Hey 80's fans.. John Norum back to rocking a strat..

[Kapo_Polenton]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mgzpwZqEUQ A lot of this show on youtube has him rockin the strat. Now he seems to have kept his licks firmly rooted in the Moore / Shenker camp and is using a lot more wah but i think his playing comes alive a bit more on the strats so I'm digging it. I am a fanboy though...

Now if he could dig a little deeper and rip out the Malmsteen licks, I could crush on him some more..

PS- Yet another example of a guy who has NOT lost his chops. So when we bag on guys for sucking, get over it, this is Rig Talk and we are the most important board out there. Nothing and nobody gets by us.... nobody!

PSS- I'm important. Because in my mind I am.

Thanks for reading!

 

[rupe]

Meh...who cares about this 80's dinosaur with awesome chops, killer tone, and a great sense of melody?
When he starts playing 1 finger power chords on a detuned 8-string using a shit-ton of gain while staring at the floor in front of him, then I'll be impressed.

 

[Wayniac3]

Meh...who cares about this 80's dinosaur with awesome chops, killer tone, and a great sense of melody?
When he starts playing 1 finger power chords on a detuned 8-string using a shit-ton of gain while staring at the floor in front of him, then I'll be impressed.

He was a monster the 2 times I saw him live (both tone AND chops, as well as stage presence)- once on the Don Dokken Solo tour, and once with Dokken

 

[lespaul6]

great player! I heard some 32nd notes in there so he is right with malmsteen in places.. He must have a stacked single coil in the bridge? sounded fat like a humbucker.

I'm sure someone will have something negative to say.. its just the way it is around here.

 

[Deleted member 13074]

Look forward to seeing that.
Have kept up with Europe's output over the years and John's solo stuff.
I prefer his touch on a Strat and the extra clarity that brings, although would have expected a bucker in the bridge. It's all good.

 

[rupe]

Meh...who cares about this 80's dinosaur with awesome chops, killer tone, and a great sense of melody?
When he starts playing 1 finger power chords on a detuned 8-string using a shit-ton of gain while staring at the floor in front of him, then I'll be impressed.

He was a monster the 2 times I saw him live (both tone AND chops, as well as stage presence)- once on the Don Dokken Solo tour, and once with Dokken

I was shocked that with Dokken, Billy White actual got most of the solos. As a Norum fan it was a bit of a bummer, but White definitely delivered. Kinda like Reb Beach playing second fiddle to Aldrich in Whitesnake.

 

[gtrwun]

Norum still has it, no doubt. Cool to see him rocking the Strat. Tone was good considering the quality of the video in general.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Not sure what is in the bridge and neck. FS-1's were used but more than likely HS-3 or fender stock. Been toying around with getting strat with 3 traditional sized singles but they'd have to be hum cancelling and hotter. I think i'd go Dimarzio heavy blues or the virtual solo pups.. keep the highs controlled. I've learned that anything too chimey just doesn't work for me.

 

[RG955TT]

Go Virtual solo if you do that, the Heavy Blues 2 I tried first was too bright and lacked body/bottom in the bridge for me. VS much better while still sounding like a strat. Great P.U in my opinion

 

[Badronald]

Not sure what is in the bridge and neck. FS-1's were used but more than likely HS-3 or fender stock. Been toying around with getting strat with 3 traditional sized singles but they'd have to be hum cancelling and hotter. I think i'd go Dimarzio heavy blues or the virtual solo pups.. keep the highs controlled. I've learned that anything too chimey just doesn't work for me.

I love the Heavy Blues. Have an original (there is a 2 model now) in my #1 (far right in my avatar).
Really dig the Injectors (Candy Cola Strat in my avatar) as well. Big, loud and ballsy.

 

[Badronald]

Oh, and Norum does sound great with a Stratocaster. Everybody does. Unless they don't.

It's an, "Oh, that's what I really sound like" kind of guitar.

 

[paulyc]

Meh...who cares about this 80's dinosaur with awesome chops, killer tone, and a great sense of melody?
When he starts playing 1 finger power chords on a detuned 8-string using a shit-ton of gain while staring at the floor in front of him, then I'll be impressed.

He was a monster the 2 times I saw him live (both tone AND chops, as well as stage presence)- once on the Don Dokken Solo tour, and once with Dokken

I was shocked that with Dokken, Billy White actual got most of the solos. As a Norum fan it was a bit of a bummer, but White definitely delivered. Kinda like Reb Beach playing second fiddle to Aldrich in Whitesnake.

I LOVED Billy White and Norum on Up From The Ashes...anybody have a pro shot video of a live tour from that album ??? As much as the song Final Countdown is a bit cheesy, the solo in that song is awesome !

 

[V2a]

cool.
On a different Norum note, is anyone (else) interested to see his instructional DVD when it comes out?

 

[jimo]

Check out his Play Yard Blues album. Amazing shredding, tone and feel. I'm showing my age but for any of you influenced by Frank Marino you will love this music. -Jim

 

[paulyc]

I have a question about Norum, and I'm hoping someone will see it and have some background to be able to answer it. I remember reading an interview with Yngwie back in the 80s at some point, I think it was in Guitar Player or Guitar World magazine where he stated that there was "some guy" copying him, buying band rehersal tapes from Yngwie's other band members (this was taking place back in Sweden before Yngwie came to the states and got signed)...now I DO NOT WANT to ruffle anyone's feathers here, but could it have been Norum ? Just curious...I can certainly hear some Yngwie influence in a lot of his playing, and a strat with 3 singles was NOT the hot guitar to be using when Final Countdown came out (I would have thought EVERYONE had a strat style with a 'bucker in the bridge by then), so it kinda makes sense (his guitar is even a large headstock strat in Olympic white)...

 

[jimo]

I have a question about Norum, and I'm hoping someone will see it and have some background to be able to answer it. I remember reading an interview with Yngwie back in the 80s at some point, I think it was in Guitar Player or Guitar World magazine where he stated that there was "some guy" copying him, buying band rehersal tapes from Yngwie's other band members (this was taking place back in Sweden before Yngwie came to the states and got signed)...now I DO NOT WANT to ruffle anyone's feathers here, but could it have been Norum ? Just curious...I can certainly hear some Yngwie influence in a lot of his playing, and a strat with 3 singles was NOT the hot guitar to be using when Final Countdown came out (I would have thought EVERYONE had a strat style with a 'bucker in the bridge by then), so it kinda makes sense (his guitar is even a large headstock strat in Olympic white)...

Huge Yngwie fan here. Yngwie has a song called "liar" that I think is about what you are referring to. I always wondered who he was talking about. Anyway, these days to me Norum is a little bit Yngwie with some Gary Moore but also has his own thing going on. Incredible player...... -Jim

 

[steve2112]

1st off...great to see John Norum get mentioned! His 80's work is kind of dated...but most of 80's work is so...{shrug}.

jimo is correct...if you like blues-based rock....check the Play yard Blues album. Very nice. Not quite Gary Moore legendary..but nice listening anyway.

Not sure about the Yngwie story..but lots of guys were influenced by Yngwie rather than or along with EVH. That story sounds like an internet legend trying to get born...but who cares? Word has it that EVH turned around on stage while he was doing his tapping so no one could tell he was actually ripping someone else off and didn't want anyone to know...lol. (I kid)

I do not read too much into what guitar player uses what guitar. Most of my influences use MANY guitars....namely Alex Lifeson...so I don't see some cataclysmic operation going on here. But hey if you want to start internet fantasmic ufo files...well okay. John plays well on both strat and lp...so...whatever.

It's all about the music. Enjoy!

 

[steve2112]

I have a question about Norum, and I'm hoping someone will see it and have some background to be able to answer it. I remember reading an interview with Yngwie back in the 80s at some point, I think it was in Guitar Player or Guitar World magazine where he stated that there was "some guy" copying him, buying band rehersal tapes from Yngwie's other band members (this was taking place back in Sweden before Yngwie came to the states and got signed)...now I DO NOT WANT to ruffle anyone's feathers here, but could it have been Norum ? Just curious...I can certainly hear some Yngwie influence in a lot of his playing, and a strat with 3 singles was NOT the hot guitar to be using when Final Countdown came out (I would have thought EVERYONE had a strat style with a 'bucker in the bridge by then), so it kinda makes sense (his guitar is even a large headstock strat in Olympic white)...

Huge Yngwie fan here. Yngwie has a song called "liar" that I think is about what you are referring to. I always wondered who he was talking about. Anyway, these days to me Norum is a little bit Yngwie with some Gary Moore but also has his own thing going on. Incredible player...... -Jim

Jim...I didn't see your post before I posted..but funny we both mentioned Gary Moore. Warren Haynes and Joe Bonamassa sort of have that genre/torch locked up...but John could very well vie for it if he wanted to.

 

[paulyc]

1st off...great to see John Norum get mentioned! His 80's work is kind of dated...but most of 80's work is so...{shrug}.

jimo is correct...if you like blues-based rock....check the Play yard Blues album. Very nice. Not quite Gary Moore legendary..but nice listening anyway.

Not sure about the Yngwie story..but lots of guys were influenced by Yngwie rather than or along with EVH. That story sounds like an internet legend trying to get born...but who cares? Word has it that EVH turned around on stage while he was doing his tapping so no one could tell he was actually ripping someone else off and didn't want anyone to know...lol. (I kid)

I do not read too much into what guitar player uses what guitar. Most of my influences use MANY guitars....namely Alex Lifeson...so I don't see some cataclysmic operation going on here. But hey if you want to start internet fantasmic ufo files...well okay. John plays well on both strat and lp...so...whatever.

It's all about the music. Enjoy!

This interview was back in the 80s, well before the internet. Is Norum Swedish ? Or from some other European country near Sweden ? I know Europe are a Swedish band, so I assumed Norum was from there.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

John definitely has the neoclassical thing down pat when he wants it.. he also has 2 to 3 signature pentatonic blues riffs which Malmsteen sometimes leaned on as well. In short, if he did cop some licks, I could see it. In the grand scheme of things though, he also did his own thing with the speedy runs that weren't always harmonic minor, didn't do yngwies pedal tone lick, and as we've all seen, has enough Moore and Shenker in his playing to be himself. Norum is Swedish though yes.

As for the song "liar" sounds more to me like a song about a chick lying... you know, a relationship song in between all the dungeons and dragons stuff.

So that's one vote for the Virtual solo and one for the heavy blues. Funny how they are described the exact opposite in each thread. One says the heavy blues lacks bottom end, another says it is ballsy and fat. I'm thinking whichever way I went, I'd prob go all VS or all heavy blues. The idea is to cover the Malmsteen, Blackmore, Norum with strats thing. Might just trade one of my LP copies for a mexi strat at some point.. I too am finding myself more of a strat guy. Shape, feel, attack. Rosewood fretboard for me!