Mr Yamaha - a new song about the roots of English guitar music

Big Al Whittle

Mr Yamaha - a new song about the roots of English guitar music

And the important role of the Yamaha guitar........

In concert at the Y theatre Leicester -

Playing a Yamaha cpx8 model

I suppose the first Yamaha i laid my eyes and ears on was played by a singer called Dave Groome, who played with a band called Brandywine Bridge in the 1970's.. After the gig at Orton on the Hill folk club he stayed the night at our house. I remember Dave got the guitar from its case and kissed it - best guitar I ever owned! he said.

I soon owned an FG model myself - on which with I bestowed a label - 'Next to sex, I like my Yamaha best........'. Such sensitivity!

The projection of those early Yamaha was a revelation to many of us, and they could be got for a couple of weeks wages - even when teachers were paid next to nowt.

We could hardly believe our luck - in the 1960's, ownership of a quality guitar was beyond the dreams of most players. Just ten years later the possibility of producing a sound quite comparable to our heroes was just a question of giving up smoking for a few months to earn the loot, and then devotion to the wood and the wire.

At present I own only two yamhas - an APX and the one you can hear on this song double tracking with itself - a CPX15cm. That is a cedar topped concert sized instrument.

The main accompaniment is done in open tuning DGCGCD - C tuning nicked from Martin Carthy. the second guitar is just playing in standard tuning - also in the key of C.

Publicity picture from the daysof Irish theme pubs

The Yamaha FG model was louder than a Takamine

I have owned many Yamahas in my time. Six strings, 12 strings, basses, and and electrics. the above picture shows me with an FG model. Note the black t-shirt copied from Christy Moore. However the noisy places I played wouldn't have heard much if I had been playing a Takamine like Christy - yes I did try one. I was that much in awe of the man.

The Yamaha was three times as loud. That model drew many admiring glances. One night in Matlock, someone was asking me where I got it and how much did I pay. I told him and he said .....well, it sounds expensive nevertheless!

Mr Yamaha

Back in s a time that I remember

Guitar music was the rich kid’s toy

There were Martins, there were Gibsons

But not for us poor boys....

Then one day in a shop window

I saw a Yamaha FG (red label....)

The headstock was stubby and ugly

But it shouted’ out to me:-

It shouted out

Sing!

(kid, you know it’s your thing)

You got no choice

(Now I gave you a voice)

Have your say – with the notes that you play

Just pick me up son, and we’ll find a way

Soon I was tied by the chords of destiny

The notes turned into bars

I wrote songs and I made records

Thanks to that Yamaha (that said to me)

Now I used to think that freedom

Was something you did with your mind

But I’ve got older, I’ve got wiser

Mr Yamaha helped me find

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