# Guitars on Nashville (the show)



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Got the new issue of _Vintage Guitar_ in the other day (Hendrix cover, December issue), and there is a simply delightful article about the TV show Nashville, and their approach to guitars. The show’s initial musical director was T-Bone Burnett, but the torch was eventually passed to Buddy Miller and Colin Linden. Even if that sort of show, or music, doesn’t appeal to you, the show has been a constant source of drool-worthy guitars appearing in the hands of this character or that. I like the fact that a character finds and plays a ’62 Harmony Rocket, and then after their career picks up and they make a little money, they get an ES-335. It’s those little touches that endear the show to one.

Many of the guitars are supplied by Gruhn’s Guitars and Carter’s, both situated in downtown Nashville, with the odd instrument flown in from Norman’s Rare Guitars and other places. A really interesting article for gearheads, and a very distinctive approach to props on a TV show.

Recommended reading.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

I noticed a serious lack of Telecasters and a ton of 335 and Gretsch hollow bodies anytime I've had to watch it.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Never saw the program but have herd of it. Interesting that they would use Gruhn's for a supplier.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I hadn't heard of the program either.

Nice that they've utilized informed people to give the show some real world appeal.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

marcos said:


> Never saw the program but have herd of it. Interesting that they would use Gruhn's for a supplier.





sulphur said:


> I hadn't heard of the program either.
> 
> Nice that they've utilized informed people to give the show some real world appeal.


It's a primetime drama (glorified soap opera) about the life of fictitious pop country divas.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

cboutilier said:


> It's a primetime drama (glorified soap opera) about the life of fictitious pop country divas.


Ah, no wonder I hadn't even heard of it, or seen it for that matter.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

It is actually a decent show. It was cancelled bu the CMT network picked it up after fans launched a campaign to save it. The people controlling the music for the show are legit and the actors all play and/or sing (they have done live shows at The Opry).


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## capnjim (Aug 19, 2011)

I like that show a lot. I didn't know that it was picked up.
Its my guilty pleasure soap opera.
Plus, Connie Britton is smoking hot.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Many of the guitars are supplied by Gruhn’s Guitars and Carter’s, both situated in downtown Nashville, with the odd instrument flown in from Norman’s Rare Guitars and other places.
> Recommended reading.


If Kurt Russel ever guest appears no one will lend the show a guitar.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm not expecting to see "Transportation provided by United Air Lines" in the credits.

As prime-time dramas go, it's a little formulaic, but it tries to be authentic to the business. One of the areas it touches on nicely is songwriting. There are some really sweet pre-1960s and even pre-war acoustics used during the segments where characters are trying to write songs, either alone or with a partner. There've been a few times when I walked into the living room while my wife was watching, seen a character working on a tune and thought "Well yeah, _of course_ you write songs on a J-45! I mean, what else do you use?".

And while the main actors are not all musicians, they do strive for authenticity, and the backing bands are all actual musicians. Linden makes sure that whatever was used in the studio to record the music tracks (e.g., someexotic piece from Buddy Miller's collection), THAT's what the character will play on the stage when they lip sync in the concert segments. And if you've ever been to Broadway in Nashville, yes they have segments at Tootsies.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

capnjim said:


> I like that show a lot. I didn't know that it was picked up.
> Its my guilty pleasure soap opera.
> Plus, Connie Britton is smoking hot.



They have new showrunners, the same two who did _Thirtysomething_. A couple of characters are gone (Luke and Layla) but the show will be back on in January. And you don't want to hear this, but Connie Britton is supposed to be leaving, or at least doing a significantly reduced workload.


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## capnjim (Aug 19, 2011)

Also, they left a bit of a cliffhanger with Juliette's plane disappearing.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

capnjim said:


> Also, they left a bit of a cliffhanger with Juliette's plane disappearing.



Yeah that was done when they didn't know if the show would be picked up again. They had filmed another ending then changed it to the cliffhanger as a way to entice other networks to pick up the show.

She had just played Patsy in a move and was returning to Nashville just as Patsy was when she died. In fact, Juliette's plane was 90 miles out when contact was lost - the exact distance from Nashville that Patsy's was when it went down.

If the show hadn't been picked up again the assumption was to be that she had died. But I guess they will pick the story back up by reestablishing contact with the plane.

Also, I just read something that says Connie isn't leaving. I guess they worked out contract issues or whatever because she herself was interviewed on camera and denied she was leaving.


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