Miles Davis's Four - Jazz Guitar

[Musicole]

Excellent!!!!

[alonkovalcover]

great!

[BadgersGuild]

catchy, stuck in my head, and nice playing guitar looks cool too

[piotrjankiewicz0]

mesa boggie means - orgazm :)

[Charlesglasseresq]

VERY tasty and nice full chords on the melody!

[mrstrings2006]

Sounds pretty good man, nice phrasing, good use of chords.

Some of the passages were a little rushed. And I found all the notes were struck with the exact same intensity, maybe try to work on accenting more. My instructors in College used to say 'was kinda triplety', don't know. They didn't seem to like the triplety lines in solos. For a faster feel you could always try working on a double X feel, that's a cool trick.

But well done! Sorry for all the criticism, just trying to help!! =)

[ChrisManuel]

iPad spell check gave me "hooker" instead of "noisier". It should read "noisier on the clean channel."

[ChrisManuel]

@honkybreaker - the Express 5:25 is hooker on the clean channel than the lead channel. The hiss is noticeable when you're not playing but seems to be less an issue when you are playing. A good noise gate will get rid of the hiss. But, yes, it is a noisy amp.

[honkybreaker]

hi! very good recording and playing ! the sound 's perfect ! i tried one of these amps ( a used one) i found it's was the one who has the cleanest sound i heard till now ,specially with a telecaster , but the one i tried it has a lot of humming and hiss ,it almost discurage me to buy one and i already own 5 tube's amp( a hot rod,a jcm 2000,a blues junior, a mesa f30, and a peavey classic) i noticed that there's other people that encounter that problem,does you're has this problem?thanks!

[Buratinoide]

cool meu

[danierujp]

it's inspiring! i want to play like you! thank you :-) Dani

[NoaMercury]

Amazing cover :)

[MrSvjoe]

Hey! I love your amp, i want to buy one. What do u think? Thanks :)

[eddymasao1]

Airly guiter sound is so nice. I like your play "four" so light and hearing soft. Thank you!!

[GuitarHero19876]

Beautiful guitar and cover

[lugnaz987]

Did you make a backing track? If not where'd you get it?

[drifter91247]

very cool indeed!

[jallelind]

nice playing man!

[Gorilman34]

Can someone tell me how he made the bass and drums? I play trumpet and I want to cover this song but I don't know how to make the rhythm section on the computer.

[Myox77]

I love your tone, and the feeling and improvisation are pretty good too! I want to use this song to apply to a local university, is there any possibility that I could use your backing track?

[soaringphoenix13]

Hey Chris your tone and feel are both great in this vid! I have been looking an audition piece for guitar for my school's Jazz Band and i 'm going to use this one, so thanks for posting.

[royfass]

Hello Chris, please tell me your opinion: I want to buy this mesa 5:25 to improve my tone with a Gib 175 reissue. What do you think? How much clean is "really clean"?

Thank you so much!

[ChrisManuel]

@royfass Hi - that's a tough question. If you want just a clean tone and don't need the Boogie's overdrive channel there are probably lots of alternatives that are louder and cleaner. Polytone's Mini-Brute is a good choice, or the Acoustic Image amps. If you like a little compression in the output stage then the Mesa Express is a good choice, but so are a number of other lower powered tube amps, like the Fender Deluxe Reverb.

[peterjmelton]

@royfass I have a Mesa Mark III Blue stripe. It stay super clean and the distorted tones range anywhere from Scofield to Holdsworth to Lamb of God haha. But the clean is super sick. It's really focused. I play with an Eastman T185MX and it nails the Adam Rogers tone. I'd recommend tryin one.

[royfass]

@peterjmelton Thank you!

[billydenkmusic]

Chris, you are a tasteful and soulful jazzer! I really like your playing and especially your tone. -Billy

[ChrisManuel]

@billydenkmusic Thanks Billy - after checking out your uploads I value the comment even more.

[james123454321]

beautiful tone!

[tmonkeypunch]

I'm so envious of you...

[jkinzie20]

Do you prefer this amp over the Deluxe Reverb?

[ChrisManuel]

@jkinzie20 I traded the Deluxe Reverb in on the Mesa. I ran the Deluxe with THD Yellowjacket tube adapters and EL84s, the same power tubes in the Mesa. The clean channel of the Mesa sounds very similar to the non-reverb channel of the Deluxe. Tthe reverb channel on the Deluxe is quite a bit brighter. It's actually easier to get a jazz tone with the Mesa - at least for me.

[jkinzie20]

@ChrisManuel Thanks, I'm trying to decide between a Deluxe Reverb and Mesa 5:50.

[ChrisManuel]

The Deluxe is closer to the Mesa 5:25 with the 12" speaker. The 5:50 is heavier to cart around, with more clean headroom. If you don't need the Boogie lead channel but need the extra power over the Deluxe I'd look at Fender's Hot Rod Deluxe. Not as "cool' as the Deluxe Reverb; they are real workhorses. I gigged with one for a few years - part time, not touring so I can't attest to their build quality (or lack of, compared to the MESA).

[goldtop4]

1:37 = Quality.

[metallucas2]

tres beau son !

[homersimps1]

Gorgeous!

[videoman4450]

Great sound. What size speaker is that?

[ChrisManuel]

@videoman4450 The speaker is the stock 10". Unless you need chunky palm muting power it seems to be plenty.

[barney90]

well, I like this one :) the tone is great 'n I like the licks...I'm gonna play this song on an audition, and you gave me some great inspiration what impro concerns :)

[ChrisManuel]

@barney90 Thanks for the kind words. Good luck with your audition. Which school?

[stratoboy78]

Great playing ? flatwound strings ?

[ChrisManuel]

@stratoboy78 Not flatwound, just a regular light gauge set (10 - 46 GHS Boomers, I think).

[skatarest77]

awesome!

[ChrisManuel]

One of the "tricks" to getting a clearer tone from Gibson humbuckers is to lower them away from the strings. Also, I play with a light picking hand. Both of those things keep from loading the input channel - keeping it cleaner.

[kelljm]

Nice playing. I really liked the first lick in the solo. What settings are you using here? I play an ES-135 through a Mesa Express 5:25 1x10"...but cannot get the same clear tone you have.

[bluesingroove]

dude, that first solo line just kicked me in the balls! lol.

nice tone, mang

[joshyboy152]

interesting was this 5w mode?

[ChrisManuel]

Yup - 5 watt - great clean tone.

[joshyboy152]

@ChrisManuel Nice, I'm sold on this amp. Next pay getting it.

[ivandlarioja12]

grate dude!!!! awesome :D

[philinstren]

Fantastic. Great playing and lovely tone. I have a mesa 5:25 and would love it if you could share any of your favourite settings for the amp. Thanks for the great post

[edgarallenhoe]

good job, Nutty.

[wabj90]

personally, I really dig the tone, clear as bells, with some natural reverb to it too. I would buy one if I had the money

[Abaddon2005]

does the clean channel stay clean on higher volumes or will it overdrive?

[MrMetalhead33]

Wow Chris, that was great! Thanks for sharing..

[CezTec]

I have always wanted to hear a jazz guitar with distortion ;P

[tserhey]

@CezTec: John Scofield.

[AgentZeroForTheWin]

listen to django in the 50s

[zeeanthem]

Sonny Sharrock yo

[Gedafi]

tabs please :D

[ChrisManuel]

Who needs tabs! Just play random notes in Eb and you've pretty much got the gist of what I was trying to do ;-)

[tkdmaster3bd]

i'm not sure that's a good way to go about learning jazz....random notes, bruh, really?

[lydian7999]

haha, yea, I don't think the random note theory is liable to pay off long term!!

[ChrisManuel]

Maybe that's why I'm playing on youtube instead of the international jazz scene. Yeah, that's it.

[GeorgeSoriano15]

how fucking rude. lol

[tkdmaster3bd]

but i do understand what you're saying.

[GuillermoSmyser]

Just wanted to let you know I got this amp and you were an inspiration for doing so! I hope I can find a way to post some stuff. I'll have to let you see if I can work out something jazzy.

[ChrisManuel]

It really is a fun amp with so many sounds and feels available. My guess is you're really going to enjoy the amp. I look forward to hearing (and seeing) what you post.

[compgplus1]

Chis outstanding, great insperation for us new musicians keep posting. Thanks for sharing!!

[ClappingSnakes]

great job man. if you have any idea where i can get the charts for the trumpet for this song, could you let me know?

[ChrisManuel]

Thanks for the comment. I believe Four is in the "Real Book" Vol. 6. If you do a Google seach for "Real Book" you should find lots of hits.

[ClappingSnakes]

@ChrisManuel Thanks alot man. And keep up the good work!

[guitarmanmike25]

Hi, does the clean channel break up at high volumes? and will this amp do pub gigs? great playing by the way>

[ChrisManuel]

The clean channel breaks up really early on the 5 watt setting - but has a surprising amount of headroom on the 25 watt setting. It is loud enough for the pub gigs I've done - nothing bigger than a 75 seat room though. I also use it for a big band gig and find it cuts through fine for that.

[TheBassPlayerThing]

wow, amazing tone, and amazing playing as well! I play bass, (hence the name) and it's hard to come across guitar players that are truly good enough to play jazz style.

[mcubau]

Great playing. Great sound. Thanks for showing the express this was. I was wondering how the amp might sound for jazz. It impresses me your saying that you like the mesa better than the Deluxe and the Roland JC for jazz... interesting.

[ChrisManuel]

Thanks for the kind words. I think the reason I like the Mesa for jazz is that even the clean sounds are a little bit more compressed than the amps that are normally preferred for jazz. I guess most jazz players like an almost linear, acoustic amp - maybe if my chops were up to it I might prefer that too. The Express is maybe a crutch that way ...

[GuillermoSmyser]

Or maybe, you and the amp are just both awesome.

[batitombo]

Chris, this would sound great with a fender twin reverb 65!

Good job man!

[MaartenGibson]

Nice sound nice playing

and I am soooo going to buy a Mesa Boogie lonestar or Mark V :P

thanks for showing the clean channel of the mesa as it should be showed! :D

[GuillermoSmyser]

You must be a pretty tall guy cause I thought that was the new ES339 with smaller dimensions, yet it's not!

[ChrisManuel]

I think I'm normal sized! The guitar is the same size and shape as the 339 _ just slightly different construction.

[FenderDann]

Its a 336 which as similar dimensions to a 339

[GuillermoSmyser]

Wow, sounds great! I'm thinking I'm going to get this amp!

[ChrisManuel]

The Express is my favourite of the three Mesa amps I've owned. I even prefer its lead channel to the Mark IV. I played an outdoor gig unmic'ed yesterday and it was plenty loud enough. Great little amp.

[GuillermoSmyser]

Thanks for the response! You have great tone and feel. Your input has made me certain I'm going to get this amp! But if you don't mind; what were the other amps you owned?

[ChrisManuel]

The other Mesas were a .50 Caliber (6L6s) and a Mark IV. I've played and owned a Marshall JCM, Fender Deluxe Reverb (re-issue) and Silverface Bassman, Roland Jazz Chorus and Cubes, Traynor (solid state), Yamaha (solid state) ... of them all I'm happiest with the Express.

[biacchiandrea]

from Italy:wonderfull...(bello!)

[steven21042]

How does the CS 336 with its "tonally carved" mahogany back & sides compare tonally to the usual maple-poplar-maple laminate bodies of other Gibson semi-hollow guitars like the ES 335 & ES 339? Would you know if ALL use solid maple center blocks or do some models use mahogany center blocks?

[ChrisManuel]

To my ear the 336 is brighter sounding than the laminate body guitars - also I think the solid top guitar has more dynamic range. I believe Gibson has used maple (335), mahogany (137), and balsa wood (Howard Roberts Fusion) for the center block. I had a Howard Roberts Fusion which was a great sounding guitar (stolen).

I think the neck and fingerboard woods have as much impact on the tone as the body/center block. The HRF was maple/ebony and had the clearest neck pickup sound I've ever heard.

[kbilbou]

How do u compare the epiphone sheraton II with the 336. And which one do you think has that mellower jazzy sound.

[fredx93]

nice ... i take it to my favs

[Angsthyrkh]

Great tone and awesome playing, very clean articulate. I wish I could do some jazz like that!

[ChrisManuel]

Sure: 5 watt setting, volume 2 o'clock, treble 12 o'clock, mid 10 o'clock , bass 12 o'clock, master at 9-ish. The key to the tone in my mind is setting the gain higher than you'd think for a clean tone. It fattens it up and makes it a little smoother dynamically.

[0pentatonic0]

love your tone here.5*

[ChrisManuel]

I was surprised at the clean tone of the Mesa Boogie when I demo-ed it on a whim at the local dealer. Probably shouldn't have done that as I wasn't planning on switching amps.

[nadfie]

***** !!!! Great job, dear Chris!

[junka22]

great stuff, love that 336!

[camaflashstudio]

I really would like a mesa boogie for my bass guitar