Double Bass New Trend in Bluegrass Guitars?

[james condino]

Here is another "...whole lotta 'nuthin'..." bluegrass mandolin from some old geezer named Bill:

 

[Tim Skaggs]

My personal favorite, an original 1937 D18. Play it once and you'll realize it is the only guitar you'll need for the rest of your life...

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I jam a few times a year with a guy that is a part owner in a 1935 model D-18. First time he played it in a jam, I had to stop him and ask what the heck it was he was playing. There really isn’t a good group of words to describe how it sounds. I hope yours sound as good. His is a lot rougher than yours from what I can see in the pic.

 

[Don Kasper]

Ooops, Sorry!
I mistakenly clicked on the Bluegrass (DB) Forum.
(What the hell is going on over here??? "Gibson...."?, "Martin...." - not Thomas Martin?, "Sunburst...."?, "GUITARS..."???!!!!)
Just kiddin', Y'all!

 

[Don Hergert]

Yup, but we did get fair warning from the OP...

warning: guitar content...

 

[james condino]

I hope yours sound as good. His is a lot rougher than yours from what I can see in the pic.

If only I owned that one....

I remember clearly passing up on several of that era that took a while to sell for $650-1600 back in the day because I thought, "What kind of fool would pay that much for a beat up old acoustic guitar?", when I bought a pawnshop '57 Les Paul goldtop for $450 (long gone)?"....!!!!

"partial owner" of an old guitar pretty much sums up the market these days.

I was at "Loarfest" a few months back and got to checkout about 35 Lloyd Loar signed 1920s Gibson F5s all in the same room with that D18 above. 'Pretty amazing afternoon- here is just one tableshot from a giant room filled with them!

 

[Don Hergert]

Hmmm, about $5million worth of mandolins there. Don't see that every day.

 

[Don Kasper]

If only I owned that one....

I remember clearly passing up on several of that era that took a while to sell for $650-1600 back in the day because I thought, "What kind of fool would pay that much for a beat up old acoustic guitar?", when I bought a pawnshop '57 Les Paul goldtop for $450 (long gone)?"....!!!!

"partial owner" of an old guitar pretty much sums up the market these days.

I was at "Loarfest" a few months back and got to checkout about 35 Lloyd Loar signed 1920s Gibson F5s all in the same room with that D18 above. 'Pretty amazing afternoon- here is just one tableshot from a giant room filled with them!

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So, there is a thing called "Banjothon 2020"???
Was "Banjopallooza 2020" already taken??
Thanks.

 

[Don Hergert]

So, there is a thing called "Banjothon 2020"???
Was "Banjopallooza 2020" already taken??
Thanks.

If there is, I'm not aware of it. I suspect most expensive banjo collectors prefer to remain anonymous to avoid being accused of having strange obsessions.

 

[james condino]

Nope- it was in early January in Knoxville.

Banjothon had the best turnout- probably 100+ 1920s Gibson mastertone banjos.

At the same time: Loarfest, as partially shown above.

Plus: 'Bonefest for the pre-war Martin herringbone crowd. They had the smallest showing rumored because there were a bit too many guitars the year before so they got a warning and a 'talking to and not so many showed up.

The mandolin guys were the most uptight while the banjo guys were easily having the most fun and the most rowdy, pretty much taking over the whole event. Tons of great folks and a lot of famous iconic musicians roaming the crowd all giggling like the rest of us nerds.

Overall a very, very, very cool afternoon. 1000+ thanks to everyone who contributed and all the people who put on the show.

 

[standup17]

My personal favorite, an original 1937 D18. Play it once and you'll realize it is the only guitar you'll need for the rest of your life...

Excellent, is that yours? I get to play a friends 1938 D-28 from time to time. There are also two '41 18s that i get to play. One of those is my favorite guitar I've played. That brings up another point to quibble over--for Martins in classic bluegrass it was always the 28, not the 18. I speculate for a couple of reasons:

1--the 28 was fancier/more appointed/more expensive so the "famous" bluegrass acts went for that.
2--sound reinforcement was not as strong/adaptable back then, and the sustain and overtones of rosewood worked with those mics. Now days you seen more and more bluegrass acts playing mahogany dreads. In fact, they might be almost as or more popular in some scenes.
3--and vintage 28s got so expensive that people more recently started to look to less expensive 18s.

Cheers,
Z

 

[countrybass]

Going back to beginning.

The bluegrass band I joined last year
has a Collings(?) sunburst.

I had never even heard of that company.
(yea I know, i’m just a dumb bass player)

 

[Hammertime3]

The loudest flat top guitar I have ever heard was a Collings. I had to check to make sure he wasn't plugged in. It was a monster.

 

[neddyrow]

even Trey has a sunburst Martin

 

[neddyrow]

am i the only one worried about sunborst guitar taking over?

 

[statsc]

am i the only one worried about sunborst guitar taking over?

Bluegrass without a banjo — what a concept!

 

[neddyrow]

my guitar player is trying to learn how to cross pick. it hurts my brain to even try to wrap my head around how to learn that trick....and i can do a couple rolls on the banjo but crosspicking?!?!

 

[statsc]

Bluegrass without a banjo — what a concept!

Here's another version, sans banjo:

 

[AGCurry]

Here's another version, sans banjo:

Here's one with a four-string banjo:

 

[BobKay]

If I remember correctly, Sittin" On Top didn't start life as a bluegrass tune. I think it was first recorded by the Mississippi Sheiks sometime in the 20's.

 

[statsc]

Here's one with a four-string banjo:

I’ll see your Bob Wills and raise you one Robert Johnson (different lyrics though):