George Van Eps Article

9/22/2017 Classic Jazz Guitar - Articles
Title George Van Eps... Seven Strings of Memories

by Jim LaDiana
Date 26 August, 2006
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A retrospective of a jazz guitar pioneer with daughter Kay

Search Van Eps
"The trappings of an individual's achievement are born of, and

actualized, in accordance with an ever-present, silent
partner...life. Is it talent alone that makes a musician? Is it
heredity? Is it education, dedication and practice? Is it
experience? Is it the synthesis of some of these elements, or,
of all? Perhaps the single greatest precursor to true success is
the essence of an individual's life; how one lives. It is to that
end in which I attempt to convey, through chronicled events
and a daughter's memory, that of master guitarist, musical
visionary, intellectual and loving father, George Van
Eps."__Jim LaDiana
"My father had a very clean style. He developed his own

fingering technique with his left hand - being left-handed he had a lot of strength. He could
sustain tones and move voicings around. He had a pianistic sound to it. And that is what he was
known for, but he was doing that way back when."__Kay Van Eps
The year is 1922. A young boy suffering from rheumatic fever lays flat on his lengthy bed that
had been moved to the dining room, perhaps to help him escape the many hours of loneliness.
On one particular night his mother and a friend, a viola player with the New York Philharmonic,
had made plans for the evening. Arriving early, her gentleman suitor offered to serenade the
ailing boy, not on his instrument, but upon a 5-string banjo. He loosened the fifth string, pulled it
aside over the neck and tuned it like a ukulele. As he sat on the edge of the bed, "I'm Alabamy
Bound" and "Somebody Stole My Gal" filled the air and the boy's senses. Shorthly after, the
players made off to their date.
Later, the boy slowly twisted and turned until he managed to grab the neck of the banjo that had
been left at his feet. He returned to a supine position with the banjo resting upon his chest.
During the next several hours, in the quiet of the dimly lit room, something wonderful transpired.
A revelation of sound, memory, dexterity and acute inner ability prevailed. When the musicians
returned, the boy, who had never played an instrument before, played for them "I'm Alabamy
Bound and "Somebody Stole My Gal."
Born of a family of six generations of musicians and watchmakers, the distinguished lineage
would proudly continue with the most recent discovery by a young George Van Eps.
7
One can only imagine the sheer look of astonishment and joy upon the faces of his mother and
her friend, Bill Lincer. Perhaps it was this single act of kindness shown by the violist, a future
professor at Julliard, who, planted the seeds of musical creation into the proliferate mind and
soul that George possessed.
The instrument that his hands negotiated and his ears listened to that special evening was a
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smaller, three-quarter size banjo that his father, Fred had made for him. Amazingly, George had
never held one in his hands before. It may be that his early musical development began when he
was not quite four years old, when his parents separated. His mother, Louise, and three older
brothers; Robert, Fred and John moved from his August 7, 1913, birthplace, Plainfield, New
Jersey, to Baldwin Harbor, New York. His mother was an astounding pianist and George's father,
Fred Van Eps' accompanist. When his brother Fred began to play the piano, music permeated
their home. Fred played arranger's piano and trumpet. (Arranger's piano involves working out
the right chords, leading tones and beautiful progressions for a particular song rather than actual
technical facility.)
The ever-present sound of harmony provided the finest ear-training for George. He would later
employ this subliminal, invaluable skill to quickly find the exact notes he wanted to play on the
banjo. Although his health had improved, he preferred to play 'lying down.'
George Van Eps inherited an immense wealth of talent, an innate talent, from generations of
mechanical and musical family. By virtue of his own meticulous personality, this self-schooled
musician gained additional insight into the minute intricacies of harmonic motion His admiration
of fine craftsmanship and detail, like music itself, were close to his soul.
Kay Van Eps: "My great grandfather was a watchmaker, a violinist and he repaired
instruments. He made pocket watches, clocks, registers and railroad watches - keeping
them calibrated and repaired."
FRED VAN EPS

During the late 1800's, his father, Fred Van Eps had established himself as a master of the five
string banjo. A fine classical banjo player who performed compositions by Bach and Chopin, he
would later establish his own banjo factory; Van Eps Banjos. His first record was recorded on a
wax cylinder at the Edison national Phonograph Company in 1895. The cylinders measured two
inches in diameter by four inches long and ranged from 98 rpm, for spoken material, to 120-160
rpm or more for music, which would run around 2-2 and 1/2 minutes. Other companies such as
the Columbia Phonograph Company and Victor Talking Machine Company also produced these
magical, musical cylinders. One of the earliest of these was a recording, circa 1891-1893, of a
song titled; "Saving Them All for Mary." It was recorded by Al Reeves, a popular banjo player
and comedian of the 1890's who performed in black face. With the momentum building following
Van Eps' first cylinder release, other labels set out to tap into this rising banjo playing talent.
Other artists such as Vess L. Ossman, Ruby Brooks and the banjo duo of Cullen and Collins
were enjoying their own popularity.
Eps' Columbia recording, "Jack Tap March," on a wax cylinder was followed in 1910 by his Victor
recording debut with "The Burglar Buck." This would start a path leading toward a road for him to
record for essentially all the companies. His formidable talent found him in constant demand in
the studios where his various groups recorded frequently as well. When the recording industry
exploded during W.W.I, so did Fred Van Eps' popularity as he regularly toured throughout the US
and Canada. He would eventually work out a new playing technique in which he modified the
basic motions of the right hand. So efficient was his method, that he was able to greatly increase
his playing speed to that of fourteen notes per second.
Hidden away on the Watchung mountains, by Plainfield, New Jersey, Fred "Luke" Van Eps would
make white lightning from his very own still. He concocted his favorite drink from cream soda
and whiskey. He called it a "corpse reviver."
By the early 1900's, Louise had to discontinue her role of Fred's first accompanist. More
importantly, to fulfill a motherly role as two children had been born and she needed to stay home
and care for them. Felix Arndt became Fred's new partner. Arndt penned the popular "Nola."
When he married in 1919 Arndt's role of accompanist was filled by George Gershwin, who,
would travel from New York to their home in Plainfield - this was before George's parents
separated. The four boy's, age's three and a half, five and a half, seven and a half, and nine and
a half, would anxiously await Gershwin's arrival to rehearse. The reason? Because he would
always bring a big bag of penny candy.
Before practice would begin, Gershwin would sit at the piano with little George bouncing on his
knee with a sweet in his mouth. In addition to these wonderful childhood memories, little
George's mind was busy with the sounds from Gershwin intermingling with those produced daily
by his family. His innate, mechanical mind and musical soul coupled with these commonplace
musical lessons then later concerted with his introduction to guitarist Eddie Lang, would certainly
rule his destiny.
While George Gershwin and Fred Van Eps rehearsed, a woman who lived down the street,
would often stand outside Van Eps' home and listen. She was not only tone-deaf, but had
absolutely no sense of rhythm what so ever. However, this did not inhibit her interaction
with the musicians as she would blissfully whistle non-descript, random tones along with
the music coming from inside. This irritated Gershwin to no end. Finally, he could not
take it any longer. He left the piano, walked over to the screen door and shouted, "KEEP
TIME!" There was silence. Mysteriously, the woman was never seen or heard from again.
By age 12, George had become quite accomplished on the five-string banjo. His father had him
join the New Jersey Musicians Union, local 746. They allowed him to become a member based
on the fact that he was so talented and was going to be a professional musician. George would
attend school during the day and play job's that were not too late in the evening and on
weekends. In 1929, at age 15, he joined New York local 802. His mother had all her son's take
private music theory lessons from Professor Wiley who was the Professor of Music at Princeton
University. He did not have to teach them how to play instruments as they were already playing.
Basically, George received his musical instruction from Wiley and learned everything else by
working, just doing it. He never had any formal guitar instruction.
Remarkably, at age 15, George began to give lessons at his home in Baldwin, Long Island. One
of his earliest students was legendary bassist Bob Haggart, who had originally started out on the
guitar.
KVE: "They had moved from new jersey to Baldwin, Long Island - had a house on the
water. Haggart used to go to the house and spend a weekend there. He knew all the
Van Eps boys and my grandmother was a good cook and loved to have company. He
would take lessons from dad and then, play with all of them."
The Van Eps Boys...

Fred - trumpet
Robert - piano
John - sax, clarinet and flute
George - guitar, banjo and cornet
Van Eps' father had warned him not to study with Carl Kress as he employed an unusual tuning,
as follows:
6th string tuned to Bb
5th string tuned to F
4th and 3rd, regular tunings; D and G
2nd string tuned to A
1st string tuned to D
George Van Eps’ union cards from New York and Los Angeles.
The Roaring Twenties, a defiant decade, helped spawn a new and exciting music; jazz. As if
answering an ancient primal calling, big bands began to form across the land. Names like the
Mound City Blue Blowers, the Orange Blossoms (which would later become the Casa Loma
Orchestra). African-American bands; Kid Ory's Spike Seven Pea Pods of Pepper Orchestra,
Jelly Roll and the Red Hot Peppers. Leaders; Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, Paul
Whiteman and others helped to advance and refine the sound. Gene Gifford, Carmen Mastrem,
Nappy LaMare, Perry Botkin and the incomparable Eddie Lang were some of the guitarists
providing the harmonic thrust beneath these fresh, melodious vehicles. However, George Van
Eps had his sight and ears set on one band in particular, the Roger Wolf Kahn Orchestra.
George would listen to the Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra performing live from the Pennsylvania
Grill in the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. Their performance could be heard twice a night
over the red and blue network on WJB and WEAF. Listening intently as the music emanated
from a crystal set, the lyrical sound of Eddie Lang's guitar struck George's essence like a
melodic thunderbolt. Immediately, he began to mentally conspire, replacing the short, dry sound
of the banjo with the sustaining, rich tone quality of the guitar. This sound hit George where he
lived. Being heavily influenced by piano players, he would later incorporate this melodious style
against his pianistic approach. From the early twenties on, Fred Van Eps was not thrilled with his
son's decision to switch from the banjo to the guitar. After W.W.I. the banjo began to phase out
slightly but it stayed popular until the mid-thirties. Hence, the bandleaders wanted banjo, not
guitar. His father wanted him to play the "rags" but George had more progressive ideas and he
wanted to play the guitar.
KVE: "By the mid-twenties he had switched from banjo to guitar. Banjo didn't sustain
tones and had an abrupt sound that dad felt was dated and daddy wanted a different
sound."
In 1921, Fred Van Eps formed a company to manufacture a banjo of his own design and also
spent a great deal of time marketing and promoting them. Coincidentally, In the following three
years, from his bedside, George had become quite proficient on the instrument. His brother
Robert would provide accompaniment on piano. It was at a particular show where George would
experience another monumental event in his musical development and direction.
Located in midtown Manhattan, New York City's garment district, the Pennsylvania Hotel was an
important stop for the big bands. The hotel's phone number was in the 30's tune by Glenn Miller
"Pennsylvania 6-5000." Still, it was years earlier, in one of the hotel's suites, where a connection
of a different nature would be made.
As a youngster, world-renowned composer John Williams, studied piano with Robert Van Eps.
ANOTHER GESTURE - ANOTHER AWAKENING

The year is 1925. The Pennsylvania Hotel was hosting a musical trade show. Among the many
manufacturers was Van Eps Banjos. Although George and his brother Bob enjoyed playing and
demonstrating their father's instruments for the assorted dealers, they eagerly awaited the
evening's entertainment. Appearing at the hotel's restaurant, The Penn Grill, was the Roger
Wolfe Kahn Orchestra that featured Eddie Lang. Their songs; "Say 'Yes' Today," "A Cup of
Coffee, A Sandwich and You," "Clap Yo' Hands," became favorites. In 1929 they recorded
George and Ira Gershwin's, "Do What You Do."
As the band performed, George consumed every note Lang played. Likewise, his brother Bob
was equally captivated by pianist Arthur Schutt. Things came to a musical head that evening
George's father knew many of the players in the band, several of which visited their table. At his
son's request, his father brought Lang over to meet him. How great is it to think of what may
have been going on in George's mind as he watched his father going to collect Lang, their
greeting and as they returned to his table? Surely, an anxious eagerness of epic proportions
insued as his idol, and one of jazz guitars greatest pioneers, approached. Lang was very cordial
towards George who later accepted, along with the other band members, Fred Van Eps'
invitation to their suite following their performance. The entire band showed up and they jammed
till' dawn. At this point, George's mind, full of immense musical satisfaction could never have
dreamed of what was about to occur.
Around 4:30am, things wound down and the players began to leave. Lang's intuition and
observation of George's obvious attraction to the guitar prompted him to ask George if he would
like to keep his guitar, a Gibson L-4, overnight and that he'd pick it up tomorrow. Bam! That
simple act completely sealed the fate of the youngster and he held on tight to Lang's guitar,
playing and dreaming, until daybreak. There could be no single event in Van Eps' life that could
counteract what had taken place. It would never be undone.
KVE: "After Eddie Lang lent my dad his guitar that was the end of the banjo. Dad fell
in love with the guitar. That was it. Eddie Lang was his idol. He never considered
himself a banjo player, although he had to play banjo quite a bit after that. He was going
around New York and playing the clubs and sitting in with people all up and down 7th
Avenue on the West side in Manhattan. And there's just club, after club, after club. He
said that it was a wonderful time for musicians in the jazz idiom because there were all
these places where they could go and learn their craft and sit-in with the more
experienced musicians and learn how to play good "Chicago jazz," which was popular
then."
This "modern jazz" sound began to overshadow Dixieland jazz, which was popular during the
'30s. Instead of tuba, wash-tub, and banjo rhythm section, they were using different
instrumentation such as drums, piano, bass and guitar. It was during this period when George
began to develop his sound.
For the next several years George applied all of his energy and creativity to the guitar, his mind
constantly refining the instrument's tonality with the broad, harmonic spectrum of the piano. At
age 16 he joined the Smith Ballew band. Playing in the band at that time were Eddie Lang and
violin virtuoso, Joe Venuti. And there is young George and his idol, Lang, sitting side-by-side,
working out parts, playing seven nights a week at Saltzman's restaurant on 42nd. Street in New
York City. Smith Ballew's band was very popular and very much in demand. They would work at
White's restaurant from six to nine, have two hours off, then reassemble at singer Rudy Vallee's
club; Villa Vallee, where the band would play from eleven until four in the morning.
George began recording in the studios as a session guitarist. He would also share the guitar
chair in Paul Whiteman's band with Dick McDonough. Depending on their schedules, they would
sub for each other. Soon, the word was out and George Van Eps became a sought after musical
commodity. He began working in the house band for several studios, such as Brunswick,
Columbia, Decca and Victor. There, he recorded "The Banana Hat Song" with Carmen Miranda,
"Don't Fence Me In" with the Andrew Sisters and many others.
He started working with Milt Shaw's Detroiters. Relatively unknown at the time, Ray McKinley, an
amazing drummer, played in the band and would later become an integral part of the big band
era. Further down the road McKinley would enlist the talents of two other fine guitarists; Mundell
Lowe and Johnny Gray. Following a brief stint with the Dorsey brothers, George worked with
Freddy Martin for about two years before joining Benny Goodman's band in 1934.
BENNY GOODMAN
Goodman had a reputation as being a strict leader and expected nothing less than perfection
from the musicians he employed. Consequently, many players who did not make the cut would
feel the sting of the infamous "ray" - an intense, intimidating stare projected by Goodman directly
at a problematic musician would often send the unfortunate recipient packing. George had an
entirely different memory of the man as the two became friends right from the outset and he
witnessed, first-hand, the great generosity Goodman beset upon the Van Eps family.
Shortly before the band was to perform at the Billy Rose Music Hall (a converted theater) in New
York City in the winter of 1933, he told the bandleader about a death in his family. He needed to
get some money to them as soon as possible, but the banks were closed. On their way to back
stage, Goodman made a trip to Rose's office. With just minutes before the downbeat, Goodman
shook George's hand, leaving something behind. Without looking at what it was, George placed
the item in his pocket. Later, when the band finished the set, he discovered that Goodman had
given him $1,000.00.
KVE: "Benny and daddy used to work in New York, that was before Benny Goodman
was well known. It was a musician's band. The musicians loved that band. Then, dad
had a chance to play with Ray Noble. He went to Benny and said, "Ray Noble has
offered me a job and I don't want to do anything that would hurt your feelings or make
you mad, but I've been offered this job." 'Benny said, "Well, if you can get me a good
guitar player to replace you, then, you have my blessings." 'Benny was a friend of dad's,
you know.
"Daddy had a student; Allan Reuss. And he knew he was ready. He would be a great
rhythm player. (He's one of the best actually). So dad brought Allan with him and Benny
said, "Okay. Let him play the gig and we'll see how he does." 'So Allan sat in and played
the whole night and daddy was in the wings, grinning ear-to-ear. He said, "Allan was
great!" 'And then Benny looked over at dad and he waved and said, "Bye, bye George.
It's been fun!" (LOL) In other words, Allan's my man, you know.”
George was a charter member of the Benny Goodman Orchestra. Being old friends, Goodman
would often visit with the Van Eps family when they lived in Long Island and have dinner with
them. Other musicians would enjoy the Van Eps hospitality as well.
KVE: "Dad had already worked with the Dorsey's and the Dorsey's were family friends,
too. Daddy was with Tommy Dorsey. My uncle John played sax in the Jimmy Dorsey
band. Robby played with the Dorsey brothers. So, they knew them very well. He worked
with Jimmy and Tommy. And then they'd fight - two Irishmen, you know."
RAY NOBLE
A leading musician in England during the early '30s, Ray Noble made a common-practice of
forming his own musical unit by assembling musicians from various orchestras and bands from
the London area. Before traveling to the United States, Noble elected to have Glenn Miller
assemble an all-star band in advance. Miller had already put together bands for Smith Ballew
and the Dorsey brothers. However, Van Eps' position in Noble's band was not of Miller's doing. It
was Noble's original guitar player, Al Harris. Both guitarists played Epiphone guitars and Harris
would visit the Epiphone factory every six months. It was there Harris and Van Eps met and
would become good friends. So, as Miller mobilized Noble's band in the states, Harris
recommended his friend to the bandleader that secured Van Eps' position in the band.
George Van Eps and Ray Noble, 1938.

Photo courtesy of Kay Van Eps.
The band included Glenn Miller on trombone, Charlie Spivak and Pee Wee Erwin on trumpets
and Claude Thornhill on piano. The day Noble arrived in New York from the UK, the band
assembled at RCA Victor Studios, on 23rd Street, for their first rehearsal.
The band's forte was ballads and featured singer Al Bowlly on "Yours Truly Is Truly Yours" and
"The Touch of Your Lips." However, Miller arrangements; "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans"
and "Dinah," featured solos by Van Eps.
Noble's band became very popular. They could often be found working with Smith Ballew's band
from six to nine at White's Restaurant. During the next two hours off, Noble and cohorts
commuted up to 64th Street and Madison Avenue to the Villa Vallee - Rudy Vallee's club, where
they played from eleven until four in the morning.
Another arduous job found the band playing New York's swankiest spot; The Rainbow Room.
Located on top of the RCA building at Radio City, as the band began their set, the announcer
would declare: "Sixty-five stories to the stars." The schedule was a rough one; playing from
9p.m. to 3a.m. seven nights a week.
When a month break in their New York date schedule came about, without loosing a beat, Noble
took the band to Galveston, Texas and played The Hollywood Dinner Club for eight weeks.
When they returned to New York George married his sweetheart Jo. Following the ceremony in
Shereveport, Long Island on August 9,1936, the couple took off and honeymooned in California.
As fate would have it, the Tommy Dorsey band (Jimmy and Tommy had split-up), was playing at
Frank Sebastian's Cotton Club in Culver City, California. George's brother, Robert, was playing
piano in the band. George then decided to stay in California. However, he continued to play with
Noble on the East coast for about a year and a half before he gave the bandleader his notice.
About three months later, George received a call from Noble requesting that he put a West coast
band together as the bandleader was coming to California to perform on The Burns and Allen
Show. Other famous names followed suit. Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen and The Chase and
Sanborn Show also took advantage of the newest technology. It allowed them the ability to
broadcast their shows all over the country.
KVE: "Daddy had a big radio career because of Ray Noble. He was on the road and
playing lots of shows - working with Burns and Allen, Edgar Bergen and all those
people. In a studio at NBC during a radio show, daddy played banjo and they had a
woman who played Hammond organ. They played this little up-beat thing with three
singers. I can remember how it went. (sings)
"Blue Bonnet margarine, yes sir-ee.

Flavor, nutrition, e - con - omy"
"I can remember that. They'd have to be quiet before and after, and that was the end.
He would play it once, and then, about a half hour later, they'd do it one more time.
Then, he'd pack up and go home - everybody'd go home. He used to take me
sometimes – that was our day, and then we'd go to lunch together."
Besides the banjo and guitar, George was proficient on the cornet. He also owned a seven-string
gut string. Made by Epiphone in New York, the guitar had a spruce soundboard, a typical
classical body with the addition of a seven-string neck. He did not play the classical when he
worked. It was his "house" guitar, his fun guitar.
KVE: "Daddy played me to sleep every night. He played things on the cornet and then
he'd play his gut string. He would play my favorite; Tarrega's tremolo study. I love that.
And he played things for me and I'd go to sleep to that."
BIRTH OF THE SEVEN STRING GUITAR

The seven-string is simply a guitar with an additional heavy (.80 mm) seventh "A" string tuned an
octave lower. This low string is usually the last string on the bottom side, but not necessarily. The
late Lenny Breau, for instance, put an extra light string on the highest end, keeping the standard
low "E" on the bass end. Most seven-string players tune the lowest string to an "A," or,
alternately, a "B."
In 1933, George purchased an Epiphone Deluxe at the Conn Musical Instruments store on 44th.
Street in Manhattan. This guitar would become his musical counterpart for the next 65 years.
Between 1933 - 37, George experimented with the idea of an extra lower string as it would allow
a prominent bass line. His love of the piano, nurtured from years of listening to his mother and
brother, and others like Art Tatum, had engrained in him the importance of a good bass line - he
wanted to bottom things out. He decided to add a low "A" string onto the guitar - that was the
seventh string.
In 1937 he approached Epistopheles Statopoulo, "Epi," with the idea of adding a seventh string.
He loved the idea. George had learned watchmaking and engineering as a child. He also
learned how to be a machinist from his grandfather and his father, Fred, who had invented the
recording lathe that recorded the flat disc, the industrial diamond cutter, and various camera
equipment. He was also a tool and die maker. Fred taught George all of these skills, who would
become quite good at them. When it came time to design the neck, he knew how to drill out the
templates and do the engineering and the math on it. He drew up the plans for the neck so all
that the neck maker at the Epiphone had to do was to follow his design.
After the prototype was completed, the guitar was delivered to Atlantic City where George was
performing five shows a day with the Adrian Rollini Trio. Between one of the shows, he
unpacked it, tuned it up and played the next show with it. George was so pleased with the way it
turned out that he decided to make the neck change to his Epiphone Deluxe, the guitar he
bought in '33.
KVE: "I have the drawings of the original template for the neck. He took it to Epiphone
because the Deluxe was an Epiphone and he loved that guitar. It was even in all
registers and had a wonderful sound. So, he went to "Epi" who jumped at the idea - he
had a wonderful neck maker, and they made him a neck for that guitar. Then he had to
take it in. He said it was like having surgery on one of your children. As they took the old
neck off and put on the new neck, he was a wee-bit nervous. It came out beautiful and
he used that guitar all throughout his career."
When playing alone or in small groups, George predominately played with his fingers. However,
when he played rhythm on his acoustic (no amplification), in the big bands, he had no choice but
to play with the pick, otherwise his sound would not carry.
KVE: "He didn't ever play single string. He said, "I'm too much of a harmonist." 'Not
that you can't play harmonies single line. And he did play single lines time-to-time. It's
just that he liked a little more going on. As I say, he tried to play pianistically. He said, "If
I could play on the guitar the way the way Art Tatum plays, I think that would be great."
The Gretsch Van Eps Model Guitar.
Epiphone never made the seven-string commercially - special order basis only. In 1968, George
negotiated a deal with the Gretsch Corporation. This model is an electric, as opposed to the
Epiphone, which is totally acoustic. The production run of 3,500 guitars was based on the
prototype George designed for Gretsch. The Van Eps model was discontinued in the early '70s.
I realized a long time ago that F-holes cause feedback. Both George Van Eps and I
discovered that about the same time. We did a concert together in Aspen, Colorado and
we both started laughing when we saw each other's guitar. He had put foam rubber in his
F-hole's to cut the feedback and I had taped mine over.__George Barnes
EXPANDING BOUNDARIES
Effortlessly negotiating the wide, seven-string fingerboard, Van Eps would play bass lines,
baritone lines, tenor and alto lines. He would harmonize a melody line, play rhythm and support
it all with a moving bass line. His guitar became a "lap piano."
The addition of the extra string - a low 'A,' a perfect fifth below, put him into a new realm. (An
upright bass player only goes four half tones lower).
KVE: "He used to say, "You've got this whole fingerboard and you're not using it.
Listen to a classical player sometime - what was written for the guitar. He's not as
limited as you are. You're just playing block chords, you're not saying anything with the
instrument." 'That was the way he thought.
"He admired piano players. My mother used to say to him, "George, you know they
invented the piano." 'He probably would have been a piano player if it hadn't been for
the fact that his dad got him taking a liking to the banjo, then, the guitar.
"He was not satisfied with what was being done. Eddie Lang he liked, but he felt piano
players had the whole range - both hands. There was so much they could do that he
tried to emulate that. And that's what he succeeded in doing, but he felt that the guitar
had its own warmth, its own charm and, the sound of the guitar."
George Van Eps in San Francisco, 1939.

"READ ALL ABOUT IT...VAN EPS FAMILY HELPS WIN W.W.II"

"He said, "That's beautiful. Make me five, six, seven of them, or however many that they need."
'And so they did. And they designed that thing at the kitchen table, having a cup of coffee and a
cigarette"__Kay Van Eps
George's heart problem and his brother, John's, deafness in one ear prevented them from
passing the physical, and subsequently, did not serve in W.W. II. However, they did contribute to
the war effort. Meanwhile, the United States would employ their finest, scientific minds and
spend three years and two billion dollars to develop the atomic bomb.
During the war, Fred Van Eps made sound recording equipment for the Navy. These sound
recording machines were installed on the bridges of US war ships. Amazingly, all of these
machines were made by Fred, John and George in the basement of their home in New Jersey.
They also worked on the Manhattan Project. They had no idea of their involvement with the
project until the war had ended as they made the escapement for the A bomb.
This perfect, intricately designed device would insure the precise deployment of "Little Boy" and
"Fat Boy," the two atomic bombs transported by U.S. bomber planes and released over the cities
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Applying generations of watch-making techniques and adept
musical sensibilities, Fred, John and George Van Eps crafted the contraption that would
ultimately release the incredible, destructive
device.
Not unlike a scenario from an early espionage film, the action begins...
KVE: "They were given a problem: "We need an escapement that looks like this - is
about this size, and does this, such and so on." 'So, they made the prototype for it -
tested it, showed it to the man who was Luke's contact, my grandfather's contact. He
said, "That's beautiful. Make me five, six, seven of them, or however many that they
need. And so they did, and they designed that thing at the kitchen table, having a cup of
coffee and a cigarette, drawing it on napkins. They used to frequently use whatever was
availableto draw their plans. And they would brainstorm. They did this with a lot of
things so, they did the same thing with that. And then they went down stairs and made
the prototype."
escapement - A device used in timepieces for securing a uniform movement, consisting of an

escape wheel and a detent or lock, through which periodical impulses are imparted to the
balance wheel, to keep it in oscillation, and to which, in turn, motion is imparted by the return
movement of the balance wheel actuated by a mainspring or a weight.
INEVITABLE TRANSITION
KVE: "Daddy took off on a solo career - started making albums of his own
and working the clubs. There was no more radio."
Following the war, George became very busy free-lancing in the recording studios. During the
'50s, he recorded several albums with Paul Weston that feature many of his fine solos. He also
played with several popular Dixieland bands and leaders. These included the Rampart Street
Paraders and Dick Cathcart. The band led by Cathcart appeared in the 1955 film, Pete Kelly's
Blues (Warner Bros.), and later on the television series. Also in 55', George played on the
soundtrack to Picnic (Columbia). George Duning composed the score for the film. "Moonglow," a
song from the 1930's is heard during a dance scene with William Holden and Kim Novak.
Dunning made a decision to combine "Moonglow," played by a small band, then gradually fade
into his "Picnic" theme, performed by a full string section. He loved the original '30s recording so
much, that he asked that the same four guys who recorded it to re-record it for the score,
George Van Eps being one of those guys.
KVE: "They couldn't remember exactly what they'd done. So, they played the old
record - Dad had the old record, and listened to what they had done. They just recorded
it in one take. They were all such pros. They recorded that and then the big orchestra
came in with the strings."
Although television began to dominate the entertainment medium, there were a few popular
radio shows still on the air. It was while George was working on The Curt Massey Radio Show in
the '50s when he met Bob Bain, where, they would split the show. Massey, a very talented
individual was a Western style singer who played violin and trumpet. His show was very popular
and aired coast to coast.
In 1957, Bain recruited Van Eps for an extraordinary session. He was acting as musical director
and playing on an album for Capitol records entitled "Fuego del Ande" (Fire of the Andes). This
album featured singer Yma Sumac. Paying tribute to her heritage, Sumac sang traditional and
popular songs of South America. Her husband, Moses Vivanco, who led a full rhythm section
playing a variety of native Peruvian drums and instruments, provided the exotic rhythms for the
album. What makes this recording special was the fact that it combined folklore music and
contemporary sounds, acoustic and electric. This was unusual at that time.
Under the competent direction of Bain, four electric guitars, electric bass, rhythm guitar and
mandolin were incorporated with the Indian rhythms. This combination, coupled with Sumac's
four octave vocal range and Bain's arrangements, resulted in a recording like no other. Imagine
a brief auditory excursion of an ancient Inca paradise replete with familiar modern vistas. The
guitarists on the album were several of Hollywood's finest; Allan Reuss, Jack Marshall, Al
Hendrickson and playing rhythm was Bain's friend, the incomparable, George Van Eps.
There's George, who plays better than any one of us ever dreamed of playing. He sat
there quietly and played straight rhythm guitar. And why, because I asked him too - that
was George.__Bob Bain
For kicks, George dis-assembled and re-assembled plane engines. He also built a plane. He
even owned a hobby shop on Brand Blvd. in Glendale, California. In 1955 he opened Vanco
Hobby. The shop went out of business in 1963. Another result of his affinity with minute detail
was the creation of the world's smallest working steam engine. Measuring 5 inches long, the
1/32 scale engine took years to complete. This meticulous undertaking was entirely predicated
upon a dare.
KVE: "He was told that it couldn't be done. It took eight years and he made two of
them. One of them is assembled and I've got that."
George Van Eps.
DONTES
Van Eps would often assemble guitar players and host parties at his home. This was not a
competitive environment, but a friendly, musical haven where guitarists would support and help
each other. Meanwhile, the popular jazz club Dontes, located on Lankersheim Boulevard in
Hollywood, had become "the hang" for local jazz players and studio musicians. Many of the
finest proponents of jazz would perform on a regular basis. Around 1966, legendary studio
guitarist; Howard Roberts began playing at the club on Friday and Saturday nights. As the
popularity of his performances grew, Roberts convinced the management that it would be a
great idea to feature a guitarist on a weekly basis. Soon after, Monday night became "Guitar
Night" and the very first guitarist to headline was none other than George Van Eps. Many other
notable players followed; Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Joe Diorio and many other notable players
followed. Later, Mitch Holder, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour and many other top session guitarists
performed as well.
PRACTICE REGIMEN
Typically, George would play his gut-string guitar when he practiced as to not disturb anyone.
When he was not working for his father, usually all day, he would not practice simply because he
was playing all the time. When there was a lull in his career, he would play all day long. He
would play for a half hour, hour, hour and a half, then put the guitar down and do something else.
A few hours later he would play some more. He would do exercises. If he had some time before
an upcoming recording session, he would work up some things - a solo, and get some ideas of
what he might do. Mostly, for practice, he woodshed and did exercises from his own method in
all 12 keys - keeping the fingers and the brain going.
KVE: "His idea was, you have to keep your mind sharp as well as your fingers. He
would put the instrument down and do something else and then he'd pick it up again
and play a few hours. He said if you do it all at once you cannot only hurt yourself -
develop repetitive motion problems like that, but you can really hurt yourself. Better to
break it up throughout the day."
The Van Eps Harmonic books from Mel Bay Publications.
GUITAR FOR MODERNS

"The average guitar player, way-back-when, wasn't very good and my father felt that they were
too limited. They had this whole fingerboard to use and they weren't using it. That's why he
wrote the method. He used to call it playing "wall to wall."__Kay Van Eps
The first method book by George Van Eps was published by Bernie Fisher during the '30s. It was
originally written for the six-string as there were not any seven-string players at that time. Later,
the book was modernized when he wrote some additional things for it. Not surprisingly, this
method is still being sold today.
Nearly twenty years later he took on the monumental undertaking compiling material for his
groundbreaking book; Modern Mechanisms. Initially one book, it was eventually broken into
three volumes to better convey its limitless wealth of information. Published by Mel Bay, the
three volumes are graded intermediate to advanced. They contain some of the most in depth,
revolutionary resources of the harmonic framework of music as applied to the guitar fingerboard,
ever presented.
KVE: "It's meant to be an inspirational. One guy came up to him and said, "You know,
I bought Volume One. I went through the first chapter and in the middle of the second
chapter I just started taking off. All these ideas came to me. I really didn't stick to the
exercises because I got all of these ideas and I started playing!" 'And dad just got this
grin on his face and he said, "That's the whole idea." (LOL)
George Van Eps.
The master of them all, George Van Eps. He influenced me so much with his chordal
harmonic concepts - of course he influenced everybody at that time. I remember George
mentioning that before they made flatwounds, players would take a new string and rub a
candle over it and then wipe a rag over that, so the wax from the candle would get into
the grooves of the strings.__Tony Mottola
IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH...

"I'll never play the guitar again"__George Van Eps
There were probably only two events that could ever deter George from playing his guitar - the
first; a personal illness of some kind.
KVE: "He got sick once and rumors went around that he had died. I remember him
getting on the phone and heard him say to whoever it was, "No. Reports of my death
have been greatly exaggerated. I've been sick and I'm getting better - practicing, and I'll
be back at it."
The second, tragic event transpired when George lost his wife, Jo, in 1972. This was a
extremely tough time as a period of despondency followed.
KVE: "Daddy loved a sun tan - loved to swim...he loved my mother. He and mom
were a team. He was devastated when she died. He played a lot of pool, did a little
drinking. He just sort of hung out at our place, you know. He leaned on us and we
understood that. He never looked at another woman. He never took up with another
woman. He said, "When you've had the best, it wouldn't be fair to anybody else." 'That's
the way he felt. He didn't work after that. He didn't play. He was grieving for my mother.
And it lasted for years. They were very close, you know. They'd been together for forty
years."
For several years following his wife's death, George did not play his guitar. He had no interest in
music at all. Fortunately, a single phone call from a publisher changed all that. And with the help
of his daughter, George slowly began to rediscover his passion.
KVE: "He didn't work after that. He didn't play. Then, Mel Bay called him and said, "I
want you to put your books together." 'I said, "Well dad, you're gonna have to finger it
now. You're gonna have to get the tar out and finger it!" 'He said, "Well, I guess I am."
'When he started fingering the book, that's when he started playing again."
Working from his original outlines, Kay assisted her father with the books text. However, he
would have to do the fingering. George relented and added the finger notations. The
preparation, fingering and compilation of the three volumes took nearly six years to complete.
Kay never faltered while they took on the tedious undertaking. In doing so, they created a unique
process of completing the task. Unfortunately, publishing the original engraving for the first book
presented many problems.
KVE: "We ended up putting up two board's side-by-side my father and I. We went bar-
by-bar through every exercise. And because he wrote everything in major and two
harmonic minors - harmonic and melodic minor, there were accidentals. We had to
check each and every measure and God, they had it all fouled up! We got it all
corrected and after two or three tries, we finally got it published.
"When they did that, I told Mel (Bay), "Daddy writes with black wing pencil - it
photographs, it's like ink. He's very neat and he does very neat work. And I can correct
his work so that you can't tell there was even a correction. If I find that he left out an
accidental or any of that stuff, I'll fix it. You can just photograph it and that's what you
can publish." 'So that's what we did. I also corrected his wording and some of his
sentence structure. That's why the second and third books are just photographs."
TRIADS REDEFINED
The following is Funk & Wagnalls New International Dictionary of the English Language
definition of the word triad, as it applies to music:
tri-ad n. Music A chord of three tones or notes;

often a common chord, consisting of a fundamental
tone with its third and fifth higher. A major triad
has a major third and a perfect fifth; a minor triad
has a minor third and a perfect fifth.
Even so, Van Eps' own methods and principles concerning triads encompassed a larger tonal
scope and harmonically evoking applications.
KVE: "He's talking about triads, but they're not triads. I said, "Daddy, you keep talking
about triads but they're not triads!" 'He said, "Not in the classic sense of triads. Forget
theory. I call anything with three tones in it, even if one is not a minor third and a major
third. It doesn't have to be a minor third or a major third. It can be anything like that that
I refer to as a triad. That's my own terminology and that's what I'm using in the book!" 'I
said, "Okay." 'He knew exactly what he was doing. I told him that he would have to
explain that so he wrote a thing and we put it in the book."
From left to right Butch Miles (drums), Brian Lemon (piano),

George Van Eps (guitar), Len Skeat (bass), in Bern, Switzerland (1986).
THE OLYMPIC RINGS

Van Eps' Modern Mechanisms is by-no-means' novice material. His vision was not only to
advance the musical knowledge of the guitarist, but to empower the player with the ability to
think in multiple, harmonic directions on the guitar fingerboard. This would allow his "Lap Piano"
approach applicable to their own individual playing style.
KVE: "It wasn't meant for beginners and you can really take up anywhere in the book -
there's not a beginning and an end. In other words, Volume 3 has some wonderful
things in it - the chromatic concepts and satellite theory for modulating in different keys.
He did away with the awkward modulation system that had been worked out. He
developed what he used to call the "Olympic rings." He said, "You're always leading
tones away from a new key." 'He just thought in 12 tones and frequently played in two
keys at once. He was way ahead of his time in that respect. He had the technique to do
these things on the guitar."
Living in Northern, California during this period, a welcome by-product of the book's creation and
George's own personal recovery came to light. Seems many of his friends rallied to his side to
help keep the new-found musical momentum going. There were some teacher's at Sonoma
State who would invite him to play.
KVE: "We were living up there and there were some really talented people so he
sought them out. I started taking him to places. I went to Santa Rosa College and some
of his buddies like Clarke Terry and Kai Winding and some other people were doing
concerts for the music majors. I'd take him there and let him listen. That kinda got the
juices going."
MUSICAL INFERENCE
"He felt that popular music was a lowering of our standards. He was critical of it."__Kay Van Eps
One can only imagine the considerable, musical genius of George Van Eps, or any individual,
regarding their own feelings to that of popular music as it certainly receives interpretation on a
sometimes more, personal level. Still, the opinion remains a general music consensus – not
regarding the content, but just as important, as to how it is created. Technology is a wonderful
thing, considering that generations of countless lives have recognized a familiar sound. An
auditory movement of soundwaves that were physically and emotionally soothing. More
importantly, they made you think.
The exact instant an individual hears a tone played on a musical instrument, irregardless of type,
origin - music of various periods, instrumentation, style, etc., something happens. That
individual, will continue a totally different, mental approach than originally presumed or
individually capable of. Many times, this "aural modification" will have an inherent influence on
the situation at hand.
KVE: "He said that we were retrogressing back to "banging on logs!" He never was a
fan of any of that stuff. He didn't like most of the singers. He said they were "shouters
and hollers." And, that they were very unmusical. Everything they did was repetitious
and had a pile driver afterbeat. There was no sophistication. There was no dynamics. It
was just loud. They didn't have any shading to their music at all. “
Those personal opinions, however, did not stop many of the finest guitarists in the world from
studying guitar with him. An impressive list of Hollywood, California session guitarist's would sit
and learn from this master musician as well.
KVE: "He had student guitar players that were in rock groups. They used to take
lessons from dad. And they used to tell dad, "We stuff cotton in our ears when we go
out and play. We make a lot of money so we can afford to sit home and play the way we
want to play." He said, "Well, I'm relieved to hear that.!" (LOL) 'You know. He felt that
popular music was a lowering of our standards. He was very critical of that.”
GOOD IS GOOD
So true and aptly put by an individual who expounded the tonal characteristics and exactitude
playing techniques of the guitar as to render beautifully orchestrated performances of timeless
American standards; just music. And with this innate talent, finely perfected over generations,
George Van Eps delivered these musical gems via precision technique on a warm blanket of
luxuriant tone.
A few of the musicians George enjoyed listening to are Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie,
Illinois Jacquet, Soder Finnegan, big bands and all good instrumentalists. As far as guitar
players, he enjoyed Barney Kessel, Vince Terry, Bobby Gibbons, Tony Rizzi. He thought Howard
Alden was very talented.
KVE: "Daddy wasn't a snob. Good was good, you know. He didn't like people that
categorized and put you in a niche. He said that, "Actually, I agree with Duke Ellington
when he used to say, "What's all this jazz? It's music. It's all music." 'I think one of his
heroes was Duke Ellington - I have to say, and Art Tatum. He felt he was a genius."
George Van Eps and Howard Alden.

Concord Jazz Seven & Seven. CCD-4584.
Photo James Guderman.
Van Eps was also a big fan of country music as he enjoyed Kenny Rogers and The Oakridge
Boys. A personal favorite was the country and western crooner; Jimmy Wakely. George
originally met Wakely when the singer appeared as a guest on the Edgar Bergen Radio Show
while George was working with Ray Noble. The two got along famously. Consequently, George
played on many of his records. He thought Jimmy was a "really talented guy."
Jimmy Wakely spent about 10 years singing and appearing in "B" Westerns. He also produced
his own series of comic books, started his own record company, Shasta records, and was one of
the early country and western recording artists that was able to cross-over to popular music.
Several of his memorable recordings that feature Margaret Whiting are "Slipping Around" and a
Christmas favorite; "Silver Bells." A multi-talented artist and performer, Wakely died in 1982.
FINALE
KVE: "He was a knit-picker, you know. He liked things that were knit-picky. Mechanical
things fascinated him and beautifully made things, he loved. Being a fuss-budget was
daddy's thing. And he was a number one fuss-budget. That appealed to him. Even
when he was a little boy because that was innate in him. That's the way he was. That
was his personality. He had a sense of humor. Don't get me wrong, all the Van Eps' did.
"He liked bluegrass music because it was country/jazz. He said, "Country singers sing
in tune, they keep good time. Okay, so they talk about their pickup truck, Bessie their
cow and the woman that left them, all of that, but he said, it's much more musical." 'That
this last craze - he was alive when the rap craze was coming in, he said, "They call it
music. It's repartee." 'We used to call what Phil Harris did, you know, repartee, where
they talk in rhythm to a rhythm section. He said he couldn't connect with that at all. He
said, "I know they're trying to get a message across but it's bad poetry.
"I'll tell you who he thought was great.Joe Pass. He really liked the way he played,
especially later in his career. Once Joe straightened up, cleaned up and got off the
drugs, he said he became a fantastic guitar player. He said he probably was all along,
but he didn't know it - he wasn't able to express it. He used to listen to Joe play
whenever he got a chance to."
George Van Eps, Kay Van Eps, Scott Adikes (George's grandson)
at Santa Barbara Airport (1990). Photo courtesy Kay Van Eps.
In late October of 1998, George suffered a stroke, that was not initially diagnosed. His throat had
been paralyzed, permitting fluid to build up in his lungs. Consequently, he had difficulty
swallowing, eating and drinking. He got to the point where he could barely talk. He became
silent.
KVE: "A lot of the doctors had never met him so they thought he was fine. I said, "No
he's not! He's not talking. He's not swallowing. Please do a swallow test. Please do an
M.R.I. There's something going on here." 'And finally they did, and sure enough it was
too late. So, you know, it was a pretty fast dance for him. Up to that point he was
playing great. Just a few days before it happened he worked a benefit concert. And I got
phone calls from people - he had just knocked people out.
"Jack Sheldon called me and said, "Are you sure your dad's 85 year's old?" 'He said,
"You're lying to me aren't you? 'I said, "God damnit, Jack"(LOL) "I said, "If I'm gonna lie,
it's not gonna be about that." 'He said, "You're dad is so good, he can't be 85 year's old.
I won't let him!" (LOL) 'Two days later it happened."
Within players of his magnitude there exists a communion of the soul and music. One of the
original disciples of the guitar, George Van Eps created a wealth of communicative methods,
concepts and visions all in concert towards the advancement of the guitar. His lifestyle, attitude
and family oriented manner provided a strong foundation as to generously support his musical
contributions.
KVE: "I don't know whether I'm biased or not, but I think "Mellow Guitar" (Columbia,
1956), is one of the best guitar albums I've ever heard, if not the best he made. He
technically was so good at the time. He was still youthful enough to be able to carry off
a lot of that stuff. When he got older, he could still do it. He didn't ever lose the ability to
play. Right up to the day he got sick and then died, he was playing beautifully."
George Van Eps. Photo Bob Barry.
George Van Eps died of pneumonia on November 29, 1998 at Hoag Memorial Hospital
Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California. He was 85.
Jim LaDiana November 2004
Editor's Note
Lead photo George Van Eps with his Gretsch 7 String. Gretsch promotional photo. The Gretsch
Company. Fred Gretsch Enterprises, Inc.
See more jazz guitar player photos at Bob Barry’s web site Link: Jazzography.com
Jim LaDiana is a musician, journalist, and educator residing in Southern California. Although he
tends to gravitate towards jazz players, Jim strives to spend time with those who cause his inner
chord to resonate. Besides being available on several web-sites, his articles and reviews also
appear in Just Jazz Guitar and Vintage Guitar magazines featuring Tommy Tedesco, John
Pisano, Robert Conti, Randy Johnston, Guild, and Benedetto to name a few. In his column,
“Studio Aces” Jim introduces Vintage Guitar readers to many of the major West coast session
players. Jim is also writing the biography of legendary Hollywood recording studio guitarist Bob
Bain.
In addition to songwriting, playing the guitar and singing in a variety of musical contexts, Jim also
works with children with disabilities. His unyielding compassion and enthusiasm coupled with a
fun; animated hands-on approach has resulted in accelerated progress with many of these
“special” kids. He has also created a unique music program with an emphasis on rhythm and
group participation.
Jim can be contacted at ZAming@juno.com
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9/22/2017 Classic Jazz Guitar - Articles

Title George Van Eps... Seven Strings of Memories

A retrospective of a jazz guitar pioneer with daughter Kay

"The trappings of an individual's achievement are born of, and

"My father had a very clean style. He developed his own

FRED VAN EPS

The Van Eps Boys...

6th string tuned to Bb

5th string tuned to F

4th and 3rd, regular tunings; D and G

2nd string tuned to A

1st string tuned to D

ANOTHER GESTURE - ANOTHER AWAKENING

George Van Eps and Ray Noble, 1938.

"Blue Bonnet margarine, yes sir-ee.

BIRTH OF THE SEVEN STRING GUITAR

The Gretsch Van Eps Model Guitar.

George Van Eps in San Francisco, 1939.

"READ ALL ABOUT IT...VAN EPS FAMILY HELPS WIN W.W.II"

escapement - A device used in timepieces for securing a uniform movement, consisting of an

George Van Eps.

The Van Eps Harmonic books from Mel Bay Publications.

GUITAR FOR MODERNS

George Van Eps.

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH...

tri-ad n. Music A chord of three tones or notes;

From left to right Butch Miles (drums), Brian Lemon (piano),

THE OLYMPIC RINGS

George Van Eps and Howard Alden.

George Van Eps. Photo Bob Barry.

Jim LaDiana November 2004

Jim can be contacted at ZAming@juno.com

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© 2000-2005 Mike Kremer

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