Doc's Legacy

Doc Watson elevated the role of the acoustic guitar to the status of a lead instrument in American traditional music - right along side of the fiddle and banjo. Before Doc, the guitar was used primarily as a rhythm instrument in a supporting role. Doc raised the bar with his playing, and set a new standard for guitarists to achieve.

Doc is accomplished both as a flatpicker and as a fingerstyle guitarist. As a fingerstyle player, Doc uses a thumbpick and one fingerpick (on his index finger) to play tunes. This "two finger" style is self-taught. Doc typically uses the thumbpick for alternating bass accompaniment and the index finger for picking out notes or rhythmic fills on the treble strings. Doc commonly dampens the bass strings with his palm when he finger picks, producing a percussive, thumpy bass line. This is very evident on some of his well known fingerstyle recordings such as Deep River Blues, Windy and Warm and Doc's Guitar.

Doc and Merle Watson
(Photo courtesy of David Gahr)

As flatpicker, Doc is known for his speed, tone and precision. He uses a down-up (DUDU) picking style, with down strokes on the downbeat and upstrokes on the upbeats. Doc's flatpicking technique uses more arm motion (and less wrist motion) than most players. He also uses his little finger as a depth guide for flatpicking. He lets it glide on the pickguard when he's picking rather than planting it in one spot. Doc uses a traditional tear-shaped medium gauge nylon flatpick.

Musical Influences That Shaped Doc's Style

Doc's repertoire and instrumental style are a reflection of several musical influences from his childhood. These included traditional and sacred music he learned from his family and neighbors; phonograph records; and song and dance tunes he heard on the radio.

Doc grew up in a family rich in musical traditions. Some of his earliest memories are of his mother singing around the house. His father, a banjo player and vocalist, led the congregation's singing at the local Baptist church. Blinded shortly after he was born, Doc was naturally curious about music. He would play with anything around the house that would make a musical sound.

Some of the performers who have influenced Doc's style include:

Doc's style reflects the blend of these many musical influences. Throughout his recording career, Doc has typically released albums that contain an assortment of musical genres, including traditional ballads, fiddle tunes, blues, gospel, country, and even contemporary songs.

Doc Watson and Clarence "Frog" Greene
playing in the streets of Boone, NC in the
1950's. (Photo courtesy of David Holt)

Doc's Guitars

Doc's first guitar was a Stella, which he got at age 13. He called it "one of those ten dollar guitars - a pretty good thing to learn on, but hard to fret as a barbed wire fence." (Gary Govert, Carolina Lifestyle, August 1983). At 17, he purchased a Sears Silvertone mail-order guitar with money he earned chopping wood with his brother. A year later, he traded up to a Martin D-28 with money earned by street busking.

By 1953, Doc was married and had two children. He started playing in a band with piano player Jack Williams to earn money to support his family. At that time he swapped his D-28 for a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar which he used with the band for the rockabilly style music they performed. Doc was still playing the Les Paul in 1960 when he was discovered by musician-folklorist Ralph Rinzler, who had come to the area looking to record Clarence "Tom" Ashley, who had suggested that Doc play guitar for the recording.

Rinzler knew that he had found a special talent in Doc, and convinced him that he had a future in the music business. His remarks in an early issue of Sing Out! (Vol. 14, No. 1, February-March 1964) proved to be prophetic:

"Doc's impact as a soloist will surely be profoundly felt, for there is hardly an artist in folk and/or country music who combines musical integrity with such total mastery of technique on several instruments, and such warmth and honesty of presentation."

In his early recordings, Doc frequently used a Martin D-18, but in 1968 he began a long association with J.W. Gallagher Guitars. Doc began playing a Gallagher G-50 then that earned the nickname "Ol Hoss." This is the guitar that Doc played on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will The Circle Be Unbroken album where Merle Travis comments that the guitar "rings like a bell." Doc played "Ol Hoss" until 1975, when it was put on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1974 a guitar was made for Doc by J.W. Gallagher which incorporated some particular features Doc wanted. This guitar became the Doc Watson Model. In 1991 Don made a cut-a-way for Doc which Doc refers to as "Donald".

Gallagher Guitars currently features both a Doc Watson Model and a Doc Watson Signature Model. Both are constructed of African Mahogany, with a Sitka Spruce top, scalloped bracing, ebony fingerboard and bridge and bone saddle. The signature model has some extra features, including maple binding and a fingerboard inlay of Doc's signature at the 12th fret.

Gallagher Doc Watson signature model. (Photo courtesy of Gallagher Guitars)