While your initial reaction may be "who cares?", there has been a surprising amount of interest shown at South Wind gigs about the instruments. For those of you with a curiosity (or just a little time on your hands) here goes:

When it comes to guitars, Don and Frank are C. F. Martin & Co. kinds of guys. Don even has a Martin ukulele, which (thankfully) he has not yet tried to use in a gig.

Don's mainstay is a 1976 Martin D-35. Spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood sides and back, and the sound that you just can't get from anything that wasn't made in Nazareth, PA. On the songs where Ed plays guitar instead of banjo, he borrows this one from Don.

Don's 12-string is a 1966 Martin D12-20, bought with hoarded paper route money. Don got on the bandwagon early here, as Martin had only introduced this model a year or two earlier. Incredible sound and great action for a 12-string.

Don's tenor guitar is a 1971 Martin O-18T. The tenor sound provides a super complement to Frank's 6-string on many South Wind arrangements, and Don is using the 4-string with increasing frequency.

Since Frank is the youngest member of the group (at least chronologically), it is only fitting that he should have the newest guitar. A 1998 Martin HD-35, just like Don's, except for 24 years and herringbone purfling.

Ed's long-neck banjo is a 1991 Grand Concert Model custom made for him by Bart Reiter of East Lansing, Michigan. While technically it is an open-back banjo, it has the internal resonator construction for which Reiter has gained international acclaim. Bacon-style tone ring and all maple. In addition to its rich woody tone, this particular banjo is somewhat of a collector's item, as it is the last long-neck that was ever made by Reiter.

Ed's bluegrass banjo is a 2000 Calico model made to order in the custom shop of The Deering Banjo Company in Lemon Grove, California. With its natural blond flamed maple neck and resonator and virgin bell-bronze tone ring, the tones are uniquely bright and crisp, and the response is phenomenal.