Comments on: Fretboard Hangers-ons

Question: Fretboard Hangers-ons

COBRA! — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 07:55:03 -0800

What are the three things on the body (just above the fretboard) of Jeff Tweedy's guitar in this picture? I've been seeing them on that guitar at Wilco shows for years, and have never been able to figure out what they are. At some shows, it seemed like they were glowing, but it could have just been the stage lights.

By: soplerfo

soplerfo — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:12:54 -0800

I can't really tell from that photo, but could they be guitar picks?

By: COBRA!

COBRA! — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:18:30 -0800

No, they're smaller, and too thick. The shape's not quite right, either... wish I'd been able to find a higher-quality picture.

By: LairBob

LairBob — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:20:24 -0800

I think they're just picks--guitarists stash them everywhere when they're on stage.

By: LairBob

LairBob — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:21:25 -0800

_[Oh...OK.]

By: signal

signal — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:22:23 -0800

Look like picks to me, too.

By: mragreeable

mragreeable — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:36:41 -0800

My first guess, if you said the device in question had lights, might have been a tuner, like one of these. But they don't look quite like that.

I'm thinking the pick suggestion might be right. I use Fender celluloid picks, and they can be reflective, so they might catch light just right to look like they're lighting up.

I've tracked down lots of pictures of him with what looks like that guitar (1, 2, 3, 4) and in those there is just a sticker there, unfortunately.

So I'm not sure. The pick holder suggestion above isn't a bad one - imagine something like this stuck on a guitar. It might look a lot like the picture.

By: soplerfo

soplerfo — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 10:20:08 -0800

what if they were different pick holders, like one of these or these?

By: borkencode

borkencode — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 20:37:00 -0800

I asked the folks on the Via Chicago forum, and one of them suggested this:

I'm pretty sure it's a pick. the people on the web page showed some tools to hold picks. But that's not what he is doing here. He is wedging them under the fretboard where it meets the body. A lot of people do this.