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Instruments
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Most of the time you'll see us out and about with just the guitars.
Taylor XXV-DR Limited Edition - FOR SALE
It had to happen sometime - in May 2005 Jimmy finally added his own Taylor to the jiva guitar collection. It is a Limited Edition 25th Anniversary XXV-DR dreadnought 6-string with beautiful looks matched by a magnificent acoustic sound. The trebles are bell-like in clarity, complemented by rich mid-range and bass. It has a Taylor-fitted Fishman Matrix Stereo blender pickup system which makes for wonderful amplified sound.
So, our acquaintance with the Yamaha CPX15A was short lived. It is sad to part with such a lovely instrument, but needs must, and it has gone to a good home.
Taylor 855
June 2005: another Taylor? Yes, it’s true… this 12-string is gorgeous. The distinctive, rounded jumbo shape combined with the Taylor headstock is a sight to behold. The 12-string fretboard is wider than our 6-strings, but the sleek Taylor neck makes this guitar eminently playable. And the sound is unbelievable - top end tinkling Taylor clarity, mid-range sweetness, a resounding bottom end and the added sparkle of 12 strings. Wow!
It has an EMG under-bridge pickup and EQ/volume controls on the shoulder. We’re still experimenting with the settings, but one thing’s for sure… it has a big sound, a very big sound.
Taylor 810-CE - FOR SALE
August 2005: yet again, another Taylor - Val prefers the 810-CE Indian Rosewood to the 810-L1 Brazilian Rosewood, and so has changed guitars again! The 810-CE is a stunner… it has the Taylor brightness and clarity, well-balanced mid-range and a powerful tight-sounding bass. It truly sparkles both in sound and looks, and is the perfect partner to any of our other 800 series guitars
It has a Taylor-fitted Fishman Matrix Stereo blender pickup system which makes for wonderful amplified sound.
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Taylor 855 May 2007: another Taylor? Another 12-string? Yes, indeed… twin sister to the 855 we bought in June 2005. This is another fine example of Taylor build quality, playability, sound and good looks. It has a beautifully balanced and rounded sound with that distinctive Taylor bell-like precision. This one has the Expression System retro-fitted by Taylor, and it sounds as wonderful amplified as it does acoustically. |
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Taylor 910CE-L7 September 2007: surely not another Taylor? Yes, absolutely. This guitar is a truly wonderful example of Taylor craftsmanship and attention to detail at it's best. Brazilian Rosewood back and sides with Engelmann Spruce top mean that this guitar looks superb and sounds incredible. The intricate inlay for the fret markers is a beautiful touch. It sounds great acoustically - the treble possessing the bell-like quality that we love, and the balance through mid-range to bass is light and clear. The Taylor Expression System ensures that every nuance of playing is captured and faithfully reproduced when plugged into the PA. |
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Taylor 910CE September 2007: gasp! No, really - this is not a mis-print. Jimmy has a brand new Taylor 910CE-L7 (see above), and Val now has a brand new 910CE brother (or is it sister?). This is the perfect companion - it has the same immaculate construction, differing only slightly in that it has Indian Rosewood back and sides, super Gotoh 510 tuners and the 900 series fret marker inlay pattern reproduced on the bridge. Its acoustic sound is excellent... bright, crystal clear across the whole range - and beautifully captured by the Taylor Expression system when amplified. The two 910s together produce a subtle, uncluttered blend that is distinctively jiva. |
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Baby Taylor BT1 -
'Lucy' October 2007: delivered direct from Sound Technology as a promotional gift for recent purchasers of Taylor guitars, we've now added a Baby Taylor to the collection. She is a lovely, fun to play, travel size guitar - and looks so cute next to our Jumbo-size 855 12-string guitars. We're both really pleased with the big sound that comes from such a sweet little instrument. No electrics, but that's no problem - if we want to feature Baby Lucy in the live act we can either mike her up or limit her outings to acoustic performances. |
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Baby Taylor BT1 - 'Jack' December 2007: we just had to have a baby brother for Lucy, so now Val is the proud owner of Baby Jack. Somewhat darker than his sister, Baby Jack has the same characteristic big sound for such a little chap. We're not sure if, when or how we can feature the twins in our live performances - no electrics, so acoustic only... or they could be miked up if needs be. But for the moment, they are both such good fun to play - it's difficult to walk past them and not stop for a little strum or pick. Why 'Jack'? And why 'Lucy'? All is revealed in our 31 December 2007 News Item... |
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Yamaha FG580 Since buying it in 1978, the Yamaha FG580 6-string guitar has been Jimmy's constant companion and favourite instrument. During a period of madness and generosity he loaned the 580 to a fellow musician and, when it was returned, it only had 5 working machine heads. So the original Yamaha tuners were replaced with Grovers. At the same time, a Martin Thinline under-bridge pickup was fitted - this was replaced in November 2003 with a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking soundhole pickup. He's resisted many offers from people wanting to buy it for considerably more than his purchase price. Although his main 6-string is now a Limited Edition Taylor 810, we couldn’t bear to part with the FG580, and so plan to keep her busy with alternative tunings (eg D-A-D-G-A-D). |
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Yamaha FG630 It took 15 years of searching before Jimmy found the perfect companion to the FG580 - the Yamaha FG630 12-string. It has the same materials as the 580 - Brazilian Jacaranda Rosewood back and sides, spruce top, and ebony fingerboard. In July 2004 we swapped the previously installed Fishman Matrix Natural II under-bridge pickup for the Natural I model. Like the FG580, this guitar has served us well, and was an important feature in establishing the jiva sound. Our main 12-string is now the Taylor 855, so it’s unlikely that the FG630 will appear in our future live performances, but this guitar will remain part of our treasured collection. |
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Taylor Big Baby Smaller than the Yamahas, the Big Baby was easier for Val to play (she's only little, 5' 2"). For such a small guitar the Taylor produces a big, crystal clear sound - so much so that Jimmy also wanted a Taylor (and now we both play Taylors). In October 2003 we decided to 'electrify' the Big Baby and had a Fishman Matrix Natural I under-bridge pickup fitted. In July 2004 we swapped the Natural I for a Natural II pickup, thus reducing the bass boom. In May 2007 we removed this pickup and installed in the Taylor 810-L1. Val now plays the magnificent Taylor 810-CE but, along with our Yamaha FG guitars, the Big Baby has a special place in our past and will remain in our guitar archive. |
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Cases Our full-size Taylors come with high quality Taylor cases – but we use Hiscox guitar cases for the others - great product at a good price, and excellent customer service. |
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This is a Westfield flatback acoustic in a beautiful, deep sunburst finish. |
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Jimmy bought a Kawai K1 in 1988 because of its rich string sounds. He still can't play it very well but Val, having played piano, has adapted quickly to the K1. We bought a Yamaha PSR1500 workstation which, because of its onboard speaker system, gave us the option of including keyboards in an acoustic (ie without PA system) venue. However, it was such a complicated machine with so many buttons and settings that we seemed to spend more time twiddling than actually making music with it. So the Kawai is now creeping back into favour. We’re concentrating on guitar-based songs, so it may be some time before keyboards become part of the live set. |
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Techie Stuff
Elixir strings are more expensive than normal strings, but we find that they sound cleaner and brighter, and retain their clarity longer than any other make we've tried. (And no, sadly, we're not sponsored by the makers of Elixir strings.) |
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Hardware - Performing Bose L1 Model II Cylindrical Radiator speaker system...this high tech, high spec system is phenomenal - it combines classy, cool looks with an amazing clarity of sound that seems to effortlessly fill the stage and the venue. Our setup comprises:
There is no need for separate stage monitoring and Front of House systems - all we add to the above is our guitars, leads and:
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So we no longer need for the following items:
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Hardware - Recording
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| Phone: 077868 36223 |
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