Although he had been performing and recording for many years, most listeners first heard the talented guitar stylings of David Ryan Harris on Dionne Farris’ hit single “I Know,” back in 1995. The rootsy slide parts of Farris’ tune might seem disconnected from Harris’ smooth R&B work or his playing with John Mayer, but dig a little deeper and it becomes clear that Harris doesn’t have one style—he can play pretty much every style.
I’ve always loved the look of a tobacco burst. It’s one of the most iconic electric finishes and the first time I saw it on an acoustic, I knew I wanted one like that. I think the finish is an instantly vintage look for an acoustic when done properly, and I think Yamaha struck a great balance between new and old.”
– David Ryan Harris
Harris recently partnered with Yamaha luthiers to create an acoustic guitar that, in Harris’ words, would possess “vintage aesthetics in a modern package.”
“I was looking for something that looks like a shiny brand-new version of a guitar that could have been built in the ’50s,” he explains. “I’ve always loved the look of a tobacco burst. It’s one of the most iconic electric finishes and the first time I saw it on an acoustic, I knew I wanted one like that. I think the finish is an instantly vintage look for an acoustic when done properly, and I think Yamaha struck a great balance between new and old.”
Harris has been playing a Yamaha FG model with John Mayer since 2018, and his affinity for that guitar informed his discussions with the custom shop. “For my solo outings,” he says, “I tend to go for a more round, less bright tone. I wanted a guitar that kept the basic tonality of my FG while allowing me to almost ‘low pass’ some of that air without it becoming muffled. I also love the size of the FG, and the Atmosfeel pickup and how it fits in a mix onstage. It’s a real complementary sound to John’s and I love that you can hear ‘air’ around the tone without feedback, especially on a stage with such loud volume.“
“I sent a few pictures of some finishes that I like, along with some headstock inlay design ideas over to the luthiers at Yamaha. I wanted the guitar to look unique but not like a museum piece. I wanted my custom model to build on that FG tone, but also give me the ability to shape the high end a bit more.”
The end result of Harris’ collaboration with Yamaha is an instrument that meets all of his sonic and aesthetic needs, and is sturdy enough to handle the rigors of the road.
“The guitar is incredibly stable. It’s resistant to temperature fluctuations and handles different string gauges well. I have it Nashville tuning now and it’s the best version of that I’ve ever had. I’ll have to put regular strings on it soon, but I love knowing that it even does that well. They nailed everything I was looking for.”
Learn more about David Ryan Harris in our Artist Profile video here:
Or head to davidryanharris.com.
