Yes, relativity is also a factor. Tony’s repeated licks are so widely popular that a lot of them are viewed as cliche. Jake’s repeated licks aren’t, because they’re new and sound different. Both take creativity and Tony is the master of that.
I find that each of Tony’s licks has a different personality to it though, and are applicable in different veins. Jake sounds much more like a straight ahead player.
That’s definitely another factor, a lot of the licks that are just seen as standard stuff now are things that he invented.
Also can we please not be like 90% of people who forget that TONY’S RHYTHM PLAYING is insanity. I haven’t heard anyone make sounds like his except Wyatt and Kenny. I’d literally rather listen to Tony’s rhythm than any other’s lead. Everyone makes breakdowns of the solos, the licks… I can understand most of that, but I can’t wrap my head around his rhythm playing.
It’s also kind of a silly thing to argue about. I mean think about it. It really doesn’t matter who the best guitar player is haha.
Jake’s rhythm is the strongest, most driving force with a light, fluffy touch I’ve ever heard in all the guitar playing I’ve studied. He has the most relaxed yet forceful drive to his chords. It has to do with the way he drives the offbeat and it makes a whole band sound tight. Some Tony stylists play rhythm so quietly, it just doesn’t fill a band like that. Not to say it isn’t good, it just isn’t that powerful style.
I’ve noticed that Jake’s rhythm, because of its nature, drops out on the lower key songs like One Or the Other, Give Us Rain, etc. Not that he’s not playing good rhythm there, it’s just that those songs don’t fit as well with that style.
I haven’t. He drives every song, even if he has a less prominent role in some. If you cut Jake’s rhythm from the band it would all sound empty. It’s most of the Kentucky Thunder sound.
Lol no. They have a designated rhythm guitarist, and a rhythm guitarist/percussionist, to fill in the gaps.
I got so tired of just strumming guitar rhythm with a few licks. The purpose of the guitar is to rush in and drop back at appropriate times to propel the beat or pull the beat along with the banjo. It’s not to be a constant strum really. The mandolin and bass are the constant factors. If you add big open G strums to that all the time you lose that sophistication that comes with a lot of crosspicking, runs, getting louder and softer and accenting notes, chords with added tones etc.
yeah you tend to not notice a lot of things
Watch Banjo Ben’s guitar lesson with Tony Wray. Tony says “the guitar player is the driver of the band.” Sometimes I listen to a band that has the potential to be tight but I can’t even HEAR the rhythm guitar. If they just had that strong, light, powerful churning rhythm that Jake does so well, the entire band would tighten by ten notches.
YES the guitar player is THE DRIVER of the band. You are confusing drive (which is purely time) vs. loudness and simplicity etc.
Jake does every single thing you just said in his rhythm. He doesn’t just strum the chord. I’ve studied this with him so I’ve noticed more than you I’m sure. He is so masterful at it. I’ve jammed with him too and I can’t believe how strong and tasteful his backup is; he makes even ME sound good 
and that’s a feat…
I haven’t heard Jake play stuff like sweeping over the D chord in the rhythm and more syncopation in runs like Tony and Wyatt. I always hear him play simpler rhythm.
He does not always play loud and I didn’t say that. His rhythm is fluffy. That’s the word he uses to describe it. It has this intensity even when the volume fluctuates. But you hear it, or better yet, you FEEL it. Some rhythm players in bands just stand there like they’re about to drop their pick.
Watch this, it blew my mind.
You haven’t heard one of Jake’s frighteningly powerful drop D upstrokes on one of Ricky’s instrumentals? Go to another show!
I just facepalmed… i’m talking about the sweeps, like crosspicking but not lol. Wyatt demonstrates that in the above video
Also that little pull off C chord run Tony always does. Fills me with emotion every time I hear it
I love that style that churns and drives the band. Not the guitar player that picks all the time and then you lose all the rhythm. Again just differences in taste, but there’s nothing like that rhythm that fills the whole band. Jake is THE pro at it although many people do it well!
