Marc Ribot Y los Postizos Cubanos

[tot_Ou_tard]

If you've never heard Marc Ribot, you are in for a treat. I've loved him for a long time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGSI8CuH1nQ


Can anyone name that guitar? It a Gibson with P90's I believe.


------------0------------------

After searching I think it is a Gibson ES-125 with P90s.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Link fixed! Thanks for alerting me to my blunder Spudman!

[duhvoodooman]

After searching I think it is a Gibson ES-125 with P90s.
Yup, an ES-125TCD, to be precise. Probably 40 to 50 years old.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson4.html#es125t

[tot_Ou_tard]

Yup, an ES-125TCD, to be precise. Probably 40 to 50 years old.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson4.html#es125t
Hey Vood, you don't happen to have one lying around that I could have cheap? ;)

[duhvoodooman]

Sure, I think I have a couple of them in the trunk of my Bugatti Royale, the one where I keep my Honus Wagner baseball card in the glove compartment, along with the Hope diamond....

[tot_Ou_tard]

Sure, I think I have a couple of them in the trunk of my Bugatti Royale, the one where I keep my Honus Wagner baseball card in the glove compartment, along with the Hope diamond....
Screw that other crap, I'll take the ax! :D

[R_of_G]

While the ES-125TCD is a fantastic guess, it is incorrect. The red sunburst gibson guitar that marc uses for the cubano postizos gigs, which I have seen him play from less than three feet away [best show ever, I will miss Tonic] is... an ES 225. The source on this is Marc Ribot himself in the following quote:

{EXCERPT}
"... with the Postizos I do half of it on either a 12 string or a tres... and the other half on a jazz guitar, an ES 225."

The full interview can be found here:

http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=4593

Great to see so many others into my favorite guitar player ever [not counting Django]

[duhvoodooman]

Sorry, but I'm not convinced. The linked video above gives some pretty good views of the guitar, and it looks exactly like the ES-125TDC pictured on the link I gave. Two guitars below it is a single-pickup version of the ES-225T; note the different style bridge/tailpiece. However, I found other pix of 225's that had the same tailpiece as the 125, so that's really not definitive. However, another important difference is the neck--bound on the 225 and not on the 125. This is pointed out as an important distinguishing characteristic between the two models in THIS LINK (http://www.provide.net/~cfh/es225.html). I've looked carefully at the guitar Marc is playing in that video and can see no evidence of any neck binding. There are even better views in THIS CLIP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLM0z0SdMX8). No binding that I can see.

Additionally, a Google search on "Ribot ES-125" brings up a large number of "hits" associating Ribot with this model. Many, many more than I found for "Ribot ES-225".

So for this apparent contradiction, I would offer the following possibiliites:


Perhaps he was misquoted in that interview article.
Perhaps he misspoke, though I would doubt that.
Perhaps he owns both! If he liked one, there's a strong chance he might also acquire so similar a model.

But I still think that's a 125TDC in the video. That's my story and I'm sticking with it! :D

P.S. Welcome to TheFret! Please stop by the Fret Players (http://www.thefret.net/forumdisplay.php?f=13) forum and tell us a bit about yourself!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Well regardless of which gitfiddle it be it sounds great.

R of G, did you hang out at Tonic often? Then you probably saw Medeski, Martin, & Wood. Those are some killer musicians.

...trying to figure out R of G...hmmm, Rock of Gibraltar?

[R_of_G]

Well, I am convinced because, like I said, the source is Marc Ribot himself. No, I do not think he was misquoted, and I certainly do not believe he is mistaken. A musician as knowledgeable as Ribot isn't going to suddenly forget what kind of guitar he plays. As for the interviewer getting it wrong, (a) over the years I have read man interviews by this person and he is typically very sound, and (b) Marc says it more than once in the interview.

I agree with you that the photographs and many of the details of the model you are suggesting do resemble Marc's guitar, but until you have anything other than speculation [albeit fact-based speculation] I will have to trust that Marc Ribot knows better than you do what kind of guitar he plays.

[duhvoodooman]

....I will have to trust that Marc Ribot knows better than you do what kind of guitar he plays.
Gee, I hope so! :D

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree for now. No biggie. Certainly, the important thing is how marvelously he plays it, whatever the model is!

[R_of_G]

We can agree to disagree if you'd like, no point debating when there is likely much we agree on about Marc Ribot we could discuss instead. As to it not mattering what specific guitar it is as long as it's in his hands, I couldn't agree more. Marc once said in an interview [and I will try to track down a link to it] that a great deal of his tone comes from his style and not his equipment.

[R_of_G]

Though I didn't have the opportunity to visit Tonic often as I long-ago moved from NJ to Florida, I did try to go anytime I was back in the NYC area, the last time was in 2003 when I saw Marc & Los Cubanos Postizos. I have, however, seen MMW several times, in various venues. I agree, they are great musicians. In addition to his bass skills, Chris Wood is also an awesome guitar player, as evidenced by his playing on Marc's "Shrek" album. If you like MMW, be sure to check out [the now defunct] band Zony Mash [feat. Wayne Horvitz on organ and Timothy Young on guitar]. Had the chance to see and meet these guys in 04. If you like MMW and the Meters, this will blow you away.

As for R_of_G, nope, not Rock of Gibraltar, guess again. Hint, it's a ficitonal character.


Well regardless of which gitfiddle it be it sounds great.

R of G, did you hang out at Tonic often? Then you probably saw Medeski, Martin, & Wood. Those are some killer musicians.

...trying to figure out R of G...hmmm, Rock of Gibraltar?

[tot_Ou_tard]

Though I didn't have the opportunity to visit Tonic often as I long-ago moved from NJ to Florida, I did try to go anytime I was back in the NYC area, the last time was in 2003 when I saw Marc & Los Cubanos Postizos. I have, however, seen MMW several times, in various venues. I agree, they are great musicians. In addition to his bass skills, Chris Wood is also an awesome guitar player, as evidenced by his playing on Marc's "Shrek" album. If you like MMW, be sure to check out [the now defunct] band Zony Mash [feat. Wayne Horvitz on organ and Timothy Young on guitar]. Had the chance to see and meet these guys in 04. If you like MMW and the Meters, this will blow you away.

As for R_of_G, nope, not Rock of Gibraltar, guess again. Hint, it's a ficitonal character.
I love MMW and the Meters, I'll go try to dig up some Zony Mash. I have a Wood Brothers CD & I like the odd soulful down & out thing Chris' brother does on guitar & vocals.

Thanks, ummm, fictional character. ;)

[R_of_G]

Well, you are in for a real treat when you get some Zony Mash. No offense to John Medeski, whom I love, but Wayne Horvitz is the most amazing organist I have heard [no slouch on piano and keys either, but his b-3 playing is where he really shines]. Other albums where you can find some of Wayne's best work... John Zorn's "Naked City," Bill Frisell's "Good Dog Happy Man," Michael Shrieve's "Two Doors," and many many more.

As for the fictional character. I'll put up an avatar shortly and all will be known [well, to those familiar with the character and imagery from the work].



I love MMW and the Meters, I'll go try to dig up some Zony Mash. I have a Wood Brothers CD & I like the odd soulful down & out thing Chris' brother does on guitar & vocals.

Thanks, ummm, fictional character. ;)

[tot_Ou_tard]

Well, you are in for a real treat when you get some Zony Mash. No offense to John Medeski, whom I love, but Wayne Horvitz is the most amazing organist I have heard [no slouch on piano and keys either, but his b-3 playing is where he really shines]. Other albums where you can find some of Wayne's best work... John Zorn's "Naked City," Bill Frisell's "Good Dog Happy Man," Michael Shrieve's "Two Doors," and many many more.

As for the fictional character. I'll put up an avatar shortly and all will be known [well, to those familiar with the character and imagery from the work].

I have Naked City, but haven't listened to it in a while. I'll have to dig that up. I love Bill Frisell but do not have Good Dog Happy Man & I've never heard Michael Shrieve.

I love it, I've got new listening to do.

I dunno about your fictional identity but I have a mythopoetic answer which I now offer with more than a soupcon of bullsh!t:

------------------------0----------------------------------

In another place where far away has no meaning and long ago doesn't exist a wizened old man frets and worries over his concerns while nonchalantly flipping tarot cards--because that is his job. Not the tarot, but the fretting and worrying. The tarot is just an enjoyable way to pass a hard days worth of anxiety and fretting.

*Hands go up all around*

Nigh Everywhere: "Izzat Wales?"

Nigh No-one: "Don't be silly, if it was there'd be loads of extraneous L's and Y's and G's and other fricatives, liquids, and glottals which would be unpronounced (if not unvoiced) in a funny accent."

The fretter is just about to flip the penultimate card.

We should pause here for effect.....& take a moment to consider the nature of the penultimate; for that is the crux of the matter. It is always the penultimate and never the ultimate. The End is often nigh, but it prefers to play nigh & go away rather than reveal itself.

Just then a wayworn troubador and his ragtag band of misfit minstrels gallop in. He has a very odd stringed instrument that appears to be powered by a source that is not one of our suns, moons, orbs, satellites, or gallactic comments.

*FLIP*


_______
|_ Rex |
|_ of __|
|Griffins|
|______|

Which proves, if the dearth of consonants was not enough, that we are not talking about Wales, for not all mythical creatures are the same. The Griffin is *NOT* a dragon. Snarks and Boojum are another matter entirely.

Nigh No-one: "Not two different matters, however."

Nigh Everywhere: " "Welcome Rex".

[tot_Ou_tard]

Back to Marc's guitar. My main interest is that it is a hollow bodied guitar with P90s.

I've been jonesing for a (semi) hollow with P90s for some time independent of Marc. It comes from loving the resonant quality of my Godin Radiator, which has single coil pups that have been described as P90 lites.

I'm not trying to sound like anybody (& I wouldn't presume to sound like Marc) but I just realized that he plays a guitar that is links up with my own personal interests. I don't yet play any jazz, so if I had such a guitar who knows what I'd do with it.

But something resonant & woody with a rich midrange but with a clear and sparkly high end would send me to my knees. I also like to vibrate the rafters with a thick and subtly overdriven low end. It doesn't need to be tight. Of course a little country spank wouldn't hurt.


Anybody know of such a guitar in a reasonable price range? I'm thinking Reverend Club King 290 or Manta Ray 290.

O! & the moon too if ya don't mind. ;)

[R_of_G]

The Naked City stuff is awesome. If you already know and love Frisell, I would definitely get a copy of "Good Dog, Happy Man" as it is one of my fav of his albums [and features Wayne Horvitz and Greg Leisz throughout, as well as Ry Cooder on a track or two].

Michael Shrieve I believe you have heard of but do not realize who it is. He was the longtime Santana drummer. "Two Doors" is a double album he did, half of which is with Shawn Lane on guitar and Jonas Hellborg on bass, the other half has Bill Frisell on guitar and Wayne Horvitz on organ. Both halves are good stuff.

One more rec, if I may, for those of you looking for still more Marc Ribot and or Bill Frisell. Check out Dave Douglas' solo work [Douglas is the trumpet player in Zorn's Masada and other Zorn projects]. "Freak In" features Marc Ribot and "Strange Liberation" features Frisell.


I have Naked City, but haven't listened to it in a while. I'll have to dig that up. I love Bill Frisell but do not have Good Dog Happy Man & I've never heard Michael Shrieve.

I love it, I've got new listening to do.

I dunno about your fictional identity but I have a mythopoetic answer which I now offer with more than a soupcon of bullsh!t:

------------------------0----------------------------------

In another place where far away has no meaning and long ago doesn't exist a wizened old man frets and worries over his concerns while nonchalantly flipping tarot cards--because that is his job. Not the tarot, but the fretting and worrying. The tarot is just an enjoyable way to pass a hard days worth of anxiety and fretting.

*Hands go up all around*

Nigh Everywhere: "Izzat Wales?"

Nigh No-one: "Don't be silly, if it was there'd be loads of extraneous L's and Y's and G's and other fricatives, liquids, and glottals which would be unpronounced (if not unvoiced) in a funny accent."

The fretter is just about to flip the penultimate card.

We should pause here for effect.....& take a moment to consider the nature of the penultimate; for that is the crux of the matter. It is always the penultimate and never the ultimate. The End is often nigh, but it prefers to play nigh & go away rather than reveal itself.

Just then a wayworn troubador and his ragtag band of misfit minstrels gallop in. He has a very odd stringed instrument that appears to be powered by a source that is not one of our suns, moons, orbs, satellites, or gallactic comments.

*FLIP*


_______
|_ Rex |
|_ of __|
|Griffins|
|______|

Which proves, if the dearth of consonants was not enough, that we are not talking about Wales, for not all mythical creatures are the same. The Griffin is *NOT* a dragon. Snarks and Boojum are another matter entirely.

Nigh No-one: "Not two different matters, however."

Nigh Everywhere: " "Welcome Rex".

[R_of_G]

So in an attempt to pin down what kind of guitar it is that Marc uses for Cubanos Postizos, I sent an email to Marc's management who passed it along to Marc. Less than 24 hrs later, I had the response that follows below. Now tell me he is not the coolest musician ever! It looks like duhvoodooman and I will def have to "agree to disagree" bc as you will see, Marc is unable to recall precisely the model. Thought my fellow Ribot afficianados would appreciate this, so without further rambling by me, ladies and genetlmen, Marc Ribot...

---------
Hi-

Embarrassed to say I don;t remember what it is. But I know it was a one of those two, 1960, 2 p 90 pickups, single cutaway, cream colored binding, thin hollow body gibson. So you tell me. Also- at the cubanos postizo time, I still had some stupid metal bridge on it (I've since corrected that oversight). And furthermore, I used .012 e string (is that light gauge?) flatwounds.

Bes't marc

[duhvoodooman]

Wow, that is cool! AAMOF, I was considering doing exactly what you did--sending an e-mail to his management from the link on his website, and asking this very question. Glad to see that you actually did what I only pondered! In any case, having an answer in 24 hrs. from the man himself is very cool, indeed! :cool:

Interestingly, I think Marc may have unknowingly provided the answer! He specifically says that the guitar is a 1960 model. The 225 ceased production in 1959, while the 125 was produced from '56 to 70. So based upon his information, it would appear to be the latter.

[R_of_G]

Not only did he write back, but I wrote to thank him for the info, and HE WROTE BACK AGAIN!!! he is easily the most down-to-earth "famous" musician ever. Anyway, when he wrote back he said it's possible that as it had two p90's he may have [his words] "stupidly assumed" it was a 225. I hope he continues to correspond, because I am dropping hints to him to come play in Florida. So now we know voodooman, that when we can't agree, we should just ask the musician. Wonder how many of them are even half as gracious as Marc was on this one. All I know is when I got the email, I called my wife at her office and said "Marc Ribot just emailed me." She thought I was kidding.


Wow, that is cool! AAMOF, I was considering doing exactly what you did--sending an e-mail to his management from the link on his website, and asking this very question. Glad to see that you actually did what I only pondered! In any case, having an answer in 24 hrs. from the man himself is very cool, indeed! :cool:

Interestingly, I think Marc may have unknowingly provided the answer! He specifically says that the guitar is a 1960 model. The 225 ceased production in 1959, while the 125 was produced from '56 to 70. So based upon his information, it would appear to be the latter.

[tot_Ou_tard]

What fun! :D

Like in any field that requires a high level of talent and creativity there are total @$$wipes & there are unbelievably decent people. Marc is clearly one of the latter.


It also goes to show that Vood always does his homework. He'll try to get things correct, & usually (always?) does.

[R_of_G]

It definitely shows how much class Ribot has. So many musicians who are more well known but exponentially less talented and accomplished have massive egos. Marc answers emails for geeky fans.

Voodooman gets major props from me for sticking to his fact-based speculation when it seemed he may have been wrong, and in the end, he was correct all along. I definitely shows he knows his guitar model #'s. very impressive!

[duhvoodooman]

I don't claim to be particularly knowledgeable about vintage Gibson models, but I can Google with the best of 'em! ;)

And us career quality assurance guys are notoriously anal about our facts! :D

[R_of_G]

well, i think i showed my dedication to finding objective truth in my willingness to contact marc [still can't believe i actually did that]. facts rule.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Michael Shrieve I believe you have heard of but do not realize who it is. He was the longtime Santana drummer. "Two Doors" is a double album he did, half of which is with Shawn Lane on guitar and Jonas Hellborg on bass, the other half has Bill Frisell on guitar and Wayne Horvitz on organ. Both halves are good stuff.

One more rec, if I may, for those of you looking for still more Marc Ribot and or Bill Frisell. Check out Dave Douglas' solo work [Douglas is the trumpet player in Zorn's Masada and other Zorn projects]. "Freak In" features Marc Ribot and "Strange Liberation" features Frisell.
Well then I 8do8 know who Michael Shrieve is.

I love Zorn as well.

Thanks for the heads up about Zony Mash! I just picked up

Brand Spankin' New

which I just listen to & is great &

The Farewell Concert

a live double album that I have yet to listen to.

[R_of_G]

Congrats on finding some ZM. "BSN" is a spectacular album [esp. "Meet the Zony Mash"]. I highly rec you find a copy of their first album "Cold Spell" which is phenomenal from top to bottom, and features a cover of Zorn's "Sex Fiend." Upper Egypt is also a good album [esp the titular Pharoah Sanders cover]. As for the farewell cd's, don't judge live Zony Mash on that bc they're not the best cd's. My friend Curtis was friends with their bass player Keith Lowe, and was able to record sounboard versions of their shows at High Sierra. He also taped two shows they did here in Florida. Those are some great ZM shows. The albums are good too though, and when you are obsessed with them enough, check out "American Bandstand." It is an acoustic album under Wayne Horvitz' name that is all four members of Zony Mash acoustic. Very beautiful.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Congrats on finding some ZM. "BSN" is a spectacular album [esp. "Meet the Zony Mash"]. I highly rec you find a copy of their first album "Cold Spell" which is phenomenal from top to bottom, and features a cover of Zorn's "Sex Fiend." Upper Egypt is also a good album [esp the titular Pharoah Sanders cover]. As for the farewell cd's, don't judge live Zony Mash on that bc they're not the best cd's. My friend Curtis was friends with their bass player Keith Lowe, and was able to record sounboard versions of their shows at High Sierra. He also taped two shows they did here in Florida. Those are some great ZM shows. The albums are good too though, and when you are obsessed with them enough, check out "American Bandstand." It is an acoustic album under Wayne Horvitz' name that is all four members of Zony Mash acoustic. Very beautiful.

I agree "Meet the Zony Mash" was my favorite cut.

No worry. I'm used to listening to live shows with the knowledge that that particular recording of that night may not be the best or even most representative recording.

[zeusse]

well, i think i showed my dedication to finding objective truth in my willingness to contact marc [still can't believe i actually did that]. facts rule.Now if your really feeling like taking a chance send him a invite to the site now that would be real cool if he stopped in to say hello:D

[tot_Ou_tard]

I listened to most of Disc 1 of the Zony Mash Farewell Concerts.

Incredible! The do have a Meters vibe, but with a heaping helping of creative asymmetry.

I'm gonna love these guys. Thanks again R_of_G.

[R_of_G]

I know the feeling! When my friend Curtis first played them for me, I was unable to listen to anything else for months. Def a Meters vibe [they are, of course, named for a Meters song and album]. IMHO, they can get "in the pocket" tighter than almost any band since the Meters, but they still have a sound all their own.

As this is a guitar forum primarily, I will talk Tim Young first. His guitar playing is, in a word, spectacular. I had the chance to both see him live and hang out with the band before the show. Actually, when the band left Florida the next day headed to North Carolina, the drummer [Andy Roth] realized he had left his cymbals behind at the club the night before. He called Curtis, and off we went to go recover them and Fed Ex them to the hotel the Mash would be staying at in NC. Good times.

Anyway, Tim is a great guy, and one of the best guitar players I have ever seen. He makes up a third of my personal trinity of active guitar platyers with, as you may have guessed, Ribot, and Bill Frisell. The three of them influence me so much it's indescribable.

Now, there's no talking about Zony Mash without talking Wayne Horvitz. If you are not already convinced he is the absolute master of the B-3 [no offense to the late Jimmy Smith], pick up a copy of Cold Spell, listen to track #4 "Prudence RSVP," and a couple of minutes in you will hear the single coolest tone I have ever heard in my life [a headphone lovers dream tone]. It's like tonal crack.

Keith Lowe the bass player is the coolest guy ever. Google him and check out his website, he always has cool links and stuff. He is also an amazing player, and for a time Curtis owned and played one of Keith's old basses, a Danelectro silver sparkle. Andy Roth, the afforementioned drummer, can hold down a groove like nobody else [you have already heard his fourth of Meet the Zony Mash, and the live stuff. I have heard a LOT of live ZM, and when the are off, it's almost never Andy.]

So glad you are into these guys. Too bad they are done, but the three albums and live stuff I have [which was legally taped btw, as they allow taping for non-commercial trading, something I wish every artist would do]. If you are interested in doing some trading, let me know, I have several ZM shows, most of them extremely high quality, and I'd be more than happy to set up some trades so you can hear it. These guys are amazing live, and imho the officially released live material doesn't do them justice. The shows I have def do.


I listened to most of Disc 1 of the Zony Mash Farewell Concerts.

Incredible! The do have a Meters vibe, but with a heaping helping of creative asymmetry.

I'm gonna love these guys. Thanks again R_of_G.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Those are some great stories R_of_G. I can't wait to hear more!