Two john's

[Dominic]

Hi, I went to see John Williams and John Etheridge play in Canberra last night. It was a great night. I play a lot and make guitars so there was plenty to watch. I didn't know whether I should be watching the fingerwork or the fingerboard if you know what I mean.
One interesting bit was John Etheridge's guitar. He was playing a Charles Fox Ergo guitar which looked beautiful in BRW/black double top with red/black trim. Not sure what John Williams was playing but apparently he is no longer playing a Smallman. I was checking out the back and it looked like tas BW to me but not sure.
Anyone know what he is playing nowadays?
It was difficult to tell what the guitars sounded like because they were playing with pickups. But it was amazing nonetheless.
But JE was doing a Jazzy kind of solo on an electric and his CF ergo fell off the stand all by itself and crashed to the ground. Everyone cringed and he gulped a bit, then stopped and suggested he might pick up his guitar before continuing which I think everyone in the audience were already willing him to do. Anyway the pickguard (which is like a les paul or archtop) fell off when he picked it up but was otherwise unharmed. He was very very funny and relaxed with the audience.
Anyway great playing and beautiful guitars. Oh, and beer.
Dom

[Dave White]

Dom,

A case of "Cogit ergo sum" I suppose Maybe he was so relaxed as he had it on trial. How long did it sustain for when it fell over and did it sound better without the pickguard - questions players on American guitar forums demand answers for? :

Sounds like a great concert for the ears, heart and luthiers soul

I loved John Williams when he was with Sky and that other great Ozzie guitarist Kevin Peek - whatever happened to him?

[kiwigeo]

It would have been an opportune moment to leap out of your seat and madly race through the audience towards the stage yelling "MAKE WAY...IM A LUTHIER!!!!".

[graham mcdonald]

If JW's guitar had a pickup in it it was not going to be a Smallman. I suspect he has a guitar for those sorts of gigs and the Smallman is kept for acoustic playing

[Dominic]

Dave, I don't think he was relaxed seeing his guitar crash to the ground but he was in the middle of a song. He was kind of asking our permission to stop and put it back. JE actually leaned over to JW and said it sounded better without the pickguard. I was lip reading. Answer 1

The guys on the american forums obviously play guitar differently to Australians though because we usually try to get the guitar to sustain without dropping it on the ground first. But you can tell them it went clunck, clonk bing bang and then landed on the strings and kind of went phiysszzit. Bugger all sustain in fact. Not the sound I am going for but hey.

Martin,
the people I was with were almost doing that for me. It was actually just as funny as you have imagined.

Graham,
Not sure what type of pickup and/or internal mike JW was using but he was using one. I have just checked my classical guitar book and the headstock on JW's guitar is remarkably similar to Greg's in the book. Hard to tell exactly. The top was a really warm brown that looked most like sitka to me and the bridge looked like blood wood but didn't look like greg's in the book. I would have loved to hear him play unplugged.

Dom