Skip James - Hard Times Killing Floor Blues

[Canard]

Sounds like low open minor tuning, light gauge strings, low action, and heavy attack ... fret buzz and erratic intonation. All in all quite dramatically effective.

Reminds me of Jansch and Renbourn's early attempts to emulate this style.




Reverb tutorial done with a a nice Guild.

Cleaner. Tighter. Better intonation. Less effective.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

Nice cover:

 

[shihan]

Skip James is a intense, unique artist. For a fascinating insight into Skip and the ‘60’s Blues revival, find a copy of
’I’d Rather be the Devil’ by Stephen Calt.
The author is a somewhat polarizing figure in the Blues purist world. He is free with his opinions, and should be read with a grain of salt; but the first hand observations he provides into SJ and the Blues world make this a must read if you‘re a blues nut like me.