I go along with Leadfingers. What's the point of trying to exactly duplicate the sound of a band from a prior time? A tape player can do it better. It may be worth doing in practice, to get to a starting point, but your performance should have some original elements, I think.

Pete said:

By the way, when we're doing Carter Family songs, our band usually uses TWO guitars, and autoharp melody techniques developed within the last 30 years. Authentic? definitely NOT, but also more pleasing to the modern listener.

That's putting it mildly. His group's CD is one of the two or three that I just leave in the 6-CD player continuously. Get it. Now.

Peter.