FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Country Blues Guitar

Question:
I'm on the hunt for a guitar that captures the sound of those old Country Blues players at the early part of our last century. I'm thinking one of those 12 Fret to body guitars... not sure about sizes... 'OO' ? ...and the types of woods ?

Answer:
If I was to abandon authenticity to the extent of buying a good quality modern guitar similar to the ones used in the 20s and 30s, the martin OOO-18 (as played by bill Broonzy) or comparable Martin 15s and 16s would be good choices. More upmarket the Collings C-10 is similar to the L-OO and has a very good reputation. No doubt one of our contributing luthiers could offer something even better if you want to spend more than the price of the Collings. With acoustic blues, IMO it is how you play not what you play it on. I don't think those old guys cared in the least. - My guitar of choice these days is a Bourgeois MS (cutaway 12 fret 16 dread) or a Beltona brass tricone. - Because I can afford something passably decent that sounds good to my ear rather than authentic. You can have my 1934 L-00 for about twice what its worth. I might suggest you should try a bell brass (not steel!), silver plated, metal-body resonator guitar as I feel they capture the sound of country blues (and delta blues) more authentically than any kind of wooden guitar even wood-body resos!! Check out my Johnson JM998E (E=engraved) resonator at: http://www.texasbluesman.net/guitar.html Currently all 8 of my free downloadable blues songs are done on a metal-body resonator guitar. Some recorded with bare fingers, some with flat-pick, some done with metal fingerpicks (brass for 2 fingers / stainless steel thumbpick) and brass or chrome slide. The real, earthy and down home cry of the roots of blues comes from blues players using metal-body guitars.!!!