The Chetboard

To my ear it sounds like Chet is playing the Delvecchio on the final cut of the album, Atkins Travis Traveling Show. Commonly it is reported that Chet played a Martin on the album. But the question is whether he played only the Martin. It certainly sounds to me like Chet is playing a classical on the cut "Is Anything Better Than This?" But what about "See Ya"? Is it the Delvecchio? Can you hear the cones ringing? LMark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNdh8B- ... cFE2Y1Iqa6

Definitely a DV in "see ya inmuh dreems"

I am pretty sure Chet is playing a D35 Martin on "I'll see you in my Dreams". Not a DelVecchio. Al

Well you made me go back and give it another listen, Al

I don't associate Martins of any designate being that clear and edgy sounding but I suppose it could be Chet's playing or lord knows what kind of electronic trick he may have applied. His echo is definitely there, maybe that's it. At this point I'm not betting all my money on either item. They'd have to work at it some if both were using Martin flattops to maintain audio space

It's another one of those things we'll never know for sure because the Principals have all Left Us. I checked my book and Paul doesn't mention it. I don't think he was on that session

A guy of impeccable creds sent me an email this morning...

"...Paul told me Chet was playing the Martin D-41 he had then..."

He added that Paul was working for Jerry at the time but was present for the rehearsals

Marvelous sounding guitar in Chet's hands

It could have been a "roomy" sound that gave it that ring.

Definitely not a Del Vecchio IMHO.


Tom Keller

Norm wrote: Paul was working for Jerry at the time but was present for the rehearsals

That makes sense since Jerry played rhythm for and also produced the album. You would think that someone would have taken pictures of such a significant session as that. [Added: Of Course! See Chet Atkins: Me and My Guitars, p. 125, showing Chet, Merle, Jerry, and Paul. Chet and Merle have their Martins, of course. An Ovation leans against the wall behind Merle. For those who can access the book, what guitar is Jerry holding? It's a classical or some such.] LMark

Here is the photo cropped for better viewing. Apologies to Paul for cutting him out so severely. In the original shot he's the guy standing on the right. We have no idea what song they are working on at the time this photo was shot

Chet is holding the fancy Martin and Jerry is holding a dark sided guitar with classical rollers on its tuners. This is one of those shots you almost can "see what you want it to be" but I'm not seeing a classical light wood top on Jerry's guitar. It makes sense Jerry would have an Ovation on hand but it also makes sense that Chet would have brought along his DV. They probably agreed on it being an acoustic recording so Chet would naturally bring the DV "just in case"

In the "see what you want to see" category I see the hint of a DV ring hole on the top upper bout on the guitar Jerry is holding and as I suggested earlier, that doesn't look like a blond top classical even though it has classical looking tuners

By now I have listened to to the clip of ISYIMD probably twenty times since it first got posted and here is my addendum.

1. When Merle starts playing the song I think Jerry is the one doing the rolling rhythm backup. It sounds more like him than it sounds like Chet. Chet would have sounded a little smoother I think.
2. When Chet actually takes his solos I'm still not hearing "Martin" but something else. When he plays mid range to high melody notes I'm hearing either the DV or some other acoustic (possibly the Ovation) that delivers an enhanced, edgier tone to single notes in the mid to high range. (edit: the opening notes in Chet's second pass in particular sound DV)

so I flip-flop back to calling it a DV

3. Musicians at that level, in that kind of session, think nothing of switching guitars around to keep things interesting and not having the faintest idea that people like us would beat on the "who/what/when: for days.

Norm, I noticed the white circle on the instrument that Jerry is holding when I looked at the picture in the book earlier today. I thought that it might have been a reflection. Not being a DV aficionado, I must ask if that (apparently) white circle, to which you refer as possibly a "ring hole," is unique to the DV. At least we would then know that the instrument was present at the session. Whatever Chet did or used, it's worth studying and replicating. Perhaps others will chime in. LMark