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Location: Vernon, CT | Hey OFC Fans,
IMHO Jim Croce in the short two or so years he was with us before his death wrote and cranked out some really awesome guitar classics. I would rank him as one of the best acoustic guitarists in our time even though he was not able to go on and give us nmore fantastic music. The only electrics he ever used was a microphone for his singing. His guitar was straight acoustic with no amplification of any kind. He was unique and he played Ovations. Not sure of the one in the pics of him but check out the website http://www.classicbands.com for information in Jim C. as well as many other classic rockers. Play On!
John L. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Did Jim Croce write some great tunes? Hell yes. Fantastic song writer!
Was he a great performer? Again, hell yes!
Was he a great guitar player? Ah, questionable. He was a solid rhythm player, and accompanied himself well, but great, I don't think so. |
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Location: Converse, Texas | I have his DVD. Very good. |
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Location: Powder Springs, Ga. | You forgot the most importnat thing about Jim and what made him great...he's was Italian!
Bentman |
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| Wasn't he a Martin player??? |
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Location: Powder Springs, Ga. | On this site he's playing an Ovation.
http://www.hotshotdigital.com/tribute/JimCroce.html
But Martin made Jim Croce Honored Commemorative Edition Guitars
http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2000/Martin-Croce.html |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | The photo of Jim in the "book" shows him with a sunburst 1117 Legend. |
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Location: NJ | Most (if not all) of Croce's "lead" playing was played by his guitarist Maury Muellheissen (sp?).
I think Croce was just starting to get into Ovations around the time prior to the "I've Got A Name" album. Prior to that, it was pretty much all Martins . . . |
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Location: SoCal | Martin will build a "commemerative" model at the drop of a hat.
I've got the dvd that Craig mentioned. In it, both Jim and Maury play both Martins and Ovations. Interestingly, the Ovations are better suited even to the non-plugged-in stuff they are doing. The Martins sound good, the Ovations sound better. |
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Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma | Early on Croce played a Gibson songbird and also a gibson 12 string of some type... Maury (his lead guitarist) started with him playing a Martin D-18... Then they played both D-18's and D-28's... He started playing Ovations because at his live gigs it was easier to plug in rather than mic a Martin... On the three albums most people are familiar with ( I got a name, Life and Times & You don't mess around with Jim) ... I believe he and Maury both played Martins in the studio... But his Legend is shown in many pictures being played around his house... He was a hard working guy trying to make it playing his music and from what I've read he loved guitars but to him they were mainly just tools of the trade... (as if you couldn't tell.. I'm kinda of Croce nut) |
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Location: East Tennessee | moody is right Martin will make a special edition if someone famous even looks at one of their guitars in a music store.
With the dime inlaid at the third fret will make the guitar worth 10 cents no matter what. :D |
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| .....meaner than ajunkyard dog....
Poetry. |
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| The Martins sound good, the Ovations sound better! ;) |
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Location: Vernon, CT | Mr. Moody there are those that will disagree with you on that one. For example Eric Clapton is considered to be legend in his own time. However, there were a few years when he actually sucked in concert during his drug heyday and someomne else did all the hard riffs he was known for. Nowadays is a lot different. My point is this: all kinds of factors weigh into being in determining what is a great guitarist and I think you're being short sighted in your judgement.
John L. |
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Location: SoCal | "Mr. Moody there are those that will disagree with you on that one."
John, call me Paul. And it's fine to disagree with me. It's what makes this board strong. But I'll stand my my assessment. While Croce was a great songwriter and perfomer, he was just a so so guitar player. I'm not ripping him, just stating a fact. There is no recording ever made that indicated he was a great guitarist. No hot licks, no nothing. In an Acoustic Guitar story on him from a couple of years back, it said that he met Maury in the studio, playing backup for Maury, which (and this is in the article) was a bit of a joke because he couldn't hold a candle to Maury as a guitarist.
He was a great performer and an even better songwriter who died tragically before his time. But he was really only a fair guitar player.
Lastly, you made the comparison to Clapton, regarding EC during his drug years. Are you saying that during the early 1970's when Croce was making a name for himself, he was on drugs, hence his not great playing?
John, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you as I always enjoy your posts. Feel free to disagree with me and prove me wrong. Or just say that in your opinion Croce was a great guitar player. I'll let it go there. |
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Location: NJ | neither Martin or Ovation are coming after me to make a commerative model.
maybe I need some better friends |
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Location: Midland, MI | No hot licks? NOOOO hot licks? What about 'Roller Derby Queen?' Huh? How about...oh, I don't know, 'Speedball Tucker?' You want licks? Try 'Operator' Mr. Funny-man!
Ok, maybe not. :D |
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Posts: 59
Location: North Carolina | I grew up listening to Jim, and feel like I know every word to every song he ever published(Try me). But, I'm a beginner, so my opinion of whether someone is a great guitar player or not means nothing to anyone but me. However, I don't think that you have to play hot licks to be a great guitar player. In my opinion, playing the right note at the right time makes you a good guitar player, and I think Croce was a good guitar player. However, he was a great song writer, and I think his playing complimented the songs he wrote. Nothing too fancy, but real and heart felt. Unless someone else comes along to change my mind, Jim Croce will always be my favorite singer/song writer/ guitar player. And he had a great sense of humor!
"...he wore them skintight body velvet shirts,
that cat could knock you right into the dirt,
and if you got you no money, or you try to get funny, that mutha you gonna see..." |
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| Jim's brother actually lives down here in Indian River County(Vero Beach) he's an administrator for the county hospital,met him,Richie Havens and Arlo Guthrie at the Indian River Festivals/Save the Lagoon benefits. have worked with Arlo on 4 of the events over the years (attended 8 or 9) was a big deal and great show till some of the multimillion dollar retirees complained about the "noise" on their precious John's island...(so much for the environment but then whole acres of mangroves and marsh/flats disappear overnight on a regular basis around here but noone knows what happened to em'). Jim's brother does have some early works on cassette which he graciously gave copies of to another friend of mine at the hospital. gonna give him a call and see if I can get a copy or two. Arlo is involved with the Kashi ranch down here and also has a residence in Sebastian on the Indian river.(old fish cannery that he's converted to a home and studio).. hope Mark still has the tapes gonna call him tomorrow..
Jim, Cat, and Glen are the reasons I fell in love with Ovations in the first place.
God Bless,
Glenn |
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Location: Midland, MI | Arlo rulez.
EDIT: 335 epi project? What is that all about??? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Hey now....don't forget the AlPep commerative model, the TB100 Artist! |
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Posts: 1374
| RE: epi/335 project (sorry for thread twist)
I have a Beautiful 1998 Ebony/Ivory Epiphone es335 set neck ALL!epi hardware and electronics are gone. replaced nut w/wilkinson roller and string tree, chrome grovers, gibson usa pots, bee resistors and vintage caps jumpered in, aged nickel gibson PAF's, switchcraft 60's era shorty switch, B/W speed knobs, flatwound chromes,
waiting on:
(currently shipping) 3ply black/white flamed birch pg,
Schaller Nickel roller bridge(just won) shipping w/in the week.
considering Schaller Les Trem unit,
hoping to find:
Kahler or Schaller Stud mount 220? 2200? trem unit that doesn't require me to dig a hole in the body.
the one with the fine tuners pretty rare piece of hw) ties down to the bridge and tp studs combo trem/bridge assembly,
may go to Duncan's on the pickups waiting for the rest of the HW to arrive and to do all the tweaking of the pps and different setups b4 I make a decision tho,
Gonna be a pretty nice 335 when I get her finished at about 1/4 the price.
woz's son should have rec'vd the other custom pg
I was going to install by now. Hope Beau Likes it
kinda like it w/o a pg tho don't know if I'll install the birch or not.
Brett down @ Howies is gonna do some binding and HS work for me gonna bind the f's and maybe cut the hs and replace w/different headplate.
Having fun with it and with all the mods is turning into a real screamer. B4 pics are in the members section.
others soon to follow.
God Bless,
Glenn |
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Posts: 112
Location: WV | Don't want to take this topic into the "The Best I Ever Heard" zone but I guess I will. Dave Mason in a one man acoustic show at the old Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, mid 70's. Also Stephen Stills solo in Columbus around the same time (I think). Those years are kinda blurry ;) What I'm trying to say is that the "Best" is a very subjective opinion. Hell, I grew up with a guy that probably could have played with the best of them on any given night. I prefer to just enjoy good music and not analyze it too much. OK I'm going to go now. I have to call Martin back about the Commemorative Model they want to make for me........ |
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| Best, Worst, Most Famous, recognized, or unheard of... It's Music. Gift,Art,Language,expression, praise and Legacy to all in our circle.
Kinda why I like this planet.
God Bless,
Glenn |
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Location: Isle of Man, UK | Art rocks!
You're right, Glen. I like art, and it's fine that some people don't like some things. Let's face it, if that's the case, there's a danger that we'd all be listening to nothing but the Backstreet Boys. Nothing wrong with them per se, but variety is the spice of life!
Taking for example, the Rockabilly 3-piece I play with. We have some tracks suggested by the double-bass player that are classed as "Psychobilly" (classic rockers, but with way overdriven guitars). Not my sort of thing, but none of us have fallen out over it!
Yet. He'll learn!
As to Mr Croce (vainly trying to stay on topic!), I have the great pleasure of singing Leroy for a Big Band, and that's a truly great song. I'll be looking deeper into his music when my wallet has recovered from 3 recent O purchases...
Cheers, all.
JB |
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Jim Croce - One of the Greatest Acoustic Guitarists!
