Gibson Barney Kessel hollow body

[BIgRon2176]

Yet another response. This is a custom model I think. There was another similar guitar that had the same body, neck and headstock. That one (a standard I think) had split block fret markers like an ES 175 and the little crown inlay on the headstock (like an ES 335). The standard one had chrome / nickel hardware and this one has gold finish hardware.

Big Ron

[BIgRon2176]

Sister Rosetta Tharp played gospel blues with a Barney Kessel way back when.

Big Ron

[BIgRon2176]

John,

I think that medieval design is supposed to represent Barney Kessel's bow tie.

Big Ron

l

[jay10249]

John, I sure would like those blues changes from the end. How about posting them up. thanks

[johnhguitar]

I'll talk to the engineer. Thanks for your interest.

[travelinman617]

Your a awesome great guitarist and very good explaining the guitars to the people

[kylemuirr]

get back to prison

[nikolajhansen15]

can u use this as a rock guitar, like josh homme? (look up the QotSA - in my head).. or is the pickups just not made for some nice distortion?

[billgrant1999]

I like the sound of that guitar. Do you think that the double cutaway cuts the bass a little compared to an L-5 for example?

[johnhguitar]

It's no L5 but nice nonetheless. I would like it better as a blues guitar rather than the fat clean jazz guitar.

[taildragger53]

I recall, T Bone Walker used one of these killers. Love the shape with that devilish cutaway.

[Vermillion2176]

In some states it is actually illegal to run a Barney Kessel into a Roland Cube? But your tone is pretty doggone amazing. Very nice demo.

Big Ron

[hassledguy]

@Vermillion2176 I think its actually all states now.

[mfbown]

This was also interesting to watch -- I had never heard one of these played before. Nice playing too.

[leonardo81083]

hi, do u know wat the guitar to the very right is called?

[OMason12]

@leonardo81083 Gibson ES-335

[martinjp1958]

The tone of this instrument is very disappointing. Thin and characterless.

[SasaYamaoka]

frets buzz a little

[lucyfanclub]

THE pig-ugliest guitar ever made.

[RelaxNplay64]

this guitar reminds me of an obese sg

[jimihendrixfan2008]

@RelaxNplay64 lol

[guitarpicka1]

It always dissapointed me.. that this Gibson `The Barney Kessel Model` was not the Guitar that Barney played at all...and why didn`t The Gibson Co. actually release the exact Guitar that we see Barney playing...I would give my eye teeth for the exact Guitar that we all know that Barney always played throughout his amazing career.!!!

[spacepatrolman]

@guitarpicka1 A trini lopez model is the same guitar with a fender style headstock watch the movie the opium connection in youtube

[6672rock]

My friend has got a '63 Barney Kessel he wants to sell to me for around $4K. It'll sound great with a new set of medium-gauge flatwound strings! Switch to the rhythm pickup and roll back the tone knob, and that's as smooth as it gets!

[coal4life]

You do that guitar justice. Thanks for the post.

[ericrob2112]

wath a nice guitar&tone

[77lespaul77]

Ehat is the ugliest Gibson ever made!

[wisesatyr72]

is this guitar for sale?

[johnhguitar]

This instrument  belongs to the guitarist of a band called, 'Common Sense'. Everything is for sale at the right price!

[BeatBay]

i dont know why, but the tap/hammering-slide at 0:46 is kinda unexpected :D

[tedmatic]

Very nice, your an accomplished player as well, Hats Off!! I wouldnt let Ted Nugent get ahold of it.

[MrElbecko]

what a nice guitar and good old vintage jazz sound like barney

[dvashuri123]

very coll

[Hoopermazing]

That's a beautiful guitar.

The Barney Kessel guitar I'd really like to get my hands on is an ES-350 w/ a Charlie Christian pickup.

Speaking of which, Charlie Christian made the guitar a lead instrument in jazz, not Barney Kessel. By the bye, Kessel emulated Christian and worshiped the ground he walked on.

[travelinman617]

I have a barney kessel guitar i use for my own enjoyment i don't have it on my youtube channel.I never even takin out of the house for my gig's it's great.

[jorghad6]

i like Kessel and i like the sound of this guitar but the looks are pretty ugly. it looks like a hollow SG.

[cleanandoftenseen]

I like those guitars. Did Barney Kessel like them? I don't think I ever say him play one.

[thailow117]

yeh, but the great boogaloo joe jones played one almost exclusively

[TheMaestroGM]

Nice video .... I may use the explanation when I put my lefty 1967 Barney Kessel custom on eBay .... by the way, the "medievil" fret markers you speak about are called "bowtie" markers .......

I play mine through a 1965 Fender Twin Reverb ..

and sometimes through a polytone MiniBrute II .... the guitar is by far the easiest or most comfortable of all the guitars I have

Guy

[johnhguitar]

Yeah Guy. Thanks for the friendly reply. Best wishes and have fun with your music...John

[Cheeseburgerrr]

i just bought a barney kessel model. but it was made by granada. made in the 70s... wicked cool. still waiting for it to arrive...

[emptywallet]

well.. at least the song's style played was suitable for the amp in this review.if you bought the guitar just plug with your fav amp what the heck

[johnhguitar]

I think we should scratch this video. The guitar looks great but the amp doesn't do it justice. People want to hear quality from a top instrument.

[KonguAwesome]

thats pretty true but still the video's good

[sclogse1]

@johnhguitar

Mic placement would make a big difference. That could be a Roland Acoustic Chorus 100 and you'd never know it.

[stratmaniac]

one of the most beautiful guitars i know... plugged into one of the shittiest amps i know. sorry guys but that's like diamonds in shit

[johnhguitar]

Nice review of the Cube 30! Of course the guitar is great but the amp just doesn't do it justice. You probably wouldn't have commented had I done anything decent and we need all the help we can get!

Thanks for the comment.....

[stratmaniac]

no but keep up the good work, the cube doesn't do the guitar justice but well... what does?

[johnhguitar]

Maybe a 60s Twin? You know, the Blackface. Yep!

[stratmaniac]

that'd be awesome.

[ridgedog64]

The Cube 30 is a great amp, but an amp like a Fender Tweed would have given this guitar a sweet sound.

[savofenno]

You don`t know many amps then.

But a VOX AC 15TB would have been more suitable.

[stratmaniac]

actually i do... but this is just my dream guitar so i might be using some superlatives

[savofenno]

Yes, that guitar deserves an amp with most dignity.

Standel? Fender Princeton? Maybe some Ashdown from a couple of years back, when they still did guitar amps.

[stratmaniac]

an old ampeg v-series would also do the trick

[martinjp1958]

Excellent demo etc but I didn't care for the sound of this instrument.

[e541210]

I heard that he really didn't like this guitar and never played it ...had a couple of pictures taken with it to promote it but never used it on a gig...

[wisesatyr72]

Beautiful guitar and great clean tone, even though the amp is kinda crappy

[johnhguitar]

True. those days are soon to be over...

[wisesatyr72]

yeah come on all those great guitars but no vintage amps, lol looking forward to your vids

[johnhguitar]

OK OK Vintage amps in the near future.....

[taildragger51]

Beautiful guitar and a great review!

 Kessel was a master. I recall the Greco guitar company making a copy of this one.

[billywah8]

Hi John, the neck inlays are called bow- tie inlays. love the kessel.

Billy

[johnhguitar]

AH! Bow-tie inlays. I like that. THANKS

[taildragger51]

T. Bone Walker also played one of these. There's a great photo of him from 1960 on one of his CD covers.

[DanielTheManiel33]

the headstock design is really cool

[Ghuitarist]

Absolutely amazing sounding and looking guitar.Just thinking what kind of sound i would get if i plug that into my uncles 1957 fender vibrolux.

[DuaneLila]

That guitar has been my dream guitar for a long time.

I know I'd never be able to do it justice with my playing, but I just think its such a beautiful guitar.

[zoarces]

Nice demo. I enjoy everything you do John. You're well spoken and a fantastic guitarist as always.

[shmaltz]

John you are so good! thanx

[alexrempel12390]

When you do reviews such as these, do you just plug straight into the amp?

[johnhguitar]

Yes. It's a cheap Roland Cube 30. Good or bad? What do you think?

[alexrempel12390]

Oh it's fantastic. haha. I was just wondering for the sake of believing the authenticity of the guitar's sound, ya know?

[johnhguitar]

We do not plug straight into the amp, we record voice and amp sound from the same external mic.

-jc

[alexrempel12390]

yeah I know, but like. the gutiar>amp has nothing in between. pure guitar sound, right? mmmm.

[johnhguitar]

correct. guitar -> chord -> amp -> 7 feet of air -> external stereo mic -> digital camera.

[alexrempel12390]

haha. 7 feet of air.

[tbcass]

All that air will ruin everything :-)

[cwhanna]

your a seasoned pro you could probably make most any amp sound good. but it sounds good enough to recognize the sound of the instrument and its inherent tones.

[thesilverfox]

Very nice jazzy sound !!! Great !

[krispirate]

My god? it's so weird and ..?! akward? i love that guitar!

[StopTheMoti0n]

i don't like the sound. however, i don't know if it's the guitar or your technique

[601271]

your right this guys technique is bad, hence him giving superb guitar lessons.

[lordofwar528]

thats a beatiful guitar btw i like your playing style, very reminiscent of my own

[redbird963]

What happened to the Les Paul Studio review?

[johnhguitar]

I'll try and put it back in higher quality with a couple more Les Paul reviews we recorded at the same time as this one.

-jc

[redbird963]

sound cool

thanks

[notablemusician]

sorry 89 Washburn J6

[notablemusician]

Today I use a 1999 Washburn J6 and love that too although it's one tenth of the price. I recently played it through an Acoustic image amp and can't wait to get one when they arrive in Europe. My other favourite is an early Japanese made Aria Pro 335 model with all pickups and wiring replaced with Gibson from a 62.

Thanks for your videos, I'll be at it soon myself!

[notablemusician]

I used to have one in the late 60s. I always had trouble with the neck and had fret problems too. I was talking to Barney in Ronny Scotts Club and mentioned that I had a Gibson BG to which he replied "what, that piece of s...? but he said it with a smile so he may have been joking. I did a trade for a 1943 (my year of birth) Epiphone Broadway which I loved until it was stolen.

[Deathscythehell85]

The semi hollows are nice but not my cup of tea.

[Exibur]

sexy

[maxellison55]

Awesome John. What a beautiful instrument!