What makes a guitar good for playing blues guitar? This week, I'm going over 3 characteristics to look for in a blues guitar. In addition, I'll show you 5 of the BEST guitars for playing the blues.
To kick things off this week, let's dive right into the 3 things you NEED to look for in a blues guitar.
1. Tone — You want your blues guitar to sound good, plain and simple. Specifically, you're looking for focused projection and a sense of bark and grit in your blues guitar. In addition, look for blues guitars that don't have rich sustain and overtone qualities. You're looking for a punchy, direct sound.
2. Vibe — Whether you want to call it looks, aesthetics, or mojo, the vibe of a blues guitar is important. When you're playing a blues guitar, you want to convey that you mean business. It can be something as simple as a matte finish or as complex as a vintage headstock inlay.
3. Playability — Pay close attention to finger-style comfort. Keep your nut width wide so you can do more intricate chord voicings, your string spread wide so you have more room to fingerpick, and your neck to be comfortable in your hands.
Using these 3 criteria, I put together a list of the 5 BEST blues guitars made recently. These blues guitars may not be able to compete with vintage classics, but they're well worth the investment if you want to play blues guitar.
5) Waterloo WL14L - https://youtu.be/YdqSKTOaZvk
4) Martin 00L17 - https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/discontinued-guitars/00l-17-whiskey-sunset/
3.) Beard Decophonic Sidecar - https://www.beardguitars.com/deco-phonic-acoustic-sidecar
2.) Fraulini 12-string - http://fraulini.com/2017/07/lonnie-johnsons-mysterious-12-string/
1.) Gretsch Jim Dandy - https://youtu.be/M9ItoZHxrNA
You can catch my thoughts on each blues guitar at https://www.acousticlife.tv/at121
If I missed any blues guitars you love, be sure to leave a comment below!
After going through the 5 blues guitars to check out, I'll talk about blues guitar book that may surprise you. It's the "Stella Guitar Book" by Neil Harpe. There's tons of rich history, pictures, and explanations of the Stella brand, so be sure to check this book out.
Stella Guitar Book: http://www.stellaguitars.com/store/stella-guitar-book/
In addition to the "Stella Guitar Book," there's a great resource to check out for all things related to blues guitars. It's called the Vintage Blues Guitars website, and it has an impressive inventory of vintage blues guitars (no-duh, Tony!).
http://www.vintagebluesguitars.com/
Finally, I'm featuring an awesome blues duo called Piedmont Blūz. Made up of Valerie and Ben Turner, Piedmont Blūz is such a complete, dynamic duo that I can't stop listening to. For some serious blues guitar inspiration (and washboard innovation) be sure to check them out!
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