Who builds a killer gutsy, rowdy, Kottke-style guitar?

[bdm0509]

Hey AGF peeps. I've got Ray Kraut building me a pair of phenomenal, modern guitars that handle altered tunings, the richness of modern fingerstyle, etc, no problem. (I'll have updates on that build thread soon, as we are gearing up for that build.)

But I also play a good bit of Leo Kottke, which is a totally different animal. Brash and aggressive, with a bass that attacks but doesn't hang around at all. It's a bit bluesy and very, if you don't mind, ballsy. I lean toward Mahogany, although I put my trust more in the builder's hands.

So who knocks it out of the park here? Yes, I know lots of AGF and non-AGF builders -can- do this. But who out there has -been- doing it and can just tailor things to my style?

I want the best here... So talk to me...

-B

[Tim McKnight]

Give John How a call if you are looking for something small and personal. He builds wonderful Stella type smaller instruments that are great for blues. Otherwise many of the sponsors right here could built to suit your needs. BTW, Congrats on the two Kraus gits. Ray builds great guitars!

[JohnM]

What Tim said. There are lots of guys here (myself included) that could build you something to fit those needs.

[darylcrisp]

my immediate thought for mahogany, gutsey but defined bass, overall excellent playing with articulation, light in weight, like a refined Gibson on steroids......................

John Mayes, Luthier


d

[mesa]

+1 to John How. My XBGC does it all imo and has been living in DADGAG, CGCGCE and CGDGAD. I just need to get another one so I don't have to change tunings all the time.

Give John a call...he a great guy and builder. Here's my XBGC Lutz/Koa

[Larry Pattis]

Brett,

A good part of Kottke's right-hand attack is that he palm-mutes the bass strings with great regularity (I'm sure that you're aware of this!). This is obviously a big part of his sound, on both the 6 & 12 string guitars (small pun).

I'm not saying that this is the sum total of his "sound", but it's something to consider when thinking about working towards this, via either a new guitar, or via your approach to the instrument.

Mahogany is indeed no small part of the equation with Kottke's guitar preferences over the years, but those Kottke-model Taylors are darned big guitars, and they ring on for quite a while if left unimpeded.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with *more* guitars!



As Jerry Seinfeld once said , "More of everything"!

[bdm0509]

I agree about Leo's right-hand style. You've got to do a lot of wrist rotation and muting with the base of your thumb. I'm working on Little Martha right now... Learned it in a week but have been grinding out the little p-i double runs he does for nearly a month to get the sound right. The little things separate the notes from the real song.

But there's also an immediacy to the bass in his guitars that's key. If you've got too large a bass envelope, you're muting before the bass has projected. You need a really sharp attack... and not just in the bass. Especially since with Leo, he drops m and a down on the treble strings when he plays i. It's a key part of his style, and like the thumb attack, requires (at least, to get every ounce of sound) the notes to leap out of the box. Punchy... So when you drop m and a down, there's a noticeable stoppage of sound.

Even his slower stuff, like Te Veo and Ojo, work best with a beast of a guitar that the player controls with RH technique. My music has as much -muting- of strings noted as it does -playing- of strings.

Such tricky music to really get right... And so rewarding when you get there.

-Brett

[Larry Pattis]

Originally Posted by bdm0509

I agree about Leo's right-hand style. You've got to do a lot of wrist rotation and muting with the base of your thumb. I'm working on Little Martha right now... Learned it in a week but have been grinding out the little p-i double runs he does for nearly a month to get the sound right. The little things separate the notes from the real song.

But there's also an immediacy to the bass in his guitars that's key. If you've got too large a bass envelope, you're muting before the bass has projected. You need a really sharp attack... and not just in the bass. Especially since with Leo, he drops m and a down on the treble strings when he plays i. It's a key part of his style, and like the thumb attack, requires (at least, to get every ounce of sound) the notes to leap out of the box. Punchy... So when you drop m and a down, there's a noticeable stoppage of sound.

Even his slower stuff, like Te Veo and Ojo, work best with a beast of a guitar that the player controls with RH technique. My music has as much -muting- of strings noted as it does -playing- of strings.

Such tricky music to really get right... And so rewarding when you get there.

-Brett

This is simply a great analysis of this, Brett...

...it sounds like you should be looking for a Jumbo Mahogany/Sitka combination, and possibly with some beefy bracing (in just the right places) to bring the overtones down even more!

[bdm0509]

Thanks, Larry. I've had a -really- good teacher in a guy up at John Stropes' program (http://www.stropes.com) who's, in my opinion, about the best Kottke player I've ever seen or heard.

I do tend to think you're about right on with the Mahogany/Sitka combination, and a larger guitar that manages to be punchy and bluesy. Anyone? Anyone? Speak up... being shy earns you no commissions, ha ha.

-B

[Brackett Instruments]

Although this recording isn't Kottke's style I believe a guitar like this would work really well. It's a Sitka topped Black Walnut dread. http://brackettinstruments.com/26.mp3

[Rollie]

Kevin Kopp 's Trailboss model is favored by Kottke himself ..It's a 12 fret Jumbo cutaway, with a 25.5" scale length ... 6 or 12 string..comes ready to rumble.......I'm sure that many of our AGF luthiers could crank out a similar beast .....http://www.thepodium.com/p-15593-kop...ganysitka.aspx

[usb_chord]

Have you ever played one of Charlie Hoffman's guitars? I think they're right up your alley.

[JohnM]

I think a Lutz top would be very applicable in this situation as well. I find them to have more guts than other tops all things be equal (which they never are). Mahogany back and sides would fit the bill nicely too, but Koa, Euro Maple, Taz Blackwood, ect would do nicely too. I don't think you need a true jumbo to do this either. A Slope D, or a 16" GA/MJ/SJ would work great so long as it was built with all this in mind.

[Jeff M]

Seeing as how it has been his performance guitar of choice the past decade or so, Taylor.
You can even get one with his name on it.

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by Jeff M

Seeing as how it has been his performance guitar of choice the past decade or so, Taylor.
You can even get one with his name on it.

Very true as well! I've played those models and they are pretty nice git-fiddles.