Johnny Cash - Legendary Style
 

What is something you love about His playing style? What is a little known fact about the way he played?

Huge influence on my rhythm playing. (Inspired me to want to bass strum and mimic the rhythm of a train in a huge amount of stuff I do).

Loved everything about the guy.

Right place, right time...

When I was in college in the early sixties, the guy next door played Johnny’s original Sun Records album every evening. Through the thin walls, I became a Johnny fan. I still love the alternating bass guitar and his booming bass voice. I still know the words to most of those songs, and hardly a week goes by that I don’t walk the line...

He influences my singing more than anything. Click the Soundcloud link in my signature if interested. :)

Johnny had a simple straight forward style that just worked. It's like he lived and breathed a simple groove that was perfect for what he did. Regardless of the writer, after Johnny did a song it was his and everyone else was doing a cover of the song. Even if it was the original artist.

I didn’t ever notice his playing style, as I was too focused on his song delivery and vocal performance. This may be the first discussion of his playing style that I’ve seen.

I agree Mick...once he sang it...it was his!

Johnny was the voice, the image, the words...but the guitar was Luther.

Been watching his show on cable reruns. Couple things stick out for me, amateur can though I am. Most obvious is his use of different guitars during a show. His famous black one or a slot head dread, both gorgeous in looks and sound. Also he seems to frequently strum above the sound hole, sometimes by several frets. Scares me every time he'd sling one of those beautiful guitars over his back by the strap.

Possibly little-known is the fact that Johnny was into "folk music" long before ol' Bob appeared on his TV show. For one thing, Johnny & June were guests on Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest show . . . Johnny does literally "take his shoes off & set a spell", Pete seems a tad bit ill at ease.

This is a classic "old country" trick for vocalists who play the guitar, softens things up when you sing so that too much guitar isn't bleeding into the vocal mic.

When I was a little kid, I wore out the LP of his Folsom Prison record. I hadn't heard it for maybe 40 years and this Christmas my wife got me a vinyl repop of it. I still remembered every word of every song. He has/had incredible charisma. As I listened to it, I realized that the reason I play and sound like I do owes more to this record than anything else.

Very true. I was referring to the general style.

Also, that D-45 was probably pretty boomy. If he was accustomed to recording with it, just-barely-touching-it was probably the right amount.