Guitar Changes

[dad2mak]

When I first saw GL over 40 years ago, he was playing a Martin D-35. In the 1972 BBC concert, he's playing a D-28. Now, when he plays a 6 string, it's a pretty worn D-18.

Anyone have any idea when he changed and why? Obviously the D-18 has a lighter, sprightlier sound. But beyond that...?

[JohninCt.]

The D-28 got stolen, but why he went to the D-18, I don't know. Maybe cause it's cheaper in price.....

[Bill]

In the Dream Street Rose days he and Terry played custom guitars by a solo maker. The D18 and D28 and D35 are identical in size...simply different tone wood configurations. Mahogany of say a D18' has a somewhat brighter tone and is easier to hear in a mix. rosewood is a deeper bass sound that might not fingerpicking as brightly. I've had both, and frankly went with walnut...a compromise between the tones. Leo Kottke, the fingerpicking master. Of our generation, prefers mahogany. Gord's 12 strings had gone from the natural top/reverse bridge to the iconic cherry sun bursts...the reverse bridge ones are early 60s (64 probably). When you've seen him with sunburst/traditional bridge, it's a later model, when quality was not as good.

[Tim]

This doesn't answer the question, but it's on a related note (no pun intended). At a September 2007 concert my son noticed that Terry had switched from his usual Martin D-18 to another type of guitar. I don't remember what type it was but, when we asked him about it after the concert, he said that Gordon had recently switched from a Martin D-28 to a Martin D-18. So Terry decided to make the switch from his D-18 to his other acoustic guitar in order to have a bit of contrast between the two of them rather than having the guitar sound coming from two guitars of the same type.

[teherie]

This article may help shed a little light. (At least up through 2000 when the article was written).

http://www.acguitar.com/issues/ag85/gear85.shtml

Since I first saw him perform live in 1975, I have never seen Gordon play anything but a 6 string dreadnought (Either a Martin or the McGlincy mentioned in the article link above) and a 12 string Gibson sunburst. For the last several years he has had two 12 strings on stage. His signature model Martin featured a quilted mahogany back and sides and I actually played one in a shop a couple of years ago but I have never seen GL play one on stage. The E. Fitzgerald was inlaid at the 12th fret and If I hadn't had three kids in college at the time, it would be here with me now.

Gordon Lightfoot's Martin of choice in recent years has been a 1948 Martin D-18 which has some great mojo. My guitar shop recently sold one from that era which was listed for $7,500. As stated earlier by Bill, the D-18 in mahogany provides a brighter sound that is quite different from Rosewood and probably suits his voice better these days. If you watch old reruns of the Andy Griffith show, you will see him playing a D-18 on quite a few episodes. Gordon's D-28 featured in the 1972 video would have most likely had a Brazilian Rosewood back and sides.

Terry played a D-18 for many years and the last two times I saw him he had the 000 McGlincy. As Tim state this would have given him a distinctive sound for his acoustic lead work that was more compatible with the D-18. I own a D-35 and OM-35 which both have rosewood back and sides. The OM is much nicer for lead work and has a more balanced tone. Johnny Cash and Maury Muehleisen (Jim Croce's guitar player) also favored the D-35 and each has a signature model by Martin. I believe I may have seen GL playing a D-45 once back in the 70's (like Neil Young and David Crosby used).

Carter was playing a Breedlove at Salamanca in September and has a markedly different (but equally stunning) playing style from Terry's.

[OldDan]

Just for the record, Gordon's guitars were stolen on October 12, 1972 in Saginaw, MI. I attended his concert at Chicago's Orchestra Hall on Sunday October 15 of that year and he was apologizing for blinding the audience with his shiny new guitars (the debut of the sunburst 12 string pictured with him on the Sundown album) as the old ones "got ripped-off Thursday in Saginaw, Michigan". According to Gordon, his equipment roadie had stopped for a meal at a truck stop and somebody "cruised in and cruised off" with all his stuff. Too bad those guitars were never recovered.

[JohninCt.]

Interesting thing I found on another D-18, etc.

http://www.scottymoore.net/42D18.html