Rick;

Well, I know your friend really doesn't want to hear this, but just for another voice,--- if she really wants a cowboy instrument tell her to choose an open-backed, gut-strung banjo. O'Malley, who is credited with writing many of the "cowboy" songs we sing to day says banjos outnumbered guitars 20 to 1 when he was cowboying. She might also check out Bob Flesher's site, Dr. Horsehair, for similar thoughts.

Okay, that said she likely wants to be the one of twenty. So, she might choose one that is easy to throw in the chuckwagon. My son is a cowboy and singer and cowboy poet , "an' I ain't seen him anywar's near to a horse within his geetar." So she might choose a nice parlout guitar, like the 1850s Bruno that Ken Hamm recently had for sale and used on our CD. Beautiful tone, nice nice, but alas, sold before I could buy it.

So, there's for authenticity. As for that silver screeen "cowboy" music, well, there's been lots of good suggestions made. They are what my Dad used to call "drugstore cowboys."

Cheers

Richard Wright http:goldrushbc.ocm