The Lightnin' Hopkins Rig
D. Jones LB 2006

I bought this pickup in an Austin, Tx pawnshop in the 1980s. I used it in a few acoustics over the years and used to play it live in a Gibson L-00. I loved the Lightnin' Hopkins like tone but never realized it was the same model pickup he actually used in the early years. Lightnin' Hopkins was one of my most profound influences on guitar and remains a core part of my playing style. In recent years I viewed all of the rare Lightin' performances and was floored when I saw the pickup was the same one I owned and that I even had the plastic cover plate still in tact. He played the  guitar shown in the photo with the pickup. The tone was what I consider the REAL original old school Lightnin' sound. This has part to do with the full dry wonderful tone of the Kay jumbo flat top and the pickup. As if an angel was delivering it I had a call from Bill Sheffield a local legendary blues player and he'd scored a 1940s Kay acoustic from a fan while on tour recently. I don't remember the details but I believe someone literally walked up and gave him the guitar off stage. He loved the guitar but said he didn't need it but immediately thought I might like it. He was right. I almost fainted when my friend Fred drove it out to the house. Could it be a Lightnin' guitar finally in my hands after all these years? The tone immediately made me excited and as I pulled off one Lightnin' riff after another I became more convinced this was the real deal. The bass is hard to describe but it's dry with a huge punch and focus and the trebles are dry airy and fat. The neck plays more like an archtop than a flat top with it's 1-5/8" nut width but it's addicting to play. I cannot put this guitar down. I have shared the sound samples, specs and photos below and as you can see from the photo to the right this guitar and rig is the real deal. The only concern I have is that he may have been playing an all mahogany model but it's just so hard to tell with black and white media. I hope to share this guitar and rig with other players, students and fellow blues fans for years to come.  One thing that really makes me sick is I found one on Ebay recently that sold for 69.00 dollars. 

mp3 Sound Recording (acoustic)

More recordings of this guitar in other styles

GUITAR SPECS

Total length - 41"
Lower bout width - 15.5"
Waist width - 9"
Body Length 19.75"
Sound hole diameter - 3.5"
Upper bout width - 11.25"
Nut width - 1-5/8"
Saddle string width - 2-1/8"
Scale length - 25.5"
Body thickness - 3.5" to 4-1/8"

1947 L-12 Kay flat top jumbo

The Ladder Bracing Pattern

Beautiful body shape and it's very comfortable to hold for a jumbo

They were not afraid to use screws in that era (eyes roll) and this bridge design is straight out of the department store catalog. Never the less it has mojo pouring out.

Typical cool but cheesy Kay graphics

Beefy yet very comfortable neck shape

Maple back and sides and very much like a poor mans Gibson J-185

Model L12 1947 #6116 ?

1940's WWII era brass frets?