1935 Martin D-18 played by Billy Strings
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- čas přidán 12. 08. 2016
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Billy Strings came by the shop to lend his immense talent for some videos demonstrations. Here is Billy playing a loved but incredible 1935 Martin D-18.
Here's some more info about this great pre war Martin. "Chicago folksinger Fred Holstein bought this guitar from a taxi driver in 1970. Recent repairs by Dave Musselwhite include neckset, refret, bridge plate saver, repair rim cracks, new bridge, new nut and new saddle. There is a previously repaired headstock crack, a patch in the lower treble rim, some finish over the pickwear. Huge sound. That bears repeating: Huge sound. In an Eastman fiberglass case." - Hudba
Billy Strings is a reality check for those moments when you start to think ‘damn I’m getting good’
LOL was thinking the same
Lol yes
Bro literally what I was thinking. Sometimes you have to be humbled to get better. He’s someone I can always look to for inspiration.
This comment makes me not want to play guitar anymore
Anybody that uses a Capo is a stiff, including Billy Strings.
Probably the best thing that's ever happened to this guitar.
That guitar had been waiting 85 years for that moment
It also survived the Holocaust
This guitar has been around long enough to have had many amazing players play it.
Keep Kurt Russell away from it.
@@danieltrue1689 I was thinking Pete Townsend
It’s absolutely crazy how he can play such complex melodies, keep the rhythmic drive going, and play the chords over too JUST by using a pick
He’s not even hybrid picking
Insane precision here
I noticed that too. I know a well known picker and he's ripping fast like Billy but there isn't the same inclusion of chording between licks like Billy and it sounds like you could drive a mac truck through the holes in the tune when he plays solo.
Made me laugh out loud. Thank you.
@@pickersgrip billy is the exact opposite. Never a moment without color. Half the time he sounds like two guitars
@@Bluegrasshero Don't forget Clarence White
@@Bluegrasshero ...The video is not about your view of Tony Rice, who was a top pro performer. So stay on the subject, and skip being snarky/sarcastic.
The thing that amazes me about Billy is that he never misses a note and every note is clean and pure.
Nah, he missed a few notes,... but it just makes it better x
Honestly he misses notes all the time but doesn't stumble and keeps right on pickin' it's a big part of what makes him such a great musician, you almost never notice cause he doesn't skip a beat when it happens
Word
I've never heard him make a mistake. I want to hear people throw song requests at him he's never played before and doesn't know the words to and see if he can do it.
I've heard that this is what playing clean tone will do for you, if you stick with it. As an example, plenty of country musicians do well with it. Specifically, I'm thinking of Merle Travis, Joe Maphis, and Chet Atkins. Put Danny Gatton in there too, but I'm not as familiar with his music.
I showed this video to my guitar about 25 times. It still can’t play it.
It might like this one instead czcams.com/video/zfPn1u8AwJ0/video.html
Nice, lol
Same here bud
Jeff Puras is your guitar a '35 Martin D-18?
Heck no. It’s just a young 25 year old D 28 whippersnapper with no respect.
That old Martin has been waiting since 1935 to play a tune this beautiful. Fantastic, both Billy and the guitar.
Imagine how much Smoke on The Water it's been through while waiting.
That train... that playing... that guitar. This video is gold.
The world is upside down right now... but isn’t it wonderful though, that one young man with his guitar can have over one million people watching him on this CZcams video and we’re enjoying every note. Pure talent and hard work results in expressive music for so many people to enjoy. Gives me hope for the future.. an old acoustic guitar and a wonderful musician reminding us why life is beautiful.
You, sir, are no slouch yourself! Not many people play with as much pure joy as you do!
Hear! Hear!
Amen !
Well said Sir!
Was going to write something myself, but youv covered it with this. Spot on ! What a talent.
I think I bought a dud guitar. Mine doesn't do that when I play it.
Did you turn it off and on again?
Mine too. I screamed at mine, and shook it, but only a pick fell out
He really should consider going by his real name. I've had this vid in my recommendations for months, and I kept ignoring it, specifically because of his name. There are a plethora of whiz-bang talented players of all sorts of instruments on youtube, trying too hard to promote themselves. But he doesn't need anything flashy, as his playing is enough. I was glad I was wrong in the end, but I wonder how many others there are out there like me, who will just never click, and never see what they were missing.
lol!!
You should have bought a 1935 D-18 I guess
If that was hold music I wouldn't mind being on hold for 55 minutes
😂
Lmao nice
If it doesn't. It should because he sure is.
I could see myself forgetting what I even made the call for.
yes you would..
Im 61 years old now. Ive been playing, on and off, for years. Im strictly a novice. I only play for me. Its kind of my therapy....(Hey life, work, kids, motorcycle accidents, divorces kinda get in the way sometimes... ) Anyway, i just wanted to say. Ive traveled this country for years. Going to bluegrass and flatpicking festivals. And ive seen HUNDREDS of pickers. And they were all good and accomplished players. But THIS guy ?? Ive never seen anybody like this young man Billy Strings. His passion and talent are unmatched. I truly think with the audiences he reaches. And his vast and varied repertoire of covers and original music. He will come to be one of, if not the best, pickers and performers of his genre this country has ever produced....
Billy's gotta be the greatest flat picker of our lifetime (and even beyond). Unimaginable skill.
Depends on your age. Tony Rice is still the gold standard.
All the heart and soul at a steady pace. Love Billy alot.
@@MeneerHerculePoirotI agree (as a 23yo) give Billy’s music a chance to transcend a generation then we can have the conversation imo
The train moaning in the background makes this all the better!
no sh*t even in key with the tune, lmao
"A bluegrass version of the fly over." Noam Pikelny. I hope he won't mind me quoting him.
I live near trains too. Damn it! LOL. Have you ever been trying to learn a song, and that dumb train whistle starts blowing? LOL
Perfect time to break into 'Folsom'!
@@guitarttimman Even with no train in the back ground I'm not as good at picking !
If you're going to go by the name "Billy Strings" you better be able to back that shit up. I was glad to see he did. Great playing my friend.
thats the first thing i thought as well lmao. he backs it up for sure
Kevin Barr
His real name is pretty cool too)
Josh turner
Kevin Barrett When I saw my first poster advertisement for him in Northport, Michigan in 2014, I thought the same thing! I was NOT disappointed. I took off from work to be able to see the concert. It was fabulous. I am pretty sure it was my birthday in August. I bought both CD’s available. What a gift for my birthday!
For those of you wondering, the first song is called "In Control". Here is a video that contains the Guitar tabs for this song and includes a link to a PDF that includes tabs for both songs: czcams.com/video/NKztoSRIIT0/video.html. Here is a link to a video of someone doing their own version of In Control: czcams.com/video/h-BWjXe3RfU/video.html. The second song is called "Thirst Mutilator".
I knew TM, but thank you for the name of the first tune! you're the best!!!
You’re my hero. Can’t stop playing this since I learned it!
Bless you kind friend!
thanks for sharing this link, it's actually my work ... of cource Billy's amazing playing
I could listen to this guy play the guitar all day and not get tired of it. Man he’s so good.
Well... you can pay about $100 to listen to him for an hour when his quintet stops by your town lol. At least I did last year in Denver when he played sold out shows 4 nights in a row. This dude won a grammy.
This actually made me tear up a bit... to think about that old guitar just waiting on the rack for someone to come along and give a chance to really sing.... well done, Billy. You gave it wings to fly.
get your hormones checked
Yeah it's waiting there because it costs 10k. lol
You're the dumbass. A friend of mine just bought a 1955 D18 that was in it's case under a bed since 1956 (owner died, his sister had it). Mint. They're out there. Stop being a douchebag.
I come back with ;"What did your Harley cost. You know , the one you ride 3-4 months of the year.."? hahaahahahahahah
It's funny how you word it like it's some dusty old beat-up student guitar in a pawn shop waiting for some wide-eyed kid with his piggy bank money to give it new life. Haha. It's probably got a $12,000 price tag on it and is going to be used by some millionaire or professional musician! Rock on!
*This is what a performance should look like. The performer just disappears for a moment, and you get to see the universe through them.*
Exactly.
The train adds even more magic to this magical playing
The fact that the train was in the same key makes it even more amazing
I believe that train whistle at the end is the ghost of Doc Watson and Jimmy Rodgers giving Billy the nod he so deserves. If you are in a melancholy mood listen to Billy sang and play “Miss The Mississippi And You” and you will know what I mean!
Thank you Billy! You are the best and wish you the best!
David Barr
Years ago Doc came to play at the Walnut Valley Festival held every September at the county fairgrounds in Winfield, Kansas. On one side of the fairgrounds is the Walnut River but on the opposite side there's a railroad line and I remember once he even stopped playing because the train horn was so loud that it overpowered the sound of his music. Surely the WVA has a film of this but I haven't ever seen it. Hopefully they do. Billy Strings is definitely another great artist carrying on the legacy of a style of guitar music that is a relatively recent invention, American as far as I know, called flat-picking or cross-picking. One of the original ideas spurring the development of the style was probably some guitar player's wish to play a fiddle tune and keep up with the fiddle note for note. The Delmore Brothers, Doc Watson, and others like Norman Blake, Tony Rice, and of course many others continued to devlop in that stle and now there is a third or even fourth generation carrying on all the lore and details of this specific style of American folk music- of course the style itself, if it is Bluegrass, goes back to bill Monroe and his blue Grass Boys, as Monroe is generally credited with the invention of a "bluegrass" style of acoustic string band music, and as anyone who knows anything about the style learns, bluegrass really is a very specific genre, with some rules and limits; however, despite any rules and limits, its possibilities seem to be infinite. Just ask Sam Bush or anyone else from the Newgrass Revival band- the bluegrass style not only survived the advent of newgrass, but was, once people got over the shock, enhanced and broadened by it.
Amen!!!
You don't think it's the train yard less than a block away?
Great comment! They would've most certainly love Billy!
I knew a man who played/sang in the earliest days of live radio with the Carters and Jimmy Rogers in Bristol,TN
The engineer of the train you hear at the end: "well my golly that's the finest pickin to ever grace my ears, better toot ma horn to support the young feller"
I can imagine that
It’s so amazing that an inanimate object made in 1935 can still be making a whole massive crowd of people feel a certain way.
Billy strings is the man. There isn’t a Martin video I’d rather watch.
I can’t even comprehend that level of talent. He’s like a guitar playing machine. He plays ridiculously complicated stuff and just nails it.
Practice
play it slow and speed up over time.
Oh he sings awesome too look up dust in a baggie it's about going to jail for meth
Here's something you might appreciate and help break it down czcams.com/video/zfPn1u8AwJ0/video.html
@@jacobvollmar yeah that’s part of it. Then there’s guys like Billy that have the extra 10%.
For those of you who haven’t heard him sing, his voice is almost as good as his picking...
Deffo agree, has a dan tyminski twang.
He's a good singer, but I'm not a big fan of the yee-haw yodel'y type songs. Once in a while is OK, but I hope he also gets into some more modern sounding stuff.
@@scottr939 he isn't going to change for some dimwit when he is perfect at what he does.dont hold your breath
@@scottr939 So you want a true talent to sell out and become a garbage, modern, souless radio country "artist"?
Facts
A fan on another video noted that he's only 30 years old, but he's been "playing guitar for 50 years." Just discovered him a couple of weeks ago, and am further amazed with every new video.
He was only 24 in this vid, but he had been playing since he was 4 or so.
Great line
He is now my favorite performer. I love his blue grass and Rock. He is so amazing.
I think he's a bill hilly ozric tentacle... so you sould check em out maybe, if you like x search string: Ozric Tentacles Dissolution
Damn, he's so good he can make a train sound coming out of his guitar. Amazing.
Blackdog4818 I was scrolling back up through the comments to comment the same thing when I saw this 😂
I was reading your comment as i heard the train. Brilliant.
" 16 coaches long" ?
😂😂 why don't I hang out with musicians. You guys are funny.
Lol
Finally! It’s really comforting to see somebody who can actually play a vintage Martin and do it justice!!!!!!
The best guitar player of our time
I listen to this about once a month, at least. And DAMN. I've played my entire life, and this is beyond words. And that Martin?!?! Church bells ❤️
My wife and I just stood in front of Billy at a small club and were taken away for hours. It was a mind and life altering experience. He is a true superstar, pours out love to us through his talent and soul.
Plus he's a really nice down to earth guy and even though he's great you can really see the respect he gives to others when he plays, like with Molly.
When Billy closes his eyes and starts swaying he seems to become one with the guitar he's so zoned in.
1935 ,, Wow It sounds incredible.
This is my first time watching Billy Strings. I’m blown away. 😁🇺🇸
Whenever I hear people play this way, it makes me want to stop playing. So solid. Great work.
Makes me want to practice :)
Especially when there about 9 yo and they play 10x better than me. 😢
Lived in Chicago in the mid/late 70s. Fred Holstein had a gig at the Earl Of Old Town. He asked me to play with him when I came in. He grabbed his 12 string as I started to open my case. He said, "Here just play mine." It was this very guitar. W/o question the best sounding guitar I've ever had my fingers on. The bass resonance, clarity and clean treble up the neck was simply amazing. Fred played solid rhythm and was a great finger picker. Though it sounds great here of course one can't fully appreciate the power of this guitar without holding it from behind. It practically played itself. Thanks, Fred for the privilege of allowing me to play it.
Yeah sure....
That is what I need,a Guitar that plays itself cause I am about 1/1000 as good as this kid! I have a HD 28 and its going in the fire pit this week end.
Jeff Jones Cool story Jeff. you are a fortunate man.
@AWelsh Celt you mean A-hole like yourself by any chance....
I used to lie in bed listening to The Midnight Special on WFMT as a boy, dreaming of when I'd be old enough to go to places like the Earl of Old Town and see you, and Fred Holstein, Steve Goodman, and John Prine. Sadly, by the time I was old enough there was just a whisper of a shadow of that scene left. Been thinking about all of that while listening to Mr. Prine. Hope he's singing Souvenirs with Steve now. Thank you for all the music and memories.
I can play smoke on the water
Ricky 😂
You’re hired!
but what about the guitar line from dueling banjos
I can play Johnny B Goode on the Triangle..... apart from the solo.
I can play cinnamon girl
I'm truly baffled how people can put a thumbs down on a stunning demo of great quality guitar playing..... just saying 😌
Those people are just unhappy people that need to promote negativity by way of any avenue that they can.
They’re 11 year olds playing hookey from their zoom classes and annoying people for fun by hitting the downward thumb on CZcams videos. Median age of a CZcams commenter is 13. Your blood pressure will thank you for keeping that in mind.
The world is filled to the brim with assholes.
You could stand on a street corner all day long handing out free money and ice cream and some asshat will complain.
They’re probably bots. It amazes me that people think that actual humans tap the dislike button
I like practicing at the guitar shop too. You get to play all the guitars i cant afford. Then i go buy strings and leave....happy. i mean...i thrash the Martins, Taylors and Gibsons...then go home to a yamaha 6 string. Such is life. Thank God i have a guitar. Its a journey. I gotta see Billy' s band play soon. Apart from Tommy, hes the best ive heard...and Billy's mandolin player is a flamethrower...worrrd.
You play a guitar like this, they should just give it to you.
The train whistle in just was perfect
Freight trains and billy strings give me unexplainable goosebumps
And the train has left the station. That was great Billy. Peace and much love to us all.🎸🌻❤🧘♀️🕊❤🎸
What an honor to have a musician like Billy Strings come by your shop and play!!
He is "One with The Old Martin". I could eat my Martin and not be that "One with my guitar". Hats off to ya Mr. Billy Strings! Beautiful Thing here!
I watch this at least once a day
When you're born to something that's what you do! Thankfully we get to be apart of witnessing a god given gift!🎸🎸🙏♥️
And the thousands of hours of practice didn't hurt anything either.
what morons gave this a thumbs down? Might be the most perfect 3 and 1/2 minutes of guitar playing I have ever heard. perfect!
There are always fools who do that, on every YT site. I think either because they are mentally ill, or just want to yank our chains. Same twisted minds that vote against their own best interests.
Seems that 62 people got Billy Strings while searching for Silly String.
Ones that could never play that LOL
They missed the like button or hit it by accident, I have before. Lots of people on phone. And it's a tiny button.
I stg its google that doesn't it just to keep it around fair or diversified. Or plum ignorant ass folk
Perhaps the exact platonic idea of an acoustic guitar tone. Incredibly balanced.
I wish someday, i could walk into a guitar center, and play this just like Billy .
Pretty sure I’ve watched this 50+ times. Incredible
I love the story how he got his dads old Martin back after he had to sell it for money. Amazing. Best flat picker ever, musical genius. Thank you for keeping the stories alive.
This song is one of the many reasons I love billy. The musicianship displayed here is just incredible
What’s the song ?
@@andrewhillberry678 Greensky Bluegrass' In Control
I sure hope he bought it! Because it was born to be in his hands!
And props to Carter guitars for another great video
I doubt anyone has played that guitar as good as this in the past 80 years...
The tune is called "in control " by greensky bluegass!
In Control > Thirst Mutilator
+lumpful Thanks.
It was killing me until Thirst
i thought this was "Hamster Onion"
This song is called “salty sheep” and it’s by billy strings
I remember seeing him for the first time in some kid’s basement and now look at how far he’s come. I hope his star continues to shine brighter and brighter.
I absolutely love eyes closed jams on any guitar.
All three of those guitarists did awesome, I'm especially impressed how the rhythm guy never took the bait to run and paced the tempo to perfection.
I will never understand how people just learn how to riff like this it’s insane genius
Don't you hate them
It’s like jazz or high end basketball players-you have it or you don’t, AND thousands of hours of practice.
There's a center just takes tons and tons of time finding it.
@@jameswalley7234 bingo
@@garrettlowell7637 Exactly. You're not gonna know if you have it without the practice. You'll know if you're a natural fast. But never know if you can reach yhis peak without practicing non stop i was a natural and let it go. That's why I'm picking it back up before I'm too old to learn new tricks again
I've listened to this so many times
same, learning it for my sisters wedding lol
I was just playing around with it using a partial capo to leave the low E open. The D parts really sound cool that way. I wish I knew the name of this tune so I could look up different versions of it.
I don't know about the intro but this is Billy's original called Thirst Mutilator on his Turmoil and Tinfoil album. Great tune
The first half is a more upbeat arrangement of Greensky Bluegrass's "In Control," or at least it is the same chord progressions.
Second half (starting at 1:38) is his original called "Thirst Mutilator."
yep me too! It's magical
I love old stuff but when I see old guitars and banjos , it’s like a glimpse into the past
Each one has there own story
Hmmm... How's come my D-18 doesn't sound like that?
Cause you’re not Billy strings 😂…….. all jokes no hate all love
One of the best guitar players I have had the privilege to know is also a railroad man. In fact he was one of my trainers when I was learning to fire a steam locomotive. When we work together, me as Fireman and Bob as Engineer, we talk about music. Listening to Billy I thought how fantastic it would be if I could get him to play with Bob. Then the locomotive horn started . . .
That's a cool story, man.
That freight train gave it even more of a vibe. Brilliant playing Billy.
How is this simultaneously hold music and the greatest thing I've ever heard?
The best tone and playing ive heard 🤯
I've never seen ANYONE so in tune with his or her guitar. Absolutely loved it.
Her? Women can't play guitars
@@thomasrobinette3227 Crap. You caught me.
His playing speaks for its self but might be the best sounding acoustic I’ve heard
Love the train in the background...I live right next to a track and even though there's no schedule that metal beast has great timing when I record too.
What a lovely old thing.!New Martins don't compare. I just sold my Martin and got a Zager. My hands are going ,at seventy, but I still love to play, even if I'm a shadow of my former self musically.
Keep playing as long as you can sister!
Ya know how some players sound great but have no stage presence. I could watch and listen to Billy play for hours. I love when he is finished with the song he "comes back"..such talent.
I know I what you mean. I put the music,and I get stuck watching his fingers.
One hundred and six thumbs down? Damn, there's a lot of tools on CZcams.
D T - people think the world is flat. just proof that some people's opinion aren't worth being heard.
Out of 850,000+ people watching, Im sure there could be 117 people that accidentally hit thumbs down.
Agreed to all. I bet they are just morally opposed to epic flatpicking, or maybe 1935 was a bad year for them, or their exes name was Martin and they didn’t realize it was a guitar.
More like a lot of jealous people.
thumbs up and down are meaningless, the data is corrupted and curated by youtube algorithms and reviewers. ignore it.
Very gifted and a pleasure to watch
Amazing how the other emotionlessly hanging up old guitars which were caught by the vibrations in last minutes of this recording and giving back their interferring soul sounds into it as a ghost like choir.
Nice, what old guitars in the right hands can cause.
It warms my heart to hear some of Tony Rice's influences living on in the hearts, hard work and finger tips of talent like young Billy here.
What is the name of this song?
@@timbercrestdentistry thirst mutilator
Probably the happiest that guitar has ever been.
Considering all the work that was done to it I’d agree for sure. Previous owner didn’t take great care of it it seems.
I only wonder who was enjoying that session more, Billy Strings, ... or that guitar. Oh yes, guitars have souls. I connected with a Martin guitar one time, that to this day, I wish I had done whatever it would take, to buy that guitar ... alas, ....
After taking guitar lessons for around a year now as a 45 year old medical professional, I can now see the mechanics of how Billy does this, but it’s now even more impressive having some knowledge of the guitar, picking, and fingering. Unbelievable.
He can really make that D 18 talk. Always loved their sound.
I played this in my car, now i have the sheriff chasing me on a dirt road
looooooooooool
You owe me a new keyboard lol. Good one. Cheers.
🤣🤣🤣
This is why I have 6 Martins 20 feet behind me. Thanks for a way cool video.
I don't understand why anyone could have the heart to dislike this video. Amazing Billy!
today's world has a higher percentage of heffalumps and woozles. Best to ignore them and enjoy the good things.
I love to see his love for bluegrass and originality. His song dust in a baggie is awesome if you haven’t heard it your missing greatness, it’s on CZcams!!!!!
Dust in a Baggie is one of my favorites, though I've not heard a bad song from him.
Funny, but Billy played in a Metal Band too. Listen to his after show interview from Austin City Limits July or Aug shows 2021.
I think this guy became one of my favorite guitarists.
My dream guitar, a pre war Martin D-18.
A large room with guitars all over the walls has interesting acoustics, the whole room resonates.
In the 80 some odd years of that guitar life it’s probably thinking finally somebody that knows how to play me right !
I've heard him play a lot, but this is by far the prettiest and most heartfelt of all. Great job Billy.
Thank you Billy! Thanx!!! That was lovely.. take care! :)
I’ll never be able to play like him but, that’s ok, I’ll simply enjoy his phenomenal talent.
You play shitty then wham it happens so don't give up it all has to do with all the parts aligning
You can get proficient and closer than you think, if you practice man.
The way he hits that open note really shows off this d-18 in the best way.
This is the only time I ever remember wishing I was a hang tag !!
Billy is the but naked truth man. Future of jam music man
This man is has so much talent. He is the reason I am listening to bluegrass now.
Man. there's old Martins and everything else. Amazing sound. The train is the background is perfect.
And his reaction to it! :)
Yep, been in that room at Carter's. If you are in Nashville its a must go. Made an incredible purchase there.....a hat
I watched this for the sole reason of this guy being called Billy Strings.
I've been playing 25 years now and was starting to think I was pretty good. Then guys like Billy come along. It looks so effortless for him. Dude is just amazing
Then you probably are pretty good. Our guy Billy though... isn't "pretty good" I would say. He is world class :)