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  What brand of guitar does Willie Nelson play?

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Author Topic:   What brand of guitar does Willie Nelson play?
Sherman Willden
Member

From: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

posted 30 July 2006 05:08 PM     profile     
If you saw a similar model in a pawnshop how much would you pay for it?

Of course I'm talking about the gut-string with the hole in it.

Sherman

Jon Light
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 30 July 2006 05:09 PM     profile     
That is a Martin. No idea at all of the value, with hole or whole.
Jim Sliff
Member

From: Hermosa Beach California, USA

posted 30 July 2006 05:15 PM     profile     
It's a Martin N20.

He's probably the only pro musician playing one, except for pro Willie tribute/cover bands.

Among Martin fans, they are generally considered on a level with the...ahem...famed Martin F-hole guitars. For better or worse, it IS his signature sound.

If I saw a *mint* N20 in a pawn shop I'd probably not even look at the price tag, and head to the tool department, thinking they don't deal in musical instruments.

FWIW I seem to recall "book" value at $2-3k in excellent condition. The first couple of years had Brazilian rosewood back/sides, increasing value quite a bit...but in the condition of his ("Trigger"? I think that's what he calls it) , the value falls off a cliff. Unless it's that particular guitar, obviously.

If it was any other N20 in that shape, the smart thing to do would be save the back and sides, retop it for steel strings, put a new neck on it and turn it into an OM-ish model. At least it wouldn't be firewood.

[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 30 July 2006 at 05:24 PM.]

Stephen Gambrell
Member

From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA

posted 30 July 2006 05:21 PM     profile     
A 1969 N20, with a Baldwin pickup added by Shot, I believe.
Jim Sliff
Member

From: Hermosa Beach California, USA

posted 30 July 2006 05:28 PM     profile     
Yep - Just checked sources and he bought it cheap from Shot Jackson over the phone without ever playing it. It does have a Baldwin pickup. It must have been made for pianos or something, because it SURE wasn't made to do anything good for a guitar's tone.

Jim Peters
Member

From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

posted 30 July 2006 05:29 PM     profile     
Thru a Ballwin amp. JP
Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 30 July 2006 06:09 PM     profile     
Tone is in the hands.
Jim Peters
Member

From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

posted 30 July 2006 07:08 PM     profile     
here it is:
http://www.willienelson.com/pppics/trigger.jpg
John Bechtel
Member

From: Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.A.

posted 30 July 2006 08:40 PM     profile     
Well, everyone must agree that it is a ‘holy’ piece of equipment!

------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment

sonbone
Member

From: Dallas, Texas

posted 31 July 2006 12:12 AM     profile     
That's not a hole in the top, it's just the lighting in the photograph.
Michael Johnstone
Member

From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

posted 31 July 2006 12:32 AM     profile     
When Willie was doing the duet album w/Leon Russell "One for the Road" in 1978,I was one of the engineers. I picked that guitar up in the studio and tried to play it and it was a dog back then. Willie's good people though.
Alvin Blaine
Member

From: Sandy Valley, Nevada, USA

posted 31 July 2006 01:14 AM     profile     
I was in a vintage guitar store a few months ago and they had one hanging on the wall. I played it and it sounded very dead, no ring no tone just an undesirable plunk. They wanted $1200 for it, I don't think it was worth half that.
David Mason
Member

From: Cambridge, MD, USA

posted 31 July 2006 02:13 AM     profile     
When they can sell a brand-new, "relic'd" Les Paul for $5000, it seems like those things might be a goldmine - break out the Dremel Mototool and the blowtorch and have at it.
Jim Cohen
Member

From: Philadelphia, PA

posted 31 July 2006 05:21 AM     profile     
quote:
I played it and it sounded very dead, no ring no tone just an undesirable plunk.
Yup, that's his sound alright. Not Acceptable, IMHO.
Jim Peters
Member

From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

posted 31 July 2006 05:45 AM     profile     
Met Willy's band in St. Louis, real nice people. Willy probably doesn't care what we think about his guitar. JP
John Billings
Member

From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA

posted 31 July 2006 06:22 AM     profile     
"Among Martin fans, they are generally considered on a level with the...ahem...famed Martin F-hole guitars."
Jim, I had a C-3 years ago, and it was a great-sounding, great-playing guitar! Maybe it was a fluke? Wish I still had it.
Jerry Hayes
Member

From: Virginia Beach, Va.

posted 31 July 2006 07:35 AM     profile     
Jim S.. I read an article once that said Willie's guitar had been given to him by the late Roger Miller?

As for the sound of the instrument, it does the job for Willie and he's played some beautiful recorded solos with it. Check out Willie's solo on the cut of "Half a Man" or "Reasons to Quit" on the album he cut with Merle Haggard. Also the solo on Willie's version of "All of Me" is another great example........JH in Va.

------------------
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!


Ron Page
Member

From: Cincinnati, OH USA

posted 31 July 2006 08:59 AM     profile     
quote:
Tone is in the hands.

Maybe this explains why I've never cared for Willie's post-Trubadore singing.

------------------
HagFan

Brian Davis
Member

From: San Francisco, USA

posted 01 August 2006 11:40 AM     profile     
I have an old 00-18G nylon martin. Sounds good to me. To each his own regarding what's good tone. I think Baldwin's Prismatone pickup does better than most modern piezos.
Charley Adair
Member

From: Maxwell, Texas, USA

posted 01 August 2006 01:06 PM     profile     
When you hear it, you don't have to ask who it is.
Stephen Gregory
Member

From:

posted 01 August 2006 01:24 PM     profile     
In answer to the question, another question... "Why would it matter?"
CHIP FOSSA
Member

From: Monson, MA 01057 U.S.A.

posted 02 August 2006 06:14 AM     profile     
This is getting to sound like an acoustic guitar Jerry Garcia thread. Whoa.

And, just how many sound-holes does one guitar
need? Isn't one, enough?

Mark Eaton
Member

From: Windsor, Sonoma County, CA

posted 02 August 2006 06:18 AM     profile     
I always thought Willie did some nice stuff on that guitar, that works with his songs.

I'm sure he'd be the first to tell you that he's no Brent Mason.

------------------
Mark

[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 02 August 2006 at 06:18 AM.]

Barry Blackwood
Member

From: elk grove, CA

posted 02 August 2006 08:18 AM     profile     
Actually, I believe this awful sounding instrument's drawbacks probably contributed a lot to Willy's style. For instance, because it has no sustain, he has to (annoyingly) pick each note several times .....
Earnest Bovine
Member

From: Los Angeles CA USA

posted 02 August 2006 09:03 AM     profile     
I thought the reason he picks each note several times is because he's trying to figure out if it's the right note, and it never is, so he moves up a half step at a time searching for the right note.
Mike Shefrin
Member

From: New York

posted 02 August 2006 09:11 AM     profile     
lol
Barry Blackwood
Member

From: elk grove, CA

posted 02 August 2006 10:36 AM     profile     
Earnest, that's funny! By the way, whatever model it's decided that it is, it's definitely a two-holer!

[This message was edited by Barry Blackwood on 02 August 2006 at 10:38 AM.]

Brian Davis
Member

From: San Francisco, USA

posted 04 August 2006 10:57 AM     profile     
What's to decide? It's a Martin N20, Willie's awesome, and my dad can beat up your dad.

Lefty
Member

From: Grayson, Ga.

posted 04 August 2006 05:39 PM     profile     
Whatever anyone thinks about Willie or his guitar he is a true American legend, great Songwriter, Humanitarian, and stylist.
Whatever we think of his sound it is his trademark, instantly identified. True, he is human with faults (self admitted) but anyone else here written as many great songs sung by as many greats?
He is laughing all the way to the bank.
Lefty
David Mason
Member

From: Cambridge, MD, USA

posted 05 August 2006 03:01 AM     profile     
quote:
He is laughing all the way to the bank.
When he can get past the roadblocks set up by the IRS, that is....
Bill Miller
Member

From: Gaspé, Québec, Canada

posted 05 August 2006 04:31 AM     profile     
Willie Nelson's guitar is roadkill and I've never heard it sound in tune. Somehow he has managed to use it to good advantage though.

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