(( all things audible ))

As you know, lately I’ve been listening to a lot of John Leventhal (JL from here on out) production and I’m digging it.  One interesting thing I read about JL is that he’s really not a fan of fancy studio gear and admits that outside of a few favorite pieces of outboard gear, he really doesn’t know much about the technical side of things.  Rather, he is first and foremost a musician and enjoys the playing far more than the recording.  While somebody like Michael Brauer collects gear such as compressors and delay units, JL has an impressive collection of instruments.

Just to name a few, he has standard acoustic, electric, high-strung, baritone, and tenor guitars along with lap and pedal steels, banjos, dobros, mandolins, bouzoukis, and tamburas, and then he has a bunch of percussion toys and vintage keyboards, organs and xylophones.  Various combinations of these make it onto his records and they create lush layers of organic ear candy even if you don’t quite realize that they’re there.

Obviously, given my idolization of his sound, I’ve felt the need to start collecting instruments as well.  This idea of mine is more long term as I’m somewhat hindered by a lack of cash and a tiny apartment.  All that to say, one instrument has intrigued me the most and that is the tenor guitar.

This four-stringed beauty is smaller and higher-pitched than a standard guitar and can be tuned like a banjo or like an octave mandolin.  It’s great for doubling other instruments and sits well when paired with a standard acoustic.  To get an idea of how it sounds, listen to Nickel Creek’s “Can’t Complain” below (and excuse the cheesy music video).

Sorry for the long post, this stuff gets me really excited.