GL's guitar's
I am wanting to get a new guitar and was curious as to what kind or kinds of guitars Gordon plays. Thanks!
|
Re: GL's guitar's
He has two Gibson B-45s that he uses, tuned and capoed differently. For a 6 string, he has mostly played a Martin D-18 but occasionally - including in 2008 - he has played a Manzer. I had never seen it before, but it is in concert photos from the late 70s and early 80s.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
I had never heard of a Manzer either, so I checked out their website. Wow, they carry a price tag of 20 grand. That's about 19 thousand dollars out of my price range. I will probably go with a Martin of some type, they seem to have the richest sound of any guitar I have tried so far.
If someone has any suggestions on other brands of guitars that you think I should take a look at, please let me know. Here is what I have played so far. Taylor, Takamine, Alvarez, Cort, Martin, Washburn, Huss & Dalton |
Re: GL's guitar's
I am biased (I have a D-18GL). I don't really play, but I love my guitar. You can see it on the home page of my GL web site at www.gordonlightfoot.com (scroll down).
If you can spend about $1000, I would suggest a Martin D-15. They are all Mahogany (or Sapele), and aren't very pretty (sort of a chocolate brown affair), but they are worth it. I think they are the best Martin "bargain", with the advantages of a Martin and a wonderful sound at an affordable price. Our own Lightfoot fan friend Cathy Cowette plays one. You can listen to the clips from her CD to hear what it sounds like www.cathycowette.com (she recorded 6 Lightfoot songs). It still sounds like that, even after a tumble from a float. A crack yes, but the sound is still wonderful. (The guitar in her home page photo is not the Martin, but the rest of the guitar pictures are). |
Re: GL's guitar's
Thanks for the info. I woudn't mind to have one of those D-18 GL's myself, but they are a little out of my price range. I think that Martin is the way to go though. I have really taken a fancy to the Martin 000-M model. It's not real attractive, but I like the smaller body and it sounds and plays fantastic. I already have a full body guitar, so I think I want to try something a little different.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
I know a couple of people who have a triple 0 and they love them. You won't regret it, I'm sure!
The D-18GL was limited to 61 guitars and priced at $3500. That was the last limited edition for which they limited the number because they learned their lesson. They could have sold hundreds more! (Dick Boak writes about that in his book). I didn't play at all but I figured that with so few the guitar would go up in value and should I need the money in the future, I could sell at a profit. That has proved to be true. Resales now run in the $4500 to $5000 range, with several far above that! But finding one that is for sale isn't easy, although probably a quarter of them have changed hands. |
Re: GL's guitar's
OOO s are wonderful guitars! Particularly so if you are a finger picker.
My main guitar for years was a Martin M-36 which is like a OOO only even bigger around the bottom. Absolutely great instrument but now I have a few neck issues (my neck - not the guitar's) and a OOO is perfect. I love mine.Mine was made by a friend who is a small time lutheir and makes nice instruments. You won't go wrong with the ones from Martin. |
Re: GL's guitar's
The D-18-GL is pricey and hard to find as Valerie noted. However you might consider the regular Martin D-18. I bought one last year for my son and it sounds magnificent. Very bright sound. I actually prefer it to my D-28 which I've had for years............but he won't trade!
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Eagle,
Are you shopping for a 6 or 12 string? One thing that nobody's mentioned yet, is that Gord plays dreadnought size guitars. Is that what you are looking for too? |
Re: GL's guitar's
Eagle,
Are you shopping for a 6 or 12 string? One thing that nobody's mentioned yet, is that Gord plays dreadnought size guitars. Is that what you are looking for too? |
Re: GL's guitar's
I have always played 6 string guitars. However, as I have been trying out different brands, I have picked up a 12 string a couple of times. I might consider a 12 as a 3rd guitar, but I think that I really need to get another 6 right now. I purchased my current guitar about 30 some years ago and though I will never part with it, I think it is time to move up. The brand that I have now is called a Lincoln and when I bought it I remember the guy telling me that it was made by Gibson. I cannot find any info on it at all, so if anyone has ever heard of them I would appreciate any info that you can give me. It was made in Japan and is a beautiful guitar and the craftmanship seems to be of good quality.
Thanks!! |
Re: GL's guitar's
One brand I have not yet seen mentioned is Guild. I play a Guild GAD50, priced at about $1200. They sell for around $750 used, however. They are solid mohogany and have a wonderful sound and great action. I installed a Fishman Matrix II pickup and for my money, it is the best guitar/pickup setup that I have owned. I play it out quite a bit and get plenty of compliments on the looks and the cound. It comes with a tweed case.
Good luck. |
Re: GL's guitar's
That's one brand that I have'nt played yet. I checked it out on the web and it looks like real good guitar. What do you think of the Guild GAD-50PCE model. It is their acoustic electric. It contains the Fishman Acoustic Matrix Natural I Under Saddle Pickup, which I know nothing about.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Guild still makes excellent guitars, but alas, like so many things, not like they once did. That being said, even their Chinese made guitars can be a good bargain. Gibson and Guild are my personal favorites. I live 2 miles from the Taylor factory, and they are everywhere. Maybe it's me, but I don't find them as rich. The important thing is to play several guitars of the models you like. When you pick up the right one, you'll know it.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
My kind of topic guys and I hope I can provide some help.
From the first time I heard Gordon Lightfoot strum out that intro to "Early Morning Rain" on his Gibson B45 12 string I was sold on those guitars. To me there's nothing can capture that sound and I can listen to it over and over as is with the intro to "The Canadian Railroad Trilogy." That sound was created with his tool of trade and it's the Gibson B45 that does it with the ultimate of effectiveness and brings it out like no other 12 string guitar sound could capture. It took me a long time and with heart rendering research to find them but I am very lucky to have two, and they are my babies, and if at all possible they travel with me. Going to music stores, pawn shops, or any place where guitars are available for playing and just hanging out is one of my favorite things to do and that gives many opportunities to hear lots of quality instruments. To find a Gibson B45 of any quality to speak of in a store would be a real stroke of luck. You'd probably have better luck at a garage sale. From what I have discovered many of them did not not turn out that well and I turned down a few even when I started out looking back in the 70's in Toronto, so be careful if you see one that might look like nice as the sound might not be what you'd expect. When these topics come up I tend to get lost in them and it sometimes becomes necessary for the stop sign to go out, so I'll round it out by saying that if ever my B45s should for whatever reason be no longer available, I would, and recommend to eagle 670 that you try the "Larrivee" 12 string. It would be my choice. That guitar produces a very beautiful sound. Rich and quite unique and the price is reasonable enough. I also love the "Guild," which was the fav of John Denver. I would also like to mention that the " Fishman Matrix Natural II is the one that I have installed in my Martin D18, and from what I gather it's also the same one that Gord has in his D18. (got a hot tip on that one) Cheers, Ron J. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Eagle,
OK, a 6, so that takes care of a B45 hunt. I'm most familiar with Martins, so I'll list a few choices here. First, if you want to go Martin, you have to be set to pay into the thousands to get one... mostly. A D-18, Gord's current guitar, in standard will cost just to the low side of $2000. A standard D-28, which he played for years, and what I play now, will be slightly higher than the 18. Of course, you can go crazy with the Marquis, Vintage and Golden Era D-18s/D-28s too and the prices will climb way up there fast. Val mentioned the D-15. Good sound, no much to look at, costs will be under $1000. The D-16 series is one I'd look to. They have spruce tops, with hog or rosewood backs and sides. They make a very good choice. Then there's the Road and DX series Martins. Look at these real close. They have laminate woods, so they god for $500 and under, but still have the Martin sound. As always, each person must go for what touches him. But that's a thumbnail look at Martin dreds. Good luck. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Eagle,
OK, a 6, so that takes care of a B45 hunt. I'm most familiar with Martins, so I'll list a few choices here. First, if you want to go Martin, you have to be set to pay into the thousands to get one... mostly. A D-18, Gord's current guitar, in standard will cost just to the low side of $2000. A standard D-28, which he played for years, and what I play now, will be slightly higher than the 18. Of course, you can go crazy with the Marquis, Vintage and Golden Era D-18s/D-28s too and the prices will climb way up there fast. Val mentioned the D-15. Good sound, no much to look at, costs will be under $1000. The D-16 series is one I'd look to. They have spruce tops, with hog or rosewood backs and sides. They make a very good choice. Then there's the Road and DX series Martins. Look at these real close. They have laminate woods, so they god for $500 and under, but still have the Martin sound. As always, each person must go for what touches him. But that's a thumbnail look at Martin dreds. Good luck. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Great advice guy's. I appreciate the help. I find that the more I go into music shops, the more confused I become. I have always found that referrals are the best way to go when you can't decide on something. A lot of the kids that work in these shops, don't even know what an good acoustic looks or sounds like like. I am really suprised with the quality of the instruments out there. Some of them do not hold a candle to my old Lincoln model, as far as craftsmanship, that I paid 300 bucks for in the 70's. Anyway I will continue my search. Thanks again for the feedback!
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Now just to confuse things I will say that Ovations kind of did the reverse thing on me which is to say I liked them back a ways but not so much now unless it's an acoustic-electric that you're plugging in. They sound great out in a crowd.
The advice you are getting in here is great. Don't worry about the confusion. So many guitars... So little time.... I'm with Pam. On e of these days you are going to pick one up and you are not going to be able to put it down. My Martin M was like that. It still is but I can only play it standing up which is why I ended up with a OOO in addition. As was pointed out Gord plays a dreadnaught so if that's the sound you are looking for a D-18 or a D-28 will make you very happy. One over the other is simply a matter of taste. The 18 has mahogany back and sides vs rosewood for the 28. The former will give you a slightly brighter sound while the latter will give you a bit warmer sound. Trust your ears. My first Martin was a D-35. I bought it at a store that had a total of four in stock. I made them take all of them - including the two that were still in plastic wrap in their cases. They hadn't been opened since shipping from the factory. I played them until one said "buy me!" I had it about 10 years and only sold it because I needed the money for for the M-36. Why is it that Guild keeps moving (part of it is they get bought by other companies. They were in New Jersey, then Rhode Island, then in teh old Ovation factory in Connecticut and now are in the Takoma factory in Washington. The guy that played dobro on my CD worked for Guild in New Jersey when he was a young dude. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Hi again Eagle,
The Fishmans are great pickups. Terry Clements and Gordon both use them and mix them with a mic on stage. Combine that with the rich sound of the Guild, and I say it's a good combination. As for Taylors, I have owned one. I don't particularly care for a couple of things about them. All the Taylors that I have played sound thin to me. They come in many different price ranges, but I'd say that other brands, even some Epiphones, have a richer tone. I also do not like Taylor pickups. They are generally transducers and the upper end is not satisfying. John Fogerty is the Taylor posterboy these days, and his sound good on stage. However, I would venture to guess that his models have Fishman pickups. My fincee' owns an original Gibson J-50 from the late 60s. It is a beautiful guitar and sounds amazing. One thing about guitars is that, if the wood is solid and good, the sound will improve with age. So will the price. Hers cost about $200 when her dad bought it. It is now worth about $3000. I hope you have some good luck. People on this forum seem to know their guitars and give some good advice. However, I will say, don't go for a Martin just because good ole GL plays one. His instrument is probably up there in the $3000 range. Affordable Martins these days have dropped in quality. Many of them have laminate back and sides. It is a shame, but to sell more instruments, many manufacturers have dropped the quality and opened shops overseas. Even the Guild I have is made in China. Alas, American ingenuity sold to the overseas markets. Oh well. Happy playing! |
Re: GL's guitar's
Good advice there! You do pay something extra for the Martin name.
You absolutely want solid wood and not laminates - especially for the top for exactly the reasons spocksbrain just pointed out. Also if you want a guitar that will sound better and better over the years don't go for a cedar top. They pretty much sound what they are going to sound like right out of the box. I have one and it's nice but it won't change. The one other tidbit on that is that even a nice spruce top doesn't age magically by itself - you have to play it. I don't expect that will be a problem! Taylors - yeah, their weak point would be a bit of a thin sound which works on some thing better than others. Generally nice fingerpickers but not so much bass in the strumming. Their strong point would be the wonderful neck and fingerboard. They are very easy to play. |
Re: GL's guitar's
You guys are great! I really appreciate all the feedback. I started learning "Circle of Steel" last night and the fingering on that song has some real difficult parts. I really think that I need to get something with a smaller neck, because my fingers are not very long. So if anyone can tell me what brands have the smaller neck size, it would help me out alot.
I don't know if any of you know a guy named Pete Huttlinger, but he has some excellent guitar lesson dvd's. Pete is the national finger picking champion and used to play with John Denver. I purchased 3 of his lessons, with one being "The Songs of Gordon Lightfoot". Pete teaches the exact picking patterns of GL and also arranges the music to include lead guitar parts. I just started last night, but it is excellent. Just thought I would pass that along to my fellow guitarists. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Oh, Circle of Steel will give your fingers a good work out.
Someone will chime in on the smaller neck issue. Taylors generally fill that bill. Some Gibsons and even Martin since they gave up the "you don't need a truss rod" argument. I haven't owned a Martin with a truss rod but I've played a few and they have much easier necks these days. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Circle of Steel is probably #2 on my fav list. I would really like to learn how to play "Affair on 8th Avenue". It has some really nice melodies in it. I have the tab, but the picking pattern is what I have trouble detecting. Maybe someone has already figured that out and would like to share the info.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
You like challenges!
I'm strictly a figure it out by ear guy and as a result the way I do anything is pretty quirky. So far Affair on 8th Avenue isn't one I've done. It was in here somewhere that I learned that properly played Don Quixote is in A capoed up two. I've always played itt in G capoed up 4. I taught that to myself the night my oldest daughter was born and I couldn't get to sleep. Too late to change now.... |
Re: GL's guitar's
I'd have to disagree that Martin laminate guitars are of lesser quality. Lesser grade materials, sure, but the quality is still there. I too played an Ovation, in my case for 30 years.
Then after all that time, I played a Martin DXM. The DXM is a Martin HPL all laminate guitar. The "wood grain" is counter top photos. Didn't matter. After Ovation, owning a synthetic guitar wasn't a problem. Regardless... the sound was there. My DXM isn't my D-28, but then it only cost a couple hundred dollars.. The sound is excellent. It IS a Martin. These guitars allow players without lots of money to own and play a Martin guitar if they want to. They work. They may not be to everyone's taste, and that's OK. If you don't want to play laminates, only play solid wood, sure. A good laminate is still a good guitar. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Well, my point was more that laminates don't age. Neither does cedar. If you like the sound of it when new and are OK with the fact that it won't change over the years you're in! This is about the tops really. The backs and sides aren't as important.
I have a guitar with a laminate top in the house - an old Yamaha. I also have a OO with a cedar top. They are fine. Just different things. Last night I was out seeing Rodney Crowell and his lead player, Will Kimbrough, was playing one of those old Yamahas. I got to talk to him for a minute afterward. He normally plays a D-18 but the airline cracked the side so he went into emergency mode. It sounded fine. You'll certainly never find one guitar where everyone agrees that this is the best. Gordon who is set on that one model 12 string is an exception for the most part. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Quote:
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Nothing wrong with a Goya! Nice guitars. I don't have any classicals (or any class...) but I've played ones belonging to other folks. Nice stuff.
As far as undervalued I'd like to buy undervalued and sell overvalued but it never works out taht way. Actually I seldom sell. I have an old Guild bass that I've had for 35 years! And I still have the little Gibson LG-1 that I got in 1965! One thing that makes me kind of drool at the moment is a Gibson Advanced Jumbo. Very pretty guitar. |
Re: GL's guitar's
Speaking of guitars.........
What method(s) do you guys use to introduce some humidity into your instruments ? |
Re: GL's guitar's
I bought some gadgets that are designed specifically for this purpose a while ago after my DCX-1E developed a crack right down the middle of the sound board. They're these little sacs made out of a material that looks like felt and they have a cap on them which one unscrews. Then you fill the sac up with water cap it, and leave the whole thing in the case with the guitar. Water evidently slowly seeps through the sac at a rate that keeps the environment inside the case sufficiently moist. It really does seem to work and I do find that they have to be refilled regularly during winter time.
Actually, here's a link to the gadget I use - at least I think this is it: http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ier?sku=421665 -DM |
Re: GL's guitar's
Quote:
|
Re: GL's guitar's
I used to have an old 1960 Goya back in the Folk era 60's. It was a F19 model which one of the guys in Peter Paul and Mary played. It was made so you could use either steel strings or nylons. Had wonderful sound. I had it in the Army in 64-67 and it used to put guys to sleep when I played it. It got stolen when they broke into my car in Houston,Texas in 1969 along with a Teardrop Vox electric guitar. That really hurt. I now have a 1969 Martin D-28. and a Martinez nylon string, a 1988 Gibson Les Paul Studio, a Gibson Avenger from 1982 I think, a Gibson ES 225, and a Ovation Balladeer from some time back in the 70's, and a privately made Telecaster using Fender pickups and gold trim with some nice body parts that I am not sure who made them, I bought it cheap from a guy who used to own a music store and built it for himself, plays nice and sounds nice. Most just sit in cases and I hardly ever play anything any more, the only 2 which are strung is the nylon Martinez and the Telecaster copy. Just have basicly lost interest. Never was that much of a player any way. I remember when Gordon and Terry got those expensive guitars, as I had asked Terry about them when I seen it up close. They looked pretty much like a Martin if I remember them right. They did sound excellent though.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Well I just thought I would give you all an update on my guitar search. I had an original price range of about $700.00, but after seeing some of the quality offered for that amount, I have decided to shoot a little higher. There is a chance that I could get a Huss & Dalton or possibly a Bourgeois. Understand that I have not even picked up one of the guitars, because the prices start out around $3000.00. However an opportunity has come about where I might be able to get one around the $1500 mark. Has anyone had any experience with these?? I probably won't get a chance to be able to afford a hand crafted guitar like this again, so if this comes about I am going to jump on it. I am sure that I could get my money out of it if it does not fit my playing style.
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Quote:
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Quote:
|
Re: GL's guitar's
Hi Ron, it's worth a shot for sure. They do seem to work pretty well. The reason I wound up getting one was because of what happened with the DCX-1E so I maybe I'll take this opportunity to add my opinion regarding the question of quality of lower end martins.
Here's my story: I was looking for a cutaway electro-acoustic that was in the 500-800 price range. The DCX-1E really impressed me. Somehow, in spite of being a laminate it really sounded nice and played well. Very easy to finger. So I picked one up for $600. Within 5 months it had developed a crack right down the middle of the sound board starting at the saddle and going all the way down. This guitar lived in the same place as my almost 30 year-old D-35 which has endured much harsher conditions without a single crack. I took the guitar back to where I'd purchased it and was told that the warranty didn't cover the damage because it was due to my negligence letting it get too dry. They wanted $190 to fix it so I walked out of the store vowing never to buy anything there again. I contacted Martin directly and got no response at all one way or the other. So I took it to a local Luthier who told me that the guitar was made almost entirely out of formica-only the soundboard is actually solid wood, and that the bracing on the sound board was also not up to Martin's standards for their higher end models. He fixed the crack for 50 bucks. Someone else told me that the reason the DCX-1E cracked and the D-35 hasn't probably has to do with the fact that the wood used for newer guitars isn't as thoroughly dried before use. The luthier told me this was probably BS but I don't know who to believe. Anyway, in the end, if I was told to keep it well humidified when I bought it (I don't remember but it's not as if I didn't know this) it's technically my fault that this happened. It's just that it was a shock after so many years without problems with the D-35, and with Martin not even responding to my inquiry. So to those who say that the DX-martins are of good quality, I have to disagree based on what the luthier told me and my experience. They are not "real" Martins. They are not manufactured in the same way or using the same materials and standards of construction as are used at the factory. They are mass-produced and stamped with Martin's name and that's about it. I don't know if I'll even buy a Martin again after not even getting a response out of them when I contacted them. Fingerstyle guitarists should check out Breedlove and Lowden. But be prepared to spend some money. -DM |
Re: GL's guitar's
Quote:
I would like to have an older Goya someday -the serial# on mine is high and I'd guess it's among the last that were made. I know they were common and inexpensive but I feel there's something magical about a Goya. Liona Boyd's 1st guitar was a Goya...and Stevie Nicks was too. Stevie wrote a song the 1st day she got hers. I had mine for a couple of months before I spent any time on it and I guess that 1st day -is when I wrote a song. I hadn't written anything in years! Martinez..I remember those! Haven't seen or heard of one in years. Sorry to know you've lost interest in playing though. I'm not much of a player either and hadn't spent much time playing at all during the past decade (even went 4-5 years without a guitar) until last winter. I'm playing differently now and I've gotten a little better. Before, I felt like I had plateaued -didn't think my playing could progress. I hope you can pick up playing again! I've been unemployed nearly 1/2 the time during the past few years so I've had the benefit of having some free time to pick up playing again. |
Re: GL's guitar's
RM, you don't have to buy anything. For my precious Martin D-18GL, I used one of the tried and true solutions - made a bit more difficult in these days of digital cameras, however. If you have a film camera and some film canisters, you are all set. If not, plastic soap dishes will work too. Punch a few holes in the top (I usually punch 3), and insert a wet piece of sponge. Bingo! Works like a charm. Obviously, be sure that your arrangement doesn't leak water on your guitar. In a dry climate, check the sponges every few days so you know how often to wet them. I use 3 canisters in my case, at the headstock end. This was adequate in Colorado too, where dryness is a problem, although my guitar was then almost 3 years old. The greatest danger of dryness-related damage is in the first 2 to 3 years when the wood is still drying naturally, and is therefore more susceptible to extremes. (Of course, this solution assumes that you keep your guitar in a case when you aren't playing it).
I just started playing again (well, okay, I played 4 or 5 times in the same month), and took my guitar in for a check-up after a guitar playing friend (singer/songwriter Michael Jerling) said that the action seemed too high for fingerpicking. My guitar was originally set up for fingerpicking, and the action was wonderful, but after not playing for so long I couldn't judge it myself. I went back to my Martin-authorized repair tech and he adjusted the truss rod, and did actually file the saddle a bit (without taking the strings off!). What a difference it made! No dryness issues at all. For this professional service, I was charged the lofty sum of $25 ... |
Re: GL's guitar's
Quote:
|
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:41 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.