You can't really just listen to six songs by Zappa to give yourself an idea of his music. Hell, you can't just listen to six albums. His catalog is huge and diverse.
Start off with studying and delving into Frank Zappa history. You don't realize the HUGE influence he has had on so many of the greatest! Coming here and listening to someone totally unprepared I put the brakes on quick.
@@ytera8130 Agreed, but seems to me if you are buying and selling collectable guitars it might be nice to know the guitar players that drive collect-ability. "This guitar might be worth more is some fool named Les Paul hadn't screwed up the finish by writing his name on it...."
@@misterbaddabing Whatever, he made a point to listen to some. If you were born after 1980 you have to go looking for Zappa to hear Zappa. It's not like he gets radio play. Is he supposed to be expert on every guitarist since Gibson opened shop ?
It's OK to not have to like or be interested in everyone who has ever picked up a guitar - Zappa is, to say the least, an acquired taste, and having listened to a little Zappa in the past, he really just didn't pique my interest, so while being a huge fan of guitar-based rock, my music collection doesn't have any room for Frank Zappa. Judge me if you like, but I probably have some recordings by artists that don't move _you._ :-/
The Chinese switches were what was in frank zappas original guitar. the prototype for this run had U.S.A. switches but dweezil Zappa wanted the Chinese switches with white tips so it would be more close to the original
@@Trog That's a nice guitar for sure! But I can't help than wonder why don't people use those Vibrolas, they sound beautiful, almost all of them, but nah people just tend to hard-tail it or wound bridge, maybe a Bigsby too, I mean Bigsby has its own unique sound but Vibrola does too, doesn't it? It's a rare thing to find a good demo of a Vibrola! Anyways, nice video.
@@willkupers not impossible, but us made components were also everywhere then. Now days many Gibsons come with a ton of Chinese parts. Grover went over there years ago and a lot of the hardware is made by ping. I'm not even sure the pickups are not made there.
It depends on the era; Zappa appropriated damn near every popular trope and convention from the '50s well into early '80s. Love you some insanely ripping stoner-rock 1969 jam-a-thon? Then go DIRECTLY to ~Hot Rats~ . Poke some fun at hippies? "We're only in it for the Money" is it. Want to explore more of what Zappa did to stretch out compositionally and instrumentally? Start at the early 70s Waka-Jawaka/SleepDirt phase and proceed from there. Or you could just get the double-CD of * Läther * for a sort of alternate-overview of this mid-70s work. *Joe's Garage * is a great one for Zappa noobs coming at him from a rock background. It has a more conventional approach to how the songs inform a whole record, and is largely jazz-free. Imo it's a sort of 'sister album' to Floyd's The Wall - both were: released the same year, are double albums, they tell a story in 'rock opera' format, are liberally seasoned with bite-sized intros and between-song music concrete, are representative of the heights of all-analog multi-track production in high fidelity, and above all -both have tremendously effective and memorable songwriting. My personal favorites are "Tinseltown Rebellion' because I live there and it was the 1st Zappa record I ever bought. 'Roxy', of course - and 'OneSIzeFitsAll' a.k.a. 'sofa album' is it's studio counterpart/source. All the early Mothers stuff from Freak-Out through Uncle Meat is like a world unto itself. Hell, anything with Roy Estrada is one thing....while anything with Ike WIllis completely another :) And that's not to mention any of his orchestral and synclavier work, culminating in his final two albums, Civilization Phase 3 (Which itself goes back to 1968's 'Lumpy Gravy') and *Yellow Shark*.
I can't forget the one-two of APOSTROPHE and OVERNITE SENSATION, either. That's another good intro to Zappa. Be aware it is drenched in a certain early-to-mid 70s -ness that you'd be too young to remember, while it is my earliest memory. Songwriting is hook-y and fun as hell, though. I think it transcends all that anyway, in part thanks to Zombie Woof and Dyna-moe Hum :)
Personally, i would put Zappa in the same category as Hendrix. His improv and phrasing skills were legendary. Even if his music isn't for everyone, most musicians will agree the man was a beast.
Absolutely, I feel the same as you man!!!!! He was a genius! absolute talent oozed from every pore in his hands!!!! Always had the best musicians available!!!! Crazy timings and a master of the fretboard!!!😎👍
Zappas disography aside, the period modifications made to that SG paved the way for later shredders like Vai, Yngwie, and EVH, that axe is a piece of guitar history in the way the SR71 blackbird was a precurser to the stealth bomber and F22 its experimenting with phasing, finish options to achieve the best of what was available at that time and in so alot of his style was a product of fighting the edges of what that hot rodded out sg was capable of I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for pioneering the hack-it-till-it-works spirit that guitars like the frankenstrat have become legendary for.
Frank Zappa is one of the baddest guitar men that ever existed! Totally underrated because he done his own thing, which was highly intricate! His band comprised of top of the line musicians such as Jean LuPonty, George Duke, and Steve Vai. I don't hear anybody trying to duplicate his solos, or his sound! Listen to the song, "Yo Mama!" One of best solos I've ever heard!
He himself couldn't duplicate his solos. I'm not jumping on you or him. His must frenetic, complicated studio solos were comped together. Some were taken from his live solos which were themselves often comped together. If you asked Frank to play the studio version solo of Inca Roads for example, he could never do it. I've been a fan of his for years but his real strength lay in some of his compositions. Not that he didn't do some fantastic things on the guitar.
Zappa was a brilliant composer, arranger, and player. He made a point of surrounding himself with excellent musicians. You really should spend a few evenings listening to his music. His fans all have a different favorite. Mine is "I'm the Slime" from the Over-Nite Sensation album. As for that SG, it sure has a wide range of tonalities... just like Frank.
He broke the neck on his dad's and there is a video on the repair job somewhere on RUclips. Not sure if it was his dad's original or just his dad's model.
@@Old_School69 - it wasn't his father's SG that broke, it was a modified Roxy SG. Sweetwater did a very cool video repairing it. I've actually touched the repair on the guitar. They did an amazing job repairing it. His drum tech accidentally broke a ROXY SG (before this) moving a drum riser on tour in South America. As far as I know, they are still waiting for Gibson to repair that SG.
@@tommyquirk2084 well that removes some of the heart from the video I saw. I thought his father's famous guitar that he inherited when his dad passed away was the one they were fixing in the video. That's why I was so happy to see the amazing job they did. My dad is dead, so I really felt for dwezil when I thought all that.
You start listening to his live music and his solos. You will never be able to put his music down. It's so addictive I didn't get into him until my late 20s. And I'm in my late 40s now. And I can't go a day without listening to his music. To me, hes the greatest guitarist of all time, but I've been able to dissect this music over the last 20 years. And I've listened to Robert Fripp john McLaughlin, steve howe, alan holdsworth, jimi hendrix, jimmy page, alex lifeson , but nobody i mean nobody could pull off an exercise in musical ability like FZ. I mean, where do you think steve vai got his start and learn so much from. I mean, he owes a lot of his career to frank and what he's learned on the guitar. And there's not a better shredder than steve to me's better than Eddie or randy. But frank's better than them all and the greatest composer the past hundred years
Zappa could change musical styles at the drop of a hat. He included everything from doo wop through to blues and Steve Vai doing what Frank called stunt guitar. It was mixed in with an often filthy sense of humour. Joe's Garage, Catholic Girls, the Torture Never Stops to name but three great Zappa songs.
Those switches (phase and split) definitely make a difference in tone. Also so cool that the original had Chinese parts and Dweezil asked for Chinese parts in the tribute. So cool!
If you weren't into zappa before you got this guitar, then you really should. I'm almost certain that you will like. Really original artist. Great composer. Has some fantastic solos and licks. Also, check out his son, dweezil. He plays a lot of his dad's stuff as well as his own, and he's a fantastic musician in his own right.
awwww f*ck can't forget the one-two of APOSTROPHE and OVERNITE SENSATION, either. that's another good intro to Zappa. Be aware it is drenched in early-to-mid 70s -ness that you'd be too young to remember, while it is my earliest memory. Songwriting is hook-y and fun as hell, though. I think it transcends all that anyway, in part thanks to Zombie Woof and Dyna-moe Hum:)
Good start there...I'd advise all of Bongo Fury, Roxy and Elsewhere and One Size Fits All for a few albums to listen to, that would give you an idea of what F.Z was about as a guitarist. He's my favourite by far, and he gets overlooked so often...
The first Zappa album I bought was Apostrophe. I’d never even heard any of his music, but with that odd name and songs like Don’t eat the Yellow Snow, it had to be cool. I was hooked immediately. I was just learning to play and I couldn’t figure out a lot of it, but I listened to that and then other albums over and over. He was an “unusual” person and a great player. Of course he’d have an unusual guitar.
Some of the best sounds I have heard on any of your reviews. Just begged for a wah to set it loose. Great review. The album One Size Fits All begins with a song called Inca Roads. This is a studio album, but the solo on that song was lifted from a live gig. It is sublime and may have actually been played on the original FZ SG. This may give you some more insight into FZ. Hoy hoy hoy!
Thanks Trogly, this is such a treat to see one of these up close. Frank is my Elvis. Thanks for consistantly excellent and evolving rundowns. Oh yeah, start with the FZ records; Apostrophe, Overnight Sensation, or Joe's Garage. They're the most accessible and easily digestible. You owe it to yourself as a musician. Honest.
I concur on Joe's Garage. Its got a bit of everything in it- great guitar, great story, catchy tunes and that wacked Zappa humor. The theme is more relevant today than ever. Been listening to that one almost 45 years now.. Long live the Central Scrutinizer!
Dweez played an SG with "half frets" on THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS ... It was a great weird sound .... THANK YOU DWEEZ , Saw your dad about 60 times ...thanks for making us old dudes feel young again
One of the best guitars I ever played and really versatile tones too. The one i played at guitar center had a bad scrape around the volute from the hanging guitar stand they were using. So, I was hesitant to buy it. Not that I could afford it, but I guess I used that damage to talk myself out of buying it anyway. Then Musician's Friend had it on 12 month financing and I was going to pull the trigger but I hesitated again. I've been kicking myself since. Someday... Someday you will be mine.
I can't find it now but I saw a video of Dweezil talking about this guitar. I think that headstock weirdness was due to the guitar being damaged by an airline at some point. He either had the headstock reglued or had the guitar renecked. I can't remember anymore. If I find the video of Dweezil talking about it I'll come back and paste the link here.
When they went on sale originally the few that made it into the U.K. dissapeared rapidly -probably to collectors and guys who work in guitar stores . Would love to have got one having been a Zappa fan since I heard Hot Rats . Dweezil is great too having seen him all over the U.K. and once in Florida supporting Dream Theater !
i would figure either the playing on watermelon in easter hay or the solo in peaches en regalia would be kind of a signature riff for zappa. also, he coulda listened to the guitar albums to get a feel. but zappa does have a unique technique. took me a while to appreciate it.
I own one that I bought new when they were released. I ordered it before the music shop even had one just to make sure I got one. I was going to buy the zoot suit SG until this was brought out. No regrets.
Hey Trogly! Just a quick clarification: any phasing option on any guitar would only affect the sound when there are two pickups involved in the game, they can't be in phase or out of phase if there's only one "wave" going to the amp ;) loved this demo man! Keep them coming! And happy new year!
Correct and the effect can be adjusted by using the volume control on either pickup, which will reduce one of the signals and therefore the amount of cancellation.
First off trivago, love the channel. They're so much minutiae to cover with these Gibson guitars. I find it fascinating that you are one of the few people that really delve in deep. Only a little bit of my two cents. Would have loved if you tried to get Dweezil Zappa on a phone interview. I'm sure he would have done it especially as you crazed this guitar. Also Zappa's music is amazing. Just go to Amazon and buy Frank's garage. Just buy it!!!!!!! Just buy it!!!!!
I dont think you could pin Frank Zappa down to any one particular riff. He was so versatile that you really just had to roll with his music. Frank was an awesome guitarist and his music is legendary!!!
Peaches would have been good too. I feel for him, not knowing though. Zappa's discography can be intimidating...in more ways than four. Shut up and play yer guitar!!
Out of phase will only work in the middle position because it needs two pickups to be out of phase. A pickup with incorrect positive and negative wiring will sound like its correct it it is singled out
So many Frank Zappa tunes I could mention. Check out "King Kong", "Excentrifugal Forz", "Eat That Question", "Inca Roads", "Black Napkins" and "Peaches En Regalia". That's a long list, and I could probably think of others.
For anyone who would like to do the Frank Zappa wiring, you don't need to drill anything. All you need is a couple of Push-Pull pots, and by doing that you can keep it looking original on the outside.
The Tony Iommi pickups from Gibson have 4 lead wires and I wonder how they would sound like as a single coil set up. I've long sold my Iommi pickups since they were not the early 70s sound I thought I'd get from them but I'm sure transforming them to work as single coils would give them a distinct sound.
He is a Helluva Genius! Good Songs fron him are More Trouble Every Day, Montana, Inca Roads, Village of the Sun, Echidna's Arf (On You), Son of Suzy Creamcheese, And Punky's Whips. Steve Vai even collabed with Him though, he is an awesome guy. Right now, his son (Dweezil) plays with his band called "Zappa Plays Zappa", basically they cover Frank's songs, but they always add some twist there. Overall, great musician, weird ideas.
You should have looked up “Zappa instrumental guitar”. He did lots of cool guitar music without all the clownish lyrics, but it’s not what most people know him for. I would recommend the song “Black Napkins” or “Watermelon in Easter Hay”. Aside from that, I do find it hilarious that Gibson released a Zappa SG, because Zappa’s more favoured “SG” was not a Gibson but an SG style guitar named “Baby Snakes” that was made by and given to Frank by a fan.
Well I thought that was one very good and informative review. You don't have to be an expert on FZ to review a guitar and the non 'fancy' guitar playing was a revelation. Clean cut sound comparisons. Good job.
What a workhorse! Gibson oughta just build guitars like this and sell em new for around $1500 (you'd have enough change left to get pancakes at St. Alphonsus' breakfast). They would have a huge hit with its versatility, and you wouldn't have to steal the margarine.
Zappa riffs? "Miss Pinky", "I Am The Slime", "Magic Fingers", "Dumb All Over", "Zoot Allures", "Cosmic Debris", "five-Five-FIVE", "Hungry Freaks, Daddy". A few to be going on with.
So I'm seeing a lot of ppl suggest best/ favorite Zappa albums/ songs, & that's cool. But the way I see it, as Trogly is an admitted "outsider" to Frank's world we should be suggesting Frank's easiest pieces (if only so he can play a bit of Zappa on a future review to make up for the lack here). Think of it like Little Johnny wants to learn guitar; are you going to tell him to learn Yingyang Malmstein or first, or AC/DC? With that in mind... Trogly, check out Stevie's Spanking (Them Or Us album) :D
Sheik Yerbouti is probably my favorite zappa album, one of the easiest to start listening to as well. Highlights include, Baby Snakes, Broken Hearts are For Assholes, Flakes, and Bobby Brown goes down, and tryin to grow a chin.
I have owned and played many guitars in my life. I now have stock SG 61 reissue. It is the most versatile guitar ever. Once you learn to blend the pickups you can any sound you want.
I love the SG, its resonance shouldn't be possible with such a lightweight body! Pity he didn't demonstrate the Tones possible with the custom Zappa setup
Hey friends happy new year! I want to buy a multi fx but I don't know exactly what ... I seen some videos and reviews ... I like the zoom G5N ... but I can buy the Boss ME80 too ... Which one would you prefer to buy ? Or what would you prefer at this range ?
My FZ top 5 1. Shut up 'n play yer guitar trilogy 2. Joe's Garage 3. Make a Jazz Noise here 4. Waka Jawaka 5. Meet the mothers of prevention Ok, I love all the albums Arf!
For even more flexibility in tone, the humbucking pickups could be wired to 3-way switches each or a 5-way blade switch (like PRS) so you can select which coil to use in single coil mode. That way, you can use the inner two coils for something like a Strat in position 2 or 4 and the outer two coils for something like a Tele in the middle position.
You can't really just listen to six songs by Zappa to give yourself an idea of his music. Hell, you can't just listen to six albums. His catalog is huge and diverse.
Grand Wazoo
AND I HAVE ALMOST ALL 114 RELEASES !
I HAVE EVERY ORIGINAL RELEASE VINYL !!!
Profile picture checks out.
Start off with studying and delving into Frank Zappa history. You don't realize the HUGE influence he has had on so many of the greatest! Coming here and listening to someone totally unprepared I put the brakes on quick.
Especially if those six LPs are not guitar-heavy Zappa LPs.
True not even mention the mothers of invention catalogue
That moment when he doesn’t know one of the most important musicians in rock history
@@ytera8130 Agreed, but seems to me if you are buying and selling collectable guitars it might be nice to know the guitar players that drive collect-ability.
"This guitar might be worth more is some fool named Les Paul hadn't screwed up the finish by writing his name on it...."
@@misterbaddabing Whatever, he made a point to listen to some. If you were born after 1980 you have to go looking for Zappa to hear Zappa. It's not like he gets radio play. Is he supposed to be expert on every guitarist since Gibson opened shop ?
It's OK to not have to like or be interested in everyone who has ever picked up a guitar - Zappa is, to say the least, an acquired taste, and having listened to a little Zappa in the past, he really just didn't pique my interest, so while being a huge fan of guitar-based rock, my music collection doesn't have any room for Frank Zappa. Judge me if you like, but I probably have some recordings by artists that don't move _you._ :-/
How can you buy a 3000 dollar Zappa guitar and not even understand just how amazing he was!
@@beefheartsmagicband Because your job is documenting and selling instruments i guess
The Chinese switches were what was in frank zappas original guitar. the prototype for this run had U.S.A. switches but dweezil Zappa wanted the Chinese switches with white tips so it would be more close to the original
Thanks for the clarification! That’s kind of cool now
@@Trog That's a nice guitar for sure! But I can't help than wonder why don't people use those Vibrolas, they sound beautiful, almost all of them, but nah people just tend to hard-tail it or wound bridge, maybe a Bigsby too, I mean Bigsby has its own unique sound but Vibrola does too, doesn't it?
It's a rare thing to find a good demo of a Vibrola!
Anyways, nice video.
Interesting and Im sure Gibson didn't mind.. :)
I don't believe that.
@@willkupers not impossible, but us made components were also everywhere then. Now days many Gibsons come with a ton of Chinese parts. Grover went over there years ago and a lot of the hardware is made by ping. I'm not even sure the pickups are not made there.
It depends on the era; Zappa appropriated damn near every popular trope and convention from the '50s well into early '80s.
Love you some insanely ripping stoner-rock 1969 jam-a-thon? Then go DIRECTLY to ~Hot Rats~ .
Poke some fun at hippies? "We're only in it for the Money" is it.
Want to explore more of what Zappa did to stretch out compositionally and instrumentally? Start at the early 70s Waka-Jawaka/SleepDirt phase and proceed from there. Or you could just get the double-CD of * Läther * for a sort of alternate-overview of this mid-70s work.
*Joe's Garage * is a great one for Zappa noobs coming at him from a rock background. It has a more conventional approach to how the songs inform a whole record, and is largely jazz-free. Imo it's a sort of 'sister album' to Floyd's The Wall - both were: released the same year, are double albums, they tell a story in 'rock opera' format, are liberally seasoned with bite-sized intros and between-song music concrete, are representative of the heights of all-analog multi-track production in high fidelity, and above all -both have tremendously effective and memorable songwriting.
My personal favorites are "Tinseltown Rebellion' because I live there and it was the 1st Zappa record I ever bought. 'Roxy', of course - and 'OneSIzeFitsAll' a.k.a. 'sofa album' is it's studio counterpart/source. All the early Mothers stuff from Freak-Out through Uncle Meat is like a world unto itself. Hell, anything with Roy Estrada is one thing....while anything with Ike WIllis completely another :)
And that's not to mention any of his orchestral and synclavier work, culminating in his final two albums, Civilization Phase 3 (Which itself goes back to 1968's 'Lumpy Gravy') and *Yellow Shark*.
I can't forget the one-two of APOSTROPHE and OVERNITE SENSATION, either.
That's another good intro to Zappa. Be aware it is drenched in a certain early-to-mid 70s -ness that you'd be too young to remember, while it is my earliest memory.
Songwriting is hook-y and fun as hell, though. I think it transcends all that anyway, in part thanks to Zombie Woof and Dyna-moe Hum :)
Personally, i would put Zappa in the same category as Hendrix. His improv and phrasing skills were legendary.
Even if his music isn't for everyone, most musicians will agree the man was a beast.
Guy was one of the first to use a Floyd rose bridge a true grampa of shredding
Zappa is in a category all his own. Forever. And ever. And ever.
Zappa was Steve Vai’s guitar god so really not much else to say
Absolutely, I feel the same as you man!!!!! He was a genius!
absolute talent oozed from every pore in his hands!!!! Always had the best musicians available!!!! Crazy timings and a master of the fretboard!!!😎👍
Zappa introduced Hendrix to the wah plus Alice Cooper to the world not to mention taught Steve Vai. He's better than Hendrix
Zappas disography aside, the period modifications made to that SG paved the way for later shredders like Vai, Yngwie, and EVH, that axe is a piece of guitar history in the way the SR71 blackbird was a precurser to the stealth bomber and F22 its experimenting with phasing, finish options to achieve the best of what was available at that time and in so alot of his style was a product of fighting the edges of what that hot rodded out sg was capable of I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for pioneering the hack-it-till-it-works spirit that guitars like the frankenstrat have become legendary for.
Muffin Man is a fun and easy riff to jam on.
Mike Maki one of, if not my favorite Zappa solo
yep an old band I was in we used to warm up on that riff
Frank Zappa is one of the baddest guitar men that ever existed! Totally underrated because he done his own thing, which was highly intricate! His band comprised of top of the line musicians such as Jean LuPonty, George Duke, and Steve Vai. I don't hear anybody trying to duplicate his solos, or his sound! Listen to the song, "Yo Mama!" One of best solos I've ever heard!
He himself couldn't duplicate his solos. I'm not jumping on you or him. His must frenetic, complicated studio solos were comped together. Some were taken from his live solos which were themselves often comped together. If you asked Frank to play the studio version solo of Inca Roads for example, he could never do it.
I've been a fan of his for years but his real strength lay in some of his compositions. Not that he didn't do some fantastic things on the guitar.
Apostrophe. Listen to Apostrophe. Jack Bruce on bass.
For just that song
Jack claims he only played Cello, but who knows
Peter Collin please listen his instrumental Watermelon no easter hay, great solo
Hugo Fontan oh, I'm very familiar!
Yeah Apostrophe, Overnite Sensation, Hot Rats... Best Band You've Never Heard Live Set
3:26 turn on subtitles lol "I haven't had tons of ass cheese"
that's what i'm gonna call SG's from now on. lmao brilliant!
Lmao
Sounds like something that would get mentioned in a Zappa song.
She strolled all over and said Look here bum! I got $40 bet says you can't make me come...You just can't do it! Dynamo Hum...Dynamo Hum....
LOL good find! 'Ass cheese'
Zappa was a brilliant composer, arranger, and player. He made a point of surrounding himself with excellent musicians. You really should spend a few evenings listening to his music. His fans all have a different favorite. Mine is "I'm the Slime" from the Over-Nite Sensation album. As for that SG, it sure has a wide range of tonalities... just like Frank.
And his son Dweezil is a pretty rockin guitarist himself .
I'm a fan of his yellow strat tbh... But Dweezil is definitely doing this one justice with the sustainiac in the neck
He broke the neck on his dad's and there is a video on the repair job somewhere on RUclips. Not sure if it was his dad's original or just his dad's model.
@@Old_School69 - it wasn't his father's SG that broke, it was a modified Roxy SG. Sweetwater did a very cool video repairing it. I've actually touched the repair on the guitar. They did an amazing job repairing it. His drum tech accidentally broke a ROXY SG (before this) moving a drum riser on tour in South America. As far as I know, they are still waiting for Gibson to repair that SG.
@@tommyquirk2084 well that removes some of the heart from the video I saw. I thought his father's famous guitar that he inherited when his dad passed away was the one they were fixing in the video. That's why I was so happy to see the amazing job they did. My dad is dead, so I really felt for dwezil when I thought all that.
I love Steve Vai's stratocaster as well which he used with Zappa.
You start listening to his live music and his solos. You will never be able to put his music down. It's so addictive I didn't get into him until my late 20s. And I'm in my late 40s now. And I can't go a day without listening to his music. To me, hes the greatest guitarist of all time, but I've been able to dissect this music over the last 20 years. And I've listened to Robert Fripp john McLaughlin, steve howe, alan holdsworth, jimi hendrix, jimmy page, alex lifeson , but nobody i mean nobody could pull off an exercise in musical ability like FZ. I mean, where do you think steve vai got his start and learn so much from. I mean, he owes a lot of his career to frank and what he's learned on the guitar. And there's not a better shredder than steve to me's better than Eddie or randy. But frank's better than them all and the greatest composer the past hundred years
Cause you haven't listened to his live music. Get Philly 76 and listen to torture never stops Or off chicago 78 Like watermelon in easter hay.
I've become addicted to Frank too. I know exactly what you mean. 👍
If you just say, “Zappa riff,” the first thing that comes to mind for me is “Cosmik Debris.”
Eric Kleefeld Agreed
Muffin Man is pretty awesome too. Possibly his heaviest riff.
Advanced romance comes to mind,
Or I am the slime
Or Yellow Snow
@@Ratguitar58 I am the slime! Yes!
The blue light. Best riff ever conceived.
I have been listening to Frank Zappa since 1972, and I still have much to learn about the expanse of his musical universe.
Zappa’s making you play better already. He’s helped us all
Zappa could change musical styles at the drop of a hat. He included everything from doo wop through to blues and Steve Vai doing what Frank called stunt guitar. It was mixed in with an often filthy sense of humour. Joe's Garage, Catholic Girls, the Torture Never Stops to name but three great Zappa songs.
Those switches (phase and split) definitely make a difference in tone. Also so cool that the original had Chinese parts and Dweezil asked for Chinese parts in the tribute. So cool!
Frank Zappa was a Genius! Incredible musician. Steve Vai learned under Zappa. He used to transcribe all of Zappa's musical arrangements.
If you weren't into zappa before you got this guitar, then you really should. I'm almost certain that you will like. Really original artist. Great composer. Has some fantastic solos and licks. Also, check out his son, dweezil. He plays a lot of his dad's stuff as well as his own, and he's a fantastic musician in his own right.
This needs to be played through a Pignose amp haha
And a wah-wah pedal in the middle position.
Rollo
Peaches en regalia
Watermelon in Easter hay
Black napkins
Stairway to heaven cover
Start there trogly
@@barrysoetoro1543 *start*
I've also heard that Frank was in the CIA
Mike Douglas show, different SG I heard that was a copy, ruclips.net/video/kSPdg4yPwAg/видео.html
awwww f*ck can't forget the one-two of APOSTROPHE and OVERNITE SENSATION, either.
that's another good intro to Zappa. Be aware it is drenched in early-to-mid 70s -ness that you'd be too young to remember, while it is my earliest memory.
Songwriting is hook-y and fun as hell, though. I think it transcends all that anyway, in part thanks to Zombie Woof and Dyna-moe Hum:)
Good start there...I'd advise all of Bongo Fury, Roxy and Elsewhere and One Size Fits All for a few albums to listen to, that would give you an idea of what F.Z was about as a guitarist. He's my favourite by far, and he gets overlooked so often...
The first Zappa album I bought was Apostrophe. I’d never even heard any of his music, but with that odd name and songs like Don’t eat the Yellow Snow, it had to be cool. I was hooked immediately. I was just learning to play and I couldn’t figure out a lot of it, but I listened to that and then other albums over and over. He was an “unusual” person and a great player. Of course he’d have an unusual guitar.
Such a great album.
Some of the best sounds I have heard on any of your reviews. Just begged for a wah to set it loose. Great review. The album One Size Fits All begins with a song called Inca Roads. This is a studio album, but the solo on that song was lifted from a live gig. It is sublime and may have actually been played on the original FZ SG. This may give you some more insight into FZ. Hoy hoy hoy!
Saw Zappa in Denver, 1974. Great show. "Watch out where the huskies go and don't you eat that yellow snow." Lucille really messed up my mind.
Thanks Trogly, this is such a treat to see one of these up close. Frank is my Elvis. Thanks for consistantly excellent and evolving rundowns. Oh yeah, start with the FZ records; Apostrophe, Overnight Sensation, or Joe's Garage. They're the most accessible and easily digestible. You owe it to yourself as a musician. Honest.
I concur on Joe's Garage. Its got a bit of everything in it- great guitar, great story, catchy tunes and that wacked Zappa humor. The theme is more relevant today than ever. Been listening to that one almost 45 years now.. Long live the Central Scrutinizer!
Dweez played an SG with "half frets" on THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS ... It was a great weird sound .... THANK YOU DWEEZ , Saw your dad about 60 times ...thanks for making us old dudes feel young again
This is by far my absolute favorite modern Gibson guitar
And yours is by far my absolute favourite modern thumbnail.
We're making bush music. Here in the bush.
One of the best guitars I ever played and really versatile tones too. The one i played at guitar center had a bad scrape around the volute from the hanging guitar stand they were using. So, I was hesitant to buy it. Not that I could afford it, but I guess I used that damage to talk myself out of buying it anyway. Then Musician's Friend had it on 12 month financing and I was going to pull the trigger but I hesitated again. I've been kicking myself since. Someday... Someday you will be mine.
Not normally into sg's but that one does it for me , go Zappa.
I can't find it now but I saw a video of Dweezil talking about this guitar. I think that headstock weirdness was due to the guitar being damaged by an airline at some point. He either had the headstock reglued or had the guitar renecked. I can't remember anymore. If I find the video of Dweezil talking about it I'll come back and paste the link here.
This one ruclips.net/video/gzckZcYdDHI/видео.html
And this one ruclips.net/video/Rvok4jEH4hE/видео.html
That was dweezils guitar not Frank's.
When they went on sale originally the few that made it into the U.K. dissapeared rapidly -probably to collectors and guys who work in guitar stores . Would love to have got one having been a Zappa fan since I heard Hot Rats . Dweezil is great too having seen him all over the U.K. and once in Florida supporting Dream Theater !
i would figure either the playing on watermelon in easter hay or the solo in peaches en regalia would be kind of a signature riff for zappa. also, he coulda listened to the guitar albums to get a feel. but zappa does have a unique technique. took me a while to appreciate it.
I own one that I bought new when they were released. I ordered it before the music shop even had one just to make sure I got one.
I was going to buy the zoot suit SG until this was brought out.
No regrets.
Hey Trogly! Just a quick clarification: any phasing option on any guitar would only affect the sound when there are two pickups involved in the game, they can't be in phase or out of phase if there's only one "wave" going to the amp ;) loved this demo man! Keep them coming! And happy new year!
Correct and the effect can be adjusted by using the volume control on either pickup, which will reduce one of the signals and therefore the amount of cancellation.
First off trivago, love the channel. They're so much minutiae to cover with these Gibson guitars. I find it fascinating that you are one of the few people that really delve in deep. Only a little bit of my two cents. Would have loved if you tried to get Dweezil Zappa on a phone interview. I'm sure he would have done it especially as you crazed this guitar. Also Zappa's music is amazing. Just go to Amazon and buy Frank's garage. Just buy it!!!!!!! Just buy it!!!!!
@@davidkastin4240 we need to teach trivago!!!
She strolled all over and said Look here bum! I got $40 bet says you can't make me come...You just can't do it! Dynamo Hum...Dynamo Hum....
@@popev3887 Whipped off her bloomers and stiffened my thumb...
...and applied rotation to her sugar-plum :)
That's was all, Troglio!!!
Happy new year!!!
Frank Zappa was the smoothest guitar player ive ever heard and he was a goofy weirdo very talented and funny guy.
I dont think you could pin Frank Zappa down to any one particular riff. He was so versatile that you really just had to roll with his music. Frank was an awesome guitarist and his music is legendary!!!
I paid 2700 for mine back in 2017, still own it!
Watermelon in easter hay would be that riff...
Best Zappa jam.
Peaches would have been good too. I feel for him, not knowing though. Zappa's discography can be intimidating...in more ways than four.
Shut up and play yer guitar!!
@@CLardPercussion He could have easily ended up on briefcase boogie and he would've never be the same...
Titties and beer
@@CLardPercussion @boojahadeen These are the two songs that immediately came to mind for me.
Gets a FZ signature SG
*plays Roxanne by The Police*
Dude. Roxy & Elsewhere my fav!
Watch Zappa does Zappa (Dweezle Zappa, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Steve Vai and many others. Rock on
Zombie woof
Zappa Plays Zappa ZPZ Band is Great...Best DVD I got used and Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scotts....Awesome,
Out of phase will only work in the middle position because it needs two pickups to be out of phase. A pickup with incorrect positive and negative wiring will sound like its correct it it is singled out
"Oh here comes Gregory! Little Gregory Peccaryyyy! The nocturnal gregarious, wild swine!!" Voooont voooont vooonahen, hoooha hoooona!! 😂👍 Zappa's comical masterpiece!
So many Frank Zappa tunes I could mention. Check out "King Kong", "Excentrifugal Forz", "Eat That Question", "Inca Roads", "Black Napkins" and "Peaches En Regalia". That's a long list, and I could probably think of others.
For anyone who would like to do the Frank Zappa wiring, you don't need to drill anything. All you need is a couple of Push-Pull pots, and by doing that you can keep it looking original on the outside.
In other news, plugs go in sockets
The Tony Iommi pickups from Gibson have 4 lead wires and I wonder how they would sound like as a single coil set up. I've long sold my Iommi pickups since they were not the early 70s sound I thought I'd get from them but I'm sure transforming them to work as single coils would give them a distinct sound.
saw Zappa 4 times one of the best live shows Rip Frank
You can really hear the out of phase singles on Frank's song "Black Napkins"
When he was in a garage band he had a second hand Stratocaster with a whammy bar. And a cheesy little fender champ.
Turn it down! Turn it down!
He is a Helluva Genius! Good Songs fron him are More Trouble Every Day, Montana, Inca Roads, Village of the Sun, Echidna's Arf (On You), Son of Suzy Creamcheese, And Punky's Whips. Steve Vai even collabed with Him though, he is an awesome guy. Right now, his son (Dweezil) plays with his band called "Zappa Plays Zappa", basically they cover Frank's songs, but they always add some twist there. Overall, great musician, weird ideas.
Zomby Woof. It's accessible for his work and the guitar is really good on that one.
Apostrophe, Cosmik Debris, I’m the Slime, and Eat that Question have some great riffs. Watermelon in Easter Hay is a beautiful guitar song.
I guess growing up with Zappa it was easy to see his music as having a progressive rock jazz feel.
That’s a holly cap on The headstock, just like most Gibson’s have. It’s just not been stained black.
I seen this thumb nail pop up. It was driving me crazy trying to get a minute to sit down and watch. I didnt know this guitar existed. I love it !
Black Napkins (Zoot Allures LP), Inca Roads (One Size Fits All LP), Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar (3 rec set),
you need to hear watermelon in easter hay the guitar is just AMAZING in that song
If you want a couple good examples of his guitar style and tone, check out tracks like Black Napkins and Zoot Allures (especially live versions)
You should have looked up “Zappa instrumental guitar”. He did lots of cool guitar music without all the clownish lyrics, but it’s not what most people know him for. I would recommend the song “Black Napkins” or “Watermelon in Easter Hay”. Aside from that, I do find it hilarious that Gibson released a Zappa SG, because Zappa’s more favoured “SG” was not a Gibson but an SG style guitar named “Baby Snakes” that was made by and given to Frank by a fan.
You spent like 5 minutes researching his music.
Well I thought that was one very good and informative review. You don't have to be an expert on FZ to review a guitar and the non 'fancy' guitar playing was a revelation. Clean cut sound comparisons. Good job.
He had a gorgeous sunburst gibson les paul that was amazing sounding
Another A plus video! Love the details!
What a workhorse! Gibson oughta just build guitars like this and sell em new for around $1500 (you'd have enough change left to get pancakes at St. Alphonsus' breakfast). They would have a huge hit with its versatility, and you wouldn't have to steal the margarine.
Way to go bro , You’re playing is getting much better !,,,, have a good New Year’s and this guitar does sound cool
Zappa riffs? "Miss Pinky", "I Am The Slime", "Magic Fingers", "Dumb All Over", "Zoot Allures", "Cosmic Debris", "five-Five-FIVE", "Hungry Freaks, Daddy".
A few to be going on with.
watch that Muffin Man Live 1977 solo here on youtube. You'll have a new respect for Zappa and what an amazing guitarist he is
Had a 2001 SG Custom in Alpine white with Pearl pickguard and gold hardware. Loved that piece.
So I'm seeing a lot of ppl suggest best/ favorite Zappa albums/ songs, & that's cool. But the way I see it, as Trogly is an admitted "outsider" to Frank's world we should be suggesting Frank's easiest pieces (if only so he can play a bit of Zappa on a future review to make up for the lack here). Think of it like Little Johnny wants to learn guitar; are you going to tell him to learn Yingyang Malmstein or first, or AC/DC?
With that in mind... Trogly, check out Stevie's Spanking (Them Or Us album) :D
Make the guy aim high, man!
"I haven"t had tons of SG"s" - Trogly 2018 (Some 60 videos here are dedicated to SG"s.lol)
Awesome piece, awesome video!
The 2 disc CD Frank Zappa-Live. Live solos full length, no overdubs from '79 thru '84. Happy New Year Trogly!
Try the "Joe's Garage" album - lots of great guitar solos on that album, along with incredible production and insane musicianship.
Great video! When you chuckle, you sound a lot like Dweezil!
Sheik Yerbouti is probably my favorite zappa album, one of the easiest to start listening to as well. Highlights include, Baby Snakes, Broken Hearts are For Assholes, Flakes, and Bobby Brown goes down, and tryin to grow a chin.
i have one its a beast of a guitar it sounds absolutely killer
Does the headstock come pre-broken and repaired?
Burt bloody Reynolds shut your fascist nonsense!
@@blacktoothfox677 That's the funniest non-sequitur response i think i've ever seen on RUclips. Well done!
I have owned and played many guitars in my life. I now have stock SG 61 reissue. It is the most versatile guitar ever. Once you learn to blend the pickups you can any sound you want.
The reason for the light head stock is that the entire neck was replaced after being damaged by the airlines. Rock on!!!
stkbkr1 ha. That was Dweezles luck.
I love the SG, its resonance shouldn't be possible with such a lightweight body!
Pity he didn't demonstrate the Tones possible with the custom Zappa setup
This guitar is taken out from my dreams. What a beauty.
Those single coil tones are actually p impressive
Apostrophe off the album with the same name has some really good guitar parts
So does some trouble comin every day at 3:14 - 5:32 in the song has a really good solo in it
Hey friends happy new year! I want to buy a multi fx but I don't know exactly what ...
I seen some videos and reviews ... I like the zoom G5N ... but I can buy the Boss ME80 too ... Which one would you prefer to buy ? Or what would you prefer at this range ?
Listen to Roxy and Elsewhere and that will give you a good feel for his playing.
How, exactly, would “out-of-phase” be on a position that’s not the middle?
"Out of phase" only works in the middle position because a pickup needs something to be out of phase from ; another pickup :)
If you split the coils, the humbucker can be out of phase with itself.
Nice to see your playing again
Thankz 4 share
Get the following albums:
1. The Grand Wazoo
2. Shut Up And Play Your Guitar
3. Joe's Garage
4. Them Or Us
You're welcome.
Sheik Yer Bouti! Zappa fans don't like it, but come on man, that was the one where he had his pop star moment in the sun.
My FZ top 5
1. Shut up 'n play yer guitar trilogy
2. Joe's Garage
3. Make a Jazz Noise here
4. Waka Jawaka
5. Meet the mothers of prevention
Ok, I love all the albums Arf!
The phase switch doesn't do anything in the bridge position and in the neck position it switches between the 2 coils while in single coil mode.
I will some it up for you now Trog . Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention Orchestra .
Thanks for the review, I´m a fan of Zappa. How about the tremolo? Is it just for looks or does it work without getting out of tune?
"Packard Goose" off of Joe's Garage....top tier Zappa (in my opinion).
Beat poetry? What exactly did you listen to?
For even more flexibility in tone, the humbucking pickups could be wired to 3-way switches each or a 5-way blade switch (like PRS) so you can select which coil to use in single coil mode. That way, you can use the inner two coils for something like a Strat in position 2 or 4 and the outer two coils for something like a Tele in the middle position.
Peaches and regalia dude, peaches and regalia.
I just noticed trogly playing i love you like i love myself by herman brood at 9:53 !!! Great to hear a dutch rock n roll riff in a US guitar show!!
Curious what this guitar sold for. Reverb listing is expired
his son now owns the original it had a head stock break and when it was fixed they changed the veneer on the head stock .
Sweetwater did a awesome job
Repairing that SG video is on RUclips
that video was crazy