James Wilsey: "El Dorado"

dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Feb 25 2008 10:53 AM

don't have much of a review for you yet, just received the cd from amazon on saturday february 23rd.

a glorious and highly-evocative / moody cd. james wilsey seems have a knack for finding the riff that sticks...and then he sticks it to the riff!

my favorites so far are: "San Bernardino", "Untamed", "Diabolic" and "Tierra del Fuego"

anyone else out there picked up this cd?

Last edited: Feb 25, 2008 13:16:46

Top

PhatTele

Joined: Jun 05, 2006
Posts: 445

Posted on Feb 25 2008 11:17 AM

I got mine over the weekend. I love it. I've also been listening to the earlier variations of this stuff that he's been posting for the past couple of years out on Myspace (both under his name and The Mysteries). It's been cool to hear the evolution of these tunes. The final product is great. I love the kind of pitch bending effect that he gets which adds a lot of tension to the overall sound. I'd also love to see him live doing this stuff (aside from YouTube). I've been keeping an eye out for him for a long time. I saw him w/Chris Isaak around the time Wicked Game came out. He's also been posting as "WickedGtr" over on the Telecaster Discussion Pages Reissue (TDPRI) for a few years.

Top

bigtikidude

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25600
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
United States

Posted on Feb 25 2008 04:29 PM

DP,
I got the cd at the Cd release party last week.
you should have been there man, but thats another story.

Phat Tele.
its not a pitch bending effect, its a Tele with a B Bender.
aftermarket contraption built into the guitar on the back side with huge springs and Caverns to house them. They are attached to the strap button
by the neck, you push down on the guitar neck to bend the note up. and the spring pulls it back to original note.

He said it works really well at being just like a pedal steel note bender.
but adds alot of weight to the guitar.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

—

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Top

Sonichris

Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1899
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
United States

Posted on Feb 25 2008 06:00 PM

i got to see him at the Deke Guitar Geek festival this year. it was pretty good - BTD liked him more than me. then i listened to some tracks on his myspace page - I liked it a lot more. I bought the disc on i-tunes last night, and listened to it 3 times today - there are some cool songs on there.

—

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

Top

PhatTele

Joined: Jun 05, 2006
Posts: 445

Posted on Feb 25 2008 06:54 PM

Cool. I wouldn't doubt that he uses a B-bender. He mentions them a lot on the TDPRI pages. However, I'm actually thinking of that drop tune pitch shifting that he seems to get where the tone seems to go just slightly slack. Maybe it's a combination of things he does to get that. I don't know. I've always loved that effect.

Top

Sonichris

Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1899
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
United States

Posted on Feb 25 2008 06:56 PM

PhatTele
Cool. I wouldn't doubt that he uses a B-bender. He mentions them a lot on the TDPRI pages. However, I'm actually thinking of that drop tune pitch shifting that he seems to get where the tone seems to go just slightly slack. Maybe it's a combination of things he does to get that. I don't know. I've always loved that effect.

He played a strat a lot when i saw him - and he had the trem arm in his hand the whole time - one tune, I think he had the bar bent down almost the whole song. - he worked that tremolo all night.

—

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

Top

RobbieReverb

Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2364
San Jose, Ca.
3 News Pins

Posted on Feb 25 2008 08:39 PM

I picked it up, and listened to it about 4 or 5 times the first day.
I guess you could say I like it. Wonderful melodic, moody, mysterious,
western-tinged songs. No super fast scortchers on this CD, but
Jimmy's got the "slow burn" goin' real intense. Highly recommended!!!

Bob

—

Bob

Top

windmill

Joined: Mar 22, 2006
Posts: 269
3 Contributor Pins

Posted on Feb 26 2008 05:47 PM

He's King of the slow guitar some say...

—

Freshwater Surfin'

The Murray Basin
Australia

Top

bigtikidude

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25600
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
United States

Posted on Feb 26 2008 06:45 PM

PhatTele
Cool. I wouldn't doubt that he uses a B-bender. He mentions them a lot on the TDPRI pages. However, I'm actually thinking of that drop tune pitch shifting that he seems to get where the tone seems to go just slightly slack. Maybe it's a combination of things he does to get that. I don't know. I've always loved that effect.

He plays a Baritone guitar, all strings tuned down,
not just the lowest string.

Not sure if its B or A, or Low E like on a Bass.
but its ballsy.
I dont think he uses a pitch shifter, all I see and hear is a volume pedal, and Reverb, built in to the Twin, and Digital wise too.
maybe some echo repeats too.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

—

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Top

IvanP

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
United States

Posted on Feb 27 2008 06:52 AM

I received this CD yesterday. I spun it about three times (Larry "Moon Dawg" White is visiting, so we've been hanging out, listening to music). The actual sound that Wilsey gets is pretty amazing, but so far it seems to me that the melodic content is a bit too minimal. It's all about a mood. Anyway, I definitely don't regret getting the CD, and I'm sure I'll be listening to it a lot over the next few weeks. More will probably be revealed with subsequent spins.

Ivan

—

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Top

SurfsideMatt

Joined: May 30, 2007
Posts: 39
AZ

Posted on Jul 18 2008 02:19 PM

back in the mid to late 80s I didnt know much about retro or surf for that matter. My parents had a pretty weak vinyl collection save for some Beach Boys and some Beatles. All I knew was what was on mtv and movies. I heard Jimmy on the horrible north shore soundtrack when Chris isaak was backing him (just a joke) but basically Blue Hotel got me into the whole twang thing and I have been a fan ever since.
I don't care what gear he uses although it seems like all he used in the old days was a silverface twin and some echo. he didn't ever seem to be a big reverb proponent not overly anyway.
I think his stuff leans towards the moody side, which is great.
On his myspace page it says he is influenced by Duane Eddy, Billy Strange (munsters theme and bang bang with Nancy Sinatra) so it sounds in his tunes.
I would say I was most influenced by him and the Ventures and of course Dick Dale, although I would never say I sound like any of them.

Top

dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Feb 25 2008 10:53 AM don't have much of a review for you yet, just received the cd from amazon on saturday february 23rd. a glorious and highly-evocative / moody cd. james wilsey seems have a knack for finding the riff that sticks...and then he sticks it to the riff! my favorites so far are: "San Bernardino", "Untamed", "Diabolic" and "Tierra del Fuego" anyone else out there picked up this cd? Last edited: Feb 25, 2008 13:16:46 Top
PhatTele Joined: Jun 05, 2006 Posts: 445	Posted on Feb 25 2008 11:17 AM I got mine over the weekend. I love it. I've also been listening to the earlier variations of this stuff that he's been posting for the past couple of years out on Myspace (both under his name and The Mysteries). It's been cool to hear the evolution of these tunes. The final product is great. I love the kind of pitch bending effect that he gets which adds a lot of tension to the overall sound. I'd also love to see him live doing this stuff (aside from YouTube). I've been keeping an eye out for him for a long time. I saw him w/Chris Isaak around the time Wicked Game came out. He's also been posting as "WickedGtr" over on the Telecaster Discussion Pages Reissue (TDPRI) for a few years. Top
bigtikidude Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25600 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.	Posted on Feb 25 2008 04:29 PM DP, I got the cd at the Cd release party last week. you should have been there man, but thats another story. Phat Tele. its not a pitch bending effect, its a Tele with a B Bender. aftermarket contraption built into the guitar on the back side with huge springs and Caverns to house them. They are attached to the strap button by the neck, you push down on the guitar neck to bend the note up. and the spring pulls it back to original note. He said it works really well at being just like a pedal steel note bender. but adds alot of weight to the guitar. Jeff(bigtikidude) — Jeff(bigtikidude) Top
Sonichris Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 1899 Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies	Posted on Feb 25 2008 06:00 PM i got to see him at the Deke Guitar Geek festival this year. it was pretty good - BTD liked him more than me. then i listened to some tracks on his myspace page - I liked it a lot more. I bought the disc on i-tunes last night, and listened to it 3 times today - there are some cool songs on there. — "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been" Top
PhatTele Joined: Jun 05, 2006 Posts: 445	Posted on Feb 25 2008 06:54 PM Cool. I wouldn't doubt that he uses a B-bender. He mentions them a lot on the TDPRI pages. However, I'm actually thinking of that drop tune pitch shifting that he seems to get where the tone seems to go just slightly slack. Maybe it's a combination of things he does to get that. I don't know. I've always loved that effect. Top
Sonichris Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 1899 Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies	Posted on Feb 25 2008 06:56 PM PhatTele Cool. I wouldn't doubt that he uses a B-bender. He mentions them a lot on the TDPRI pages. However, I'm actually thinking of that drop tune pitch shifting that he seems to get where the tone seems to go just slightly slack. Maybe it's a combination of things he does to get that. I don't know. I've always loved that effect. He played a strat a lot when i saw him - and he had the trem arm in his hand the whole time - one tune, I think he had the bar bent down almost the whole song. - he worked that tremolo all night. — "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been" Top
RobbieReverb Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 2364 San Jose, Ca.	Posted on Feb 25 2008 08:39 PM I picked it up, and listened to it about 4 or 5 times the first day. I guess you could say I like it. Wonderful melodic, moody, mysterious, western-tinged songs. No super fast scortchers on this CD, but Jimmy's got the "slow burn" goin' real intense. Highly recommended!!! Bob — Bob Top
windmill Joined: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 269	Posted on Feb 26 2008 05:47 PM He's King of the slow guitar some say... — Freshwater Surfin' The Murray Basin Australia Top
bigtikidude Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25600 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.	Posted on Feb 26 2008 06:45 PM PhatTele Cool. I wouldn't doubt that he uses a B-bender. He mentions them a lot on the TDPRI pages. However, I'm actually thinking of that drop tune pitch shifting that he seems to get where the tone seems to go just slightly slack. Maybe it's a combination of things he does to get that. I don't know. I've always loved that effect. He plays a Baritone guitar, all strings tuned down, not just the lowest string. Not sure if its B or A, or Low E like on a Bass. but its ballsy. I dont think he uses a pitch shifter, all I see and hear is a volume pedal, and Reverb, built in to the Twin, and Digital wise too. maybe some echo repeats too. Jeff(bigtikidude) — Jeff(bigtikidude) Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan	Posted on Feb 27 2008 06:52 AM I received this CD yesterday. I spun it about three times (Larry "Moon Dawg" White is visiting, so we've been hanging out, listening to music). The actual sound that Wilsey gets is pretty amazing, but so far it seems to me that the melodic content is a bit too minimal. It's all about a mood. Anyway, I definitely don't regret getting the CD, and I'm sure I'll be listening to it a lot over the next few weeks. More will probably be revealed with subsequent spins. Ivan — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Top
SurfsideMatt Joined: May 30, 2007 Posts: 39 AZ	Posted on Jul 18 2008 02:19 PM back in the mid to late 80s I didnt know much about retro or surf for that matter. My parents had a pretty weak vinyl collection save for some Beach Boys and some Beatles. All I knew was what was on mtv and movies. I heard Jimmy on the horrible north shore soundtrack when Chris isaak was backing him (just a joke) but basically Blue Hotel got me into the whole twang thing and I have been a fan ever since. I don't care what gear he uses although it seems like all he used in the old days was a silverface twin and some echo. he didn't ever seem to be a big reverb proponent not overly anyway. I think his stuff leans towards the moody side, which is great. On his myspace page it says he is influenced by Duane Eddy, Billy Strange (munsters theme and bang bang with Nancy Sinatra) so it sounds in his tunes. I would say I was most influenced by him and the Ventures and of course Dick Dale, although I would never say I sound like any of them. Top

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Music Reviews »

James Wilsey: "El Dorado"