BluesKing777 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 On Wily's thread the other day about 'Craiglist Thievery of the Week'??, about a Martin 000-18KS, there was a link to a Vintage Guitar mag article about Kenny Sultan that nobody commented on: http://www.vintagegu...8/kenny-sultan/ Kenny is a great fingerstyle blues guitarist, and his instruction dvd's and books are really good for moving from set blues picking pieces to a more improvising blues style with influences from Lightnin' Hopkins to many others, and some very good arrangements to move out of the cowboy positions and play some picking up the dusty end of the neck! On a book/cd I have of his he plays his 1936 Martin 000-18 - it is worth the price of admission to hear his beautiful guitar! http://www.amazon.co...27492686&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.co...27492686&sr=1-3 Here is a Youtube taste of Kenny and his '36: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=xpeEjufMqFA Enjoy! But beware, these guitars command some serious prices..... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 On Wily's thread the other day about 'Craiglist Thievery of the Week'??, about a Martin 000-18KS, there was a link to a Vintage Guitar mag article about Kenny Sultan that nobody commented on: http://www.vintagegu...8/kenny-sultan/ Kenny is a great fingerstyle blues guitarist, and his instruction dvd's and books are really good for moving from set blues picking pieces to a more improvising blues style with influences from Lightnin' Hopkins to many others, and some very good arrangements to move out of the cowboy positions and play some picking up the dusty end of the neck! On a book/cd I have of his he plays his 1936 Martin 000-18 - it is worth the price of admission to hear his beautiful guitar! http://www.amazon.co...27492686&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.co...27492686&sr=1-3 Here is a Youtube taste of Kenny and his '36: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=xpeEjufMqFA Enjoy! But beware, these guitars command some serious prices..... BluesKing777. very stevie ray vaughnish :-) good stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 On Wily's thread the other day about 'Craiglist Thievery of the Week'??, about a Martin 000-18KS, there was a link to a Vintage Guitar mag article about Kenny Sultan that nobody commented on: http://www.vintagegu...8/kenny-sultan/ Kenny is a great fingerstyle blues guitarist, and his instruction dvd's and books are really good for moving from set blues picking pieces to a more improvising blues style with influences from Lightnin' Hopkins to many others, and some very good arrangements to move out of the cowboy positions and play some picking up the dusty end of the neck! On a book/cd I have of his he plays his 1936 Martin 000-18 - it is worth the price of admission to hear his beautiful guitar! http://www.amazon.co...27492686&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.co...27492686&sr=1-3 Here is a Youtube taste of Kenny and his '36: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=xpeEjufMqFA Enjoy! But beware, these guitars command some serious prices..... BluesKing777. Big thanks for revisiting this. I saw it and tried to upload but my shitty dial-up took too long. I closed and completely forgot about it. Now I'll grab the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Nice collection of guitars, but too many Martins for my taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double0blues Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Kenny's great - I used to see him and Tom all the time when I lived in Santa Barbara - major guitar inspiration to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 Kenny's great - I used to see him and Tom all the time when I lived in Santa Barbara - major guitar inspiration to me... You are very spoiled, then! Did he play the vintage 000 as mentioned in the article, or a new one? BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Big thanks for revisiting this. I saw it and tried to upload but my shitty dial-up took too long. I closed and completely forgot about it. Now I'll grab the info. Yo BK! I hooked myself up with the KS instructional dvd, as I'm more of a flatpicker and figure I'll be able to warm up more to fingerstyle and maybe drop some bad habits I learned from John Prine's 2-finger method. Also, I could use some more help transitioning up the neck from the 'cowboy' chords. Thanks again. Very nice job too on the Clapton cover. Makes me regret selling my LG0 and restores my respect for ladder-bracing. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 too many Martins for my taste. With their response, its hard not to generate a wash of sound on the high end. KS is one of the few players I'm aware of who can play a Martin hog 000 and keep it clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double0blues Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 You are very spoiled, then! Did he play the vintage 000 as mentioned in the article, or a new one? BluesKing777. I don't recall seeing him play that sunburst in public - usually natural finished vintage Martins - occasionally an archtop Gibson - or a National... Being able to see those guys is one thing I truly miss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 I don't recall seeing him play that sunburst in public - usually natural finished vintage Martins - occasionally an archtop Gibson - or a National... Being able to see those guys is one thing I truly miss... I read the article again and he said he played newer (replaceable) 000-18s and National live and grabs the old 36 000-18 to record! Makes sense. How long ago did you use to go see them? My books of his are not new, so does he/they still play about? BluesKing777 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Yo BK! I hooked myself up with the KS instructional dvd, as I'm more of a flatpicker and figure I'll be able to warm up more to fingerstyle and maybe drop some bad habits I learned from John Prine's 2-finger method. Also, I could use some more help transitioning up the neck from the 'cowboy' chords. Thanks again. Very nice job too on the Clapton cover. Makes me regret selling my LG0 and restores my respect for ladder-bracing. Dave Thanks and you are welcome - though perhaps start with his first earlier fingerstyle books and slowly work forward - the last one is great but really hard! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 With their response, its hard not to generate a wash of sound on the high end. KS is one of the few players I'm aware of who can play a Martin hog 000 and keep it clean. I'm glad you said that 'cos I was starting to gas for a 36! (Still am). I have a 000-15 which is great and should hold the pains off. It also needs less 'damping'. Kenny said in the article that he damps heavily on 2 and 4. I guess that means he lifts his right hand on and off the bridge? When you say 'wash', do you mean what others call the strings out of control/undamped? BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Thanks and you are welcome - though perhaps start with his first earlier fingerstyle books and slowly work forward - the last one is great but really hard! Yep...but the dvd is a must for me. Monkey see, monkey do. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double0blues Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I read the article again and he said he played newer (replaceable) 000-18s and National live and grabs the old 36 000-18 to record! Makes sense. How long ago did you use to go see them? My books of his are not new, so does he/they still play about? BluesKing777 They have their regular gig just about every Sunday up at Cold Spring Tavern - a really cool place - an old converted stagecoach stop up in the hills - play outside - I used to call it 'blues in the dirt' - they seem to limit their outside gigs these days - they go to Europe every summer - England mostly - west coast Blues festivals and stuff... Kenny did a master class up at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch awhile back - that whole set-up Jorma & his wife have sounds fantastic - I'd love to do that one time... Anyway, yeah, they are definitely still around and keepin' busy - about once a year I ask Kenny when his next book will be out and he always says he'll get it finished 'this winter' - he blames the loooog delay on Santa Barbara living - so I don't know when or if he'll ever get it done - plus he has that teaching app thingy on-line - geez, it's like 'virtual Kenny' - I'm not a fan of that kind of technology... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipster100 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I had the good fortune to hang out with him for a few days a couple of summers back. He is not only a fantastic musician but a super guy as well. I remember a few of us were in a circle and he is bouncing all over the fingerboard while the rest of us tried to not do to much damage, then he leans my way and says "Take a break in here." I believe my heart actually came to a full stop. I like to think I did all right by the smile he gave me, however, he didn't ask me take another one. :unsure: When I was with him he had two Martin 000-18KS models with him. One he had for a while, the other he had just picked up at the factory that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 "View PostRambler, on 26 January 2012 - 07:35 AM, said:With their response, its hard not to generate a wash of sound on the high end." "Kenny said in the article that he damps heavily on 2 and 4. I guess that means he lifts his right hand on and off the bridge?When you say 'wash', do you mean what others call the strings out of control/undamped?" With hog back & sides, you dont get as quick a response as you do w/RW or Maple. There's a delay before the note blooms. Hence the shimmery high end. Great for single note runs and slide. Or strumming. But when finger picking, the sound has a way of building up. The separate lines dont ring clear. Unless you damp like crazy (on the strings, btw, not the bridge). At least that's what I hear. One reason J45s and L00s are good for fingerstyle is that they are relatively dry for a mahogany guitar. Play a Martin 000 12 fret or an OM--you'll hear the difference right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 "View PostRambler, on 26 January 2012 - 07:35 AM, said:With their response, its hard not to generate a wash of sound on the high end." "Kenny said in the article that he damps heavily on 2 and 4. I guess that means he lifts his right hand on and off the bridge?When you say 'wash', do you mean what others call the strings out of control/undamped?" With hog back & sides, you dont get as quick a response as you do w/RW or Maple. There's a delay before the note blooms. Hence the shimmery high end. Great for single note runs and slide. Or strumming. But when finger picking, the sound has a way of building up. The separate lines dont ring clear. Unless you damp like crazy (on the strings, btw, not the bridge). At least that's what I hear. One reason J45s and L00s are good for fingerstyle is that they are relatively dry for a mahogany guitar. Play a Martin 000 12 fret or an OM--you'll hear the difference right away. I admit I have returned to this number a few times: Schoenbergs: http://www.om28.com/...ed/4500018.html I will go and have a look/play at my closest acoustic guitar shop - they have a couple of vintage Gibsons and Martin 000s I may try on the weekend. Last time I went there I was going to try this Taylor Doyle, but there were a group of old geezers talking about cars and hoggin' the space, and being the gentleman, I bought strings and went home instead of pushing them away from the row of vintage delights! It needs a quieter moment to hear the things you are talking about.... I still have never played a Taylor - I bet they are really good and you lot have been buying them up. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Here is one Kenny Sultan I WON'T be adding to my collection......not bad for a $2500 guitar... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/2809540924.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Here is one Kenny Sultan I WON'T be adding to my collection......not bad for a $2500 guitar... http://sfbay.craigsl...2809540924.html That was the thread you posted the other day that started all this silly 000 fever.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I admit I have returned to this number a few times: Schoenbergs: http://www.om28.com/...ed/4500018.html BluesKing777. BK --the 000 in the photo is a 50/60s era martin, with straight, not scalloped braces, so it too is going to have that tighter and drier sound. The scalloped bracing really brings out the washy aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Obviously the guitar comes into play, but as Rambler has pointed out in the case of KS, the player has a lot to do with things as well. I will say that for me, while I definitely listen to what a guitar sounds like when I'm playing, the "feel" or feedback that I'm getting from the guitar is probably just as prominent in my thought process when I'm creating music. I have to admit that I haven't given too much thought to the phenomena of a wash of treble that has been pointed out when it comes to Martin 000s. I've got a 000-18GE that has scalloped bracing so you can probably pick up on that effect in the following recordings. (Just what I need, one more guitar related thing to obsess over.) View From Tabor Percolation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I don't hear that "wash" in Martins. Maybe I just don't know what it is. Here's my comparison of a Gibson and a Martin of similar size and vintage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMlXoPoKKgg&feature=youtube_gdata_player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I don't hear that "wash" in Martins. Maybe I just don't know what it is.. Ah, Shuckin Sugar. Always good to hear that. JT, I dont hear it so much in your 00s (smaller sound cavity), a wee bit more ring/sustain on the Martin. I do hear it more in Bill's two samples. 'Wash' might not be the right word. It's 'lush'. I'ds say Martin's tend to a 'lush' sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Ah, Shuckin Sugar. Always good to hear that. JT, I dont hear it so much in your 00s (smaller sound cavity), a wee bit more ring/sustain on the Martin. I do hear it more in Bill's two samples. 'Wash' might not be the right word. It's 'lush'. I'ds say Martin's tend to a 'lush' sound. I've played very few modern Martins, but I've played a lot of Martins from the 1920s and 1930s. I agree that they tend to have more sustain that Gibsons. a couple of qualifications to that, though. The early, large body 12-fret Gibson Ls, and in particular, the L-2s have, to my ears, have sustain equivalent to the Martins of the period. That's why I picked those 2 guitars for comparison. I don't think that the Gibson honk happened until 1933 or 19340. Also, those late 1920s and early through mid 1930s mahogany Martins can sound beautifully dry. I've had a couple of 1930s D-18s come through that were incredible blues fingerpicking machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Great comparison jt, thanks as always for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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