I bought this painting a number of years back. I think it is the absolute best representation of Willie Nelson that I have ever seen. Take a minute to look online and you will find nothing but craggy faced paintings of Willie that barely pass for him. This painting captures what Willie is all about more than any other piece of art that has attempted to represent him. It might very well be my favorite possession. You can see that the frame needs a quick repair, but I don't even want to take it off the wall for that.
The painting was created by an artist named Sloan. His focus was spot on. He didn't elect to create another tired facial image focusing on the braids, the wrinkles, and the outlaw/stoner hero. Instead, he used his talents to portray the item that helps Willie create his art. Of course, the painting is of Willie's guitar - Trigger. It could be easily argued that there is no other instrument so intrinsically tied to an artist in the way that Trigger is to Willie.
Trigger is a 1969 Martin N-20 nylon string classical guitar. Only 262 of them were made in 1969, and thus are fairly hard to find. They fetch a pretty penny these days. One can only imagine the type of money Willie's actual guitar would command. I am not sure anything could be referred to as priceless these days with the ridiculous amounts of money that seem to be floating around out there, but Trigger comes close. Trigger is as culturally and musically significant as any modern instrument you can think of. A Smithsonian worthy museum piece that is priceless in the sense that there is only one of them, and there will never be another.
Trigger came into existence when the Baldwin C800 acoustic guitar that Willie used to play was stepped on and broken by a drunk at Floore's Country Store in Helotes, Texas. The guitar was beyond repair and Willie was offered the Martin N-20 for $750. That was a boat load of money for a guitar back then. To make a comparison, you could have purchased a '59 Les Paul Burst for around $500 in the late '60's. That guitar, in some instances can fetch over $500,000 today.
The Baldwin Prismatone pickup in that Baldwin C800 was salvaged and fitted into Willie's new Martin N-20. This pickup has since been replaced many times. They've been sourced from late 60's Baldwin acoustics and stocked to have replacements. Willie also remained faithful to his Baldwin C-1 solid state amp from 1969. He apparently has 8 of these. So, here is the signal chain...a 1969 Martin N-20 nylon string classical guitar that has never had a fret job and has a huge hole worn into the soundboard after 54 years of road work is fitted with an antiquated Baldwin Prismatone acoustic guitar pickup and plugged into a 1969 Baldwin solid state amplifier that is fitted with 2 - 12" speakers. It can't be forgotten that Willie uses a flatpick when playing Trigger. He wanted to get close to the sound his hero Django Reinhardt obtained by using a nylon plectrum, often a button from a shirt or coat. Under the direction of a lesser man you can bet that this rig will almost always sound like shit.
But we are talking about Willie here. He has cultivated that rig into one of the most distinctive tones in the history of any musical genre. How has he done this? The answer is found in the word "tone". Tone comes from within it doesn't come from a wire. The guitars, the pickups, the amps, the electronics are all simply tools that you and I and Willie are in charge of. They do what we direct them to do. The "Trigger Rig" is simply an extension of Willie. When he has both hands on Trigger the tone circuit that begins with his fretting hand, travels through his body to his picking hand and back around again is complete.
Willie has played Trigger exclusively for over 50 years. What a terrific lesson for us. You see these big time rock stars with massive guitar collections and they can't even come close to the cultural significance that Willie has established with just one guitar. I have no doubt that a '59 Burst sounds and feels amazing. I am also pretty sure that in the wrong hands that guitar could be made to sound like any Silvertone, Harmony, or Kay out there. Willie and his "Trigger Rig" are constant reminders that tone doesn't come from expensive, rare gear, it comes from the heart and the hands.
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