Nashville Blog: The art of jamming and reading the room

On a recent trip to Nashville, I had the opportunity to see and hear some world class music from some world class performers. The first being the East Nashville Guitar Club’s monthly meet up and The Underdog. Here Guthrie Trapp and Headstrong Endorser, Jack Ruch paired up with a stellar rhythm section of Tim Marks and Dave Racine (you’re doing God’s work fellas).

If you are not familiar, this is an idea spawned from GT’s desire to unite and showcase some of, what he considers (I’d say that carries some weight) to be the most talented neighborhood of guitar players anywhere. The house band starts off with a couple of tunes and then rotate in 2 guys per tune (dependent on number of jammers, I assume) that not only get to jam with that rhythm section, but also play through the rigs of GT (amp was a Kendrick build, a higher powered Tweed Deluxe) and Jack (1X12 Verbrovibe aka Brown 6G16 Vibroverb replica)….Not to mention, basically rub shoulders with some of the highest level talent Nashville has to offer…It was one of the BEST jam formats I have ever witnessed.

A little backstory…Blues jams are a great way to get out and play, but the underside of this can be a loud mess, therefore I have not attended one in MANY years. I find them to be self serving, too loud, a bit sloppy, and just really frustrating. It has been years since I was a gigging musician, for many reasons, but one thing I do know is that listening, reading the room, playing WITH your stage/band mates, etc, seems to be something that is totally lost in these settings, at least in my experience. I assume we have all had these things happen to us…volume wars, longer than appropriate solos, stepping all over the others’ sonic footprint/space. This is because as we all know, when most get up to jam, it is usually about what they want too say in a solo, NOT in backing everyone up, or locking with the bass and drums. We all LOVE to solo and stand out, but in my 20 years building amps and working with some of the best in the world, I have noticed one thing about the difference in jammers and pros….EYES and EARS!

When you hear pros jam, they almost always listen first and play second. By that I mean, listen to where everyone on stage is sitting in the mix and finding an area, sonically, where they sit and fit in. GT actually asks the jammers to be conscious of where the amps are set up, how to properly use the pedal boards available etc. In other words, let’s not crank the amps and engage all the pedals at one time, blowing each other off stage and basically taking from the tune, not giving to it. Well his words do carry some weight in the guitar world, so people really seemed to listen and the results were pretty impressive! After this many years of playing and building/testing amps, live shows (I am talking to you Black Crowes) I can only take so much volume before ear fatigued sets in, and since I came for some specific shows (keep reading), I didn’t stay very long…You have to conserve your ears at my age. I had an opportunity to hang with Jack a bit after their set and talk about the next amp I am building for his YouTube videos, I headed out to check in to our condo.

The ENGC meets on the last Sunday of the month (pending schedules) and I think EVERYONE should check these out if given the opportunity…There are some great unknown players in that town…I heard some great stuff and the fact that Jack and GT, as well as The Underdog are providing a place to let players be showcased and to network is so generous and selfless (in a selfish business no less). But to me, even more importantly, learn the valuable skill of listening and playing WITH, not against others on stage is VERY important for that next guy who wants to break through or get a gig touring in a working band.

So, the main reason I went to Nashville other than to connect with and talk to Jack a bit about his next amp, was to see and meet, someone I consider to be one of the best young talents (only my opinion, and I have many) in blues/roots/soul/R&B in a traditional sense, McKinley James.

If you are not familiar, he is worth a listen. He has a Sunday night residency at the Underdog when he is not out touring the world. At 21, he has a sense of tone and feel that few, at any age, do in my opinion. He plays old amps and guitars so he is set up for the proper tone for this type of music, but he seems to really nail the feel and his voice and songwriting are equally impressive…I know, I know, another young blues guy, blah, blah, blah…Trust me, this is not the case and his reach is beyond blues. In fact on Sunday it is a duo with his drummer, Jason Smay (who is also his Dad and a seasoned vet on the kit). This gig had elements of punk rock, garage rock as well as soul and blues. Traditional blues numbers mixed in with his own original tunes, they really have something unique going on. Again, his voice is something worthy of more than one mention. His guitar tone is another discussion! He plays a host of guitars, but his ’61 (players grade) ES330 with Tim Shaw Humbuckers (out of phase) through his 1968 Fender Super Reverb (plugged straight in) is just fat and buttery! He also had an early 90’s reissue Tweed Bassman with the Blue Frame Eminence built Alnico speakers (everyone’s favorite from what I hear) to cover some low end…He also uses a big 147 Leslie powered by the Super Reverb. He has been playing with his Dad since he was 11 or so, this is very evident…Drummers, you need to google Jason Smay…his shuffle is a big slushy pillow of goodness that any blues or roots player would kill for…You blues players know how hard it is to find that in a drummer…(here’s a tip, four on the floor guys! Its all quarter notes down there!) I have not seen Ali, my Fiancé, be that taken in by blues music before, she was blown away by Sunday night, as was I! After many Instagram messages and post likes, I finally had a chance to meet McKinley. He was clearly raised right by his parents…A true gentleman, well spoken, cordial, and just a light happy demeanor….AND a total gear head! I knew we would hit it off! Also on another note…seeing the look on Jason’s face, watching his son play and sing like that? Worth 10X what they charge at the door! You Dad’s can probably relate.

Man, what a night!

Back to the room for a few hours of sleep…We had big plans to do some retail therapy for Ali, and myself…I like clothes and shoes, OK! We live in a small city so the choices are slim at best…and my lady has taste that stretches beyond Mountain wear we mainly see here in Asheville (time and place for everything)

I loved Sunday night and the duo, but I am a DIE HARD traditional blues guy and my friend Patrick Sweany has cultivated an unbelievable scene over the years on Blue Mondays at The 5 Spot! He has put in the work and really created something there! I usually have to go out West or to ATX for this type of thing….NOT anymore! An early 6-8pm set, The Tiger Beats is a rotating band of top notch players, this particular Monday was Jason Smay on the kit, McKinley on guitar and vocals, Dave Jacques on bass (KILLER) and PS on guitar and vocals and overall vibe curator! I Love PS and what he is doing…We are working on a build for him as well

I have attached a picture of his amp settings and a few videos to show you what this article is about…Although a small room, McKinley had is 68 Super Reverb on stage…I did not need earplugs this night…The tone reminded me of early-mid 60’s BB King…fat, LOTS of reverb, and just great feel and note selection! He could have easily blown the room out with that amp…but instead, proper volume, great rhythm playing, GIVING to the song, and what a result. Same with PS, never stepping on any toes, showcasing others while showcasing himself! These are real pros guys and there are tons of videos on YouTube out there!

We have all been to Blues shows, usually TOO loud, way too may slow blues numbers, and the solos…my god man, enough redemption solos…if you blew a few notes in the last 12 bars, live with it and move on….Trust me, the next 12 bars ain’t gonna save you! I speak with experience on both sides of this! We’ve all done it!

So in closing, at your next jam or hang with your friends…

Find the right amp for the room, listen to what the other guys are doing and find your spot…stay there until its your turn to blow….Be a giver on stage, think of music and these opportunities as a charitable cause if you have to, and add to the music and vibe…When you find a group of guys that do this (even in your basement), it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a musician AND as a listener!

Sorry if I got off point on this, but I am prone to rants!

Thanks for reading!

Wayne

Origin Stories Vol. 1

JD Simo

In this series of Blog posts, I will talk about some of the artists I have had the pleasure of working with over the years…So there will be some name dropping in here, something I am not always keen on, but obviously, there is no way around it…only through it! So please excuse anything in here that may seem braggadocious, that is NOT my intention, well maybe a little?

Let’s start with the most current artist and then in the next “Origin Story” I will go ALL the way back to one of the first.

JD Simo and I had been following each other for a year or so on Instagram and I would chime in on his posts and content from time to time and admire/support from a distance. I have always made it a policy to not try and sell amps to people, but rather, build something for someone who wanted a Headstrong. If you have talked to me on the phone, maybe you are familiar with my approach. In the early days I had to be a bit more assertive, but the last 15 years or so, I have preferred to take a more laid back approach. SO with JD, I assumed that he was covered on the gear side of things, and I was more of a fan of his music, gear, and honestly, his prowess on the guitar and knowledge of roots and blues music (something I think may be unrivaled in the world today). There is a reason he is a “first call” guy to some of the most revered producers today. So I was fine with that, I would support indirectly rather than directly.

One day I had made a comment on a post he put up, and a few minutes later he emailed me directly asking about an amp…Turns out, he had been checking out the amps and he was looking for a change in his amp line up on the road and at home in his studio. I was thrilled to be in contact and asked what he was thinking…He said, Lil King…They almost always say that…

I didn’t realize at the time he was looking for something ASAP, but he let me know the sooner the better…I knocked out an amp and sent it away. I am a confident guy, especially when it comes to that amp and circuit…I have built close to 1000 LK and LK-S chassis combined…I am not sure any ONE man can claim that in the world today…I am proud of that one…(see above statement about me bragging a bit), but I was a tad nervous about his reaction to the amp. A few days passed and he had the amp when I received a text…

“Bro, this thing is amazing! It’s like the best I’ve heard! Except no weird noises hahahaha, GOD this is Awesome”

A few days later he said it is the only amp he had been using since getting it and it was his new favorite! Also, that he had used it on several recordings at that point…The next tour it was the Lil King and his trusty old Deluxe Reverb (btw the plate voltage on his DR is insanely high…like 470vdc on the plates @ 120v!) but the two amps worked great together and some rooms/stages were small enough to use just the LK alone. I was OVER THE MOON! We all crave validation at some point and even though I had heard similar things from customers and endorsers alike, this one really meant a lot…This guy has played everything at some point…probably dozens of vintage and replica PR’s along the way. Not to mention his killer guitar collection…His words carry some serious credibility

After a couple of runs with the amp in tow, we arranged for me to come down to a show for some hang time. I used to do these things more often, but things have obviously changed over the past few years, so there has been less and less of this scenario and I miss this part of my job. Getting a chance to hang out with musicians (at any level of success or notoriety) is something I miss about playing music on a regular basis and the years of doing it as an amp builder have helped fill that hole.

When I got to the venue, the gear was already set up on stage but the band was actually having a meal in the back. When I walked up, I was greeted with the biggest smile and handshake I can remember. This is a guy who has played with/for/on countless records and projects (Dolly Parton’s new record, the Elvis soundtrack, the list goes on) and he greeted me like a brother who he hadn’t seen in years. Over the years I have met many people, most of which have been in this category, but JD is one of the most down to earth cats I have had the pleasure of meeting. We sat and talked about blues, guitars, amps, food, life, family…everything. He has such a positive attitude about his music and career. You really see this in people that are doing EXACTLY what they want to do! Something we should all try and capture…even if it is for small portions of our week. Find that thing and commit time to it. It changes the way you see everything around you in my experience

The show was on a level I rarely see. This is a guy who has gigged so much over there years, everything about what he does is a science…Helping the sound guy get set up, how he sets up his amps, the guitars he uses for backing people up vs his own shows…It was a pleasure to see how he treats people, how he knows exactly what he wants things to sound like, and how he gets that with seemingly little to no effort. It is instinct at this point.

This was just the soundcheck. 


I had a chance to talk with the band and with Patrick Sweany as well on this gig. You can tell JD’s attitude rubs off on everyone. He makes people around him happy and he pushes them musically to new heights…Side note, three songs in to Pat’s set (JD and band backed him on this run) he looked over at JD and mouthed, I love you man…I knew what he meant…JD and the Band (Adam Abrashoff and Todd Bolden) laid down a pocket the size of the Grand Canyon and Pat was free to go where he wanted. It was a magical performance! He is one of the most unselfish players I’ve seen!

JD’s set was on another level. The control and command he has on his instrument and the stage, it is really something you need to see live. The band goes to places with instinct and confidence, pushing each other….MAN! You really need to go see this to know what I mean.

I was beat and thought I may duck out early, but two songs into JD’s set, I knew I was there for the night! After the show I said goodbye to all of them and headed out to the hotel….By noon the next day I was back in Asheville, in the shop building another Lil King. It was a 24 HOUR there and back, and I was still buzzed from the show!

We basically text or message on a weekly basis and I cannot wait for the next hang we have. There is talk of more amps, but regardless, I know I made a friend on this one and that is better than any amp, ever!

Stay tuned for the next “Origin Story” as I will go all the way back to one of the first big name guys I managed to meet and build several amps for over the years! I hope you enjoyed this story, I have a few more in store!

Wayne