Footprints 2006
Walkin' Martin

NAME COMPOSER COMMENTS
All.zip		All pieces - 45 megs
Greensleeves	Anon
Kemps Jig	Annon
Mood For A Day	Steve Howe
Recuerdos de la Alhambra	Francisco Tarrega	Transcription by Isaias Savio
How Insensitive	Antonio Carlos Jobim	Arr. by Mike Christiansen
Round Midnight	Thelonius Monk	Arr. by Yves Keroas
Cavatina	Stanley Myers	Sounds easy, but it is stupid hard
The Sleeping Sea	Steve Hackett
Within This Wood	Steve Hackett
Black Light	Steve Hackett
Asturias (Leyenda)	I. Albeniz	Transcription by Segovia
By Paved Fountain	Steve Hackett
Horizons	Steve Hackett
Andante in C	Steve Hackett
Time Lapse At Milton Keynes	Steve Hackett
Petropolis	Steve Hackett
The Vigil	Steve Hackett

All of these pieces are played on a 1950 Martin 00-28G, as thanks to my Great Uncle Joe.

To add some variety, EQ (equalization), Reverb and other sound processing effects were used in these recordings. Some of the first recordings used only one microphone while later ones used two. The two microphone recordings are of noticeably better quality.

Several of these pieces are rehashes of tunes previously recorded, the difference being that they are all played on the Martin. Hopefully I am better at expressing the spirit of these pieces than before. As always, there are some issues with every piece - such is the fate of being a hobbyist.

Here is the story:
On my last trip to see my relatives my Great Uncle Joe, now a very coherent 92 years young, gave me a 1950 Martin 00-28G. The bridge had pulled off about 15 years ago and it had been sitting in his closet ever since. Being a supporter of my classical guitar music, he gave it to me and I had it repaired by a local luthier who has a reputation for working on vintage guitars.

The 00-28G is a bit of an anomaly - it is a nylon strung guitar but has the body shape of a Martin 00 steel string guitar. Not quite a classical guitar, not quite a steel string guitar - but definitely more like a classical than a steel string. It has a Spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and an Ebony fingerboard and bridge. The Brazilian back and sides are a very straight grain - not like the wild grain I see on newer guitars with Brazilian Rosewood. They just don't make 'em like they used too...

It took some practice to get used to this guitar as the neck is just a a little bit skinnier than the rest of my classical guitars, even thought the nut is the standard width for a classical. As a result I have a tendency to pull the high "E" string off the fretboard, which sounds really bad. On the upside, the Martin does have discrete fret markers on the side of the neck, which makes it easier to keep my bearing. (most good classical guitars are completely devoid of fret markers of any type - they are considered by many to be a crutch for the unskilled)

Enjoy!