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VIEW OF THE DAY - PAT MCGRATH by Dave Cleveland
I was on a session today with yet another one standard tuning GDAE. Next up is a Melobro
of Nashville’s best… Pat McGrath! Resonator. Whether it’s a swampy, funky track
or an organic element to a full on rock song,
Pat is an acoustic guitar specialist that has I use this a lot. EQ wise it cuts like no other
earned the respect of producers and musicians acoustic instrument. And with a slide, I pretend
in Nashville for many years. He has played on I can play dobro!
number one songs for Carrie Underwood and
Lee Brice along with countless sessions in the Next is a Gretsch 5 string banjo. Ganjos have
Nashville songwriting community. I thought it been the rage here for several years and
would be fun for Pat to give you a quick rundown sometimes they’re just the thing… but a 5
on his daily arsenal of acoustic instruments. He string, most of the time to me, sits in a track so
relies upon these fine instruments day after day
in the Nashville recording scene.
much better”.
Pat with one of his Martins
saddle it’s a great upper register sound. [DC] Excellent. Thanks for sharing, Pat.
acoustic instruments you utilize in your session I use a Trinity Bouzouki. I have the octave strings If you are an acoustic player looking to play on
work? for the two low strings. Great for a rhythm part recording sessions, I hope this article inspires
opposite an acoustic or doing hook lines like a you. Pat has spent a lifetime perfecting his
12 string. craft. His creativity and musicianship help keep
[DC] So, Pat, tell us about all the different
[Pat McGrath] “To start off with, I have a
couple of Martins from the 60’s, a D-28 and
him on the ”first call” list.
a D-35, that do a lot of the heavy lifting. My My La Mancha is a gut string. In Nashville, Larrivee L-05 has been a great addition. I about 85% of the time you can get away with So, take some time in the coming months to
keep it tuned down a half step. And with the a very inexpensive nylon string. But then you expand your horizons. Pick up a mandolin or
mahogany back and sides it complements the play a good one and it’s all over. Another good banjo and dig into something new. It could have
Martin’s rosewood sound well. The Epiphone tool is my 1949 Gibson mandolin. My approach huge dividends for you in the future! Thanks
Cortez is also from the 60’s and is strung as to the mandolin is coming from a guitar player again to my friend, Pat McGrath, for taking time
a High String (all of the high strings from a 12 perspective rather than a bluegrass-fiddle to share a little of his world.
string set). And with the adjustable ceramic guy, so the A style works well for me. I do the
Larrivee L-05
44
60's Epiphone Cortez
Trinity Bouzouki
May Jun 2017
La Mancha
Classical
1949 Gibson
Mandolin
CollectibleGuitar.com
Melobro Resonator
Gretsch 5 String Banjo