The Carter Family

[Jon Hall]

I'm sure that everyone familiar the Carters knows that Maybelle usually played her Gibson (model?) and Sara played an autoharp but is anyone familiar with Maybelle's mandolin cuts (both with Jimmie Rodgers), her slide guitar playing or Sara's rhythm guitar?

What kind of instruments were they? Does anyone know if Maybelle recorded any mandolin than the two skits with Jimmie Rodgers?

[Martin Jonas]

No idea about the instruments, but those two skits with Jimmie Rodgers (which I have on the JSP box set) are hilarious, though not necessarily for the reasons intended. Simply the most wooden voice acting ever heard on record.

Martin
(Jimmie Rodgers: "How d'you do-dee and welcome to Texas, where the men are real men and the women are glad of it.")

[Moose]

Just a "sidenote" : I believe Ms. Carter's (Maybelle) was a Gibson L5 - bought new, she used it the entire length of her lengthly musical career. It recently was to be auctioned-off/sold - on the open market. It was bought by a somewhat "well-heeled" - gracious, and generous person who I understand "donated" it back to the CMA Museum - as well it should stay. (IMHO). Sorry to digress... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Nathan Sanders]

Here's a picture of Maybelle's L-5 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. I took this picture during a visit in September. Sorry for the quality of the pic, but I had to use my cell phone camera. Cameras are not allowed in the museum.

[Paul Kotapish]

Here's a link to a little story about Mother Maybelle's L-5:

http://www.tennessean.com/enterta....1.shtml (http://www.tennessean.com/entertainment/news/archives/04/08/56342831.shtml)

As I recall, Maybelle purchased the guitar with the proceeds from their pioneering foray into the world of commercial country music, the legendary 1927 "Bristol Session" recordings.

Maybelle did play some slide guitar, and used DADF#AD tuning, among others. Leslie Riddle, an African-American guitarist and friend to the Carter Family, is often credited with inspiring some of the Carter guitar styles and repertoire.

Sara played primarily rhythm guitar, and even A.P. was known to play guitar on occasion. In fact, Virginia guitar wizard and luthier Wayne Henderson was just telling me that he A.P. Carter's vintage Martin had recently come across his workbench when it was discovered languishing under a bed at Johnny Cash's house.

There is a nice Homespun video of Mike Seeger and Janet Carter teaching the guitar styles of the Carter Family, and I believe that they cover everything from Maybelle's well-known "scratch" (thumb-lead) style to the lesser-known techniques used by Sara and A.P.

http://www.homespuntapes.com/staticsite/prodpg666.asp

I can't recall hearing any mandolin work by the Carter Family, but I'll double check in the hefty In the Shadow of Clinch Mountain collection at home. Close to 300 songs in that set, though, so it could take a while to ferret out any eight-string appearances.

[evanreilly]

Charles K. Wolfe's notes in the Shadow Bear Family set indicate that in the recording session on June 12th, 1931, Maybelle played the mandolin: "It would be the only time she would record with the instrument on the Victor sides."

[Moose]

I didn't start this "thread".., but thanks to all for the additional info on Mother Maybelle's L5. (and thanks to the generous "donor" who bought and returned it to where it should be.) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[plunkett5]

I just picked up a 5 CD set of the earliest Carter Family recordings on Amazon for $25! Great songs and playing. I often drive by the old RCA building in Camden NJ and never realized that was where many of those recordings were made.

[Jon Hall]

On the cover of the first disc in the JSP box set 1927 -34, Maybelle is shown holding a guitar other than her L-5. It's a large flat top with a round sound hole. Can anyone identify it?

[acousticphd]

Jon,

Re: Mayelle's pre-L5 flattop.

There was recently a picture and short essay about the Carter L5 by George Gruhn in Acoustic Guitar magazine ("Great Acoustics"). In that essay, I believe he says that Maybelle Carter owned and played a Stella flattop on those first recordings, and got the L5 soon after. I read a book about the Carter family career, and it seems like the guitar originally cost in the neighborhood of $400. Pretty hefty sum then. The Stella probably went for ~$10.

[Strado Len]

I believe that before Maybelle acquired the L-5 she played an early Gibson L-1 flattop. It is easily identified by the spare bridge pin located in the bottom, center of the bridge.