What brand of guitar does Willie Nelson play?

Sherman Willden · Post by **Sherman Willden** » 30 Jul 2006 4:08 pm

If you saw a similar model in a pawnshop how much would you pay for it?

Of course I'm talking about the gut-string with the hole in it.

Sherman

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 30 Jul 2006 4:09 pm

That is a Martin. No idea at all of the value, with hole or whole.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 30 Jul 2006 4:15 pm

It's a Martin N20.

He's probably the only pro musician playing one, except for pro Willie tribute/cover bands.

Among Martin fans, they are generally considered on a level with the...ahem...famed Martin F-hole guitars. For better or worse, it IS his signature sound.

If I saw a *mint* N20 in a pawn shop I'd probably not even look at the price tag, and head to the tool department, thinking they don't deal in musical instruments.

FWIW I seem to recall "book" value at $2-3k in excellent condition. The first couple of years had Brazilian rosewood back/sides, increasing value quite a bit...but in the condition of his ("Trigger"? I think that's what he calls it) , the value falls off a cliff. Unless it's that particular guitar, obviously.

If it was any other N20 in that shape, the smart thing to do would be save the back and sides, retop it for steel strings, put a new neck on it and turn it into an OM-ish model. At least it wouldn't be firewood.[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 30 July 2006 at 05:24 PM.]

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 30 Jul 2006 4:21 pm

A 1969 N20, with a Baldwin pickup added by Shot, I believe.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 30 Jul 2006 4:28 pm

Yep - Just checked sources and he bought it cheap from Shot Jackson over the phone without ever playing it. It does have a Baldwin pickup. It must have been made for pianos or something, because it SURE wasn't made to do anything good for a guitar's tone.

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 30 Jul 2006 4:29 pm

Thru a Ballwin amp. JP

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 30 Jul 2006 5:09 pm

Tone is in the hands.

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 30 Jul 2006 6:08 pm

here it is:
http://www.willienelson.com/pppics/trigger.jpg

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 30 Jul 2006 7:40 pm

Well, everyone must agree that it is a ‘holy’ piece of equipment!

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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment

sonbone · Post by **sonbone** » 30 Jul 2006 11:12 pm

That's not a hole in the top, it's just the lighting in the photograph.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 30 Jul 2006 11:32 pm

When Willie was doing the duet album w/Leon Russell "One for the Road" in 1978,I was one of the engineers. I picked that guitar up in the studio and tried to play it and it was a dog back then. Willie's good people though.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 31 Jul 2006 12:14 am

I was in a vintage guitar store a few months ago and they had one hanging on the wall. I played it and it sounded very dead, no ring no tone just an undesirable plunk. They wanted $1200 for it, I don't think it was worth half that.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 31 Jul 2006 1:13 am

When they can sell a brand-new, "relic'd" Les Paul for $5000, it seems like those things might be a goldmine - break out the Dremel Mototool and the blowtorch and have at it.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Jul 2006 4:21 am

I played it and it sounded very dead, no ring no tone just an undesirable plunk.

Yup, that's his sound alright. Not Acceptable, IMHO.

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 31 Jul 2006 4:45 am

Met Willy's band in St. Louis, real nice people. Willy probably doesn't care what we think about his guitar.

JP

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 31 Jul 2006 5:22 am

"Among Martin fans, they are generally considered on a level with the...ahem...famed Martin F-hole guitars."
Jim, I had a C-3 years ago, and it was a great-sounding, great-playing guitar! Maybe it was a fluke? Wish I still had it.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 31 Jul 2006 6:35 am

Jim S.. I read an article once that said Willie's guitar had been given to him by the late Roger Miller?

As for the sound of the instrument, it does the job for Willie and he's played some beautiful recorded solos with it. Check out Willie's solo on the cut of "Half a Man" or "Reasons to Quit" on the album he cut with Merle Haggard. Also the solo on Willie's version of "All of Me" is another great example........JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 31 Jul 2006 7:59 am

Tone is in the hands.

Maybe this explains why I've never cared for Willie's post-Trubadore singing.

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HagFan

Brian Davis · Post by **Brian Davis** » 1 Aug 2006 10:40 am

I have an old 00-18G nylon martin. Sounds good to me. To each his own regarding what's good tone. I think Baldwin's Prismatone pickup does better than most modern piezos.

Charley Adair · Post by **Charley Adair** » 1 Aug 2006 12:06 pm

When you hear it, you don't have to ask who it is.

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 1 Aug 2006 12:24 pm

In answer to the question, another question... "Why would it matter?"

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 2 Aug 2006 5:14 am

This is getting to sound like an acoustic guitar Jerry Garcia thread. Whoa.

And, just how many sound-holes does one guitar
need? Isn't one, enough?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 2 Aug 2006 5:18 am

I always thought Willie did some nice stuff on that guitar, that works with his songs.

I'm sure he'd be the first to tell you that he's no Brent Mason.

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Mark
[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 02 August 2006 at 06:18 AM.]

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 2 Aug 2006 7:18 am

Actually, I believe this awful sounding instrument's drawbacks probably contributed a lot to Willy's style. For instance, because it has no sustain, he has to (annoyingly) pick each note several times .....

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 2 Aug 2006 8:03 am

I thought the reason he picks each note several times is because he's trying to figure out if it's the right note, and it never is, so he moves up a half step at a time searching for the right note.