Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    I just watched the Rounder DVD of a Doc Watson/David Grisman/Jack Lawrence concert from the late 1990s, which I expect a number of us have. On this recording, the mandolins (he uses two) appear to have a warm sound which is almost towards an acoustic F hole jazz guitar, rather than the hard bright sounds that I'm more used to hearing on bluegrass recordings and from my budget mandolins. Is that recorded sound anything to do with the way those instruments are set up, is the combination of the player and the instruments, or can he make anything half decent sound like that?

  2. The following members say thank you to maxr for this post:


  3. #2
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Blue Zone, California
    Posts
    1,867
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    I haven't seen or heard this recording, but is it possible he's using Giacomel mandolins (or and/or mandola) by this time? I would imagine they produce a unique tone.


    (FWIW, David Grisman is the listed USA dealer of Giacomel instruments now. NFI, although I greatly admire these instruments.)
    Last edited by dhergert; Jan-01-2022 at 7:22am.
    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


    2002 Gibson F-9
    2016 MK LFSTB
    1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
    [About how I tune my mandolins]
    [Our recent arrival]

  4. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    Thanks - haven't studied the vid too hard yet, but the mandolin on the cover photo of David Grisman and Doc says The Gibson on the headstock.

  5. The following members say thank you to maxr for this post:


  6. #4
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Blue Zone, California
    Posts
    1,867
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    Ok, that's probably his Loar then...

    Not that his Loar couldn't produce unique tone too, but it could also be his touch, as you've suggested a possibility.

    Or, it could also be his mic and sound equipment selection. A recent thread here discussed that in light of the unfortunate theft of a lot of his equipment at a recent show.
    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


    2002 Gibson F-9
    2016 MK LFSTB
    1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
    [About how I tune my mandolins]
    [Our recent arrival]

  7. #5

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    Is this the concert?



    I believe his sound has more to do with how he plays than what he plays, just like everyone else’s sound. Either way, it is a glorious noise he makes.

  8. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to OldSausage For This Useful Post:


  9. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    Yes, that's the one David.

  10. The following members say thank you to maxr for this post:


  11. #7
    Registered User Steve 2E's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    406

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    I have this on VHS and haven't seen it for a long time, but from what I remember in the interview portion Dawg talks about not having to change strings after every show with Doc like he does with the Quintet. Maybe a lighter attack is producing a slightly different tone. Dawg always sounds like Dawg to me.

  12. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Steve 2E For This Useful Post:


  13. #8
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Blue Zone, California
    Posts
    1,867
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Dawgtone late 90s, where does it come from?

    My wife and I love Dawg's Christmas album... Some great very traditional, as well as some really off-the-wall seasonal music. He and his chosen recording accompanists were a big part of the inspiration for my wife and I to press into old jazz.
    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


    2002 Gibson F-9
    2016 MK LFSTB
    1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
    [About how I tune my mandolins]
    [Our recent arrival]

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •