to the Bum Note Club. From psychedelia to jazz and from bluegrass to pop, we invite you to join us in celebrating the best music - and the players and instruments that make it - and to share your special gear with us.
Went down to Nazareth, I was feeling about half past dead...
The Martin Factory tour has been part of the guitar pilgrimage trail for many years. Based in Nazareth (and name-checked by The Band’s Robbie Robertson in The Weight) the factory opens its doors to visitors for a free guided tour every day.
Martin Carthy: Finger pickin' good
Martin Carthy is a blue-blooded member of the folk music aristocracy, and one of the players who has defined the playing of fingerstyle guitar. Fifty years into his career, he’s still as fanatical and curious about music as when he first emerged from the 1960s folk club scene. The Bum Note Club caught up with Martin before a gig in Brighton and we spoke about signature guitars, open tunings – and the hazards that washing-up liquid can hold for the acoustic musician.
Andy swapped a nasty heavy metal bass for this lovely Fender Precision.
Ian McLagan tells us about his classic organs.
The Legendary Faces and Small Faces keyboard player answers our questions
Flying high, Gretsch style
Stu's White Falcon is a nod towards his days as a Cult fan, as well a reminder of his dad's 'white beast' of a guitar.
A guitar fit for a lady
Di's custom-made guitar is wedge shaped to fit more comfortably with a woman's body.
Sam's Gibson helps him sound like his favourite player. Fingerstyle guitar player Duck Baker explores the Roots and Branches of American Music
Bum Note went along to catch fingerstyle guitar legend Duck Baker on his Roots and Branches of American Music tour.
Slap happy
I’ve always loved double bass, from the solid backbone it gives to bluegrass or the understated sophistication it can give to jazz, not to mention the rhythm and drive it gives to rockabilly. I caught up with Nick Funke to find out more about the big old bull fiddle.
All set up
You sweat on it, bash it around and develop a level of relationship with it that’s normally reserved for the mother (or father) of your children. Yet though you say you love it, you frequently show it no respect whatsoever. I am, of course, talking about your guitar. Sometimes, just like the rest of us, it needs a little love and attention.
Welcome to the often-forgotten world of the set-up.
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