Dylan

[Rodgers]

Does anyone have any tips about how to produce the guitar sounds on Dylan's early acoustic albums? I can't afford a Martin guitar, but would appreciate advice on strings, techniques etc. I speak as an elderly Dylan fanatic. Thanks in anticipation.

[ALBD]

Originally Posted by Rodgers

Does anyone have any tips about how to produce the guitar sounds on Dylan's early acoustic albums? I can't afford a Martin guitar, but would appreciate advice on strings, techniques etc. I speak as an elderly Dylan fanatic. Thanks in anticipation.

As another big fan of Dylan with a love of the early acoustic stuff here is my experience.

Reproducing the tone of his guitars is not something I’ve really dug into. But I’d say stick with traditional, small bodied mahogany to be near (enough) to the ballpark. Fast Travis picking and the right tuning/capo placement is key to start reproducing what he is doing to a degree. I say “to a degree” because I inevitably put my own stamp on his tunes since his playing is pretty unique to him and I’m not competent enough (or have the patience) to replicate his style beyond the point that I like what I’m hearing.

Here’s a great link for chords, etc:

https://dylanchords.info

Good question—look forward to hearing what others have to say!

[pickinray]

Here is a video of Dylan from 1964:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVGpQPhd4xM

For the most part, his technique appears to be fairly simple strumming and fingerpicking. I think the secret to his tone is hanging out with lumberjacks who smoke a lot!

Dylan seemed to favor small bodied guitars - I can't tell what kind of guitar he's playing in the video. It doesn't look like a Martin - maybe its a Gibson. I've also seen photos of him playing a Martin 00-17.


Regarding strings, I don't think phosphor bronze strings were around in the early 1960's. So he probably played 80/20 bronze - his tone on the video sounds fairly bright. GHS makes a string called "Vintage Bronze". You might want to give those a try, too.


I am listening to the video as I type this. It reminds me what a musical genius Dylan was, and still is! Good luck in your quest.

[RP]

I'd imagine that he wasn't so fastidious about changing strings....

[pickinray]

Originally Posted by ALBD

Reproducing the tone of his guitars is not something I’ve really dug into. But I’d say stick with traditional, small bodied mahogany to be near (enough) to the ballpark.

An Ibanez AC 240 would get you in that ballpark for a lot less than the cost of a Martin. The Artwood Series are really nice, affordable guitars.

[drive-south]

He played a Gibson Nick Lucas on many of the early recordings but also borrowed instruments in many cases.

I've become obsessed with Blood on the Tracks of late and now I"m all Tangled Up In Blue. I'm trying to memorize all 7 verses, so I'm reading up on the meaning of the lyrics hoping that will help. The Dude is deep, that's for real.

[JAMKC]

Originally Posted by ALBD

As another big fan of Dylan with a love of the early acoustic stuff here is my experience.

Reproducing the tone of his guitars is not something I’ve really dug into. But I’d say stick with traditional, small bodied mahogany to be near (enough) to the ballpark. Fast Travis picking and the right tuning/capo placement is key to start reproducing what he is doing to a degree. I say “to a degree” because I inevitably put my own stamp on his tunes since his playing is pretty unique to him and I’m not competent enough (or have the patience) to replicate his style beyond the point that I like what I’m hearing.

Here’s a great link for chords, etc:

https://dylanchords.info

Good question—look forward to hearing what others have to say!

Thanks for that excellent link!!

[Cameleye]

In his earliest recordings he played an older Gibson J-50 with what sounds to me like dead nickel strings. I read that when he was using the rosewood Nick Lucas he used Silk & Steel strings which he left on the guitar way past their expiration date.

[Fresh1985]

Originally Posted by pickinray

Here is a video of Dylan from 1964:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVGpQPhd4xM

For the most part, his technique appears to be fairly simple strumming and fingerpicking. I think the secret to his tone is hanging out with lumberjacks who smoke a lot!

Dylan seemed to favor small bodied guitars - I can't tell what kind of guitar he's playing in the video. It doesn't look like a Martin - maybe its a Gibson. I've also seen photos of him playing a Martin 00-17.


Regarding strings, I don't think phosphor bronze strings were around in the early 1960's. So he probably played 80/20 bronze - his tone on the video sounds fairly bright. GHS makes a string called "Vintage Bronze". You might want to give those a try, too.


I am listening to the video as I type this. It reminds me what a musical genius Dylan was, and still is! Good luck in your quest.

I believe the guitar is the gibson nick lucas special which he aquired after his j50 was stolen. Basically a high quality small bodied sitka/hog with old 80/20 strings will get close to this sound. A gibson L00 would be even closer and a NL special closer still. Dylan through his hayday played mainly gibsons and martins. One of my favourite albums is blood on the tracks which was recorded using a martin 00-21.

[JonPR]

In the early days he mostly played in a country flat-picking style, melodies and runs on the bass strings combined with strumming - mainly from Woody Guthrie and his circle.
But he quickly developed fingerpicking skills (alternating bass). He also used a few alternative tunings. Freewheelin' is a real portfolio of guitar skills: capo on every track except one (AFAIK), and a few alternative tunings (drop D, open D, double drop D).
One interesting tactic he employed was to play Blowin' in the Wind with capo on 7. The key was D (on the album), easy enough in open position, but he chose G shapes on fret 7 for some reason. It certainly gives a distinctive high register sound.

In the six tunes in that video pickinray posted (gold!), five are in EADGBE.
Of those five, three are in key of G, open position; one (Restless Farewell) is in A, but capo on 2 makes it G shapes; the other (Hattie Carroll) is in E, capo on 4 making it C shapes.
The sixth (Hard Rain) is in drop D with capo on 1 (making key of Eb).
Just one (Girl from the North Country) shows off his fingerpicking (and an unorthodox right-hand position!). Otherwise, it's all straightforward strumming.
So it seems he liked a limited palette of standard open chord shapes (especially key of G), but was still reasonably inventive with tunings and use of the capo for other keys.
He treated the guitar as little more than a basic accompaniment for his songs: lyrics and melody were always way more important to him than chord sequences or guitar skills! (The latter were competent enough, but no more.)

The only one with an unusual chord is Girl from the North Country - and he got that chord (and much of the rest of the tune) from Martin Carthy's arrangement of Scarborough Fair (Paul Simon took the same chord for his version for the latter).

This is more film of him from 1964, playing in drop D tuned down a half-step. (The capo is on 3, but the key is E, not F.) You get a better sense of the bass picking style here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeP4FFr88SQ

[AgentKooper]

Originally Posted by Rodgers

Does anyone have any tips about how to produce the guitar sounds on Dylan's early acoustic albums? I can't afford a Martin guitar, but would appreciate advice on strings, techniques etc. I speak as an elderly Dylan fanatic. Thanks in anticipation.

I wouldn't worry about having the same guitar(s) Dylan used. Focus on the playing technique. Jerry's Guitar Bar website has a huge selection of lessons from the early Dylan albums (along with many other great artists). The lessons are spot-on and easy to follow. I learned "Don't Think Twice . . ." from there, and I still can't believe I can actually do it. It's one of the first places I look whenever I'm trying to learn a new song.

https://jerrysguitarbar.com/guitar-v...ividual-songs/

[pickinray]

Originally Posted by Fresh1985

One of my favourite albums is blood on the tracks which was recorded using a martin 00-21.

Blood on the Tracks is my all-time favorite Dylan album. I consider it to be Dylan's masterpiece.

[LiveMusic]

Early Dylan... somewhat dead strings might help. I recorded a song one time on purpose with dead strings to get 'that' sound.

[Fresh1985]

Originally Posted by pickinray

Blood on the Tracks is my all-time favorite Dylan album. I consider it to be Dylan's masterpiece.

Agreed it is a true masterpiece. I have been listening to more blood, more tracks (bootleg vol 14) these last two weeks and some of the recordings are just too good for words.

[KarenB]

There's a confidence in Dylan's playing that gets transmitted to the listener. He's absolutely in the song.