Lindsey's Chet Atkin's

BlueGrass · #1 08-07-2003, 06:37 PM

I have some questions about this guitar, if anyone can answer em...

1. Is it a classical guitar, because it has a thin body, and it has nylon strings.

2. What year is the one Lindsey is playing on this tour?

3. How much are they?

Does anyone have a picture of the latest model by any chance?

Thanks - Justin

CarneVaca · #2 08-08-2003, 08:32 AM

Lindsey has several. Hard to say what year they are. He's been playing them since at least 1992, but probably earlier.

These guitars are hybrid classicals. Though they have nylon strings, they aren't true classical guitars because, really, they are electric guitars with nylon strings.

There are two versions of the Chet Atkins acoustic/electric: the nylon string that Lindsey plays and steel-string model that has no soundhole. If you go to musiciansfriend.com or music123.com you can see the pictures.

These guitars cost upwards of $1,500, though I think I saw one at a Guitar Center once for about $1,100. I'm pretty sure it was used though.

You can get a cheaper version of both instruments from Epiphone. The materials aren't as high-quality and the pickups have a thinner sound, from what I'm told. You can get these at prices starting around $400.

seteca · #3 08-08-2003, 08:32 AM

I think technically speaking it isn't a classical guitar, but it has been specifically made to sound like one when it's being played through an amp. The reason why I say this is because when you play it unplugged, it sounds really dull and doesn't really sound like a classical. However, when you plug it into an amp, it suddenly comes to life and sounds very much like an electro-classical. All the electro-classicals I've played sound great both plugged and unplugged, which is why I would say the Chet Atkins doesn't qualify.

Lindsey has at least two of those with him on tour, but I have no idea what year they are from. If I had to guess I would say they're from around 1996 because they look like the ones he was using on The Dance tour (and look different from the ones from the OotC tour) so unless he's been using them during his target-practice sessions again, I don't see why he would have replaced them. The CE/C guitars have been made since 1982.

I'm not sure how much they cost in the U.S.A., but the Soundhouse here in London lists them for a retail price of £2,600 although they said they'd sell it to me for £2,200 if I wanted it in Antique Natural (yes!!), and £1,600 for Wine Red (yuk!!). I guess they'd list it for about $3,000 in the States.

The construction of the guitar hasn't really changed from year to year so if you look at a picture of ANY Chet Atkins CE/CEC that's pretty much it. There's a nice pic of it at www.gibson.com in both colours.

p.s. "Chet Atkin's" guitar implies that Lindsey is using the actual guitar of a guy called "Chet Atkin"......

The famous guitarist whom the guitar was named after is Chet Atkins.

seteca · #4 08-08-2003, 08:34 AM

wow.....CarneVaca......we must have been separated at birth!!lol!!

chiliD · #5 08-08-2003, 10:40 AM

Here's the link directly to Gibson's Chet Atkins page:

http://www.gibson.com/products/gibso...ins/CECEC.html

Here's the photo:

BlueGrass · #6 08-09-2003, 10:28 AM

Thanks a lot Carne & Seteca. I see how it is just an electric guitar with nylon strings because the soundhole looks to be covered up.

I think each time Lindsey came to tour from OOTC, to The Dance to SYW he used ifferent ones. hence three different colors...

chiliD · #7 08-11-2003, 06:50 PM

I think the last two are the same guitar, only the lighting makes them look different.

BlueGrass · #8 08-11-2003, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chiliD
I think the last two are the same guitar, only the lighting makes them look different.

No, they are 2 different ones. The Dance one is more lighter while the SYW one is more orange. Here is another pic...

SYW

CarneVaca · #9 08-12-2003, 08:26 AM

My hunch is it's a lighting issue too. No matter, I'm sure he has more than two anyway.