One of the most famous guitars in the world is not an electric, and not a steel-string flat-top. It is a worn, hole-ridden nylon-string classical guitar named Trigger — and it belongs to country legend Willie Nelson. The story of how a classical instrument became the voice of outlaw country is one of the great tales in the history of the guitar.
An accident in 1969
The story begins with a mishap. In 1969, after a show in Texas, Nelson's guitar at the time was damaged beyond repair. Taken to the Nashville luthier Shot Jackson, it was declared a write-off — but Jackson offered Nelson a replacement he had in the shop: a Martin N-20, a nylon-string classical guitar of Brazilian rosewood with a Sitka spruce top. Nelson, over the phone, asked Jackson to transfer the pickup from his ruined guitar into the Martin, and bought it unseen for $750.
Why a classical guitar?
The Martin N-20 is a true classical guitar, built for nylon strings and fingerstyle. Nelson amplified it so it could fill the big dance halls he played, and that combination — the soft, woody warmth of nylon pushed through a pickup — became his unmistakable sound. It is all over his landmark albums Shotgun Willie, Red Headed Stranger and Stardust.
The hole, the frets, the legend
Trigger has been played so hard for so long that it now wears its history on its face. Because Nelson strums and flatpicks a guitar designed for gentle fingerstyle, the pick has slowly scraped a large hole into the spruce top near the bridge. The frets, worn by decades of nylon strings over more than ten thousand performances, have gone from smooth ridges to wavy lines. He named the guitar after Roy Rogers' horse, Trigger, and has refused to replace it — the wear is the instrument now.
What it tells us about the classical guitar
Trigger is the perfect reminder that the nylon-string classical guitar is not only a concert instrument. In the right hands it can become the heart of country, pop or jazz. The warmth that makes it sing in a recital hall is the same warmth that made a Martin N-20 the most recognisable guitar in American music.
FAQ
What kind of guitar is Willie Nelson's Trigger?
A Martin N-20, a nylon-string classical guitar, which Nelson acquired in 1969 and fitted with a pickup.
Why does Trigger have a hole in it?
Nelson plays a classical guitar with a flatpick and heavy strumming, and over the years the pick wore a hole through the spruce top near the bridge.
Why is the name "Trigger"?
Nelson named the guitar after Roy Rogers' horse, Trigger.
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