Posted on 02/19/2008 5:45:13 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
Didn’t Elvis also have a Martin with a leather sound board??
That would be a “leather-covered” sound board.
You know, I once pulled into Nazareth, and I was feeling about half past dead...
Bookmarking for later...
It clearly is. Elvis was more identified playing Gibson acoustics than Martins.
I see now. If you look further down in the page it describes the J-200. The text doesn’t apply to the picture. That’s a cool web page (bookmark). I’m getting a 1965 Rickenbacker 365 fireglo for the collection tomorrow.
Walmart has a classic Rickenbacker department now?
Who knew? ;-)
>> what I’d expect from a third-rate entertainer and very poor guitarist <<
I can’t comment on Willie Nelson’s guitar playing. Never paid it any attention.
But gotta disagree with your calling him a “third-rate entertainer.” I’d say “extremely inconsistent entertainer” would be more accurate.
Of course, many of his performances have been dreadful, especially during the last 25 years. But earlier, his singing could be magnificent.
My favorites are his performances in the Western Swing genre, for example, his renditions of “San Antonio Rose” and “My Window Faces the South.” His phrasing, elocution and pitch on those recordings rank with the great jazz singers, almost as good — dare I say — as Sinatra.
Moreover, he ranks among the giants as a songwriter, maybe the only Nashvillian besides Christofferson who has contributed to the canon of the “Great American Songbook.”
My belief is that if Nelson had never written anything other than “Crazy,” his reputation would be secure. That composition — which some deem the greatest “country” song of all time — has more harmonic complexity than any other C & W hit I can recall. I tried to count the separate chords, but I gave up after ten. That number surely breaks the Nashville record!
(Moreover, “Crazy” even has a key change. Shades of Cole Porter! If you know of another country hit that uses this device, please let me know because I can’t think of any.)
So sure, Willie stinks on many scores — maybe even literally for all I know. But I’ll bet that 50 or 75 years from now, long after his other accomplishments and his misadventures have been forgotten, people will still be humming the melodies of “Hello Walls,” “Night Life,” “How Time Slips Away,” and above all, “Crazy.”
I’m surprised that Martin didn’t include Chet Atkins in that list. Although “Mister Guitar” is more commonly associated with Gibson and Gretsch instruments, he definitely owned and played a number of Martin acoustics.
True. He sure isn't a Bruce Springsteen. Bruce can play many chords now, but it wasn't easy.
1955 O-15
Took grandson to factory ‘05.
I have had the 910 for over ten years and the price has gone down whereas a Martin of the same vintage is twice the value.
Willie’s a great guitar player. His improvisations are incredibly melodic, and he plays with unmatched feel.
I’d love to find an original Martin N-20 (Willie’s “Trigger”), but they’re very rare. Martin made an exact copy of “Trigger” (with Brazilian rosewood back and sides and all) about 10 years ago for a short run, but it was a bit too pricey — around $7000, IIRC.
For dreadnoughts (especially playing bluegrass) I far prefer Martins to any other acoustic. For rock and roll and blues I prefer Gibsons. ...like the J-45 or Hummingbird. For smaller bodied accoustics and fingerpicking sytle I prefer Taylors or Santa Cruz guitars.
My son got my old one, and he's enjoying that one as well.
You ain't a kidding! I have a Martin DSR (solid spruce/solid rosewood) that is modeled from the Martin D-28 that Hank Williams Sr used. Best frikin' guitar I ever made love to! Thumping base and just beautiful!
CONGRATULARIONS MARTIN ON YOUR 175th! You done good!
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