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Sorry this is arriving on an odd day... I know a lot of people like to get the email special on Friday because it's a sign that the work week is over. Hey, just read this and go home early! You deserve a rest!


The email schedule is off-kilter because of the usual January-paperwork. In addition to the regular tax forms: like the 8109, the 941, the UC-2, the UC-2A the PA-501, PA-W3 and the WT-1, I'm also working on the W-2s, the W-3s, the 940, the 1099s and the 1096s... PLUS the end of the year inventory... Whew....




Anyway, I had the most wonderful time last Thursday night watching a DVD that I got for Christmas. (Yep, it doesn't take much to make me happy!!)

The DVD is "The Best Of The Johnny Cash Show" and it's chock full of cool performances and even cooler guitars!

The Johnny Cash Show ran for two seasons, from the summer of 1969 to the summer of 1971. I must admit that I never watched it when it was on. Although today I'm a country music fan, back in 1969 I had other things on my mind: the collapse of the Beatles, the arrival of Led Zeppelin, and this new band called Crosby, Stills & Nash. Besides, the molded pompadour hairstyle of most late-1960s country players was a bit disconcerting.

It's hard to imagine now, in 2008, when you can wear your hair any way you like, that there was a time when long hair on men was a serious social issue. On the TV show "Happy Days" Fonzie is portrayed as a tough, yet happy, kind-hearted soul. In real-life, mid-1960s "Fonzies" were far less sympathetic to people who looked different than they did. They felt that the American way of life as they knew it was threatened by the new British-Invasion fashion styles, and their response was less than enthusiastic. People pretty much ended up in two camps, the short hairs and the long hairs, with little intermingling. (I don't know how I got sidetracked on this hair thing... but at the time it meant something...)


Since the country stars of the 1960s, with their my-hair-hasn't-moved-since-1961 style, looked a lot like the older folks who were condemning rock & roll, I never gave their music a chance. Watching this new DVD was enlightening for two reasons: (1) Johnny Cash may have looked like the mayor of WhyDon'tYouGetAHaircutTown, but he was open to lots of new music. In addition to the mainstream country players, he also featured young guys like Eric Clapton, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder. And, (2) even the old guys, like George I-Can-Sing-Without-Ever-Opening-My-Mouth Jones, were pretty darn entertaining. They had their own, down-home, honest style and some great guitar playing.


On the show Johnny generally played a Martin D-45. The D-45 was Martin's fanciest guitar and the top-of-the-line. You can recognize a D-45 because in addition to the pearl around the binding, it also has pearl trim along the edge of the fingerboard where it overlaps the face of the guitar.

Here's a picture of Johnny with his D-45:
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special 1/11/08
Behind him is his stone-faced guitarist, Bob Wootton, playing Fender's top-of-the-line guitar, the Jazzmaster. Like many of the backup musicians on this show, Wootton is so statue-like that even when he takes a solo, he barely moves a muscle. It must have been a country thang.

Several other guests also play Martin D-45s, including George Jones:
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special 1/11/08
(Note that his band is in transition: the guitarist is still in high-hair mode, while the bassist is in comb-down.)

Here at Pittsburgh Guitars we rarely see D-45s, but we did just get a used D-41. It's almost as fancy. Here's John with our used Martin D-41:
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special



I was entertained by the Waylon Jennings' performance for two reasons. First, I didn't know that he played his customized Telecaster that early in his career (pre-beard), and secondly, his guitarist has what appears to be a home-made double neck!
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special 1/11/08
We used our CSI techniques to focus in on the double-neck. One headstock says "Super" and the other says "Sound." It has Tele pickups in the bridge positions, and what appear to be Microfrets pickups in the neck positions. I'm going to have to find out more about that guitar...

Speaking of Microfrets, in one scene Johnny's bass player, Marshall Grant, and the great Carl "Blue-Suede-Shoes" Perkins behind him, are both using Microfrets instruments!
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special 1/11/08
Here's a link to the Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special about Microfrets:
Carl's Guitar Corner Email Special Archives--January 2007


Speaking of the young-uns, Johnny mentions songwriter Kris Kristofferson several times. Kris wrote many big-time hits, like "For The Good Times," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Me And Bobby McGee," and "Sunday Morning Coming Down." Here's Kris on the show with a Martin 12-string D-12-20:
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special 1/11/08
Oddly he has another guy in his band playing 12-string, as well. The other guy has a Martin D-35-12. His electric guitarist is in the shadows, but the silhouette of his headstock indicates it's a Guild S-200.
Here's John with a 1968 Martin D-12-20:
Pittsburgh Guitars Email Special



And there's lots of other good stuff on this DVD. For example, 90% of the bassists are using Fender Jazz Basses... and all in custom colors. There's only one Strat on all four hours of DVDs (played by Eric Clapton) but there are several nice Telecasters.

All in all, The Johnny Cash Show DVD gets a "Thumbs Up" from the Pittsburgh Guitars Musical DVD Review Department. Nice songs, entertaining performances and cool instruments!

And what we've learned from this is that just because someone's hair doesn't look like yours, doesn't mean that you shouldn't give their music a try! Try it, you just might like it!!




See you soon,
Carl

PS: JUST IN!!! (Maybe THIS is why the email special is arriving mid-week... so we could get the news today!) (oh boy!)
Big Beatle Night #4!! Confirmed for Saturday, February 16, 2008 at The Rex!
I will be bringing a wall of Super Beatle Amps and the drums:
Pittsburgh Guitars' Big Beatles Show #3!
John will be handling the scheduling. Stop in to Pittsburgh Guitars to sign up, or email him at:
pittsburghguitars@hotmail.com
Yeah!!!



PPS: Last week I mentioned Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, who was appearing in Pittsburgh that evening. We've since talked to lots of folks who went to the show and everyone loved it! Someone sent me a link to the Episode titles on her show. They're pretty funny:
Hannah Montana (a Titles & Air Dates Guide)




PPPS: Did I mention THE BIG BEATLES SHOW #4???




PPPPS: Customer of the week:
www.myspace.com/cherylannhawk



Pittsburgh Guitars
1305 East Carson Street
Pittsburgh PA 15203
412-431-0700
Pittsburgh Guitars! Vintage, Used, and New Guitars!
email: carl@pittsburghguitars.com