Soulshine Review

"you ARE fancy. loved the review!" - Lindsay, editor of the on-line music mag

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when she asked me to interview Rober Cray, we had no way to synch up his availability with my home-time hours nor to record the impending workday time, office style phone conversation.

"well, are you a fast writer?"
"as a matter of fact, i am."

i smiled and she set up the interview and informed me of the details.
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thank God my boss wasn't on the phone when i went into his office at 10:28 that morning and said "by the way, i am on coffee break, even though i have to take it sitting at my desk.  in two minutes a five time grammy winner is going to call me for a 15 minute chat so i can ask him questions for a music magazine." the boss shrugged and scoweled and then kept an ear open to my call i think.  for sure he read the published piece.

Inspiring Gillian Welch

"There's a roughness, when a thing is on the cusp of its own invention. When people don't quite know what they are doing, there's an appealing, unselfconscious edge to the music."


-- excerpt from Sept 2001 "Pulse" article by J. Poet

A Harmony to Keep an Eye On

We thought it would be fun to have staff write columns about their dream instruments, real or imaginary… the first submission is Kim’s wishlist (singer/songwriter, percussionist, rookie musician, and Folkway’s Lesson Program Coordinator and Office Manager)

The As-Is Room is full of treasures...

Is it true that I’m a garbage picker?  I DO like to recycle things…  And I would like to keep the lonely, old archtop I found abandoned on Folkway’s front door one morning.  It resonated with me right away.  Collectively, I think we assume/appreciate that someone just left it for us as store decor, but secretly I instantly thought of it as prize to me for being first at work that day (instead of a gigging musician, ha).

It’s actually quite a playable instrument, as-is, even before guys I trust get their hands on it, ha.  

Although, as is it stays remarkably in tune.  I like the tone and volume of this run-of-the-mill acoustic archtop.  Its acoustic, yes, but not as loud as modern dreadnought flat tops.  Its not a jangly bright guitar and some could find it dull, as it rules a middle ground of tone, best only for heavy rhythm style.  I kind of like how its fatter than average neck feels in my hand. Its wide but still light in hand like my nylon string.

 This is a guitar stuck in the midrange rather than providing a resonant bottom end through bright top end tones as modern guitars are designed to deliver. But, some people like that!  I am not a finger picking type and I don’t care if I ever play a lead as long as I live…

I like the weight and the auditorium size, and its shape and body dimensions. I like that you can see the natural colour of wood, including the contrasting wood strip.  I also like the metal tailpiece and the “f-holes.” Relatively inexpensive in the mass production days means it could have a life and I wouldn’t have to be all precious about my guitar. I like that its had a life before meeting me, ha.  I know its a late model Patrician because of the fancier “vine” engraved headstock.

Its said the Patrician model was in its own class of Harmony guitars because it was fancy, better designed and well built, the finest and best of the line.

H1414 – Patrician, by Harmony
(model years 1940-54) – Mahogany and Spruce top, Mahogany body (all solid woods); Scale: 25″1/4 642 mm

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I want something like this as my electric guitar. Free acoustic archtop, but electric, with wonderful matching case and a capo that fits right. Its my dream right? So, I will add that I love the sound through the pick-up in my band-mate’s Taylor 114ce.  but I don’t like not knowing what of the knobs does what, and I prefer big vintage LABELLED knobs like the Vega had, ha.

Also, my dream guitar has a tuner in it, so I’m not always looking for one.  And, it has to be a tuner that I can understand, SEE, and like the sound of, ha.  I want to plug this found thing in and let it ring!

Tune again in future to read about a co-worker's fur-covered instrument imaginings!

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Other Interesting Things Read While Researching This Guitar:

The archtop guitar is often credited to Gibson, whose innovative designs led to the formation of the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd in 1902.    Among the features of this instrument were a violin-style arched top and back, each carved from a single piece of wood, and thicker in the middle than at the sides; sides carved to shape from a single block of wood; and a lack of internal “braces, splices, blocks or bridges … which, if employed, would rob the instrument of much of its volume of tone.”

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Harmony was founded in 1892 by Wilhelm Schultz and bought by Sears, Roebuck and Co., 24 years later, which wanted to corner the ukulele market.  In 1928 Harmony introduced the first of many Roy Smeck models, and went on to become the largest producer in the U.S.  They sold 250,000 pieces in 1923 and 500,000 in 1930, but low-end foreign competition led to the company’s demise as the company reduced their output over the years, later focusing on student models sold through JCPenney.  The Harmony Guitar Company ceased in 1975, and the Harmony name was sold.

Method Acting - Tune of the Day

10:21, Track 4 on a friend of a friend Dave Rawlings Machine 2010 release; recorded and mastered in LA, with a thanks to Ryan Adams in the credit notes.

In need of a higher a message? Take a listen.  You will have to love the beautiful guitar. Come on. Agree that the precise yet rambling instrumental sections are fantastic.  No surprise perhaps, given the artist’s fame as Gillian Welch’s musical and romantic partner.

Remember in the article in Fretboard journal where she was one the one who spit on her finger to wipe the grime off the headstock enough to see the brand name of the little guitar he’d start using?

On this album and particular song Ralwings may surprise you with the way he sings a winding, engaging story, in his clear, honest voice, while Gill’s lower down in the mix voice augments the second part of each “chorus.”  It sounds so powerful! What amazing musicianship in such subtle music.

The ten minute journey travels the time when hate was just a legend and war was never known and when people worked together lifting many stones.  Logue’s favourite lyric is “I don’t know what tomorrow brings. But I know I feel better when I sing. Burdens are lifted from me. That’s my voice ri-sing.”

Of course there is also that part where he says “so T-bone please keep the tape rolling, Gill keep strumming that guitar we need a record of our failures we must document our love.”  Rawlings sings the point of living is to love and be loved, while proving the hard G sound like Guitar used to pronounce his partner’s name, ha.

You know how extreme happiness is so beautiful its actually sad? that’s what this song sounds like – go ahead, taste it!  Logue listened to it a bunch of times for free at Groove Shark and says “if you don’t already own it, I don’t where else to suggest you find it. I’ve long found it interesting that its not up for free listening on Myspace.”

-- originally published on Folkway Music's Musings, Tune of the Day

Kid Koala + celebrity coworkers...

Here's the first entry from the Folkway Music blog that got rave reviews.  Co-workers said they "love" that picture!!!