Posted by Phil Collins on March 12, 2007, 12:19 pm, in reply to "Re: 8 string tenor guy" John states that Nick used the 8-string much more than most fans realize. He used it on most up-tempo songs, especially later on. The last time I saw the Trio in 1967 Nick was changing between the 4-stirng and 8-string throughout the concert. I couldn't tell what pick he used, but John says that he used a plastic pick on the 8-string. You can hear Nick playing the 8-string a lot on 'Once Upon A Time'. After I had my first 8-string made by a Denver luthier, I put together pictures and notes that you can see at: http://home.comcast.net/~tenorguy/page.html I need to update this site to include my Martin 8-string (there were only 5 made), but it looks just like Nick's in the opening picture. One important aspect of the 8-string vs. the 4-string, especially for Nick wannabes, is that that it is much, much easier for fast strumming.
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Even though I own two 8-tring tenors, the real expert on this subject is John August Lee, aka the Triofan. He has written a piece on the Trio's use of this instrument, complete with pictures. It is on Jerry Kergan's Liner Notes, a link on Kingston Crossroads. Unforturnately, the site is currently, but temporarily down due to some reconstruction. Once Jerry's site is back up again, John's article is definitely worth reading.
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