Official Luthiers Forum!

One of us needs to sell this guy a new guitar. Looks like he's about worn his out.

Tommy Emmanuel

I had never heard of this guy before tonight. I also listened to Michael Hedges for the first time...

Amazing The folks that are out there (or used to be) that are just demi-gods when it comes to playing.

Worn out? Heck no! There's a good reason he's in the studio with that guitar...it sounds amazing. It don't matter what it looks like!

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

If it's the guitar I think youre talking about ......it looks the way it does
partly because Mr Emmanuel decided it would be groovey to run some
sand paper over the top and give it a nice used look. The matter was
discussed in an interview that aired on Australian TV recently.

The guitar in question is a Maton, made here in Australia.

Cheers Martin
kiwigeo38815.3578703704

Yep, that's the one. I did a repair to one of those last year, a "Tommy Emmanuel" model OM. Tops split wide open in the good ol' northeast USA winter.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Ronn, if I may suggest a CD by Hedges, go out and buy Aerial Boundries. It is probably the most ground breaking acoustic recording by Michael. EVERY thing else is great, but AB is mind bending.
The title trak "Aerial Boundries" is awesome, my favorite is Ragamuffin. I have a VHS of Michael playing it and although it "sounds" easy, his hands are all over that neck. Breakfast in the field is my second fav, and also MH first release.

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Thanks for sharing this Ronn, i didn't know this guy's talent before today and i'm in awe!

Tommy and Maton Guitars have a loooong and successful relationship. If you ever get a chance to see him live, don't miss it, his extravaganza called "initiation" is a 10 minute piece that will leave you speechless and confounded at how one man could pull so much from one instrument.

John Butler is also another Maton man, his 11 string (he has pulled the treble "G" machine and has used the spare hole to cut a viola scroll into the headstock) also sound superb.

I was fortunate enough to pick up a 1979 Maton Colonial a while back. It is a solid blackwood dred with a red maple neck and sitka top, it sounds awesome. Just wish I had a single 100th of Tommy Emmanuel's talent to justify my owning it.

Ched Atkins dubbed Tommy a CGP (Certified Guitar Player), one of just a couple to receive that honour. Once you have seen Tommy live, you will understand the hype, simply amazing. He sometimes tours with his brother Phil, from memory, both began performing professionally around 9 years of age with their Father.

Today, when they do perform together the show is a real treat. Oh...did I mention that I am a bit of a fan

Cheers

Kim

i always thought that the somewhat worn look of te's matons was a byproduct of the highly percussive and abrasive effects he uses to complement some of the most amazing picking one will ever find anywhere. i always thought he did enough damage with that to never need to use sandpaper.

i haven't seen him live since i returned to the states about 10 yrs ago but was lucky to catch him a few months ago on one of the music programmes like austin city limits or soundstage. still everything i remembered.

Better late than never on those artists - I met a TE freak from Italy a while back and he laid some shows of TE's that he video taped while chasing him around Europe a couple years back ->they are fantastic! - I have to get my computer in shape right now but I can put them in the FTP for you, when I get the system together{if you'd like that}.
I also agree whole heartedly with the estimation of Lance about MH and the "Aerial Boundries" and the "Breakfast in the Field" albums - I got them taped {remember casette tapes?} one album each side on a 90{mabye 120>?} minute tape from a friend 1995 and played it non-stop until it was absolutely worn out - Michael will be missed.
Also check out Don Ross, Tuck Andress, and Jason King for amazing guitarists. Jason is a very new school player and does some kickass slap and tap techniques on his guitar that seem nearly impossible to pull off.
check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMsZSEP3JjE&search=guitar
Cheers
Charlie

Go to http://www.woodsongs.com/showlist.asp

...and download a video of a TE performance. It's a big file but well worth the effort.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I did a search at youtube for TE and spent a portion of yesterday evening, after I posted, watching many videos of him. The piece Initiation is nothing short of phenominal from a technical standpoint.

Lance I'll take your advice and next time I'm up in the city I'll pick up a couple MH discs

Great video CharlieWood!

And JJ I'll be spending a lot of time at that site... Thanx... I think.

WOW!!

Per JJ's suggestion I am watching the TE performance right now... I would encourage everyone with any interest to do the same. It's a performance/inteview and is nothing short of amazing.

Just scroll down till you see TE's name... Well worth it!

Thanx JJ

Charliewood, That wood be Justin King, Nice kid!and he can sing too!

Lance

Yes of course - Im sorry - mistype
Justin King, and yeah isnt that guys playing grand?
Anyone else have any hot player tips???
Cheers
Charlie

One hot player tip, coming up: Monte Montgomery. He's from Austin, TX. He may possibly be the greatest guitar player you've never heard of. Amazing talent. Plays an Alvarez-Yairi.

_________________
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Thanks for the link Charlie, great website that i added to my favorites also!

Oh wow!

Kevin Ryan players

this is a pretty cool site dedicated to luthier Kevin Ryan.
in the mp3/video youll find lots of cool artists.

Udi.

Kevin Ryan you make good cookies,
Those beveled sides look very comfortable,
although I dont notice an excessive discomfort when Im playing a regular acoustic body, it looks like something that a guy could get used to pretty easily.
How difficult would that feature be to add to a regular design, and any opinions on how much it affects sound?
Cheers
Charlie

Really cool site, great sound and beauty, great artists too!

Serge

Thanks for the great links guys, this has been a great thread for anyone interested in listening to the masters of acoustic guitar

Cheers

Kim

CharlieWood,
search the archives for armrest or bevels.
youll find some good info there.

I think he has another guitar that he named Mouse that is a bit more "used" that the one in the video posted here. He is rather attached to that guitar. It was stolen last year, but somehow was returned to him.
Tommy is so great. I love his music.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

[QUOTE=kiwigeo] ...it looks the way it does
partly because Mr Emmanuel decided it would be groovey to run some
sand paper over the top and give it a nice used look. [/QUOTE]
Okay, it's manditory that the first OLFer to see TE gives him a dope slap and asks, "What the !%@#*&!! were you thinking?"!

Carlton...I saw him and once when you see the sounds he produces from that "distressed" top you'll be amazed. After getting through the smooth lacquer finish and exposing the bare wood grain, he's able to produce a scratching percussive effect not unlike that of a washboard.

I just wonder why Maton even puts any finish on his guitars in the first place.

He's definitely a must see!

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com