We Could Solve It: What Guitar Did Nick Drake Use?

[westman]

from folks that were around at that time, they recalled him variously seen with a Levin, a Martin and a nylon strung the Guild was said to be borrowed for THAT photo shoot, for whatever reason .

[mc1]

Originally Posted by rmpmcdermott

It tells me that there are hundreds of other factors when recording that could make a guitar sound different than its tone in the room.

well, what does that tell you?

[Jack Orion]

Originally Posted by jpd

Once again, Nick's family and the chap that did the photograph have categorically said he never owned that Guild...

I think we can put that rumour to bed.

[rmpmcdermott]

Originally Posted by mc1

well, what does that tell you?

That we'll never know!

[RedLabelJohn]

Nick used many different guitars. If you read in 'Remembered For A While', Nick actually threw a guitar or two on a bonfire and smashed guitar(s) when having depressive episodes!!
The Levin was definitely one of his early guitars. Whether he actually recorded with it, probably unlikely. Maybe on some home demos.
Nick was good friends with John Martyn. John in the early days played the Yamaha FG-180 (the poor mans' Martin based on the D-18. These guitars sound uncommonly good for their price tag and were very popular). There is anecdotal evidence that Nick used one of John's FG-180 guitars, a shared guitar as it were. Guitars were shared and passed around in that era. Nick spent alot of time at John's Hampstead flat. They played guitar together. John also sanded down his Yamaha guitars so they resonated more. The sound of the FG-180 can be heard in tracks like Hazey Jane I. It's my belief that a sanded down FG-180 is present on some tracks on Five Leaves Left. It makes 'Solid Air' more poignant as it was the last time John Martyn recorded with an FG-180 before he acquired his Guild D-55. Some Island staff deliberately kept the mystique about Nick's guitars and it was convenient just to refer to the Guild M-20 after Bryter Layter. Nick did NOT record with a Guild M-20. Part of Nick's sound is about DEAD strings. He wanted them dead so his bass picking had that distinct 'thump'. So picking up exactly what guitar he is using is tricky due to the dead strings not resonating the guitar in a more familiar way. Certainly he acquired a Martin 000-18 and a D-28 guitar and all the info present in RFAW book should be regarded as accurate, but it can't tell the whole story. The Yamaha Classical Nick owned/used was a Yamaha G-50 ( you can tell from the soundhole decorative pattern ). Quite possibly it was originally Robert Kirby's and you may hear it on the Made To Love Magic recording of 'Riverman' which Robert recorded in Nick's Cambridge rooms at Fitzwilliam.
There is also evidence (which I can't divulge fully as it's a delicate guessing game at present) that one of the FG-180's doing the rounds at that time was modified to look like a Martin which may have added to the confusion.
Finally you REALLY need to see this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMIDS2LBpNo
Hope that helps.
RLJ

[Nickdrake11]

bear in mind that the information Gabrielle printed in Remembered for a While was not correct about the Martin guitar pictured and captioned as -18.

Nick posed with the Guild M20 on the cover of Bryter Layter but it was NOT used to record any songs on the album, he used a Martin D28 acoustic guitar. He also recorded Five Leaves left with the Martin D28.

This guitar was given to Rodney Drake after Nick's death and it was eventually sold to an American collector.

He owned a Yamaha, the Martin,and a Levin, but neither of these were used in any studio recordings and he never sold the D28 in exchange for
a 000-18.
The one photograph of Nick playing on stage is him with the Martin D28, and is the only known picture of him performing live.

[Jambi]

Josh Turner put a lot of work into it and it's pretty dialed in. tl;dr, small body, dead strings, hand placement.

[Rmz76]

Originally Posted by Nickdrake11

bear in mind that the information Gabrielle printed in Remembered for a While was not correct about the Martin guitar pictured and captioned as -18.

Nick posed with the Guild M20 on the cover of Bryter Layter but it was NOT used to record any songs on the album, he used a Martin D28 acoustic guitar. He also recorded Five Leaves left with the Martin D28.

This guitar was given to Rodney Drake after Nick's death and it was eventually sold to an American collector.

He owned a Yamaha, the Martin,and a Levin, but neither of these were used in any studio recordings and he never sold the D28 in exchange for
a 000-18.
The one photograph of Nick playing on stage is him with the Martin D28, and is the only known picture of him performing live.

Assuming this is true, it's funny to think about how many m20s were sold with player being told "this gets you that Nick Drake sound". I think Tony Polecastro did I review of the new M20 and referenced Nick Drake

[Michael Watts]

I had the pleasure of playing guitars on a posthumous Nick Drake release co-written with Beverley Martyn. When I asked Bev she said she only remembered him with a Martin.

Here's a live version of Reckless Jane, I hope you enjoy it

[RedLabelJohn]

Originally Posted by Nickdrake11

bear in mind that the information Gabrielle printed in Remembered for a While was not correct about the Martin guitar pictured and captioned as -18.

Nick posed with the Guild M20 on the cover of Bryter Layter but it was NOT used to record any songs on the album, he used a Martin D28 acoustic guitar. He also recorded Five Leaves left with the Martin D28.

This guitar was given to Rodney Drake after Nick's death and it was eventually sold to an American collector.

He owned a Yamaha, the Martin,and a Levin, but neither of these were used in any studio recordings and he never sold the D28 in exchange for
a 000-18.
The one photograph of Nick playing on stage is him with the Martin D28, and is the only known picture of him performing live.

Could you elaborate on your claim that RFAW is incorrect? Also about the sale of the D-28 to a collector? Sources?
The photo of Nick playing live - how can you say for sure that is a D-28? What are the unique identifiers in the photo?

[kitarkus]

Originally Posted by RedLabelJohn

Could you elaborate on your claim that RFAW is incorrect? Also about the sale of the D-28 to a collector? Sources?
The photo of Nick playing live - how can you say for sure that is a D-28? What are the unique identifiers in the photo?

I just have to laugh. This debate has been going on for as long as I can remember. I own a 1968 Guild M-20 because I adore the guitar, however, I have no knowledge or allusion that Nick actually played one (nor do I care aside from the added potential marketability of my guitar). I find it unlikely that anyone has spent the time to match Nick's sound more than Josh Turner and Josh has certainly created a shockingly similar sound and tone. Now carry on with the debate

[TNO]

We'll never know what he used but the easiest way to that tone is a older laminated Yamaha.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by TNO

We'll never know what he used but the easiest way to that tone is a older laminated Yamaha.

With VERY dead strings...

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[jbeecham]

Originally Posted by RedLabelJohn

Finally you REALLY need to see this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMIDS2LBpNo
Hope that helps.
RLJ

This confirms what was in that video:
https://youtu.be/p-aE4oPKSDQ?t=249

jerry

[RILEY31]

Well, the photographic evidence points to Nick owning/playing a Levin Dreadnaught while at University which could easily be confused for a Martin (and in some ways it was a Martin).

I'm pretty shur the Levin guitar he was playing had nothing to do with Martin Guitar Co., Martin did not buy the Levin name until 1974 and the Martin Levin guitars are junk.The Levin and (Goya which is what they where branded in the USA) X braced Dreads which they call Goliath size are fantastic guitars and probabaly one of the most under rated guitars on the used market.