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Bruxist · July 6th, 2012, 10:56 AM

Seems backwards to try to get that tinny tone, but I love the sound of it.

How does one get that? Parlour guitar? (you know, without spending $2K on a Gibson Robert Johnson model). Certain strings?

Thanks in advance!

Clay

stinkey · July 6th, 2012, 12:53 PM

I have a similar tone in my 1954 Levin Texas with silk and steel strings. Go for cheap but not crappy guitars. it's hard to describe, but you'll no it when you hear it.
Then to play like Johnson, that's an whole different thing.
The Texas is a parlor with small scale too. Mine is tuned to an open D.
When i record it i get pretty close. In the US the're named Goya.
But i think every guitar in that genre will do.

WaylonFan76 · July 6th, 2012, 01:20 PM

RJ mainly played Kalamazoo guitars. I have a 1941 Kalamazoo Oriole and it has that vibe. I paid $600 in 1998 for it, not sure of the value now.

aunchaki · July 6th, 2012, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinkey

Go for cheap but not crappy guitars.

Yup. Epiphone makes a nice small RJ-style blues acoustic and it's pretty cheap. Any decent playable acoustic will get you most of the way there--as far as the guitar is concerned. The real mojo is in the fingers!

stevieboy · July 6th, 2012, 01:46 PM

It would help a lot to record with 1930s recording gear.

bossaholic · July 6th, 2012, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevieboy

It would help a lot to record with 1930s recording gear.

Jimmy Sutton is using vintage equipment to record now. Still newer than 1930's stuff, but people are digging the vintage sound:

In this video at the 4:29 mark, Jimmy brings out an old portable Ampex 600 reel-to-reel and says Lomax used to take it down to Mississippi to record Delta Blues artist.

scrumley · July 6th, 2012, 01:55 PM

I think it probably has a whole lot to do with the way it was recorded. I bet if you were sitting in the room, it would sound a lot different! If you're trying to approximate that sound, I would think any small bodied guitar with some dead strings should get you most of the way.

Bruxist · July 6th, 2012, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aunchaki

Yup. Epiphone makes a nice small RJ-style blues acoustic and it's pretty cheap. Any decent playable acoustic will get you most of the way there--as far as the guitar is concerned. The real mojo is in the fingers!

This one?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...coustic-guitar

aunchaki · July 6th, 2012, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruxist

This one?

Yup.

Maxwell Street · July 6th, 2012, 02:44 PM

cheap radio shack cassette recorder in mono...?

Jethro · July 6th, 2012, 03:12 PM

I've picked up a few of the lower line laminated Martin's and Taylor's and found they seem to be able to pull off this tone somewhat

jazztele · July 6th, 2012, 03:16 PM

Doesn't this require a trip to the Crossroads, and perhaps a deal being made?

fezz parka · July 6th, 2012, 03:19 PM

Carbon capsule mic direct to disc. Rent a hotel room (a cheap one) Put the mic in the corner, set up a chair facing the corner and start playing.

zombywoof · July 9th, 2012, 01:38 PM

First they ain't parlor guitars but more properly concert size meaning they have a lower bout of at least 13" or roughy the size of an 000 Martin. You usually could not get the kind of volume you needed out of a parlor guitar.

And has been pointed put - Johnson was never kown to have played a Gibson. It was probably a guitar borrowed for the photo session. The "photobooth" does show Johnson with what appears to be a Kalamazoo KG-14.

If there is an iconic blues guitar out there though it remains the Oscar Schmidt-made Stellas. If you are interested in something like that you might check out Neil Harpe's inventory.

Thing is though there is no special gear required to play da' bluz. It is all in the right hand. You get that down and you are on your way.

djalt · July 10th, 2012, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fezz parka

Carbon capsule mic direct to disc. Rent a hotel room (a cheap one) Put the mic in the corner, set up a chair facing the corner and start playing.

I think it's highly symbolic this was fezz's 10,000th post.

stevehyphen · July 11th, 2012, 02:11 PM

In the Hal Leonard guide for Robert Johnson, I believe the author describes the Kalamazoo he's pictured with as one which was somewhat famous for imploding if setup with heavy gauge strings, so I'd venture a guess he probably played light or medium at most.

mal paso · July 11th, 2012, 02:16 PM

The hotel room and the cassette recorder are both good ideas. Or you could just muck around with the EQ. Or do all three!

DuncanAngus · July 11th, 2012, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazztele

Doesn't this require a trip to the Crossroads, and perhaps a deal being made?

As stated above, there may be a price to pay...

fezz parka · July 11th, 2012, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mal paso

The hotel room and the cassette recorder are both good ideas. Or you could just muck around with the EQ. Or do all three!

mal paso · July 11th, 2012, 04:18 PM

^that was awesome

So, it's settled then.

Cassette recorder, umm, let's go with motel room, and, well, you're going to need a sweet ol' truck too!

(great clip Fezz, I love me some Kristofferson)

July 6th, 2012, 10:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
Bruxist Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 179	Getting that Robert Johnson tone... Seems backwards to try to get that tinny tone, but I love the sound of it. How does one get that? Parlour guitar? (you know, without spending $2K on a Gibson Robert Johnson model). Certain strings? Thanks in advance! Clay

July 6th, 2012, 01:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
WaylonFan76 Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Lousiana Posts: 5,721	RJ mainly played Kalamazoo guitars. I have a 1941 Kalamazoo Oriole and it has that vibe. I paid $600 in 1998 for it, not sure of the value now. __________________ "I don't hate people, I just feel better when they aren't around" Charles Bukowski

July 6th, 2012, 01:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
stevieboy Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: the valley Age: 62 Posts: 5,663 6 Photos	It would help a lot to record with 1930s recording gear. __________________ "... I'm gonna show you the inside of me." Albert Collins

July 6th, 2012, 02:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
Maxwell Street Friend of Leo's Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chicago usa Posts: 2,811	cheap radio shack cassette recorder in mono...? Last edited by Maxwell Street; July 6th, 2012 at 03:28 PM.

July 6th, 2012, 03:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
Jethro Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,073	I've picked up a few of the lower line laminated Martin's and Taylor's and found they seem to be able to pull off this tone somewhat __________________ Are you a Mod or a Rocker? "I'm a Mocker" ....Ringo

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July 6th, 2012, 12:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
stinkey Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: malmö sweden Posts: 698	I have a similar tone in my 1954 Levin Texas with silk and steel strings. Go for cheap but not crappy guitars. it's hard to describe, but you'll no it when you hear it. Then to play like Johnson, that's an whole different thing. The Texas is a parlor with small scale too. Mine is tuned to an open D. When i record it i get pretty close. In the US the're named Goya. But i think every guitar in that genre will do.

July 6th, 2012, 01:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
scrumley Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Portland, OR Age: 31 Posts: 301	I think it probably has a whole lot to do with the way it was recorded. I bet if you were sitting in the room, it would sound a lot different! If you're trying to approximate that sound, I would think any small bodied guitar with some dead strings should get you most of the way.

July 6th, 2012, 03:16 PM	#12 (permalink)
jazztele Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: chicago Age: 33 Posts: 8,218 22 Photos	Doesn't this require a trip to the Crossroads, and perhaps a deal being made? __________________ Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar: http://www.jeffmatzguitar.com

July 6th, 2012, 03:19 PM	#13 (permalink)
fezz parka Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In a movie... Posts: 12,466	Carbon capsule mic direct to disc. Rent a hotel room (a cheap one) Put the mic in the corner, set up a chair facing the corner and start playing.

July 9th, 2012, 01:38 PM	#14 (permalink)
zombywoof Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Back in the Heartland Posts: 3,468 17 Photos	First they ain't parlor guitars but more properly concert size meaning they have a lower bout of at least 13" or roughy the size of an 000 Martin. You usually could not get the kind of volume you needed out of a parlor guitar. And has been pointed put - Johnson was never kown to have played a Gibson. It was probably a guitar borrowed for the photo session. The "photobooth" does show Johnson with what appears to be a Kalamazoo KG-14. If there is an iconic blues guitar out there though it remains the Oscar Schmidt-made Stellas. If you are interested in something like that you might check out Neil Harpe's inventory. Thing is though there is no special gear required to play da' bluz. It is all in the right hand. You get that down and you are on your way. __________________ "I don't play a lot of fancy guitar. I don't want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks." John Lee Hooker

July 11th, 2012, 02:11 PM	#16 (permalink)
stevehyphen Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Newfoundland Age: 27 Posts: 283	In the Hal Leonard guide for Robert Johnson, I believe the author describes the Kalamazoo he's pictured with as one which was somewhat famous for imploding if setup with heavy gauge strings, so I'd venture a guess he probably played light or medium at most.

July 11th, 2012, 02:16 PM	#17 (permalink)
mal paso Banned Friend of Leo's Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bloomington, IN Age: 36 Posts: 3,644	The hotel room and the cassette recorder are both good ideas. Or you could just muck around with the EQ. Or do all three!

July 11th, 2012, 04:18 PM	#20 (permalink)
mal paso Banned Friend of Leo's Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bloomington, IN Age: 36 Posts: 3,644	^that was awesome So, it's settled then. Cassette recorder, umm, let's go with motel room, and, well, you're going to need a sweet ol' truck too! (great clip Fezz, I love me some Kristofferson)

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