[Harp-L] Re: 9-string guitar

["Tom Muck" <tmuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>        This is the first time I have  ever seen any mention of a 9 string
> guitar except for around my family. Can  you tell me about it? My brother 
> gave
> me one for Christmas last year. It's the  coolest Samick I have ever seen. 
> It's
> strung like a 12 string on the E, B, and G  strings and single on the D, 
> A,
> and top E string. Made for slide but I had a  very good friend (awesome 
> blues
> player) set it up so I could strum it and use it  for coffee house gigs 
> and
> writing and such. It has the best neck of any acoustic  I have ever owned, 
> and I
> have owned quite a few over the years. I can  loosen the strings and put 
> in a
> nut extender and play slide on it too. I've  looked all over the internet 
> and
> have never been able to find another one like  it. Thanx

Joe Williams used a modified 6-string acoustic that had 3 additional pegs 
put into the top of the headstock (I believe he modified it himself) and a 
pickup attached. There is a picture of it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Joe_Williams

Charlie Musselwhite has some great stories about Big Joe -- he roomed with 
him in the 60s.

Tom Muck