We now play Yamahas

[7GuildsandanSG]

An album cover from Japanese metal band Boris:

 

[SFIV1967]

An album cover from Japanese metal band Boris:

Not a Yamaha, but a Ibanez...

"...its US cover version is a direct tribute to the cover of Nick Drake's album Bryter Layter. The notable difference in the design is Takeshi holding his double-neck Ibanez instead of the (Guild) acoustic guitar that Drake holds in his cover."



Ralf

 

[NM156]

I think their popular Pacifica electric guitar line contributed to many Yamaha products being associated with budget instruments. Now they have to scramble to reestablish their premium reputation.

 

[Rocky]

I think their popular Pacifica electric guitar line contributed to many Yamaha products being associated with budget instruments. Now they have to scramble to reestablish their premium reputation.

There have been high-end Pacifica models, particularly early on, like the Mike Stern model. But having entry level versions and high end versions at the same time, all named "Pacifica" may not have helped people differentiate. However, the Pacifica line is almost 35 years old now, which is pretty long for anyone not named Fender or Gibson.

 

[M'Wolf]

There can be only one! Pretty soon we will all play the same instruments decided for us by our overseers at Sweetwater.

Oh well, guess I'll stop using my guitar Center credit card

 

[banjomike]

I looked over all the Nick Drake pics I could find on the internet, and apparently, Nick owned a Yamaha classic guitar. It was the only one I saw in all of the pictures where he was shown playing.
But after listening to a bunch of his recordings, Drake was playing a steel-strung guitar on some of them. It's only a guess, but I tend to think he may have borrowed that Guild to use in some of his sessions.
I base that on his shyness. I doubt Nick would have ever asked someone he didn't know well to loan him a guitar for a few days. The Guild would have been familiar guitar for him, and he knew the photographer who owned it.

 

[Rocky]

I looked over all the Nick Drake pics I could find on the internet, and apparently, Nick owned a Yamaha classic guitar. It was the only one I saw in all of the pictures where he was shown playing.
But after listening to a bunch of his recordings, Drake was playing a steel-strung guitar on some of them. It's only a guess, but I tend to think he may have borrowed that Guild to use in some of his sessions.
I base that on his shyness. I doubt Nick would have ever asked someone he didn't know well to loan him a guitar for a few days. The Guild would have been familiar guitar for him, and he knew the photographer who owned it.

Other than people who were directly there, I would trust Brian at acousticmusic.org for what Nick might have used. He is a long time fan, and has corresponded extensively with Nick's family.

 

[wileypickett]

Other than people who were directly there, I would trust Brian at acousticmusic.org for what Nick might have used. He is a long time fan, and has corresponded extensively with Nick's family.

Check Gabriella Nick's book about her brother, *Remembered for a While*.

The topic of the Guild in the album cover photo has been exhaustively discussed here. To recap, the guitar originally belonged to Eric Clapton. Clapton gifted it to the photgrapher who took the Drake cover photo. Since Nick arrived for his photo session without a guitar, the photographer had him pose with his Guild.

So far as is known, Nick never owned or recorded with a Guild.

.

 

[SFIV1967]

But after listening to a bunch of his recordings, Drake was playing a steel-strung guitar on some of them.

He owned a Martin D28 and later a Martin 00018 as far as I read.
The Martin Custom Shop even reissued one, that page is calling it 00028 (which seems to be wrong as well):

Martin Custom Shop 000 Nick Drake Limited Edition 5/10 (The Last One!) | Acoustic Music

acousticmusic.org

Ralf

 

[banjomike]

He owned a Martin D28 and later a Martin 00018 as far as I read.
The Martin Custom Shop even reissued one, that page is calling it 00028 (which seems to be wrong as well):

Martin Custom Shop 000 Nick Drake Limited Edition 5/10 (The Last One!) | Acoustic Music

acousticmusic.org

Ralf

Thanks, Ralf.
That sounds logical to me; most of the young musician's I've known who make a little money playing professionally go out and buy better guitar as soon as they can afford it. Everyone I knew, including me, did it back then, and I think it's still common today.

I never heard of Drake when he was alive. He's obviously a mysterious character nowadays whose long gone. That mystery helps to build his legend. Today's young folks have so few of their age to emulate at a time when a producer rules what they listen to, not musicians, and any cute kid who can sing a little can become a star.
For sure, Nick could write, and sing and play quite well. His abilities back then probably weren't as appreciated as they are now.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I never heard of Drake when he was alive. He's obviously a mysterious character nowadays whose long gone. That mystery helps to build his legend. Today's young folks have so few of their age to emulate at a time when a producer rules what they listen to, not musicians, and any cute kid who can sing a little can become a star.
For sure, Nick could write, and sing and play quite well. His abilities back then probably weren't as appreciated as they are now.

There is a really good documentary on YT on Drake, interviews with family members, stuff like that. It was really interesting. Interesting to me, Pink Moon sparseness of production was a result of Drake hating Bryter Layter, which he thought was over-done.

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

There is a really good documentary on YT on Drake, interviews with family members, stuff like that. It was really interesting. Interesting to me, Pink Moon sparseness of production was a result of Drake hating Bryter Layter, which he thought was over-done.

Pink Moon is one of the best less-is-more examples I've heard.

 

[davidbeinct]

Pink Moon is one of the best less-is-more examples I've heard.

It’s probably the introduction many of us got to Nick Drake, via the Volkswagen ad.

 

[Shovelhead]

Oh boy, now we can speculate for weeks or months on end about what will happen.

I'm retired ... gives me something else to do

 

[Shovelhead]

Furthermore, I guess my on-order new F512 will be a Yamaguild

 

[Brad Little]

Furthermore, I guess my on-order new F512 will be a Yamaguild

Well, since Cordoba is still "separate" from Yamaha with Guild part of Cordoba, how about a Guildoba or Cordoguild!

 

[chazmo]

Furthermore, I guess my on-order new F512 will be a Yamaguild

Isn't your F-512 a New Hartford model, Shovel? That's way pre-Yamaha...

 

[West R Lee]

I kind of like Guildaha!

West

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The phrase "we blow great motorcycle" may have been written by the author of most instruction manuals that accompanied Japanese-built audio equipment that I purchased back in the '70s & '80s.

The same people writing the manuals for Japanese photographic equipment in the 50's and 60's.
Laughably incomprehensible.

It's in the style of Madison Avenue ads of the same era. Witty, pithy, stylish.

You might not remember them, but it looks like an intentional riff on VW's magazine ads. Which, in advertising, is fair practice.