
I have an underground vault under my house where I store my 3000 Les Pauls and an equal number of vintage amplifiers. It's great, I hold viewing parties from time to time. I hire people to turn them over every week, just like my collection of thousands of fine wines...
James Taylor is a fine player and an equally fine person, BUT: this is part of the problem that makes vintage instruments so freakishly expensive. And seeing a superb instrument go virtually unplayed is incredibly sad to me
My last post about the poignancy of seeing fine instruments locked away may sound like sour grapes. Not so. My 10 year old Les Paul copy is a source of joy to me. I make music on it and it makes me happy.
No offence to collectors, but this seems a bit like keeping exotic birds in captivity.
I dig the deep reverence for the art of guitar making, but why not loan some of them out to some serious, respectful young players? It would have meant the world to me.
Playing 200-250 shows a year on the road year after year will beat the shit out of ANY guitar, let alone an acoustic. Its the road abuse, not always the playing that does it. You can only change the frets so many times. But...."regular" use....no, it won't wear it out. Also, I keep my guitars out, not in a case. They hang on the walls of my living room. Why? Because if I AM comfortable, they are too.No direct sun, controlled humidity. They breathe the same air I breathe. My house is between 68 and 78 degrees all year 'round. Plus....and this is the big plus.....they're all right there....just grab one and play it! Of course I'm not married and have no kids!
Tell that to Willie!
@@9_nein_9 Have you seen that guitar? Its a mess! Which proves my point. I live in Austin and I know Mark, the guy who "repairs" his guitar.....see it in person...its a wreck.
@@larrydrozd2740 I know its a mess but all I was saying was tell Willie his guitar is worn out. It still sounds damn good for what its been through. My uncle bought a Gibson J45 I think in 1952 thats been through hell and back but still sounds wonderful.
@@9_nein_9 OH....sorry....I get where you're going now on the first comment now...oops! I totally missed it.