Billie joe's guitar

Bstatic · 01-09-2005 9:00pm #1

Was watching the vma's the other day on mtv, and was saw the green day performance which was very good. Anyway, does anyone know what guitar he was using?. I think it was prob a gibson les paul but don't know what kind. It looked good too like he had sanded it down and sprayed it black, there was no shiny gleam from it.

feylya · 01-09-2005 9:03pm

You got a picture of it? I think I know the one you're talking about. Possibly a Melody Maker?

Creamy Goodness · 01-09-2005 9:04pm

billie joe uses a lot of gibson les paul juniors, i didn't see the vma's myself but i'm guessing it's one of them

qz · 01-09-2005 9:05pm

Why oh why didn't he use Blue

Billie's guitar is a Fernandes Stratocaster copy he calls "Blue". On Nimrod he also used some Gibson's, some old Les Pauls, an ES-355, and ES-135 and a Fender Jaguar. He also made a guitar he call's "Frankenstein" because it is a combination of several different parts purchased at a Fender shop. Has a Seymour Duncan humbucker added to Blue.

Here's the one from the VMA's

feylya · 01-09-2005 9:07pm

Yup, looks like a Melody Maker. Could a Junior though maybe?

Bstatic · 01-09-2005 9:23pm

Thanks yeah its a melody maker, checked them out @gibson.com.
Uses a P-90 pickup, had a sound clip on site, sounded great!

novarock · 01-09-2005 9:39pm

sounds good. Billie Joe's a little teapot

Mystic Fibrosis · 01-09-2005 11:16pm

That guitar is ridiculously low. How could anyone play that??

novarock · 01-09-2005 11:21pm

I think thats the "in" thing now. All the kids are doing it. RSI written all over it!

Ro: maaan! · 01-09-2005 11:26pm

He rarely uses Blue anymore. At full gigs he only seems to use it for the odd song. And for things that they only play one or two songs at he almost never uses it. Certainly doesn't let anyone else play it anymore...

Nidge · 02-09-2005 11:05am

Mystic Fibrosis wrote:

That guitar is ridiculously low. How could anyone play that??

I've never really seen him play anything past the 8th fret or maybe even lower, chords chords chords, he really doesn't need the higher register, so the best thing he can do while playing guitar is look cool.

ferdi · 02-09-2005 4:17pm

Mystic Fibrosis wrote:

That guitar is ridiculously low. How could anyone play that??

he has always had his guitar down there

Billie%20Joe.jpg

off topic: that thread about 'captain planet' that just got closed is one of the funniest things i have ever read.

It wasn't me! · 02-09-2005 6:17pm

I play my guitar low, nt quite that low, but below waist level, and it's not that difficult. If it hampers anything more technical I want to do, I pull it up, but most of the time it doesn't affect my playing at all.

jcoote · 02-09-2005 6:42pm

its really a punk way of holding the guitar innit..i couldn't picture anyone pulling off an impressive solo wen they play that low

It wasn't me! · 02-09-2005 6:44pm

I can play Opeth stuff at that height, but it's more associated with punk alright. Great to jump around with it htat low though, thrashing out all that energy.

Ravelleman · 02-09-2005 6:47pm

It wasn't me! wrote:

Great to jump around with it htat low though, thrashing out all that energy.

Ewww. I hate EMO.

Creamy Goodness · 02-09-2005 6:49pm

i always have to have my guitar above waist level. having it that low just causing my wrist to be terribly sore and can't play anymore than like 10 minutes

It wasn't me! · 02-09-2005 6:55pm

Ravelleman wrote:

Ewww. I hate EMO.

As do I, but what the hell has energy got to do with Emo? If music doesn't have energy, there was little or no point in its creation. Also, punk is anything but emo.

novarock · 02-09-2005 7:06pm

I hold my bass just below my chest, helps when learning slap. Your elbow should be at a right angle to get the right amount of power. If it wasnt for that id hold it lower. Its just a matter of taste really.

Ravelleman · 02-09-2005 10:14pm

It wasn't me! wrote:

As do I, but what the hell has energy got to do with Emo? If music doesn't have energy, there was little or no point in its creation. Also, punk is anything but emo.

It's not so much about you. It was more inspired by that comment...

EMO does involve a lot of 'energy' though.

It wasn't me! · 02-09-2005 10:23pm

That's debatable, more whining involved than energy to be honest.

Punk has so much energy, anger and fury though.

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2005 10:37pm

Mystic Fibrosis wrote:

That guitar is ridiculously low. How could anyone play that??

Christ, I cant stand jerks who have the guitar dangling between their knees. It's a ****ing joke...

It wasn't me! · 02-09-2005 10:45pm

I only play it as low as I can wihtout compromising my playing. It's bad enough as it is, wihtout being detracted from!

Karl Hungus · 02-09-2005 10:48pm

Play it up higher, tbh.

feylya · 02-09-2005 10:50pm

Hetfield tbh

dr gonzo · 04-09-2005 1:27am

Ro: maaan! wrote:

He rarely uses Blue anymore. At full gigs he only seems to use it for the odd song. And for things that they only play one or two songs at he almost never uses it. Certainly doesn't let anyone else play it anymore...

I think he gave it to his son.

fish-head · 04-09-2005 12:39pm

I'd say that guitar is quite close to unplayable. The neck is pretty warped I think.
LP Juniors are cooler anyhow! Johnny Thunders used one..

ferdi · 04-09-2005 1:39pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

Christ, I cant stand jerks who have the guitar dangling between their knees. It's a ****ing joke...

jesus man chill!

its a matter of personal taste surely?

i am one of those jerks and i play guitar low cause it suits me that way. bass is a different matter however.

Karl Hungus · 04-09-2005 1:59pm

ferdi wrote:

i am one of those jerks

Admitting it is the first step.

Giblet · 04-09-2005 2:25pm

I'm a hip slinger myself, although I play faster when it's higher, but that's what the Slash pose is for

feylya · 04-09-2005 3:59pm

Hmm, that should be a whole different thread...

BossArky · 04-09-2005 5:40pm

I don't find low guitar strap effects technique as long as its at palm mutable height.

dregin · 04-09-2005 5:54pm

ferdi wrote:

bass is a different matter however.

Speaking of basses.....

NotMe · 05-09-2005 8:09am

jcoote wrote:

its really a punk way of holding the guitar innit..

It sure is

oogieboogie · 08-09-2005 6:06pm

That is one of billies many,many juniors,possibly a 57'... Its not a melody maker,although they look similar,the junior has a thicker headstock,thicker body,and it also has a pickguard. The ones billie uses are all vintage and there fore cost in the region of 2-4500 yoyos,****in expensive... But if your like me and love green day and billie joes style and sound,then theres some alternatives that sound pretty similar... Get a guitar with a p-90 pickup (gibson) for the type of guitar sound on the likes of warning and nimrod,he uses them on american idiot too,but i think the sound is a little too focused on some of the songs for it to be a junior, this is because he uses a standard,its called 'booty' i think... Your best bet is to get one of the les paul juniors off ebay,theres ones from the 80's and 90's,but they were discontinued in 2002,so you wont be getting one of them in the shop unless you go for the rediculously priced 'historic series' one,which costs as much as a vintage one!! Then theres the sles pauls special doublecut,which is the one i opted for,i just got it two weeks ago and i love it!!! It looks sort of like a junior,but it has two horns instead of one,two p-90s and 4 volume/control knobs... an example of how it sounds,is letterbomb on american idiot,they really let the open chords ring out,this is the sound i fell in love with!!!! ...And all of the stuff up to 'insomniac' he uses blue,which is a fernandes copy of a fender strat,on 1039 and kerplunk,blue had a bill lawrence pickup in the bridge position,which was later changed to a seymour duncan jeff beck. Used on all the classics... brainstew,christie road, paper lanterns!!!

and for the arguement about low straps,who cares if you cant play with your strap low,or if you think people who play ther guitars low are jerks or whatever,billie joe can play better than you can,and look ****in cool doing it too! listen to any green day show inbetween brainstew and jaded and you will hear him show off his guitar **** skills and robotic accuracy,he plays master of puppets scarily well!!! So dont be such a knob!!! We dont wear our guitar like a bra,but we still dont bitch about you...

It wasn't me! · 08-09-2005 7:56pm

oogieboogie wrote:

billie joe can play better than you can

Anyone else think they can outplay Billie Joe? *raises hand* Dear god, if I can't at least do that I really should quit playing!

Mystic Fibrosis · 08-09-2005 9:04pm

billie joe can play better than you can,and look ****in cool doing it too! listen to any green day show inbetween brainstew and jaded and you will hear him show off his guitar **** skills and robotic accuracy

fish-head · 09-09-2005 9:06pm

Hahahahahaha....The sheer brilliance. I dont think Johnny Ramone played the guitar so much as attacked it. Those Mosrites are cooooool..

BossArky · 10-09-2005 10:55am

oogieboogie wrote:

billie joe can play better than you can

!

SirLemonhead · 10-09-2005 3:17pm

Why does everyone think he's crap?

Mystic Fibrosis · 10-09-2005 4:05pm

Because he's the unofficial spokesman for three-chord trick guitarists everywhere.

sinjin_smythe · 10-09-2005 4:08pm

Mystic Fibrosis wrote:

Because he's the unofficial spokesman for three-chord trick guitarists everywhere.

And a damm good job he does

SirLemonhead · 10-09-2005 4:59pm

He does some pretty nice lead bits on their first album/EP combined thingy..

He's no Tom Delonge, damnit

Billie joe's guitar

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