Rabbit Hole to Alvin Youngblood Hart!
Got sucked into an interwebz rabbit hole the other day. Had it in my head – arguing in my head – about whether I needed another amp, and as a concession to the “no you don’t” side was looking at cheap amps.
One such amp is the ’80s Marshall 5010 Master Lead solid state combo. By pretty much all accounts a POS, but then I came across a vid of a dude named Alvin Youngblood Hart playing this:
Holee crap! To quote someone on the YouTube page where that vid is: “Well this kicks at least nine kinds of ass!”
Yep. So…Alvin Youngblood Hart. Name sounded familiar, but all I had was cobwebs and dust upstairs. Hit a few more vids and websites, and re-found that he’s a bluesman. Known as. For sho he can do the solo acoustic blues thing stupidly well. I mean, not sure anyone alive in the last century or so could do it better. Then I tripped over this (wish it could be embedded but it can’t):
Is that great or what?! Wish the new ZZ Top, Joe Bonamassa, etc. sounded like that….
From there I spent the day listening to iTunes snips of Alvin tearing it up one way or t’other but…never really in that way again. Dang it!
Gotta mention: When Alvin posted that audience-supplied vid clip on YoubusToobus, he titled it: “Alvin Youngblood Hart Marshall JCM 800-4212.” Not even the song title!
Again: that great or what? Obviously a fellow gear head, seems like he mods amps too (the stock Marshall 5010 won’t sound like that!). Will try to chase him down for a Q&A at some point. In the mean time, enjoy his stuff. Great!
Here’s the full “Shoot Me a Grin.” I’d say it kicks at least 10 kids of ass. Woooooo!
More
> Tour dates from Alvin’s website.
Category: Alvin Youngblood Hart, Marshall
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alvin with audley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuK1RBXAkOU
AYH is an awesome player-singer-writer-and yes,quite a gear-head as well. He is/was a member on PlexiPalace discussion board for a number of years. Haven’t seen him there much lately,but then again I don’t hang there as much either. It’s an excellent resource for vintage amps-esp. Marshall-but of course lots of knowledgable Fender, Hiwatt, Orange, etc. contributors. Alvin used to spend part of each year playing in Europe,( I think based out of Switzerland). He gets a kick out of modding up cheaper pawnshop type equipment deals. He got into electronics in the USCG as a radio or radar man,iirc. Hope that helps. You should do an interview with him, if you can catch up with him. He lives in Tennessee-can’t remember whether Nashville or Memphis area.