GORDON KENNEDY guitar. If I had to go into combat for the rest of my life with one guitar, it would be a Telecaster or a 335. There’ s something about the 335, and I get why it was my dad’ s choice, even in Nashville. I think at some point, Fenders became more synonymous with the Nashville Sound, but that was after my dad and guys like Grady Martin were playing Gibsons in the early’ 60s. Chet, of course, was playing Gretsch guitars. So, they hadn’ t gravitated to the Fender yet when he was using his 335.
There’ s something about the sound of those guitars that is distinct. It’ s not the same as a Les Paul, which might have a little more midrange explosion. The 335 has a... I’ ve heard people use the word“ woolly.” There’ s a woody kind of sound to it, probably because it’ s a semi-hollow guitar. To me, the four food-group guitars are those three we’ re talking about, plus the Stratocaster. Everything else is some sort of derivative of those four.
What are your thoughts about crossover attempts like putting a humbucker in the neck position of a Telecaster or a Strat?
Yeah, it still doesn’ t sound the same as a Gibson with a neck pickup. To me, a humbucker in the neck position of a Telecaster is most useful in changing the sound of the middle position, with both pickups combined. When I go to the full neck position on a Fender with a humbuck-
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1946 Martin D-18, passed on from Hank Williams, Jr. to Jerry Kennedy to Gordon Kennedy
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