TOMMY EMMANUEL
your sound, or is it the other way around? Well, they’ re the guitars that I like to play, and I like the sound of them. But I could play a Yamaha for you, and you would say,“ Oh, that’ s Tommy. That sounds like him.” You know, the guitar doesn’ t give me my voice. My voice gives the guitar that sound, how I play.
Well then, let’ s talk about that Tommy Emmanuel sound. What makes it distinctly yours? I think it’ s through my compositions and the way I hear music. I can’ t pinpoint one thing or the other. I do know that I try to write in a kind of pop style, and I try not to get too guitar-oriented. It’ s about the melody and telling the story. My style eventually evolved and appeared in my early 30s. It started to appear then. I was evolving because I was doing a lot of different things to try and make a living in Australia. I was not only an acoustic guitar player, but I was also an electric guitar player. I was a bass player, a drummer, a lead singer in a rock band. I had a go at everything. I was in funk bands and jazz bands. I wasn’ t that good at all of it, I can tell you! But I did everything for the experience and to try and grow as an artist. I knew that’ s what I needed. I was just following my instincts. My style has evolved because if you play in the thumb-and-finger style, then you don’ t need a band. You don’ t need anyone else. You can just be totally self-contained. And that’ s why my solo thing works so well. As much as I love playing in bands and jamming with people and all that, holy smoke, there’ s no feeling like playing the Ryman Auditorium and you step out there and it’ s just you and the crowd. You’ re there and you’ re all of the instruments.
That said, you often perform with other guitarists. How do you make sure there’ s room for them to shine as well? It is our job to serve the music properly. I’ m a born show-off when I play, so I have to tone all that down and be a listener and be supportive when I’ m playing with another player. I’ m all ears and I’ m listening to everything they’ re doing. I’ m also trying to be a groove that they can fly their kites on. I try to do for others what I would hope they would do for me when it’ s my turn to play.
And who are your favorite guitar players to jam with at this moment? At this moment? Richard Smith has gotta be right around number one because he so faithfully plays all Jerry Reed’ s parts, which lets me play Chet’ s parts. Martin Taylor is another one of my very favorites. I love playing with Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, and Sierra Hull. And there’ s just so many others in Germany and the Netherlands.
Let’ s talk about vintage guitars versus modern. When you’ re at home or in the studio, what are your favorite guitars from your collection that you’ ll drag out? Depends on what I’ m doing. When I recorded Waiting for the Times to Get Better, I used the Martin D-28 because it just had the right sound for when I sang with it. It’ s all about the right guitar for the right song. But when I go on stage, I do it all on one guitar: I do it all on the Maton.
You’ ve also been gifted instruments over the years by people like Chet. I imagine they’ re special. Oh, the Martin that Chet got me is really special. It’ s just a little early’ 60s Martin nylon string. And
72 | SPRING 2026