August 21st, 2026

Homeskoolin’ Volume 687, Tom Bukovac, “New York Tweed”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing: National New Yorker
03:13 - Hello, friends! / Fender Tweed Deluxe
04:00 - '40 National New Yorker ("Satan's Banjo")
04:54 - "The thickest high E string"
06:49 - Special thank you to Smacker Bats
08:32 - Robert Keeley - Tube Drive / Dead Ringer rubber bridge
09:21 - Bone chords / Marshall amps aren't selling
13:08 - Tommy Emanuel


Notes
Uncle Larry shows the class some really fun new items…and most importantly he sends out a huge thank you to sweet Brian Carter at Smacker Baseball Bats for sending the family a nice trio of personalized bats so Uncle Larry can crush some bombs outta the park

and class, you might want to take note.....if you ever get a chance to check out one of these old National New Yorker guitars you should DEFINITELY do it....but sadly, they only made that guitar with this exact design and layout for one year...1940.

With a little work and a few tasty upgrades these can become very dangerous weapons.

This is very much like the one Memphis Minnie played, except hers was sunburst and had a slightly different pickup.

People think the original pickup on these guitars is a humbucker when they look at it, and even more so when they hear it because it's so loud and ballsy....but it's not friends.

I have taken one apart and it's just a big loud raunchy single coil with a VERY unique design and a ridiculous gnarly tone with a metric SHIT LOAD of particularly nasty midrange cut....

it basically sounds like this through any decent rock and roll amp.

Uncle Larry thinks it's a damn shame that they only used this pickup for such a short time because they are so insanely cool and unique sounding...if they would have put this pickup on more guitars for a longer period of time, Uncle Larry believes that they would have become iconic in the annals of rock and roll history.

I have had them all friends...there is no other pickup that sounds quite like this.