Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Spadaro Paolo » Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:19 am

As I wrote above, I am interested in the instrumentation used by
Mr. Atkins in the recording of the song "For The Good Times" in the 1971 album,
which has the same name as the song.
I did not find the answer in Reinhart's book "The greatest song of mister guitar".
According to my hearing, I believe Mr. Chet uses a nylon guitar with echo.


Paolo Spadaro.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Hendrik » Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:12 am

Paolo, it's definitely a classical guitar, not a Del Vecchio. I'm not sure which guitar Chet used on this recording, but it could be possible that he used his '59 Juan Estruch classical. He also used this guitar on the The Other Chet Atkins LP from 1960 and the sound on For the Good Times is very close to the sound on this album.

estruch.png
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Spadaro Paolo » Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:01 am

Grazie Hendrix.

Prismatone Pickup........!!!

Very interesting the sound of this pickup,
who knows if it can still be found?

Here in Italy, it is always a hard task to get anything;
sometimes I think, because of what I've been able to find, I feel like a miracle.

Paolo.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Hendrik » Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:04 am

The original Baldwin Prismatone pickup is near impossible to find. If you find one for sale, it's most of the time attached to a (Baldwin) guitar and will easily sell for $2.000 to $3.000 and in extremes cases between the $8.000 and $10.000. An original Prismatone alone will most of the times go between $2.000 and $3.000. The case is that only the pickup is not enough, since you need the preamp and 22.5 volt battery box to make it sound properly. Without it, you have almost no output; very thin and quiet.

Sam Kennedy from Texas reproduced a perfect replica for several years, the Prismatone II, but stopped making them a few years ago. These replicas are now almost as rare and valuable as the original Baldwin Prismatone pickup. Coincidentally there is now one for sale on eBay with a starting price of $1.500.

Jerry Reed, Willie Nelson, Chet Atkins (from the late 60's till late 70's) and many more in the Nashville area of that period used the Prismatone pickup. Back then the options of of amplifying a nylon string guitar were of course limited, but it just has a very unique, balanced and distinctive sound. Paul Yandell called it the greatest pickup ever made. Kirk Sand used this pickup - when they were still available - on a lot of his guitars, like the Paul Yandell and Craig Dobbins signature models. The funny thing is that Kirk told me he didn't like the pickup, but everyone wanted them, so he offered them as an option. I believe he now only uses Barbera Soloist and RMC pickups.

If you would like to know more about the Prismatone pickup, you will like the Baldwin Prismatone Facebook page.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Spadaro Paolo » Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:37 am

Thanks Hendrik, your advice is really appreciated.
Too much too expansive in price, I didn't think these systems were so expensive and rare.
I know so much that I will try to better set my Takamine EC132SC interfaced with my Rivera Sedona.
However I was also reading about these Barbera, I know John Knowles uses them, they also seem easy to assemble and non-invasive ......
of course everything is difficult for me, I'm in Italy;
here these objects are unrecognized goods.

Ancora Grazie, Paolo.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Hendrik » Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:42 pm

I'm also located in Europe, but luckily you can get most things via the internet. I'm fortunate to have several Prismatone fitted guitars, and they are all bought from the US. I think there are very few original Baldwin Prismatones in the EU.

Regarding the Barbera pickup; if you send them an email, I think they will gladly ship to Italy. The Soloist cost $300 (€269). It takes them 2 to 3 weeks to have it shipped.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby BillB » Thu Apr 25, 2019 7:21 am

I have a Takamine that has a Barbera transducer, and it sounds so much better IMO than the pickup that it came from the factory with. I had to take accurate measurements of the saddle including the factory pickup underneath it. It took a while and some calls and emails with Rich Barbera, but it sounds so much more natural with the Barbera transducer. I installed it myself, and it was well worth it.

Bill B.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Spadaro Paolo » Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:38 pm

Grazie BillB!!!!!

I'm really curious to hear the difference;
anyway I activate myself to get one, BARBERA PICKUP.


Barbera, it looks like a Sicilian surname.

Greetings from Sicily, Paolo.
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Doug Working » Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:05 pm

Good to hear from you!

You picked one of my favorite Chet tunes from one of his most amazing albums.

I've always loved the tone of that guitar.

Don't you think it's amazing how skillfully Chet used the echo on that song?
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Re: Nylon or Del Vecchio, for this song?

Postby Spadaro Paolo » Sun Apr 28, 2019 8:00 am

The effects that Chet used on his every configuration are unsurpassed today;
in my opinion there is no sound more appealing than that of Chet.

Grazie Doug.
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