Country Blues Guitars

[Twinpeaksbirds]

While any guitar can be used to play the blues, and have been, there is a range of guitar tones commonly associated with old timey blues.

I just read a review of an inexpensive imported 0 size guitar where these adjectives were peppered throughout the review in describing the tone and vibe of the guitar:

Dry
Husky
Percussive
Snappy
Midrange Honk
Quicker Decay
Dry midrange
Growl
Nasal
Compressed
Boxy
Succinct

As I am partial to pre-war blues, I am interested in compiling a wish list of guitars at all price points that possess this characteristic sound. Opinions?

Adrian

[sully151]

Martin OO-15M.

Your list is now complete. Call Ted at La Guitar Sales and order one of the customs.

[zombywoof]

That must be some O sized guitar to tote around a list of adjectives like that.

[jdinco]

+1 on the 00-15 Martin. My 000 is not bad at it!

[GibbyPrague]

The 00-15 is a great guitar, I own one, but my vintage LG-2 blows it out of the water for your needs.

[frankhond]

Actually I can get all if the abovementioned sounds with my Lowden O23.

[Kerbie]

To me, your list certainly describes a small-bodied mahogany guitar. A 00-15M would be a great start.

[mashup]

Just out of interest, what was the imported 0 sized guitar that you mentioned?

[reholli]

Originally Posted by Twinpeaksbirds

While any guitar can be used to play the blues, and have been, there is a range of guitar tones commonly associated with old timey blues.

I just read a review of an inexpensive imported 0 size guitar where these adjectives were peppered throughout the review in describing the tone and vibe of the guitar:

Dry
Husky
Percussive
Snappy
Midrange Honk
Quicker Decay
Dry midrange
Growl
Nasal
Compressed
Boxy
Succinct

As I am partial to pre-war blues, I am interested in compiling a wish list of guitars at all price points that possess this characteristic sound. Opinions?

Adrian

That's quite a list of adjectives to apply to one guitar. My opinion is that many of them are due to the way it's being played at the time, just as or more important as the inherent sound characteristics of the guitar.

If you don't need a lot of flash, and don't mind quality laminated back and sides (Wild Cherry), I'd recommend the Art & Lutherie Ami Parlor with either solid cedar or spruce tops...I'm partial to the cedar. Built almost entirely from sustainable Canadian woods, and made in Canada by Godin, they're fine guitars for blues, fingerstyle, whatever, and able to stand up to some pretty hard playing from some of the YouTube videos I've seen. Find an older used one to avoid the current glued-on plastic rosette.

[Michael-Robert]

Originally Posted by Twinpeaksbirds

While any guitar can be used to play the blues, and have been, there is a range of guitar tones commonly associated with old timey blues.

I just read a review of an inexpensive imported 0 size guitar where these adjectives were peppered throughout the review in describing the tone and vibe of the guitar:

Dry
Husky
Percussive
Snappy
Midrange Honk
Quicker Decay
Dry midrange
Growl
Nasal
Compressed
Boxy
Succinct

As I am partial to pre-war blues, I am interested in compiling a wish list of guitars at all price points that possess this characteristic sound. Opinions?

Adrian

My Blueridge has everything on your list but the growl. It gives as good as it gets, and never lets me down when I'm working hard. Be warned however, after I replaced the factory plastic pins with ebony, the sustain got greater but overall sound lost some of its rapid decay and overall aridity. This guitar really seems to open up the deeper and the harder that I dig into it. It rings very big and clear to my ear, like a harp with fresh strings being strummed fortissimo. It has an extremely powerful and overtone-rich sweet spot away from the sound hole, a quite large and focused earthy vocal palette lying between its 14th and 12th frets. It is not unanimously the most humongous cannon when strummed in the first position, but it's a dread and so, it's louder than my only other guitar which is a cutaway grand concert.

[Toby Walker]

You more than likely know that the true defined sound of country blues guitar comes from all those pre-war recordings and many of those musicians used small, 12 fret to the body ladder braced guitars. Surprisingly enough many of those instruments had tone woods that aren't commonly found these days in modern guitars such as oak and birch.

That being said, you haven't been specific as to whether or not you're looking for a new guitar or and old one. As far as the old ones go, I'd suggest the following pre-war models:

Regal
Stella
Gibson
Martin
Stromberg Viosinet

Prices range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on how collectable they are.

Here are a few dealers that you may want to check out in order to get a better idea of those pre-war instruments:
http://vintagelicksguitars.com/
http://www.stellaguitars.com/
http://www.vintageparlorguitars.com/index.html

Check out some of these prewar beauties:
http://www.littletobywalker.com/feat...the-month.html
http://www.littletobywalker.com/pre-...al-parlor.html
http://www.littletobywalker.com/1930-stromberg.html
http://www.littletobywalker.com/1928-stromberg.html
'34 Stella
http://youtu.be/zmAbCT5xwDE

You can't overlook the Kalamazoo models from that time period either:
'35 KG-11
http://youtu.be/wvGUHBw8lt8

'35 KG-14
http://youtu.be/4Xwd9o5pC4w

Some post war guitars are also well worth looking into. The Harmony Sovereigns (also ladder braced) can be quite a bargain. Mance Lipscomb and R.L. Burnside favored them quite a bit.
http://www.littletobywalker.com/h127...12-string.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m4aoSOuUP4

Gibson has some real sweet 'dry' and 'woody' sounding models from the post war period as well:
http://www.littletobywalker.com/1944...er-guitar.html


On the new guitar side of the table it seems that just about everyone has jumped on the 'vintage' bandwagon. While the above mentioned Martin 00-15m is a good choice I personally think the 000-15SM comes out ahead if only because it's a 12 fret to the body instrument.

Recording King has come up with some interesting choices including the RNJ-25:
http://www.littletobywalker.com/reco...ng-rnj-25.html

Loar LH-200 is also pretty cool.

If you really want that old, woody, dry, etc sound and are looking to have one built then I'd recommend Mike Hauver.
http://www.hauverguitars.com/home.html
Here are a couple of clips of me playing Mikes guitars that were built for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVfqUBGThWg

[MJScott]

Santa Cruz 00m
Huss and Dalton 00 or 000
Martin 0015 or 00015 (narrow necks) or 00015s
Guild M20 or GAD 120

for cheap-Ibanez Artwood 240

That would be my short list. That's pretty much the genre I have been playing for the past 12-14 years. Hope that gets you a start.

[HHP]

Were those attributes listed as positives?

[teleguy]

I always like the dryness of the Gibson L-1, the Martin 00-15, 00-17 or 00-18 are great. I have a Gibson L-00 (WM-00) that is also just about right for the blues.

[devellis]

Huss & Dalton Crossroads fits the bill nicely. They're a high quality instrument that has the vibe and tone of some of those oldies-but-goodies in a solid, reliable, great-playing package.