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©1999-2006
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Guitars & Other Gear
Bob began his career as a singer-songwriter in 1965
while still in college, and since then has been playing at coffeehouses,
colleges, festivals, bars, streets, homes and churches across the U.S., Canada
and England. As with most folk musicians, he very quickly learned that he would
be hauling his own gear around, and that the places where he played would vary
greatly in the quality of sound and facilities. Most importantly, he learned
that, as with the Boy Scouts, the folksinger's motto is "Be Prepared."
For those of you who are musicians, or for the merely curious among
you, here's some information about the tools of the trade.
| Guitars |
For touring, a Takamine
EAN40C is the workhorse. Bob traded in an old Guild F-30 that had spent too
much time in his closet for this great sounding cedar top guitar with
built-in electronics, including EQ and a tuner. When he's
driving, for slide work he uses a National steel resonator
guitar from the late 20's, which he got back in the days when no one wanted
these wonderful instruments. He also has a Martin D-35 which is used
more for recording than performing these days, and a
Guild F-212 12-string which is
used once a year for the finale of his Meditations on the Passion. |
| Tunings |
In addition to playing in
standard tuning, Bob uses a variety of alternate tunings, including
Dropped-D, DADGAD, Open C, Open G and Open D, the latter being the dominant
tuning for the National guitar. |
| Plugging In |
In the old days, the idea of a folksinger
plugging a guitar into any kind of amplifier was heresy. (Bob Dylan got booed at the
Newport Folk Festival for plugging in.) Besides, pickups for acoustic guitars were
awful. They distorted the beautiful sounds which only an acoustic instrument can
make. However, technology has improved
greatly, and it's common now for performers to plug guitars into the house
sound system. Bob often still plays guitars into a microphone on
stage, but his
Takamine EAN40C
has great built-in electronics. |
| Picks |
For fingerpicking on either the Martin or the
National, Bob uses a thumbpick and National steel fingerpicks on two fingers. |
| Strings |
Strings are the "Post-It" notes
of the guitar player's world. They have a very short useful life, but they
are indispensable. They are also a significant expense, since they need to
be replaced often. Choosing the right strings makes a huge difference in
the sound of any instrument, but the variety available is often
mind-boggling. A working musician has to make some choices, balancing the
cost with artistic preferences. Bob has
settled on D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Light strings for the Martin, and on
D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Medium strings for the National and the Takamine.
As an alternative when touring gets hectic, Elixer mediums give a sweet
sound without having to be changed as often. For the 12-string, which
doesn't require the same frequent change of strings, he uses whatever medium
gauge strings can be found. |
Road Gear
Survival Kit |
All sorts of emergencies can
arise on the road, so being prepared for anything becomes a matter of
survival. Bob's equipment survival kit is miniature Leatherman-type
multi-tool with wire cutters, and a string winder. Not to mention AAA Plus
towing insurance, and instrument insurance obtained through the North
American Traveling Musicians Union, AFM Local 1000. A traveling coffee mug
comes in handy quite often. |
Sound Gear
(PA System) |
Most of the
time, Bob uses the sound system provided by the venue or promoter of his
concerts. However, on those occasions when
he brings his own sound gear, he uses a Bose Personal Amplification System,
which delivers great sound and is easy for a lone folksinger to handle.
So if you see Bob on stage with a funny looking 7 foot tall cylinder nearby,
that's what it is. |
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