guild

This Kay K-5924 semi-hollowbody (from either 1966 or ’67) is the first electric bass Anna Butterss bought, on the advice of her friend, producer-musician Paul Bryan.

Photo by Tristan Williams

On her debut solo album, Activities, the in-demand bassist flexes feel over flash, converging her upright roots with electric bass playing to make songs that transcend genre.

“I’ve never been particularly interested in listening to people shred on the bass,” explains bassist/composer Anna Butterss. “It’s certainly impressive, but it doesn’t hit me emotionally at all. I’m more interested in how the music feels.” How the music feels perfectly encapsulates the sonic and stylistic kaleidoscope that is Butterss’ debut solo release, Activities. Released on June 24 via Pete Min’s Colorfield Records, Activities represents the musical culmination of the different ideas, concepts, and aesthetic choices that Butterss has been exploring in recent years.

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Jumbo sounds resound in a flattop that's a straight-up steal.

Excellent value. Great quality for the price. Super playable. Unique tone profile.

Midrange can sound brash.

$399

Guild F-240E
guildguitars.com

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Everyone should try playing a jumbo-bodied acoustic at some point. Though unless you live somewhere with a well-stocked guitar shop, it's not always the easiest thing to do. Compared to dreadnoughts and orchestra-sized models, jumbos make up just a small fraction of the acoustic market. But playing a good one is an extraordinary experience. They are viscerally vibrating things—loud, powerful, and pianistic for all their sustain and panoramic tone spectrum.

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Rig Rundown - Oliver Wood

A Guild hollowbody stuffed with undies? A wooden slide? Dinky, about-to-burst, plywood combos? All these "left" turns fuel this Wood Brother's solo journey.

Just ahead of releasing his first solo album, Always Smilin'(via Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers), Oliver Wood invited PG into his Nashville-based studio space. In this episode, the Wood Brothers' cofounder shows off some key instruments—including his beloved and beaten 1965 Guild T100D, a Stella with a gold-foil, and an acoustic reminiscent of Robert Johnson's Gibson L-1—rattles small, cranky combos, and details how he looks for inspiration in all the "wrong" moves (like stuffing underwear in a hollowbody, using a wooden slide, and having a gold-foil in a 1930s Stella).

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