Neil Young Live at the Cellar Door – Solo 1970

by one manDecember 4, 2013December 4, 20130

After 43 years in a vault, Neil Young is releasing an album of performances recorded during a run of a dozen shows in Washington D.C., from November-December 1970. Entitled Neil Young Live at the Cellar Door, this time capsule offers intimate listening of a young Young and the young Martin D-45 he had been playing for less than a year.

The 13-song collection is available for pre-sale at the artist’s official website in high-quality digital FLAC, as a CD, or on 180 gram vinyl.

Performing two sets a night, Young used the week-long booking in the small club to hone material for his upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall, which became a mainstay bootleg record ever after. Live at the Cellar Door will provide state of the art audio mastering unavailable back in the day.

Including well-known Buffalo Springfield tunes along with fresh releases from the then new smash LP After the Gold Rush, the ever-changing artist also debuts new material at the dawn of his post-CSNY solo career. Young and vital, Young was a vital force in the post-Woodstock era and this record provides a glimpse of an emerging superstar on the verge of going supernova.

Official Neil Young Live at the Cellar Door Warner/Reprise Pre-sale HERE

Premium bundle includes a lithograph advertising the venue.

Also available at Amazon.com, including downloadable MP3 files HERE

And don’t forget to see what Neil Young has on his mind at his personal website, neilyoung.com

Martin 000-42 Marquis Photos

by one manDecember 2, 2013December 2, 20130

Our very good friend Rich sent us some of his 000-42 Marquis photos,

the beloved guitar he tracked down and purchased in part because of our review, written for Maury’s Music.com the year week that model came out. Now discontinued, it remains highly sought after on the used guitar market.

And why not? It has primo woods, beautiful pearl inlay, and Marquis Series specifications, including top grade Adirondack spruce for the top, supported with Golden Era 1/4″ scalloped braces. And the cross silking on the top of Rich’s guitar is absolutely luscious.

And you can see more of his photography focusing on this great example of one of the best Indian rosewood guitars Martin ever made – more 000-42 Marquis photos HERE

Thanks Rich!

G7th Performance Capo – a review

by one manNovember 21, 2013November 21, 20130

Some years ago I wrote a product review for Maury’s Music, on the G7th Performance Capo.

I have greatly revised my original review, as I have come to appreciate this capo more and more overtime. Basically, I learned how to attach it to the guitar neck better over time.

Unlike many capos, the G7th Performance Capo was the brainchild of a guitarist, Englishman Nick Campling, who is also a professional product designer. After 30 years of capo dissatisfaction, he fixed his eye upon the challenge of making a better mousetrap, err, capo. To do so, he looked at those produced in recent decades and how they may have fallen short in his demanding estimation.

His primary concerns were the effect of the capo on a guitar’s intonation, the ease of use in terms of applying and removing it, making sure the capo did not damage the guitar’s neck or get in the way of the guitarist’s fretting hand, and finally, a capo that was attractive to the eye. The G7th Performance capo does a good job in all these respects.

This is no easy order, given the long and not always pretty history of this little piece of guitar gadgetry…

Read the Full G7th Capo Review

K Wingert Guitar Review – Model F Custom

by one manNovember 10, 2013November 11, 20130

The first thing that comes to mind when seeing this K Wingert guitar is, “That’s a big guitar!” The first thing that comes to mind when I hear this K Wingert guitar is, “That’s a big guitar!”

But as big and bold as it sounds, its voice remains refined and lovely from the first note to the fading final moments of the resonant sustain.

The second thing that comes to mind is how this K Wingert guitar stands apart from instruments I am used to seeing and playing, and how its uniqueness makes it a good example for anyone contemplating a custom order from an independent, small-shop luthier.

“With quality tonewoods matched by the artistry used to create it, this custom Wingert Model F has a full-bodied voice rich and satisfying as steaming hot cocoa made with half and half, while allowing for clear notes that come right through all that indulgent rosewood/alpine spruce tone.”

Read the Full K Wingert Guitar Review

Randall Kramer Guitars Debuts at Woodstock Invitational – exclusive preview

by one manOctober 25, 2013November 10, 20130

Randall Kramer guitars debuts this weekend, at the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase – our exclusive up close and personal preview

Sparky Kramer was visiting one of his customers in New York City last night, on his way to the big guitar show. So, I stopped by for a chat with the California wood charmer, and a look at these new and delightful musical instruments, made with gorgeous woods and super smart design features.

“The guitar sounded huge for such a small size. It invited one to play with the absolutely lightest touch they could, and be rewarded with such lovely tone and marvelous projection. But it had no issue with being attacked, and effortlessly turned into a blues machine.”

Read the Full Article on Randall Kramer Guitars

Martinfest 12 – Annual gathering of Martin guitar lovers

by one manAugust 14, 2013August 15, 20130

The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum has thousands of members world wide. The small percentage who make the trek to Nazareth, PA to meet in person at their annual get-together have formed an extended family beyond what normally comes from meeting people from the internet.

“It is the rare sort of bond normally reserved for old army buddies, or the lifelong friendships formed during one’s college years. They sometimes find it hard to explain to their spouses or family and friends back home, so they will bring them along and let them see for themselves…

While other guitar brands have their loyal fans, none seem to evoke as much reverence and affection from their admirers as Martin, and this has led people from greatly diverse backgrounds to find they share a similar love of music that transcends their many differences…

Republicans room with Democrats, liberals stay up till dawn with the conservatives they looked so forward to seeing after a year apart; even Yankees fans find themselves warmly embraced by fans of the Tigers, Oriels and Red Sox. From the Oscar winner to the homemaker, the CPA to the MBA, all and all, they have found common ground in this most unpretentious celebration rooted in the love of music and Martin guitars…

As one member put it, “Music is a unifying force that reaches across many boundaries and brings people together in very deep and lasting ways.” Martinfest is living proof of that.”

Read the full Article on Martinfest 12

Martin D-45S Authentic 1936 Review

by one manAugust 1, 2013August 1, 20130

Visit the Mountaintop of Acoustic Guitars in Our D-45S Authentic 1936 Review

An instrument as impressive as its hefty price tag

… a sound bigger than Texas and just about as audacious. I have played examples of them all, from the D-100 to the Celtic Knot, to the Stephen Stills. There just hasn’t been a modern-day pearly Martin with a sound this enormous. The D-45S Authentic 1936 provides a sumptuous feast when playing even the basic cowboy chords. Add in some harmonic drone strings, or Jazz chords, and you also get to have Christmas pudding while sitting before the tree in all its trimmings.

Not many readers will ever get to see one of these, let alone actually afford to buy one. But we present this review for educational purposes, and to offer the opportunity that some might be inspired to knuckle down and put their nose to the grindstone, and become the kind of self-made man who actually can afford to buy one. We feel we owe it, to society. You can thank me when you invite me over to play your D-45SA 1936.

Read the full D-45S Authentic Review

Our Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Review

by one manAugust 1, 2013August 1, 20130

The Classic Mahogany Dreadnought Explored:
Our D-18 Authentic 1939 Review

The time machine Martin closest of all to the priceless pre-war instrument sought after by so many.

The light build on this mahogany/Adirondack is reinforced by rear-shifted braces, with the main X brace placed a bit farther back than on modern Martins. This helps add to the openness of the voice, and reduces the rumble in the bass, so the bottom notes retain great definition while the highs have all the cutting power a Bluegrass flatpicker could hope for.

Whether you are listening to Brownie McGhee singing the Blues, or Kris Kristofferson singing about Bobby McGee singing the Blues, you are hearing a D-18 laying down the rhythm. The folk music of Simon and Garfunkel, Donovan, and Gordon Lightfoot featured the D-18, as did the Rock n Roll of Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, and Kurt Cobain. And when it came to Mountain Music, Old Time, and Bluegrass, the D-18 has reigned supreme, especially among the hot-handed pickers.

And no D-18 yet is as like to taking a time machine to the 1930s and buying one, days after the glue has dried.

Read the full D-18 Authentic 1939

Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 review — photo: R. Dennie

Martin D-28 Authentic 1941 Review

by one manJuly 30, 2013July 30, 20130

We get to the heart of the heart of Martin’s Authentic Series with our D-28 Authentic 1941 Review

As our D-28 Authentic 1941 review shows, “this isn’t just a good vintage D-28 reissue; it’s a great guitar.”

Tone, dynamics and playability matter most to me when judging a guitar. This guitar gets top marks in all three areas. When it comes to tone, it had me at the first strum, because of its ringing purity, impressive depth, effortless volume, and its expansive, open, room filling presence.

If I didn’t already have a 1966 D-28 that was converted to pre-war specs, I would have bought one of these guitars the day I played the prototype at the Martin factory.

The Martin D-28 is the most copied guitar in history. Martin alone has no fewer than 10 different versions of the D-28 available in their current catalog, with varying prices and levels of vintage appointments.

Many luthiers, from small workshops to major manufacturers have come out with their own take on the D-28, and many have tried to put in the specs they think matter most when trying to capture some of that legendary vibe, sound and feel that made pre-war Martins so famous. Well, this is Martin’s own attempt to make a D-28 as close to how they made them back in the day, as realistically possible. And they have done a pretty amazing job, especially considering the relatively low price tag.

Yes, Brazilian rosewood would have been very nice to have for the back and sides. But it simply would have put these guitars out of sight. The D-28 1941 Authentic is not a collectable museum piece to be set in a closet to protect the investment required to own one. It is an exquisite, yet practical musical instrument that can and shall be played, recorded and enjoyed.

Read the Full D-28 Authentic 1941 Review Here

International readership on the rise

by one manJuly 26, 20130

International readership increasing at One Man’s Guitar

Welcome to our friends from abroad

I am happy to report that One Man’s guitar is now getting more visitors via search engines than links posted on guitar forums. Many of them are on overseas networks. While we are most popular with Americans, international readership will hopefully continue to increase as more people learn about the site.

I have received email over the years from many people over seas and from every continent but Antarctica, seeking my advice on guitars, or asking me if I could go play a guitar in a local shop that someone was thinking of buying. It is gratifying that so many new people from all over America and the rest of the world are discovering the new website and are hopefully finding worth their while.

And just as it is greatly appreciated when someone posts a link to one of our reviews, articles or videos on guitar forums like the Unofficial Guitar Forum, the Acoustic Guitar Forum, Acusticamente, etc. it is very nice to see so many visits from people who found us by searching on Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Just today we have hits from the following Google entities:

Australia

Canada

France

Germany

the Maldives (!)

New Zealand

Japan

and the UK

And we had visits from many others, like India, Russia and Hong Kong.

Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions when you visit our pages. And don’t forget to “like” our Youtube videos, if you in fact like them!

Cheers!

And that is one man’s word on…

The 13-song collection is available for pre-sale at the artist’s official website in high-quality digital FLAC, as a CD, or on 180 gram vinyl.

Official Neil Young Live at the Cellar Door Warner/Reprise Pre-sale HERE

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Our very good friend Rich sent us some of his 000-42 Marquis photos,

the beloved guitar he tracked down and purchased in part because of our review, written for Maury’s Music.com the year week that model came out. Now discontinued, it remains highly sought after on the used guitar market.

And why not? It has primo woods, beautiful pearl inlay, and Marquis Series specifications, including top grade Adirondack spruce for the top, supported with Golden Era 1/4″ scalloped braces. And the cross silking on the top of Rich’s guitar is absolutely luscious.

Share this:

Like this:

Some years ago I wrote a product review for Maury’s Music, on the G7th Performance Capo.

I have greatly revised my original review, as I have come to appreciate this capo more and more overtime. Basically, I learned how to attach it to the guitar neck better over time.

Share this:

Like this:

The first thing that comes to mind when seeing this K Wingert guitar is, “That’s a big guitar!” The first thing that comes to mind when I hear this K Wingert guitar is, “That’s a big guitar!”

But as big and bold as it sounds, its voice remains refined and lovely from the first note to the fading final moments of the resonant sustain.

Share this:

Like this:

Randall Kramer guitars debuts this weekend, at the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase – our exclusive up close and personal preview

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Visit the Mountaintop of Acoustic Guitars in Our D-45S Authentic 1936 Review

An instrument as impressive as its hefty price tag

Share this:

Like this:

The Classic Mahogany Dreadnought Explored: Our D-18 Authentic 1939 Review

The time machine Martin closest of all to the priceless pre-war instrument sought after by so many.

Share this:

Like this:

We get to the heart of the heart of Martin’s Authentic Series with our D-28 Authentic 1941 Review

Share this:

Like this:

International readership increasing at One Man’s Guitar

Welcome to our friends from abroad

International readership at One Man’s guitar

Share this:

Like this:

The Classic Mahogany Dreadnought Explored:
Our D-18 Authentic 1939 Review