Norman Blake and Nancy at Crafters of Tennessee

[OleBlues]

The Master of Flatpickers...........

[12Radius]

They seem to come back to

Martin & Gibson

[NeilFraudstrong]

This guitar looks and sounds like shit. And by looks and sounds like shit I mean looks and sounds absolutely unfreakinbelievable.

If I only had the money to buy one...

[younicbic]

sorry i clicked the wrong star!

[Philastrophic]

Love Norman. I also pick for a living and am a Guild Artist in Australia - one of my guitars is a Chinese made Guild GAD30 ( a fairly cheap one) and it is beautiful. Not as good as my Guild Finesse or CV1C, but close.

[laketroutdeepdown]

Beautiful guitar. I wouldn't be surprised if it cost as much as a new car.

[surfinbernard77]

Beautiful guitar and great playing all round.

[jimmythefish]

Couldn't ask for better test drivers.

[RandyHaddock]

I'm drooling over here.

[Kodders92]

'ive got a bone....

er' (;

[j3ohnny]

is that LBB.? it's gotta be didn't know you had another channel...

[russpi63]

Does it really matter what guitar Norman plays? Any decent guitar is going to sound great in his hands.

[peterpuffersmustdie]

If Martin made a Dobro I'm sure Norman would be playing a Martin Dobro.

[jocwalk]

Geez, could you be any more ignorant? Norman's good friend and renowned dobro player, Tut Taylor, started C.O.T. Do you think Norman only owns Martins? I have a good friend who is good friends with Norman and, trust me, Norman owns many guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, and dobros of various makers. You are exactly the problem with many guitar owners. You're more worried about labels and old reputations than what really sounds good coming off production lines today.

[bigdjindustriez]

Oh shut your mouth, nobody cares what you think. Who died and made you the authority on Norman Blake. He's not that good really, better than average, but I don't really care for his playing.

[jocwalk]

I've seen the obnoxious crap you've posted all over Youtube. Blake is one of the most influential flat-pickers ever and has been a huge influence upon Tony Rice. Let me guess, Rice is hack? Truth be told, no one cares what YOU think.

[bigdjindustriez]

You'd be guessing wrong, Tony Rice is one of my heroes. I've recieved letters from many people asking my opinion on their songs and covers, so apparently somebody does care what I think. When somebody makes 4 seperate belligerant comments on one video, like they think they know everything about the artist, that's a perfect definition of "obnoxious".

[letebaguere]

no one has sent you letters about your opinion on anything besides your grandmother, you self-aggrandizing douchebag. obnoxious is you saying that think norman blake is "not that good", when he is universally recognized as one of the great flat pickers of all time. it;s one thing for you to say you dont care for his music, and something else all together to claim that he is an average musician. and, by the way, tony rice cites him as one of his greatest musical influences.

[peterpuffersmustdie]

jocwalk you are a ass

[jocwalk]

At least I know what I'm talking about whereas you don't have a clue. There should be an I.Q. test required when joining Youtube to keep people like you from posting. As the saying goes, it's better to be silent and thought a fool than to open one's mouth a be proven a fool.

[altstrasse]

Agree with you jocwalk. Rarely comment anymore . I pick for a living, and you can't educate stupid. Ignorance maybe, but stupid is genetic. Know Norman and Tut & picked with Norman. Played Crafters & they are really fine instruments. It is the luthier. Not the brand. I play a 52 D28, a 76 Mossman, and on the road....a Composite Acoustic Bluegrass Standard w/ Fishman Aura Blender. The Crafters will be with me soon. Thanks for defending artisans like Crafters.

[jocwalk]

Thanks. I've heard great things about Mossman guitars although I've never seen or heard one. That guy discredited himself as soon as he showed up talking about these guitars being made in China because he didn't take the time to learn the difference between Crafter and Crafters of Tennessee. Like Norman Blake would be playing a made in China piece of junk... :) What next, Tony Rice playing a Jasmine? My point all along was that it's pretty ignorant to say "'X' brand is the best...period."

[danflatpick]

I just hope you guys don't get so caught up in the "who's better" arguments that you forget to enjoy the music. You know. The forest for the trees and all that......

[peterpuffersmustdie]

Why dont we see Norman playing one of these in public? All I have seen Norman or Nancy play have been Martins. Just because someone video taped Norman playing one of these does not mean that he owns one. These are nice guitars but to compare them to a Martin is a joke. Just my 2 cents.

[jocwalk]

I guess Norman needs to get rid of the dobros he has that says "Crafters of Tennessee" that I've seen him play several times.  These guitars are every bit as good and, in my opinion, sound better than ANY comparable new Martin. Even diehard Martin owners have said the same thing. What, you expect 70 year-old Norman to haul around five guitars to every venue? Also, did it occur to you that Norman may play that old Martin to keep with his image of being an old-time musician?

[SirWillOfWeBB]

Well sir I dont think image has anything to do with it. Im from a familly of musicians even Mr Rice knows of my uncle has an old guitar case of Tony's. To the point, an old martin has a sound you cant get it from a new martin without a bit of work. Martins have become like anything else. My guitar of choice is an old fransiscan I Gave $75 for. It's been set up to a T and i wouldn't trade it for a new martin. Odds are norman plays "that old martin" cause he hasnt played anything that beats it.

[neatfreeek]

love old stuff like this, its warm feeling, not to sound cheesy as hell, but it is damn it lol i loved it

[dawhealer]

I've been playing guitar since 1960 and have owned Martin, Gibson, Ovation, Yairi, Alvarez, Kohno, Tacoma, Fender, and a boatload of lesser known brands. There are too many variables in an acoustic guitar to just give blanket endorsements of any particular brand. I have a mint '01 Tacoma DM-9 that I picked up used for $250 and it's one of the most awesome guitars I've ever played. I'm currently playing my Martin and Tacoma more than my other guitars, but they all get played. Love 'em all.

[peterpuffersmustdie]

Not bad for a China guitar set up in USA and and then sold as USA guitar. They are built with chopsticks..

[cosmojh]

Flamed maple and Brazilian rosewood chopsticks. Nice.

[cosmojh]

Why do you think Crafters of Tennessee instruments are made in China? This is not Crafter Instruments made in China and Korea. Not the same company, if that's what you're thinking.

[jocwalk]

Nice. Do your homework. You're talking about Crafter brand which is a ripoff of this brand. These are CrafterS OF TENNESSEE and are made in Old Hickory, Tennessee. Do you REALLY think a legend like Norman Blake would even bother to visit a plant with cheap Chinese guitars???  Look up "Crafters of Tennessee shop tour 2007" on Youtube. You just might learn something.

[Orsino89]

Oh wow, I remember when Doug made this video.

[haselock1963]

ok dont go mad with me but after watching your vid ihad to go out and buy a porlor guitar for myself.wow ok its not us made but a dam good copy this can only spur me on to save and buy the real thing thank you

[ArkRed1]

Norman is one fine guitar player, hands down.

[rll1954]

IMHO, Martin's are overrated. They have a name but they are not the best. At least not today.

[epson565]

Norman Blake is great-- but I:am a Martin fan.

[deeleyj]

I'd try one. :)

[jocwalk]

I have a Crafters of Tennessee mahagony dreadnaught and I'll put it up against anything coming out of Martin, Gibson or Taylor right now. I have no brand axe to grind or any particular brand loyalty. I have a (Westerly, Rhode Island) Guild too and love it but it doesn't compare. I played what was out there and this guitar simply sounded better, was better constructed, and far better finished. Again, I'm talking about new stuff not vintage.

[Chad48309]

Agreed. Martin, Gibson, Taylor, and others have all let their quality go slack in recent years.

[jocwalk]

To each his own. I am just not impressed by brand names. Crafters of Tennessee is not as well known but I based my buying decision on how the guitars sounded and played when compared to other high-end guitars. The best sounding guitar I've ever heard was a 1966 D-28. That guitar is an anomaly as I haven't heard another Martin that was even close and I know folks with several from 1937-1952. That guitar just rings. My new Crafters sounds better than the 1937 D-28 I played, in my opinion.

[fiffel456]

It´s Clarksdale guitars. Real good tone for blues.

[loomis4747]

nice guitars, but i'm a devoted Martin player

[jocwalk]

See, this is a problem in guitarists now. This is almost like the Ford v. Chevy feud. Folks should be open-minded enough to look at each guitar for its own merits and not be blinded by brand allegiance. Quite a few devoted Martin owners have played my Crafters of Tennessee guitar who ended up with an almost confused expression only to say "Man, this guitar sound great!" It's like they cannot believe any guitar sounds better than their "unbeatable" Martins.

[gasshuffer]

i don't like the guitar much, but norman is great.

[Dragoony12345]

What a great picking!!!