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Ram Jam Black Betty. Unusual Les Paul ?

Steve Craw

Formerly Lefty Elmo
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
5,295
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO4PJCtgX5k
I'll offer this up as an alternative to the Ram Jam video. This made me laugh my ass off! BTW, one of our local joints does kareoke several nights a week. If the hot bartendress is there she always gets me to do Black Betty. It never fails to bring the house down.
 

c_wester

Well-known member
Joined
May 9, 2002
Messages
2,116
Thats Probably the Best Guitar Solo ever played. If you ask me that is.
Still i love it!
 

jackdonovan

Member
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Mar 18, 2003
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705
I know this is an old thread but I was interested in the sound that Ram Jam got.

pickups are 70s issue humbuckers with gibson stamped onto them ... the headstock looks like a special edition model like 15 or 20 year anniversary or something. Maybe re-necked from another model.
Whether what we hear from the record is this guitar or not is debatable too and there is another in the band with playing a les paul also.
 

fentonjames

New member
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Dec 13, 2009
Messages
253
i hit pause at 55 seconds, good shot of headstock. i don't know. doesn't look gibson. isn't shaped at all like one on the sides, too thin. then the top of it with the cut out. odd inlay.
 

Gibsononly

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Apr 25, 2004
Messages
809
In reference to the thread posted earlier, Bill Bartlett was in both groups. There's a video of the Lemon Pipers on youtube where Bartlett is dicking around with an early 50's goldtop. It's the one where they're lip synching on the merry-go-round.

The guitar in the Ram Jam video very likely could be an early 50's body, re-necked and routed for humbuckers and an ABR-1. Given the way he's treating the guitar in the Lemon Pipers vid I wouldn't be surprised if it was damaged and repaired.

Here's the video: Green Tambourine
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
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Aug 2, 2001
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42,567
You should know this as we have talked about it before... :)


Well here goes.

The Magic with Bursts/50s Gibson is probably the wood, you can almost have any eletronics and pickups in them and they sound Great somewhat different but still Great. And almost all Historics and later made guitars lack the bite of the 50s wood. Because it is softer and cannot produce the Middle and Treble like the Originals.

And the part of the Guitar that has the least wood is the Neck and obviously most tension.And most Historics have softer and somewhat spongier necks.
Which cannot produce the lacking harmonics for the pickups to "hear".

And the so called 50s wood i have understood is almost always Hard and stable. Thus being able to produce a more wide spectrum than the Historics and other guitars that dont have the harder wood as the sought after Early 50s wood Gibsons.



How does that sound?


Christer

Not very convincing.
Assuming what you say is true [and I do not concede that], how do you know what wood was used for the reneck? Possibly a "donor" neck from another 50s Les Paul?

I do not believe anyone can pick out "re-necked" vintage Les Pauls from a blind sound test. :ganz
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
I mean were would the specs lie that gives it the sound if not in the Neck?

All the other parts and pieces.

Personally, I don't think the neck is the key to the sound.
And, I don't think a "59 neck" on a Historic would make it sound like a Burst.
But, of course, that's just my opinion also.
:salude
 

jackdonovan

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2003
Messages
705
i hit pause at 55 seconds, good shot of headstock. i don't know. doesn't look gibson. isn't shaped at all like one on the sides, too thin. then the top of it with the cut out. odd inlay.

I take note of the all your comments guys ... thanks..

The headstock inlay is reminiscent of a Gibson L5ces model but the finger board is a normal les paul.

could be a hybrid of different bits but those humbuckers are the 70s ones.

Great sound though....
 

c_wester

Well-known member
Joined
May 9, 2002
Messages
2,116
All the other parts and pieces.

Personally, I don't think the neck is the key to the sound.
And, I don't think a "59 neck" on a Historic would make it sound like a Burst.
But, of course, that's just my opinion also.
:salude

I think thats exactly what would happen.
Its the same with guitars that have bolted necks.
The tone follows the neck.

Not a 100% but I suspect most of it.
 
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