What guitar is Jerry playing here?

[Hendrik]

Someone just uploaded a new clip of Jerry from the 'George Jones Show' in the late 90's. The clip on YouTube were a young Jerry sings 'Take a Walk' is also captured from this show.

In this new clip Jerry is singing a duet with George performing his 'I'm Ragged But I'm Right'. In the first part Jerry is playing a guitar I've never seen before. I'm not sure but is it a Fender CDN240SCE with a Prismatone pickup? Later on he plays - I think - the Plummer Jerry Reed signature guitar.

Here is the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-7rI0O98cU

Fender CDN240SCE


Plummer Jerry Reed guitar

[craigdobbins]

That first guitar is one that Fender made just for Jerry, not a production model. (Paul Yandell mentioned it in the Reed interview/article by Jim Ohlschmidt included in my book The Jerry Reed Collection.) I never saw the guitar, but it does look like a Prismatone. Paul said Jerry only used it a short time.

The second guitar isn't the Plummer. Not sure what it is, but it looks like a steel string.

Thanks,

Craig

[craigdobbins]

Judging from the headstock and bridge, it looks like a Tacoma steel string.

[Hendrik]

Thanks Craig, I never knew that. The other guitar is indeed not a Plummer.

In comparison to the 60's and 70's he played a lot of different guitars (on stage) in the 90's and 00's.

[craigdobbins]

More than you may want to know . . .

Even back in the 60's-70's, Jerry used a variety of guitars. Jerry's first RCA album The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed was cut on a Guild classic (pictured on the cover). He later backed over that guitar with his Lincoln after a recording session. On Nashville Underground he used a Gibson electric classical. He played a Barbero flamenco on a lot of tracks over the next few albums. He told me that, as best he could remember, Are You From Dixie (Jerry Reed Explores Guitar Country) was the first song he cut with the Baldwin. The Baldwin and the Barbero are all over that album. When he became a regular on the Glen Campbell show, he added an Ovation with a Prismatone pickup to his collection. Paul told me that during his tenure with Jerry, he (Paul) would play Jerry's Baldwin a lot, while Jerry played the Ovation. There are photos and videos of Jerry with all these instruments. Of course, the famous "chopped" Baldwin was his main gut string, but even it wasn't in its "altered state" until around 1975.

On the electric side, even though Jerry appeared and recorded most with his Telecaster, he also used a Les Paul quite a bit. Paul said he always brought one along on the road. Goodnight Irene (Hot a Mighty!) was cut with a Les Paul, as was Bake (Red Hot Picker) and East Bound and Down, to name a couple. There's a YouTube video of Jerry on the Porter Wagonner show with his LP.

On an unrelated note, much has been made about Jerry playing rolls with his thumb (p), middle (m), and ring (a) fingers. It's interesting to note that he only changed over to those fingers around 1975 or so. (Paul told me it was about the time Jerry was writing Lightning Rod.) Up until that time, he used thumb, index, and middle, like the rest of us mortals. That means that most of those great swarmin' tunes like Jerry's Breakdown were played "normally" on the records! If you'll check some of the videos of Jerry from the late 60's-early 70's, you'll see him using p-i-m. Then, on his duet with Chet on Jerry's Breakdown from Pop Goes The Country (about 1975), he's got that index finger tucked under, using p-m-a.

Now, it's time for my medication . . .

Craig

[John C.]

Here's some info related to Craig's post:

Jerry recorded "Are You From Dixie" on May 22, 1969 along w/ "Barbara Allen" & "In The Pines."

Although "Lightning Rod" wasn't released until 1975, it was actually recorded back on August 3, 1973.

The "Pop Goes The Country" appearance where Jerry & Chet play "Jerry's Breakdown" was taped on July 23, 1974.

Thanks,

John

[Hendrik]

Craig, your post is going into my archive ha! What a great story.

I must be honest that I knew the basic, that he played the Barbero, C1-E, LP etc. But all the details that you've given is amazing. I really enjoy reading these stories! On the clips and many recordings you see and hear the Baldwin, that's why I find it pretty odd that he appeared with many different guitars later on. He also played a A.A. Jones and a Guild Mark III. Those A.A. Jones' must be as rare as a Baldwin. I know that builder was from Norwich, UK.

I always thought it was a electric classical on the 'Nashville Underground' record. It was clearly not a Prismatone driven guitar, it was too thin for that. So it was the C1-E! On the great clips that Phil uploaded from Jerry on the Del Reeves show, he played a Barbero if I'm right. It sounds fabulous, but I guess he could make every guitar sing.

After seeing all of Jerry's live performances on YouTube, I noticed that he indeed wasn't tuckin' in the index finger. It's somewhat a relieve that he played 'the' swarmin' song with mortal fingering haha.

Once again, thanks for the lesson, it's a joy to read!

Hendrik

Ps. Thanks for your detailed information 'bout the recordings!