I walked away from the conversation in possession of a brand new Elliott Elite Capo for my guitar.

I owned one of the original Elliott push buttons for years, until it disappeared at a gig several months ago. I’d been laboring along with a standard, spring-loaded, clamp style capo until now. What a joy it is to once again have an Elliott capo on my Collings!

And this new Elliott Elite is even better than the original. The Elite design is so slender it doesn’t get in the way at all. This capo really is smaller than the previous model I had, which was smaller than the standard variety spring-clamp capo. This sleek design really serves to keep the capo out of the way of your left hand as you play.

The Elite also features a longer saddle (leather padded), which makes it easier to keep the capo centered on the instrument neck. And of course, the patented Elliot push button design.

Speaking of design, these capos are finely crafted and even though it’s a small piece of hardware, you can sure feel the quality of the craftsmanship when you hold it in your hand. The screw mechanism is smooth, nothing seems loose, but neither is it overly tight. The push button is perfect, easy to use, yet secure enough that you have no fear of it coming unlatched during use.

The real advantage of this sort of capo lies in the thumb screw. As opposed to a spring-clamp sort of capo, the thumb screw allows the player to adjust the capo to have exactly the correct amount of tension on the strings. Not over clamping, allows for a very transparent sound which doesn’t adversely affect tuning the way a spring operated capo does.

If you are looking for the best capo, look no further. The price tag is serious at $160, but if you’re serious about your music, you can’t afford to use anything less.

The guitar version comes in the following standard neck widths: 1 11/16″, 1 3/4″, 1 13/16″, and 1 7/8″. If you need something special for a different neck width, give Phil a call and he’ll take care of you.

For the banjo, you have the options of a B capo or a C capo.

I took a few photos of the capo to share with you. I hope these give you a sense of the capo’s size and craftsmanship.

Rick Hayes Instruments, makers of dreadnaught guitars and F-5 mandolins, is proud to announce today that Clay will be endorsing their mahogany guitar. It is a solid wood guitar, made with Honduran mahogany back, sides and neck, and high grade spruce for the top. The fingerboard and bridge are of West African ebony, and the guitar sells for $2999.

As you might expect, Clay speaks very highly of the guitar.

“The Rick Hayes guitar I have been playing for the past year is one of the top five guitars I’ve ever played. I recorded most of my new recording with a 1938 D18, which is my favorite guitar. I recorded the rest with the Hayes guitar. I’ll let y’all try to tell which is which because I can’t.”

More details can be found on Rick’s web site.

The company is the brainchild of Ken Caulkins, who has modified the concept of the player piano for a variety of other stringed instruments and percussion. He has also created full-sized MIDI music boxes with actual instruments that perform upon command.

Ken is obviously a bluegrass fan, as he offers several versions of his automated music players in a Bluegrass Special line. The lovely conversation starter pictured above is his Grade 3 model, complete with banjo, guitar and bass, selling for $37,950 in cherry.

Here’s a look at one in action.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hollender forwarded me the following video, which gives a great look at his robot banjo in operation, this time in clawhammer style.

What do you get for the bluegrass picker who has everything? You can see more and get full details on these fascinating machines at www.ragtimewest.com.

If you are interested in old instruments and the stories behind them, you’ll want to give this a look.

Or you may find sidemen touring together while their primary musical employers are taking some time off for the holidays. There are two such mini-tours for the end of 2009 that should be of interest to bluegrass and acoustic music fans.

First up, The Nedski-Mojo Show, which began this past weekend, and continues through next week. It features banjo picker Ned Luberecki, who performs with both Chris Jones and Larry Cordle, and guitarist Stephen Mougin, who works with Sam Bush. Both are superb musicians and singers, and Ned could easily hold forth for half the show as a stand up comedian.

They have a string of concerts and workshops along the east coast leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday and you can be sure to catch a highly entertaining and musically challenging program if they stop near you. A full list of dates can be found on Facebook.

Then in December, mandolinists Adam Steffey and Kym Warner will tour together briefly in Virginia and Maryland, billed as Mandolin Sessions.

Steffey may be the most prominent bluegrass mando man in the biz these days. He has been named Mandolin Player of the Year six times by the IBMA, and his current CD and DVD releases are hits with the public. Most folks first came to know his music when he was a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, and he has toured since with Mountain Heart and now, Dan Tyminski.

Warner is a founding member of The Greencards, a fascinating, genre-bending outfit of acoustic musicians who formed in the US, though none were native born. Kym hails from Australia, but lives now in Nashville.

You can find information about the Mandolin Sessions dates at Mandolin Cafe.

During the month of October only, you can order any Colorado Case Company branded soft case, case cover or rigid case in pink.

We will then donate 25% of the base case price to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This money will be used to help find a cure for breast cancer through increased research and awareness.

In addition to this gorgeous pink color, we will be embroidering a pink ribbon on each case at no extra charge.

This offer is only valid through the end of October 2009. Full details online.

I never tried it myself, but know many pickers who swear by the practice, insisting that it helps new instruments open up faster, and offering a more balanced tone and response more quickly.

This is the concept behind ToneRite, a product developed by a trio of stringed instrument-playing engineers to provide a more direct, efficient method for accelerating this process.

The company was founded by Augi Lye, Ryan Frankel, and Hans Yeakel after Lye became frustrated that he didn’t have the time to play his new cello enough to break it in adequately. Augi had a background in acoustical physics, and enlisted Frankel (with his military signal processing expertise) and Yeakel (an industrial engineer) to assist in developing a product that could be demonstrated to deliver the goods.

Their first production model was debuted in 2007, and the new Luthier Model design was introduced at the IBMA convention last week.

The ToneRite sits atop, or rests against, the bridge of your instrument where it delivers a specific set of frequencies to the vibrating surfaces. The company’s testing indicates that a minimum of 72 hours of use on a new instrument generates dramatic results, and recommends 2 or 3 similar 72-hour treatments in the first few weeks.

Regular use for an hour prior to playing a few times each week is also recommended for maintaining the tone and responsiveness of an older instrument.

Grasstowne mandolinist Alan Bibey is a fan…

“The ToneRite supercharged my instruments to their max in volume and tone! One of the most useful new products I’ve seen in a really long time!”

ToneRite models are available for guitar, mandolin, violin, viola, cello and bass. Prices range from $150-$250.

Full details can be found on their web site.

The winners of the contests have been announced via email, but are not currently featured on the festival website. We’ve included below the photos and info made available to us for several of the competitions most closely associated with bluegrass music.

2009 Walnut Valley Mandolin Champions

The Walnut Valley Mandolin Champions were just crowned here at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. There were 21 who played in this contest. Those 21 represented 18 different states as well as Japan and UK. The final five were from Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom. First place went to an 18 year old senior in high school from Canton, NC. Bryan McDowell seven years ago borrowed his sister’s mandolin and learned to play it. She just got married so he had to buy one of his own. He also plays fiddle and guitar and will enter these contests here at the Walnut Valley Festival. Josh Bailey from Victoria, TX took 2nd Place in this contest, the same as he did last year. Josh is currently working construction but hopes to attend college later. Josh is a member of the Bailey Family Band. Third place went to Rex Preston who was attending this year’s Walnut Valley Festival for the first time. While planning to attend the IBMA Conference he noticed the information on the Festival here in Winfield and thought “O what the heck ‚Ķ why not come and enter the mandolin contest.” Rex is a university student majoring in music and plays in a band called “The Scoville Units.”

2009 National Bluegrass Banjo Champions

There were thirteen contestants who played in the 2009 Walnut Valley Festival National Bluegrass Banjo competition. In addition those from the United States, there were two contestants from outside the US; one was from the United Kingdom and one was from Australia. When the cut to five was made, numbers were drawn again to see who would play first. The player who drew the number one was chosen the first place winner. It went to a former house painter now turned musician and banjo/guitar instructor. Steve Lewis hails from Todd, NC and he has been playing the banjo for some 34 years. He placed first in this contest in 2003 so he had to wait until this year to enter the contest again. Steve’s interests beside banjo, guitar and mandolin are hunting and fishing. Second place went and 18 year old from Regent, ND by the name of Ethan Waddington. When not playing banjo, Ethan works in the family’s tree service business. The Waddingtons came to the Walnut Valley Festival last year and their three sons wanted to come again. Mom and dad said they could come if Ethan would enter the banjo contest and so wanting to come to Winfield, Ethan entered the contest and now you know the outcome. Third place was awarded to none other than Sonny Smith of New Market, TN. Sonny is not a newcomer to this contest as he has entered it nine times. He won the contest in 1998, placed second in 1997 and 2008, and third in 1992 as well as this year. One of Sonny’s favorite things to do is to get out his metal detecting equipment and go searching for Civil War relics.

2009 National Flat Pick Guitar Champions

The National Flat Pick Guitar champions were crowned here at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS on the afternoon of September 19, 2009. In this contest there were 37 contestants from 19 states and from Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. When the cut to five was made the states of two from North Carolina, and one each from Utah, Virginia, and Tennessee. First place was won by Bryan McDowell of Canton, NC. Bryan is an 18-year old high school senior. Interestingly enough, Bryan also took first place in the Walnut Valley Mandolin contest and the Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle contest. These contests were held on Friday. This is the first time one individual has placed first in three contests here at the Walnut Valley Festival in the same year. It is ironic that second and third places in this contest were won by close friends of Bryan’s.

It seems as though they all play in the same band called “Second Circle” Second place was won by Brandon Davis of Independence, VA. Brandon is an IT Specialist who placed 3rd in this competition in 2008. Third place was awarded to Eric Hardin of Warrensville, NC. Eric installs and finishes hardwood floors. Eric placed first in the banjo competition in Winfield in 2004. In the band they play with, Bryan plays fiddle, Brandon plays guitar and Eric plays banjo, but this goes to show you that they can play each others instruments too.

Corey is a native West Virginian who has played and sung bluegrass and Gospel music since he was a young boy. He spent time on bass with Change Of Heart, a Southern Gospel group, and more recently with Jim & Valerie Gabeheart, a bluegrass Gospel band. Like so many talented bluegrass artists, Hensley is also proficient on banjo and guitar.

Doyle, however, brought him to the band for his clear, powerful voice. He debuted with Quicksilver this past weekend.

A family man at heart, Corey had previously resisted offers to perform full time, but I suppose that Doyle can be very persuasive.

David Grier has been a hero of mine as long as I’ve been playing guitar. I spent many hours attempting to learn Eye of the Hurricane. So I was excited to hear his newest CD Evocative.

David had been talking about this recording for a long time and I was eager to hear it. He told me it was different, so I wasn’t surprised 24 seconds into the first song to hear the drums and electric guitar enter the mix. What I wasn’t prepared for was the unique mixture of David’s signature acoustic sound along with banjo, fiddle and other bluegrass sounds, woven together with drums, electric guitar, accordion, wind instruments, etc.

Evocative was released back in June of this year and has had all kinds of labels attached to it. Some have called it “daring” others “innovative.” I call it “Davidative.” There’s really not another word for it. It’s just David. You’ll either love it or hate it, depending on how open you are to things outside the bluegrass norm.

It’s not bluegrass, though David himself has trouble escaping the bluegrass in his blood. You can hear the grass coming out on every track, and I doubt very much that David would have it any other way. He just took the liberty of adding some new spice to the soup, so to speak.

Each song is different, some are quite and contemplative, others are playful and bounding with energy. Some are solo guitar, others are a full ensemble cast of musicians and instruments. The supporting cast of musicians is as diverse as the arrangements. Evocative features a line up of musicians from the likes of Stuart Duncan, Noam Pikelny and Victor Wooten to Jeff Taylor, John Gardner and Paul Franklin.

Regardless of mood or arrangement, David always applies the appropriate touch to his guitar. His tone is fantastic and his creativity is in full swing.

If you enjoy good guitar playing, you’ll want to put your ear on this one.

Here’s a couple little samples of the sounds you can expect to hear on Evocative.

Guitarists anywhere in the world can sign up for lessons using Skype, free software that enables two-way video/audio chat. You can download Skype, but will need a video-enabled computer and either a built-in or aftermarket video cam.

Russ has released a number of fine CDs that feature his original compositions and his creative, often understated guitar playing. He has also been involved with influential groups like Fiddle Fever and landmark recordings like Skip, Wobble & Hop. Homespun has produced a number of instructional tapes and videos where he shares his wisdom with flatpickers.

Russ asks that anyone interested in lessons via Skype to please contact him by email.

And he tells us that guitarist John Miller is joining the group as of August 1. John was most recently a member of Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice, where he played mandolin and sang tenor. Bill says that the whole band is thrilled to have John join them, and that Wayne Lanham will now assume most of the lead male vocals in the band.

Bill and John have performed and recorded together several times in the recent past, and Miller jumped at the chance to work with Emerson again.

“Bill is truly a hero of mine and I am lucky enough to consider him a friend. Bill has done a lot for our music and wants to keep making records and play good Timing. I’m excited about the opportunity of playing with him and making some new music in the studio.”

Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie have nearly completed a new CD which includes John on guitar. It is scheduled for release in early 2010.

Tom and Michael have a long musical association going back to Adams’ time as a crackerjack, award-winning banjo player. The two of them worked together with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage in 2000, and with Dale Ann Bradley in 2002. They also released a live duet album of banjo/fiddle duets (Live at the Ragged Edge) in 2004.

That project was recorded in 2002, just before Tom began to experience the frustrating symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as focal dystonia, a neurological disorder that left him unable to reliably perform on the banjo to his high standards of excellence. Tom had started his musical life as a guitarist, and starting in 2008, returned to working in bluegrass, but now on guitar where the dystonia had no effect on his right hand movement. He had been playing of late with Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie.

Adams has a great respect for Cleveland and is delighted to be joining Flamekeeper…

“Mike is absolutely one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met — what an incredible musician! I thoroughly enjoyed playing with Mike in the past, and I’m very excited about working with him again. He’s got a terrific band and I am glad to become a part of it.”

This move also reunites Tom with Marshall Wilborn, with whom he worked in The Johnson Mountain Boys and the Lynn Morris Band. The current Flamekeeper lineup features Cleveland on fiddle, Adams on guitar, Wilborn on bass, Jesse Brock on mandolin and Jessie Baker on banjo.

Tom will join the band starting with their August 7 show at Bluegrass In The Park in Henderson, KY.  You can find their complete tour schedule online.

UPDATE 7/24: When we first published this story, we mentioned that Tom would be playing guitar with Flamekeeper, but didn’t note that he will also be the new lead singer as well.

It’s the D-28 Dan Tyminski Custom Edition, made to resemble his classic 1946 herringbone, the one he has used on the road for years with Alison Krauss, and fronting his own band. It is made with an Adirondack spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides, and a mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge

Dan is also featured in the July ‘09 edition of Martin’s Sounding Board Newsletter, which includes a more detailed description of the guitar.

Back and sides of East Indian rosewood combine with a top of Adirondack spruce for warm, ringing tone, impressive projection and extraordinary headroom. A comfortable genuine mahogany 1 11/16″ (at the nut) “modified V” neck with long diamond volute contributes to player comfort, while the black ebony fingerboard and belly bridge add classic beauty and longevity.

Tyminski makes his namesake Custom Edition his own with distinctive details sure to appeal to flatpickers. Scalloped 5/16″ Adirondack spruce top braces cross in the non-forward “rear-shifted” position to provide uncommon balance and clarity. Special 2 1/4″ string spacing at the bridge and hand polished “bull nose” (i.e., rounded) fret ends speed both strums and runs.

The appointments are equally distinctive: bold pattern herringbone around the top, a headstock featuring Martin’s Golden Era¬Æ decal logo on a polished East Indian rosewood headplate, Martin’s historic pressure stamp on the back and nickel Waverly‚Ñ¢ tuners with oval buttons. Long/Wide Pattern “Diamond & Squares” abalone pearl fingerboard position markers run from the 3rd fret to the 17th fret, with a unique, oversized “wide diamond” at the 9th fret.

The Tyminski D-28 carries a retail price of $5149.00, with a Geib-style case. Complete product specs can be found on the Martin site.

Colby is seeking any information that may lead to the recovery of the instrument. Here’s his description of the guitar.

It was a black CA Bluegrass Standard, white inlay around the sound hole, Waverly tuners, Fishman aura pickup, and a small chip on the head near the letters CA. It was inside a black dreadnaught TKL type case made by CA with CA on the case. There is no serial number that we can find yet, but the makers have been informed.

If anyone sees this instrument or has information concerning it, please contact Colby immediately.

Here’s a clip of Colby playing the guitar with Next Best Thing.

It is a set of ten songs and tunes featuring Bryan in the studio with many of the artists with whom he has performed in recent years. Punch Brothers make an appearance (sans regular guitarist Chris Eldridge) along with Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Hot Rize, Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas and several other notables. The intention was to capture the music live in the studio, with minimal overdubs or tweaking.

The CD’s vibe is nicely captured by Nate Chinen in a mini-review in the New York Times’ Playlist column on July 8:

The contemporary bluegrass style upheld by the flat-pick guitarist Bryan Sutton has a lot to do with high-polish whimsicality. There’s no room for raggedness on his crisp new album, “Almost Live” (Sugar Hill), but as the title suggests, looseness is a priority.

You should be able to find Almost Live for sale wherever you like to purchase bluegrass CDs, or in iTunes where you can hear audio samples as well.

It looks like this one may do well, as it is the #1 selling bluegrass CD at Amazon.com today.

Tomorrow (July 15) will mark the 36th anniversary of the day when Clarence was killed by a drunk driver, cutting short the budding career of a true guitar innovator, not to mention robbing his family and friends of his companionship.

Roland will share stories from their early days with The Kentucky Colonels, and Katy will offer up some of their music. They will also discuss the book he has recently published, The Essential Clarence White, which includes transcriptions for 14 songs he recorded in 1962.

Tune in online at 9:00 a.m. at www.bluegrasscountry.org to hear the show.

The company was determined not to lay off any of its employees, and implemented a few measures to assure it wouldn’t need to.

…given the special woodworking skills involved in guitar making, Martin wanted to avoid layoffs. The company figured it is better to find a way to keep workers occupied than face the challenge of having to train new ones after the economy recovers. The solution: Copy what many big retailers do by offering a lower-priced alternative. The dilemma was how to do that without sacrificing quality or muddying its image.

Accordingly, the company introduced The 1 Series in April of this year. The guitars lack inlay adornment, use “a type of lacquer that doesn’t require time-consuming polishing” and feature solid wood construction (no plywood). The price point is under $1000.

It’s great to see a company concerned about its employees, and turning out a quality product that people can afford and will enjoy.

Way to go Martin!

Note: The link to the online article will only be available for 7 days from today for non-subscribers.

Like the original Paige capo designs, The Clik uses a direct center tension mechanism and the “store behind the nut” design that most acoustic musicians prefer.

Amber Slade, Director of Marketing for Paige, tells us that The Clik starts with the tried and true Paige design, built with a simpler structure, and incorporating some new twists to allow for quicker capo changes.

Our products have maintained a direct center tension design since 1988. This design which we’ve of course maintained in The Clik is now complimented by the following features:

• A finish safe tubing to protect all contact points of the instrument and capo.
• A quicker locking and releasing bar
• An advanced quick release mechanism with precision adjustment.

To extrapolate on this feature, our line of original Paige Capos included a screw feature used for both applying and releasing the capo. The Clik maintains the screw feature but now with an innovative button (release mechanism) that aids in quick release. As illustrated in our packaging instructions: The screw is pushed toward the neck until the last click is heard. The tension is then finely adjusted until the strings voice clearly.

Because of the new mechanism, precision adjustment is maintained with the availability of a quick change action. All the while eliminating any string buzz or muting because it will never pull from the side.

The Clik will be available for all the current Paige capo models. Pricing has not been officially settled, and will be announced at NAMM (July 17-19), but $29.95 seems to be where they expected it will be listed.

Rick has teamed up with fellow luthier Dann Ross to augment his F-style mandolins with a handcrafted, steel string guitar. It is made with a AAA red spruce top and Honduran mahogany back and sides. The bridge and fingerboard are ebony without fretboard position markers, and Rick’s signature is inlaid at the 14th fret.

Until last fall, Rick toured as the mandolinist with The Gibson Brothers, a position he relinquished in October ‘08 to concentrate on his instrument building and recording studio businesses. Hayes has also worked as a graphic artist, and feels that his performing/recording experience, together with the eye of an artist, allows him to build instruments that please both the eye and the ear.

The Hayes guitar sells for $2999 with a hard shell case. They are available directly from Rick’s shop, or through MyFavoriteGuitars.com.