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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? 
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