Can you play the blues on a pointy guitar?

[catsize]

Hi, all -

Well, after five weeks of waiting for an exchange from Musician's Friend (FedEx "lost" the defective item I originally recieved), my new DK2 is on its way!

My question is this:

I love the feel of Jackson guitars and have wanted one ever since the guitar player in a band I roadied for bought one in the 80s. Since I can now afford to buy guitars I like, rather buy guitars I can merely afford, I pulled the trigger on the DK2.

But, I am not a metal guy or a shredder, by any means! I play a regular blues gig each week and also play two or three Top 40 gigs every month. As much as I like the Jackson guitar, I worry that it might not fit in with the "aesthetic" of the blues gig.

What do you guys think? Can you play the blues on a pointy guitar?

By the way, I got what I think is a good deal on the DK2. Musician's Friend matched Music123's price, which hasn't been updated on the Music123 Web site since the upgrades to the 2006 DK2. So, I got a black DK2 for the price of a pre-2006 model (I got it at the 2005 MAP rather than the 2006 MAP, which is significantly higher).

What do you think? Did I do well on the price?

Also, the guitar that I sent back had a SD JB bridge pickup that was significantly weaker than the singe coils in the middle and neck positions. If the guitar I had turns out not to have been an anomaly, is there a trick to upping the output of the bridge JB (maybe raising it to 3/32" below the strings)?

Thanks for any help and info!

[MikeStrat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idb2d...elated&search=hhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idb2dUtTpuU&mode=related&search=ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idb2dUtTpuU&mode=related&search

[Newc]

Can't post prices on here, that's dirty.

I understand some small-minded people would choke if they saw someone playing blues on anything other than a Fender, Gibson, or PRS, but I once saw a guy doing quite well in a Country Band with a Pepto-Bismol Pink Rhoads with Black Bevels, Righty-slung-Lefty.

Play what YOU want to play and tell the snobs to blow you if they have a problem with it.

[jackson1]

The Crossroads scene obviously shows that the Fender crushes the Pointy. Even in harmonic minor. The dude with the long hair even drops his Pointy trying!

[Rich#6]

Here is SD list of artists that use the JB. http://www.seymourduncan.com/cgi-bin/searchpickups.pl
Some blues and country artists are listed. It was originally designed for Jeff Beck, so I it is a very versitle pickup.

[charvelguy]

Blues is in your heart and mind.. not in the name brand of instrument you play. I auditioned for a couple blues based bands with Charvels..I didn't get the gig cause my style was 'more rock' in the blues vein, ..I did impress them tho and the band guys would buy me beers when I went out to see them. I was 'runner up in a couple blues band auditions...2nd defnitely sucks.
The guys who got the gig were clapton style with a strat.. so I immediately thought in hindsight.. "I should have brought the strat".

Granted, the type of guitar may have an influence how you play, and there may be a 'fit' or image element as NEWC mentioned..but I think blues is pretty open to any type of make as long as you play it well.

[Newc]

Let someone closeby say you can't play blues on one o' them thar pointy-headed geetars that looks like a Klingon weapon - I'll show up with The Halford and lay down some Howlin Wolf, SRV, and John Lee :ROTF:

[catsize]

Thanks for the responses so far -- I, too, believe that what you play is more important than what you play it on (Albert King played a Flying V and Muddy Waters used a Guild S-200 Thunderbird for a while), but there are some very small minds out there.

I guess it all boils down to: Which is more important, image or music?

As to the posting of prices issue, I've edited my original post. I hope the change brings it within the guidelines of the board.

Oh, and by the way: The dude playing the pointy guitar in the Crossroads clip only threw it away after getting burned trying to play classical, not blues...

Maybe you can't play Paganini on a pointy guitar? (Seems unlikely to me -- I'm pretty sure Paganini would have a stable of pointy guitars, if he were around today!)

[Strat God]

Bo Diddly had that box-guitar - it wasn't a "Blues guitar". He's now a God.

My fav guitar happens to be a strat- just because- but I play floyd-trem guitars in the band almost exclusively- just because.

[MikeStrat]

The Crossroads scene obviously shows that the Fender crushes the Pointy. Even in harmonic minor. The dude with the long hair even drops his Pointy trying!

Jesus Christ! Do I really need to explain this? The point just flew right over your head bro! The long haired dude (Steve Vai) or a similarly proficient player could play blues or any other style for that matter regardless of the type of guitar.

[catsize]

Which raises the question:

Why does the presence of a pointy headstock make a guitar "pointy"?

Rhoads and Kelly guitars, not to mention pretty everything made by BC Rich are truly "pointy guitars."

But, is a dinky really "pointy"?

I tend to to think not. It looks like a Strat with a different headstock on it, but it is definitely not a pointy guitar, in my opinion, anyway.

What do you think?

[VitaminG]

Jesus Christ! Do I really need to explain this? The point just flew right over your head bro! The long haired dude (Steve Vai) or a similarly proficient player could play blues or any other style for that matter regardless of the type of guitar.

I think Henrik's sense of humour totally flew over yours, bro

Which raises the question:

Why does the presence of a pointy headstock make a guitar "pointy"?

Rhoads and Kelly guitars, not to mention pretty everything made by BC Rich are truly "pointy guitars."

But, is a dinky really "pointy"?

I tend to to think not. It looks like a Strat with a different headstock on it, but it is definitely not a pointy guitar, in my opinion, anyway.

What do you think?

I absolutely agree. A Dinky or a Soloist is only pointy at one end. Folks might notice they look a little sleeker than your average blues jammin axe, but they aren't so different. Now, if you turned up with a Warrior......

[hippietim]

I played traditional jazz (Monk, Miles, Charlie Parker, etc.) on my SD Rhoads with a Rising Sun finish. I only had one guitar - what else could I do?

[MikeStrat]

I think Henrik's sense of humour totally flew over yours, bro

Possibly. But it didn't appear that way. However, I'm sure we can all agree that Ralph Macchio is a serious kick ass guitar player! Even if he did have the advantage over Vai of using a tele to play the blues.

[jackson1]

I think Henrik's sense of humour totally flew over yours, bro

Possibly.

Definitely