Photo: Marg Thomson
Vintage Blues & Roots
2007 National Tricone Replicon
Lovely Tricone I got from CW Stoneking. The Replicon is essentially a Style 1 that has been roughed up a bit, and this one certainly has. I use this for Open G tuning.
1931 National Duolian
I got this recently from Lenny at Vintage Nationals in California. Absolutely lovely steel bodied guitar that rings and sustains beautifully. Smells like an auto shop from the fragrance of the steel and oil on the body. Single owner (before me) with a new fret board (radiused). A guitar that's older than me!
2004 National Style O
A lovely instrument for Bottleneck playing, currently Open D. It is set up with a high action and has a Highlander pickup installed. Great instrument - I love it, and nothing looks more like classic Blues than this little baby.
2008 Martin D18 GE Custom
A reproduction of a 1934 Martin D18 - my favourite flatpicking guitar. This has a custom neck, narrower than the normal model. It has an Adirondack spruce top, excellent volume and is a joy to play.
A fine (early) collection here.
I no longer have any of these.
(L- R)
1976 Martin HD28; great rhythm guitar.
1971 Martin D12-20 (12 string).
1935 Martin D18; wonderful instrument - was too fragile for the rigors of the road.
1930s National Style N with one-of-a-kind globe and dragons engraving.
2006 Martin OOO17S
My wife gave me this for
Christmas in 2007. A nice little 12 fret guitar for playing the blues. I
love the slot heads. It has a Baggs I-Beam (active) fitted as do all my
Martins. They give out a nice acoustic sound.
1996 Martin D18VS
I've had this guitar longer than any. It's been well played in and has got a big resonant sound for a mahogany guitar. Did I say that I love the slot heads?
1971 Martin D12-20 12 String
Yes I said that I didn't have it any more, but I missed it so much I had to find another. It has a Grevens pickguard and frets above the body join have been removed - no matter, I don't play up there! Has an incredible ballsy sound in the bottom end, just great for those Leadbelly bass lines and a bit of low-end slide.
1990 OMI Dobro Hound
Dog
A nice round neck pre-Gibson Hound Dog. It looks like it its a lot older and it's sure been around. Mostly use it for playing a few licks on country songs.
1963 National Westwood 75 (Map)
This is my sole electric Guitar. I play it in Open E and use bare fingers (no picks). This is a very interesting instrument, the rear pickup is a piezo and its completely useless. The front pickup, well its a single coil and it just blows you away. It's the best thing I've ever heard for slide playing, no pedals and effects. It's a real monster.
ACCESSORIES
Shub Capo (12 String or wide version); Moonshine Ceramic Slide; Dunlop or National Fingerpicks; Dunlop Tortex 'Blue' tri-corner plectrums; Elixir Phosphor Bronze strings; 12-56 on Martins, 16-56 on Nationals