Here's the Cooper list. No photos here as I'm the most technologically inept picker you came across in a week of Wednesdays, but you can see some of them at www.gerrycoopermusic.co.uk (The site's still being developed but it's getting to be quite nice now. All these instruments will eventually be visible.) Nothing vintage, I'm afraid.
Yamaha FG-410-12A 12-string. Big and rumbustious. Bought from a friend about 15 years ago. I think it's about 30 years old. Retro-fitted with a Fishman transducer and tone/volume controls. Yamaha FG-340-II 6-string. Bought new in 1984. Retro-fitted as above and has had new tuners and a refret. Good for flatpicking and playing in church. Vicente Sanchis Model 28 classical. Given to me by a friend and according to its label "Hand-built in Spain". Sweet and deep tone, but doesn't get played enough? Ozark 3515single-cone resophonic. Equipped with a Fishman passive reso pickup. Recently customised with a John Quarterman cone and a 'chickenfoot' cover (thanks to all at Stewart MacDonald!), along with an ebony saddle and bone nut, all of which have greatly improved the tone and sustain. Mainly used for slide but also played 'normally' for Blind Boy Fuller songs. Loud and shiny - what's not to like? Martin 000-1 My first Martin, bought about 3 years ago. Despite its lowly place in the Martin Order of Merit, this spruce & mahogany guitar is great for blues and when set up for slide with a saddle shim sounds really nice. Fishman Thinline equipped. Martin 000-28? Myyyyy Preciousssssss...... Bought new just over a year ago, it's the guitar for which I've been waiting all my life, and it arrived when I was at last able to appreciate it. It just sounds great and better every time I play it (on average about 2 hours a day minimum. Oh the joys of retirement, divorce and grown-up kids.. .) Equipped with LR Baggs iBeam Active transducer.
I also have an Ozark electric mandolin bought in the early 90s when I was playing in an Irish-rock band, an Ashberry resophonic mandolin (VERY LOUD!) and a genuine Greek bouzouki bought a couple of years ago on the island of Kos. And a big case of harps in many keys and of many makes.
I like all of them, love some, and they keep me off the streets chasin' women. But they do tend to get me into bars, drinkin'. And chasin' women...?
Cheerily,
Gerry C
« Last Edit: December 09, 2005, 02:17:24 AM by GerryC »
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I done seen better days, but I'm puttin' up with these...
Hi GerryC, I wonder could you tell more about how your resonator is strung? It sounds like you have a compromise in place between heavy gauge for slide and lighter for Fuller style picking, this is of particular interest to me as my digits are too weedy to hold a thumb wrap F chord down on telegraph wires. Me too on the "technically inept", but sure have fun trying.
For the record the Wolf arsenal is as follows:-
Main axe for conventional tuning picking:- Martin OM - 18V, quite new. Vastapol axe:- Martin D-35 circa. 1989. Drop D or rhythm work:- Gibson Advanced Jumbo, quite new. Rag picking (minded to try in Spanish):- Welker Foden parlour cedar top, quite new. Experimental tunings e.g. Skip James:- Fylde Orsino cedar top 000 type, pre-1981. Reso:- National Resophonic Style 0 2001. Electric:- Epiphone Casino semi-acoustic Korean? quite new.
Nothing vintage as it costs an arm and a leg in the UK. However a 30's L-00 and a decalomania Stella are among those that got away. Come the lottery...........
My first posting also, but might as well join in. Most of these have joined me at P.T. one year or another so most have been seen. If I would only get my playing up to the quality of the Guitars!
1903 Martin 00-21 (a real sweetheart, and gets a lot of play time) 2-"Teens" Larson built Stetson's 0-sized (twins, one I play a lot the other could use a little work) "teens" Martin built Oliver Ditson baby dreadknot ("tiny"-travel guitar?) 1924 Martin 0-28K (Beauty, also gets lots of play time) 40's Nat. Estralita Reso 1996 Martin 000-28 G.E. (12 fret slot head) 1999 Maton A-80 (Australian Dreadknot) and a old Gibson A-2 Mandolin (just learning...) I just sold my electrics that were collecting dust.
Hi, Wailing Wolf. My reso is strung with Michael Messer 'National' medium gauge (013 top) strings made by Newtone. I've only changed to these? quite recently; they are specifically designed for resos and are now, I believe, fitted to all Nationals when they leave the factory. Prior to that (and still on all my other instruments) I used D'Addarios. I find the Messers good for slide; if I'm playing Blind Boy Fuller stuff, I usually use a capo on the first or second fret to give my string fingers some ease - still pretty hard work, but I've found that lighter gauges don't really drive the cone. When I was recording slide tracks for my CD? I used the same gauge of strings but put an 014 on the top. Now that really hurts...
Cheerily,
Gerry C
« Last Edit: December 14, 2005, 08:21:12 AM by GerryC »
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I done seen better days, but I'm puttin' up with these...
My Main guitar these days is a recently acquired 1935 Gibson made Cromwell G-2 (essentially a ladder braced Gibson L-00). It has that thing that only a 70 year old guitar has and the ladder bracing is great for getting that super mojo tone. I also have a Martin 000-15S and National Delphi. Both hold their own and sound great. I'm just into geriatrics these days.
I don't know about "Main guitars", these are my only guitars. Whilst I have to admit I would like more, I feel you should only have them if you play them. For that reason, I have let the odd one go over the years - most recently a Johnson Style 3 Tricone (a very respectable instrument, but I'm not much of a slide player). I only have three now and am lucky enough to have one of each: mahogany, rosewood and maple. They are:
Denyer Custom Acoustic: mahogany back & sides, built for me by Barry Denyer, a British luthier now resident in Germany, in 1976. With a very rounded body, a bit like an early Gibson L-1, it has matured well and sounds sweet now.
Larriv?e Special Edition Rosewood Parlor: a 2003 model bought on eBay which is still being played in and getting better all the time. The workmanship of Larriv?es is gobsmackingly good. Anyone considering buying a new guitar should give serious thought to these Canadian beauties. Many argue they are better than the big name guitars, but cost substantially less.
Kalamazoo KGN-12: A 1942 model with maple back and sides and a natural top, unlike the usual sunburst of the KG-14 and KG-11. I bought it from Willie Salomon (www.williesalomon.com) and it is the one in the picture attached to my "Parlor Picker" Weenie ID.
All I need now is an injection of talent...
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"I ain't good looking, teeth don't shine like pearls, So glad good looks don't take you through this world." Barbecue Bob
My Main guitar these days is a recently acquired 1935 Gibson made Cromwell G-2 (essentially a ladder braced Gibson L-00). It has that thing that only a 70 year old guitar has and the ladder bracing is great for getting that super mojo tone. I also have a Martin 000-15S and National Delphi. Both hold their own and sound great. I'm just into geriatrics these days.
I'm curious to hear the make/model of guitars that Weenies play.
My main squeeze is a Martin 00-18CTN (Libba Cotten model) -- a short-scale, 00-size, 14-fret, mahogany/sitka beauty. I love this guitar, and it's perfect for fingerstyle folk/blues. I'm thinking of eventually getting a wood body National resonator, such as the Estralita, but for now I am quite content with Libba.
And yours?
A 1931 National Duolian affectionately called "The Sh!t." Its pretty much been played by me everyday for the past 6 or 7 years.
My girlfriend always complains that when I get with other Blues-nuts we just end up talking in numbers, she's sure it's some kind of autism. But what the hell... The main ones (for gigging)- 1969 Harmony Sovereign, 1931 National Duolian (for slide) and most recently a new Italia Modial in the most disgusting shade of green I could find (if you going to buy an electric guitar then buy one that looks as loud as it sounds!) Also sitting in the house I have a 1958 Gibson LG1 (with dearmond pickup) a 2003 Donmo resonator (do a google search for Donmo) and a personal favourite a mid-thirties Kay Kraft. That'll do. I am saving for a new ResoRocket though!
My favourite, the one I'd NEVER sell, is a 1980 Maton Messiah Dreadnaught, that I've had since new. I've worn all the finish off the neck over the years, and I think this is why I treasure it so much. I can see all the hours of playing I've done, recorded almost, in the worn out state of this once spanking new guitar. (It also sounds pretty good too).
I also have a 1931 National Duolian (w/ orig cone) in good condition. (Used for slide in Vestapol)
A 1932 Wayne Spider Reso. It has a Bakelite fingerboard and brass frets! Crazy, but it sounds great. (Used for slide in Spanish)
A couple of Fender Strats & amps.
Great site btw, I've spent hours reading. Just love the country blues!
"I'm broke and I ain't got a dime"....so all I've played for the last 10 yrs is my faitheful 32' Triolian, but about five years ago before she passed my astranged Grandma dug my great great grandads little parlor guitar from under her front porch, apparently the ole man played in string bands in the latter part of the 1800's. It's a real beauty. I added a tail piece to relieve the preasure on the top and she's in the shop now getting the headstock re-set. It was converted some years back...years before I got ahold of it....from it's gut string state to it's preasant steel stringed set up. Oh yeah, I installed a soundhole pick-up so it could be heard when I play live, in my acousic trio setting.
Ive owned alot of guitars over the years,most of them Nationals but right now I've settled with=
34 14 fret Duolian It was origanlly brown frost(but some nut along time ago stripped it)its all rusted and oxidized,with a nice Mahoghany Vee neck,stays in spanish,
36 14 fret Duolian (green frost) loudest Duolian Ive heard! I keep in open D >:Dvastapol,
My main guitar is a 90 Jazz-Blues wood bodied sunburst Estralita predesesser(sp?) as far as newer Nationals are concerned I prefer the wood bodies,also in D,
1940 Kay Archtop(great slide guitar),open E-flat
1950 something Kay flat-top (jumbo) 17" body! my finger picker,also open E-flat