He says "Hand strength is everything". He is so right! Throughout the decades I always worked on numerous exercises up and down the neck to increase my strength and dexterity. It kept me going. 1.5 years I suffered a stroke and now just regaining the use of my left hand. My left is so weak. I can't play at all now. Its only been in the last month, I was strong enough to play a single note - never mind the vibrato!

Saw this guy in a small gig last year and both he and his band were completely incredible. So much passion and commitment. One of the best gigs I've ever been to

His closing statements on beauty and simplicity struck home, very inspiring Mr. Simo!

I keep coming back to this video and studying his vibrato and his commentary about hand strength. Amazing and inspirational.

"the neck pickup is the neck pickup"....I like this cat

Jesus Christ, these pickups sound beautiful and Simo really knows how to get his tone. Lovely guitar!

Never heard of this guy but became a fan right now! What he says about guitar changes and how horn players will stick to one horn for an entire gig (or career!) makes SO MUCH sense!

What a great video. Great production to boot.

Good life lesson here. You can lean on others, but to be truly happy and satisfied, be yourself and find your own path.

the way this guy describes things so concisely and truly in just the right order, you can tell he's a great teacher. awesome guitarist too. and very knowledgeable about different players/styles from a number of fields. i subscribed to this channel and am going to investigate mr. Simo's music soon enough. ps-very happily awaiting an Eart 335 copy which seems quite well made. think i got lucky.

Saw him when he was 17 in a Nashville bar, he was great then and just keeps getting better

His guitar sounds so lightweight and airy... Incredibly open and dynamic with so much clarity and yet so much balls and aggression

Probaly the finest electric guitar ever made !! thankyou for all this great info on its use ! I have just a washburn copy but she beautiful and i love her till death ))

This guy has one of the best live tones I have ever heard.

Sweet guitar. Spot on advice about the dynamics in approaching the guitar. All kinds of tones going on with one instrument if you take advantage of it. Great player.

Mr. Frodo !

I always come back to this video every year and every year i'm not only amazed by JD's playing but also his gigantic hands. Good thing he's such a nice guy would hate to think what a hit from this mitts could do lol.

I wish Gibson would go ahead and make that production model version of his 335 and not just the custom shop one. He’s mentioned it in vids for like 2 years now. Still one of my favorite players hands down!

Excellent interview. I love his attention to the basics of techniques

I've watched lots of clips of JD playing many different guitars and it's easy to see why this guitar is the one. Something special comes across, like Chuck Berry or Freddie King with their respective guitars. Congrats JD on finding that elusive "one".

Lovelovelove the T-Bone Walker bit.Fantastic playing and a helpful mod.

J.D. Is the MAN! Great interview!

He's like the Tom Morello of the blues. Really impressive!

Faaaantastic played and an awesome Sound and Guitar. Great example that at first you have to play with the different adjustments at the Guitar before using Pedals.

That in fact may be the best "middle position" sound I've ever heard.

There's just so much bottom end in the 335's tone, always loved it for that reason... and yet there's also such clarity up the top end, and a big fat mid range too... in fact, is there anything about the 335 that isn't awesome?!

I'm stealing all these licks - (or at least I'm going to try!). JD's the man. Thanks, *The Guitar Magazine*!

LOVE his comment on the fact that horn players show up to the gig with one axe and squeeze all the tone they can out of it instead of just opening one more case... cheers.

Great video and impressed!

It does seem like people today don't care enough about that connection with one guitar. I recently go mine.. it's a 2019 LP Traditional and it's a special one. The stars aligned for me after 20 years and now I don't want to play any others. I've already played this one a ton and I'm familiar with it. It sounds amazing into my 65 princeton reissue!

Beauty & Simplicity - amen JD!!

I recently have been using my 1982 Ibanez as80 artist (very similar to an old es335) through a cranked 68' super...man alive, that's a sound, gibby through a cranked blackface

Back in the shire Samwise used to play a telecaster through a deluxe reverb 2x12

I saw him open up for Ace Frehley this past year. He and his band were incredible !!!!

Great player, I have fallen in love with the new 335's myself.

I don't know why, but JD's explanations always help me improve my guitar playing in ways that some great teachers on youtube don't.

That man has a great catalogue of killer tunes 👌

Some valid, useful advice I would say-the details and letting the guitar breath by not hitting it too hard and choking the character of the notes off-hand strength - yep all great stuff.

one of the best guys around....you gotta love the man

Years ago I watched this and thought it was so cool.... ...now I’m watching it and it’s even cooler. JD doesn’t give a fck when it comes to his playing. He’s the modern day bluesman. Plays how he wants and it’s like take it or leave it

Really enjoyed this ...Love that 335 Tone!! THumbs up on this clip!

Great tones!

This was awesome. Loved the tips about hand strength ...and the light picking hand. Reminds me a lot when he demonstrated it of Peter Greens playing. Totally got the bending right. Amazing stuff!!! I will now practice!!!

probably the most versatile guitar you can buy

wonderful player

One of the best players around nowadays. 🙏

This man understands his instrument.

I liked when he made that tackle in the movie

Inspirational. Worth the watch.

I'm a late comer to this but Mr Simo is spot on with his views on touch and feel.

I sat with a secondhand 335 I’ve just acquired (never had one before - only played S and T style guitars) whilst watching this, and learned a ton. What a dude

My cat went mad when he did that bird slide technique.

Awesome player, awesome

Wow ! Great tips.

If you ever need a new INDESTRUCTIBLE case for a 335, check this out: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gNaYasV73ay3Z4U.html

question do u guys like the pick guard on or off?

I was so sad when this guy died on Stranger Things

I'm still looking for the sweet spot to get great sustain & feedback

Great tone

What amp is he using? I missed it if they said. Anybody know?

What a guitar historian he really is and thats rare

I like that tcb ring.

So do you think i need to buy a fender strat?!can i get a strat sound on my es 335 semi hollow?

I'm digging the strap locks he's using on this. Looks like the rubber washers that come on the tops of Grolsh beer bottles. Very cost effective compared to buying strap locks. Only $10 for a six pack, you get six washers, plus you get to drink a decent beer.

Interesting player

What pickups are in that majestic beast?

He's wearing a Elvis Tcb ring , very cool

whats with the scarf ? was it cold in the building ?

jd simo is awesome .

Could you be so kind to tell what his amp was this time? Sounds amazing matched with his 335..

Y'all need to turn up the thermostat in there. My man shouldn't have to wear a scarf and coat inside to stay warm.

A JD Simo signature 335? I'm intrigued

I like his diplomatic response to playing Duane's guitar. These days it's really easy to overglorify gear... which I'm certainly guilty of... but it was a tool for him that worked well, and that's a philosophy that helps your playing/performing skills.

JD, thanks for the words of wisdom. I just got back from "KZfaq Land" where I got my 1st look at your work. Flabberghasted ! Great voice. Great-lyrical guitar playing. Your drummer is a real finesse player. Your bassist, however, seems to be fucking up your vocal range with his choice of rather nasty tones. I mean he needs to be supporting your voice, not stepping all over it. Sorry, but you're too important a talent to not say something. Good luck.

When he plays the string softly and gets the long sustain, couldn't help but think of Spinal Tap

He is quite skilled.

🔥🔥🔥

JD is a great guitarist

Where can I take a class to learn how to shake the guitar after every note?

That's the guitar for that guy. So much in there...

MASTERCLASS ..genius

Does a Gibson come with such a fancy scarf? Because if it does, I'm in.

rockn rolly!

This dude is cool

Connected? A famous base player's wife invited me in their mill valley house when a neighborhood issue came up. He was rushing around to catch a plane and didn't have a single guitar in the house for me to show him a song I wrote perfect to put his band back on the charts. His band had been neck-n-neck with the stones the prior 2 years at number 1 but fell off the face of the earth after that. He thought I was Orenet Coleman because I had played the B side of the 1970 Science Fiction album (where) Orenet solos (no backup) on my patio one night. All I could do was to explain I didn't play the sax but needed a guitar to show him the song. But he was only interested in talking about Orenet.

"It's the shittiest sounding amp you've ever heard...but it's amazing." Well said.

Is that an Elvis TCB ring?

This guy is good, don't base your appraisal of his playing on this video alone. You should check out [Be With You - electrifying encore at the Tavastia Club, Helsinki, Finland Dec 8, 2016] and all the others first.

Jazz isn't dead it just smells funny

Great

THE MAN

cuanto sabes figazza!!!

He's a wonderful guitarist but I'm cringing every time his ring hits his finish in conversation. It's like he's passively trying to relic it.

Sean Astin?

Was this guy in Goonies?

Hit like of you checked what year it was recorded , as soon as he coughed .

Glad I'm not the only one who says Three Thirty-Five instead of the more common, Three Three Five lol

Some guitarists like to treat guitars like they are babies. Keep them in cases!! Others hit them and twist them and bang them into stuff. I like the batterers personally. Smack it up, swear at it, never sell it enjoy the wear

This dude looks like a character from a Dr. Seuss book.

Did not expect the push-pull.