Topic: Trigger

I was thinking this morning about Willie Nelson's guitar trigger.  Probably one of the most famous acoustical in the world.  Now when Willie retires and ol' trigger is put to rest where would you like to see him displayed, if at all?  Willie Nelson museum?  Country Music Hall of Fame? or the Smithsonian? 

Just a light-hearted topic to ponder a simple issue

1991 Washburn D12CE/N
2006 Taylor 412ce

"What I want is songs that echo. The stuff we're doing now is like somebody's bedsheets; spread 'em out, soil 'em, ship 'em out to laundry, you know? But our songs...I want us to be able to fold ourselves up in them forever...understand?  Words and music."

Re: Trigger

Trigger belongs in the Smithsonian.  It is a national treasure.  Willie's playing and reach far exceeds Country.  He's a piece of America, plain and simple.  Shoot, he can't even get ON country stations anymore unless he's doing a duet with a modern country star.  Somehow or other, Willie and Johnny Cash and a few other staples of country music are now considered Alt Country.  Come to think of it, though, if anyone is "alt", it's Willie, so I guess there's some justice in it after all. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Trigger

Zurf- that is just full circle.  Back in the 70's it was just called Outlaw Country.  Never doing it the way Nashville wants it done.  I agree with you though that Trigger should be at the Smithsonian

1991 Washburn D12CE/N
2006 Taylor 412ce

"What I want is songs that echo. The stuff we're doing now is like somebody's bedsheets; spread 'em out, soil 'em, ship 'em out to laundry, you know? But our songs...I want us to be able to fold ourselves up in them forever...understand?  Words and music."

Re: Trigger

That piece of junk is going to break in half one of these days and Willie will probably pitch it in the fireplace.

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

Re: Trigger

Willie has toured down here several times since the seventies and has a hugh following. In saying that, I think ole Trigger should be hung in the Australian Country Music Hall Of Fame.
With tongue in cheek, Oz is easier to say than Smithsonian.
Cheers all
Bushy

Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.
"Quincy Jones"

Re: Trigger

tubatooter1940 wrote:

That piece of junk is going to break in half one of these days and Willie will probably pitch it in the fireplace.

Before he uses it for kindling, I hope he takes pictures of all the signatures. 

Martin has offered to repair the extra hole he's worn in it, but Willie says he likes the tone and prefers it to stay 'broken.' 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

7 (edited by selso 2009-09-14 14:35:47)

Re: Trigger

I was fortunate see to see Willie open for Phil Lesh and friends at Red Rocks in Colorado and he was playing Trigger. I think he should give that guitar to me! Really though, that guitar needs to stay as far away from Nashville as possible. Smithsonian seems like a good place.

Everything is bad including me
But being bad is good policy
Reverend Horton Heat

Re: Trigger

I to vote for the Smithsonian, he is not just an American Icon, he's all world!

Cam

Keep a fire burning in your eyes
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down

Re: Trigger

I was privileged to see Willie open for Dylan a few years ago on one of their tours playing minor league baseball venues. Willie literally brought tears to my eyes as I was so touched seeing this American Icon. The Smithsonian is definitely where Trigger belongs. Right besides Elvis' jumpsuit and Sinatra's microphone.

Like Nelson himself, the guitar is weathered, slightly the worse for wear, and one of a kind. Both have a sweet song inside. On the cover of his new record, "The Great Divide," Nelson poses almost like an afterthought behind the battered face of his Martin N20. It is covered with the etched signatures of the country singer's most esteemed colleagues and is missing a good chunk of wood right out of the front.

"It's a classical guitar, and it wasn't designed to use a pick on," said Nelson, who opens tonight for four nights at the Fillmore Auditorium. "Normally, if you're going to use a pick, they have a big plastic pick guard. But this one, over the years, without a pick guard, a lot of picks and fingernails and 'Whiskey Rivers,' the hole just gets bigger every year. "

The nylon-string guitar has been an integral part of Nelson's sound throughout his career. He has owned it 35 years and doesn't play any other guitar. He plays the thing with a touch as unique as his singing, and he has no interest in repairing the hole.

"I think it helps the sound," he said. "I've had to reinforce it inside over the years a few times because the hole sorta weakened the woodwork inside. "

Martin Guitar's Dick Boak agrees. "He has had some epoxy glopped on it to keep it from falling apart," said Boak. "The guitar really does sound great, and he's probably right in not replacing the soundboard." Martin, in fact, made a special Willie Nelson model replica -- "you have to supply your own hole," Boak said.

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!

10 (edited by cameronkl7 2009-09-15 00:34:59)

Re: Trigger

I've seen Willie twice, once with Leon Russell, the other time, at least right now it escapes my mind who was with him, maybe it'll come to me later. I've been to so many concerts, "in my day, "my earlier days that is" that lots of them I can't remember much anymore, there's another thread that mentions "what was your first concert, I actually can't remember now who it was. But I've been forunate to see many big names many times over. While I'm sure I throughly enjoyed most of them, I often wonder at how much money I spent going, to see all these concerts and what kind of guitars I could have had, had I saved that money, oh well, it was worth it at the time.

I've Seen Dylan Twice, the Stones, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Doc Watson Several Times, John Cougar, Pink Floyd, The Band, Rod Stewart several times, The Who, The Greatful Dead, Bob Seger, Neil Young, Crosby Stills Nash And Young, J Geils Band, Humble Pie, ZZ Top, allman Bros's many times, Marshall Tucker many times,Jerry Jeff Walker, twice, hey wait, thats who else was Willie When I see him the other time! Lynard Skynard, saw them 3 times, once before they ever made it to the big time, actually wound up on their bus after they played a small club in South Carolina "Cheraw SC" Jackson Browne several times,John Prine Several times, and of course Jimmy Buffett 3 times, some of the forgotten bands now like Uriah Heep, Canned Heat,Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, Brownsville Station, the list could go on and on. However Two people that I have missed that I always wanted to see that I missed was Clapton, and James Taylor, had my chances, but didn't go for reasons that "as before" I can't remember.

But as everyone here that has read my posts, you've heard me mention "Goose Creek Symphony" I would not be exagerating when I say I've seen them at least 60 to 70 times over the years, since the early 70's, ok I've worked my mind enough for one night, as I said I've seen many more, but I'm old now, just an old geezer who can't remember it all.

Cam

Keep a fire burning in your eyes
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down

Re: Trigger

Me and Willie went to different schools together! SO THERE!

Smithsonian

When the Power of Love overcomes The Love of Power the world will be a better place.

Re: Trigger

I've got Willie and Wynton (the Marsallis and Nelson duet album) on my desk right now.

Smithsonian, absolutely.  It's a treasure, as is Willie.  He said when the hole makes the guitar  unplayable, he'll retire.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

Re: Trigger

Here's a video of said hole. Aint it funny how time slips away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZaZqx9v3dU

And aint it funny how you sometimes just plain old don't notice the treasures we have til they're almost gone.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

Re: Trigger

alvee33 wrote:

Here's a video of said hole. Aint it funny how time slips away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZaZqx9v3dU

And aint it funny how you sometimes just plain old don't notice the treasures we have til they're almost gone.

How can anybody hear that kind of talent and question the existance of God? 

Holy smokes.  Chris Kristofferson, Doc Watson and a few other big names sitting around watching and smiling and dreaming of having that kind of talent. What a campfire that would have been.  Man alive.  Willie is some kind of something.  Funny How Time Slips Away, Crazy, and Always on My Mind are three of the best songs ever written by anybody in any genre anywhere.   I can remember my Momma singing me to sleep with Patsy Cline songs written by Willie Nelson.  He's been at the top of his game for 40 years.  How many folks can say that?  James Taylor maybe.  Not many others.   

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

15 (edited by dino48 2009-09-19 03:22:18)

Re: Trigger

willie has his own ranch/town in texas I got a feeling it will end up there,otherwise it should be in the smithstonen. I have seen him a couple of times and he is a great performer . Ihave heard he had a fire some years ago and he ran back inside the house just to save his guitar. His ranch/town is called Lucky,texas check it out on his website.     dino

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman