A 20-string guitar？

Subject: A 20-string guitar?
From: GUEST,Gui
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 10:57 PM

I just found http://jdgrs.com/guitar_photos.php?ID=291an old 20-sting guitar, but I've never seen anybody playing it. Have anybody ever seen or played this strange instrument before?

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: PHJim
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 11:57 PM

I just count 18. It looks kinda Gibsony. Six triple courses?

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 12:39 AM

That is an 18-string guitar, in the company of John Denver, who owned it at the time. Apparently made from a Gibson 12--it currently is part of Randy Sparks' collection. Some sites claim the 18 string is Peruvian, but obviously not that one. It is claimed to be one of three in the US-one of which belongs to Johnny Bencomo, who had it made by a luthier near his home town in Tombstone, Arizona.

Johnny's instrument was based on his memory of the 3rd 18-guitar, which, as he tells it, he once played in Nashville, but neglected to buy.

It sounds, as you will hear, a lot like an Autoharp, but with a fuller bass. I was not able to find an account of how he has it tuned, or if it is tuned as either Denver's was, or as the mysterious one in Nashville was. If you Google Johnny, may find it, along with entertaining accounts of his performing career in Tombstone and environs.

So here he is, playing a real cowboy song that, sadly, is no longer much heard-he has a rather long story at the beginning, and people are talking loudly when he tells it, but they stop as soon as he starts to play.

Johnny Bencomo plays "Little Joe the Wrangler" on his 18 string Guitar

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 04:07 AM

However... there is a 27 string guitar.......

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 04:26 AM

In his early recording of Bach Guitar, the guitarist Narciso Yepes used a 26 string guitar, on the copy I have he uses a 10 string.

Dave H

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 04:44 AM

And Tom Lehrer refers to his 88 string guitar on one of his live albums !






OK - I've got my coat !

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: PHJim
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 05:54 AM

I have that Tom Lehrer album and I always think,"The piano has a lot more than 88 strings Tom." whenever he introduces that Folksinger song.

What about the Pikasso guitar that Linda Manzer built for Pat Methany?

Subject: RE: A 20-string guitar？
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 06:05 AM

The Singing Postman had a 45-stringed guitar apparently!