Craig Dobbins: Instruments and Equipment

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Occasionally folks ask about my instruments and equipment. I use a variety of guitars, depending on the sound I need. Here are some of my favorites:

I've played Kirk Sand electric classical guitars since about 1993, when my dear friend and mentor Clyde Kendrick loaned me his Sand to use on several projects. I got my own custom Sand in 1996. This is the guitar you see and hear on most of my books and CDs. It has Indian rosewood back and sides and a spruce top, with a Gibson CE pickup and a Ray Butts preamp. The neck is low profile, just a fraction under 2 inches at the nut. I always use D'Addario Pro Arte Extra Hard Tension strings on it.

Here's a clip of me playing the custom Sand on

In 2013, Kirk honored me with the Craig Dobbins Signature Model (or CDM), which we designed together. It has Mediterranean cypress back and sides, a Brazilian rosewood wedge on the back, Sitka spruce top, and Brazilian rosewood trim. The deep cutaway is inspired by Jerry Reed's Baldwin classical, and the curve of the cutaway is a nod to Django's Selmer archtop. It has a Prismatone pickup and preamp by Sam Kennedy. The scale length is 25 1/4 inches, and the neck is low profile, with a 2 inch nut width. I use D'Addario Pro Arte Extra Hard Tension strings on this guitar as well. At Kirk's suggestion, I replace the 3rd string with a Savarez Alliance 543 J string. It's a little brighter and thinner gauge, and transitions better to the wound 4th string.

Here's an audio clip of the CDM. And here's a video clip of the first tune I played on the CDM on

A Gretsch 6122-1959 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman. It has a TV Jones bridge pickup and a custom neck pickup made for me by Paul Yandell. (The pickup is now available as the Paul Yandell Duo-Tron from TV Jones.) I've added a few tweaks to suit my personal taste, and a couple more suggested by Paul: a brass Tru-Arc bridge, which increases sustain; and a mini zero fret for intonating a plain 3rd string. I use D'Addario pure nickel strings, gauges .010, .012, .016p, .028, .038, .048. I'm playing the Gretsch in this tribute to Paul Yandell, My Friend Paul.

Here's a clip of me playing the Gretsch on

I've owned several Taylor acoustics through the years. That's an XXX-MC (30th Anniversary mahogany/cedar model) on Melissa from Melissa and the Green Blanket. I also used it for rhythm work on Fingerpickin' on the Beatles. Before that, a 514-C (another mahogany/cedar model) was my main acoustic. It was equipped with a Fishman Matrix saddle pickup. I used this guitar for tunes like Walkin' Shoes and Au Contraire from the Down Home Picking book/CD set, and for rhythm work on many other projects. The past few years I've been enjoying a Baby Mahogany as my "sittin' and thinkin'" guitar. (It's also found its way into the mix on several tracks, like Jojobean.) I usually use D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Extra Light or Custom Light strings on the Taylors, although sometimes I'll go to a slightly heavier gauge.

Here's an audio clip of me playing a Taylor on The lead is played on a Delvecchio, and the two rhythm tracks (panned left and right) are on the 514-C.

An early 1980's Takamine C-126 classical that's been heavily customized. I had the back of the neck shaved to match the neck profile on my Sand guitar, and installed a Baggs LBC saddle pickup and a Fishman preamp. It sounds really good amplified, a little like a Baldwin. This guitar has laminated mahogany back and sides and a laminated spruce top. Even though it's basically just a plywood guitar, it sounds good acoustically, too. I leave it tuned in open G, for Reed and banjo-style picking. I use LaBella strings on the Takamine, usually a mixture of the red nylon Flamenco trebles, and the flatwound Studio Recording basses (to cut down on the squeaks). I used this guitar for the open G tunes in the 5 String Banjo Styles for 6 String Guitar book/CD set, as well as tunes like That's My Boy from Fingerpickin'.

Here's an audio clip of me playing the Takamine on

A 1960's Del Vecchio Dinamico. It's a resonator guitar like Chet Atkins used, except it has a longer scale (about 25 1/4"). The body is made of light Brazilian rosewood. I bought this guitar from Nashville songwriter Paul Craft. He had some work done to it, and Paul McGill did some fret work for me and made a compensated saddle for it, too. It really sounds good, but it's a bit temperamental tuning-wise. I used this guitar quite a bit on the Christmas Time CD and the Acoustic Christmas book/CD set, and also on The View From Here. I use D'Addario Silk and Steel strings on it, with an unwound .016 or .017 3rd string. Sometimes, I'll use D'Addario ProArte classical strings on the 5th and 6th strings, for a deeper tone.

Here's a clip of me playing the Delvecchio on

I also have a few other odds and ends that I use occasionally for recording, like an old Yamaha acoustic that I have set up as a high string, an old no-name Japanese bass ("borrowed" from my friend David Moon about 25 years ago), and a couple of electrics (including a Fender Telecaster for Reed-style pickin').

Here's a funky Reed-style lick on the Tele. It's got the sound.

For picks, I usually use a Herco blue thumbpick. I file them down to the size and shape I like, smooth them with 600 grit sandpaper (which I also use on my nails), and maybe polish them with something like 3M Imperial Glaze, to get them really slick. Sometimes I use a heavy-gauge Herco flatpick/thumbpick when I play electric. When I want a big sound, I use an old National or a Dunlop. For rhythm, I use various flatpicks, depending on the sound I want. More often than not, I just play rhythm with my thumb and fingers. My capos are Shubb and Planet Waves.

When I record, I like a really short signal path. I usually go from my guitar into a Demeter Stereo Tube Direct, a Lexicon PCM 60 reverb, and on to the recorder or DAW. I connect everything together with short lengths of high quality cable, like Monster Cable Studio Pro 1000 or Planet Waves American Stage Cable. When I use a mic, I'll run it through a tube preamp as well, to warm up the sound. When possible, I prefer to record to analog.

When I play live, I use various amps, depending on the situation. Lately I've been using an AAD Cub AG-100 amp by Phil Jones with the acoustic-electrics. Sometimes, I'll just use the amp as my monitor, and go through a Demeter Tube Direct into the PA. For electric guitar, I like smaller amps like a Music Man RD-50 112 or a Fender Princeton Reverb. I keep the volume low and mic the amp. I generally leave the effects at home, except for maybe a reverb or delay. When I do use effects, the Whirlwind Rochester Series pedals are great. I have the Orange Box phaser and the Red Box compressor, and they really capture that '70's sound. I connect everything with Planet Waves American Stage Cable.

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