Country pickers who play LPs?

[shep79]

Country singer Thelma had a burst...seen here, but not with Thelma...

I thought this looked like Tom. Then I checked-out your screen-name...I guess you're a fan too! Nice! One of my favorite 80's groups. When I saw them in 2006, they sounded like sh*t, Tom's voice is all but gone. However, he was an amzing talent during his time.

 

[p19978]

An amazing player was the guy in Hee Haw (Roy ?); I've seen clips of him playing a Black Beauty and he smokes!

 

[shaman]

big roy clark...a childhood hero-loved him and glen cambell

 

[larrykwilliams]

There is a great pic of Jerry Reed playing a LP on the cover of his Hot Stuff album.......though he does have a mini-switch (probably for phase switching) mounted in the middle of all 4 knobs.

Looks like a Tobacco burst '70s Custom.


With Gibson's presence in Nashville, they have been handing out instruments like crazy in recent years. You see the "country", and I use that term very loosely, guys playing them all over now.

The Fender sound did not really dominate country music until the mid 80's thru now. Before that, a Gibson sound was what you heard more than anything. I know there were a few exceptions, but I am talking about the overall sound of the 50's - early 80's.

And of course, this did not really apply to the west coast country guys, Buck, Merle, Wynn, Tommy, and their type always preferred Fender sounds....creating the "Bakersfield sound".

A large majority of the country music recorded in Nashville had guitarists like Chet Atkins, Hank Garland, Grady Martin, Billy Byrd, Arthur Smith, Harold Bradley.....using Gibson guitars for the most part......Harold still does when he plays. What about Hank Thompson with his big archtop Gibsons? In fact, Gibson created the Gibson Byrdland at the urging of Billy BYRD and Hank GarLAND, hence the model name.

So for a few decades the sound of Gibson and Gretsch was the preferred tone for Nashville musicians, especially on sessions. Eventually the Tele came to be recognized as the "signature" country tone. But that seems to be changing again as country becomes a remake of 70's southern rock......and not a good remake either

 

[Koko Brown]

Been thumbing through Marty Stuart's new photo collection. Near the back is a section dedicated to famous pickers, and there's a big picture of Grady Martin's ES-355, tricked out with some kind of palm pedals (and nylon saddles).

 

[larrykwilliams]

And what a player he was too!

 

[dcooper830]

This is a really cool subject!!

I play a lot of country gigs and I mostly play Les Pauls and 335s.

I have a video on YouTube of me playing "Guitar Rag" on a Zakk Wylde Les Paul if anyone is interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHhmVtVNqSA




.

 

[Stevedenver]

well i dont know if you consider Danny Gatton -that Tele icon, a country player

but he did use Gibsons from time to time

and I know he played the Canadian Sunset track on an LP custom (one of my favorites by Danny)-one great track to not only hear Dannys brilliance but also how wonderful LPs sound clean

 

[maestrovert]

Roy Nichols was known to use a Les Paul now and then...

check out this clip of him @~ 16 sec mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li_Kpk_DDoE

 

[Koko Brown]

Roy Nichols was known to use a Les Paul now and then...

check out this clip of him @~ 16 sec mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li_Kpk_DDoE

Shout Factory has just released a DVD of Merle Haggard called something like "Legendary Performances." Here's a link to a clip with Roy Nichols picking a Les Paul:
http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/merle/03-movin_on.asx

 

[Koko Brown]

Here's one I just stumbled across:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcc1dBL9PY

 

[Stevedenver]

i got one that nobody knows ill bet

not exactly a country player in my opinion but definitely a picker of world class
Doc Watson used to play a 50s LP in the 50's when he was playing rockabilly before the folk revival-heard it from the man himself today on NPR in an older interview with him

 

[Mahalo]

Oh, any town big enough to have a McDonalds will have at least one absolutely incredible guitarist. Some guy who makes you want to give up the guitar, someone who blows 99% of our guitar heroes away.

This guitarist is typically found working at that very same McDonalds, manning the fry station and living in his mom's basement.

So true!

I took some lessons from a gypsy-jazz guitarist here in Sydney (who shall remain nameless) - this guy was a monster player. He would head to Europe and live with the Roma for a couple months every year. He was incomprehensibly accomplished in jazz, Django, Wes, you name it, totally world class. And he was living pretty rough. Spun me out a bit.

 

[Ryan Givhan]

Here's one I just stumbled across:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcc1dBL9PY

too bad its an epi

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Dave Thornhill [who played with Loretta Lynn and many others] with his 58, that he bought in 1959:

 

[guitarguy1964]

Joe Edwards, who was a staff musician on the Grand Ole Opry for many years played a Les Paul alot.

 

[Koko Brown]

i got one that nobody knows ill bet

not exactly a country player in my opinion but definitely a picker of world class
Doc Watson used to play a 50s LP in the 50's when he was playing rockabilly before the folk revival-heard it from the man himself today on NPR in an older interview with him

Yes, he played guitar for a living in a country/rockabilly kind of band. Ralph Rinzler came down to North Carolina and 'rediscovered' Clarence Ashley. When it came time to record, Clarence brought along Doc and his Les Paul to back him up. Ralph was aghast, and convinced Doc that an electric guitar wasn't appropriate for a 'folk' record (imagine, in hindsight, telling Doc Watson what is and isn't appropriate for folk music). Then Ralph heard Doc pick the banjo and realized he might be in the presence of greatness. When Doc came to the attention of the 'folk' audiences, I seem to recall reading that he traded in his Les Paul (I seem to remember reading it was a '52) for a Martin dreadnought, and the rest is history. Doc is still picking today; wouldn't it be cool if he'd make a record of his electric picking?
Clarence White also played an old goldtop as a lad before he became an incredible bluegrass picker, and then went on to Tele greatness with the Byrds. There are photos of him with the Les Paul in the book his brother Roland just released about Clarence's flatpicking style.

 

[DHBucker]

So how good is Kenny Chesney?

I don't know. Where I live there's not a lot of country on the radio, but I think I'll check him out on the basis of this review.
Click on the photo to see a larger pic of him wailing on a Lester.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/arts/music/20choi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Chesney is a product of the Nashville machine. He isn't a "player", he knows how to strum and and sing about mundane,sappy, bullshit IMHO. Give me Pete Anderson, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley for "country" players. Oh yeah...there's this fella from Louisville in Martina McBride's band name of Greg Forsman that can kick alot of these "country" players in the ass. Check out some videos of Greg and you'll see what I mean. You guys have heard me get on rants before about neo-country so I'll just chill a bit, but I'll mention one Gibson player that get's on my last Fuckin' nerve..... Kix motherfucking Brooks! This guy has NO respect for the high dollar Gibsons he gets that many of us would kill for. He bangs, scratches, and beats on Custom instruments just for show. He really doesn't play them. It looks like he uses them for props. Taylor Swift has some young guys in her band that play lesters and SG's and can heat them up pretty good. Not my bag but at least she writes her songs unlike many country acts and her boys can get some good live tones. Country is the new disco to me. IT SUCKS!!! God bless Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride, and guys like that. Poets and story tellers.

 

[Black58]

Chesney is a product of the Nashville machine. He isn't a "player", he knows how to strum and and sing about mundane,sappy, bullshit IMHO. Give me Pete Anderson, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley for "country" players. Oh yeah...there's this fella from Louisville in Martina McBride's band name of Greg Forsman that can kick alot of these "country" players in the ass. Check out some videos of Greg and you'll see what I mean. You guys have heard me get on rants before about neo-country so I'll just chill a bit, but I'll mention one Gibson player that get's on my last Fuckin' nerve..... Kix motherfucking Brooks! This guy has NO respect for the high dollar Gibsons he gets that many of us would kill for. He bangs, scratches, and beats on Custom instruments just for show. He really doesn't play them. It looks like he uses them for props. Taylor Swift has some young guys in her band that play lesters and SG's and can heat them up pretty good. Not my bag but at least she writes her songs unlike many country acts and her boys can get some good live tones. Country is the new disco to me. IT SUCKS!!! God bless Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride, and guys like that. Poets and story tellers.

Sounds like you need a hug.

 

[DHBucker]

Thanks for making me laugh Black58. I needed that. Been a really shitty weekend on call. Nancy Wislon of Heart can deliver that hug if you can arrange it. That's a dream woman that can rock a Les Paul!

Roy Clark was known to pluck Gibsons pretty well.