Always love your comments and observations my ol' buddy Max, but I'm going to disagree on a relatively minor point. Bob is indeed holding a Martin 00028 on the cover of Capitol T996 The Kingston Trio but I don't believe I'm hearing it on at least a couple of songs.

Probably my favorite single KT track was the second one on the A side of the first album, "Bay of Mexico." I enjoyed the first track "Three Jolly Coachmen," but it was the opening strum - an E form chord likely capoed at the first fret to put the tune in the more singable key of F - that absolutely transfixed me. I had had a couple years of piano lessons by that time, but the controlled power of Shane's strum was the sound that I wanted to make.

Bob didn't always use a flat pick in the early years, and he was eminently capable of creating that syncopated and dramatic rhythm with the fingernails on his right hand.

The deep tone of those few strums on that track was what drew me to guitar, and as above, the "Bay of Mexico" recording is one I never tire of listening to. I don't believe I'm hearing an 000 model on that strum; sounds to me like a pure pedigreed Dreadnought.

I asked Bob at Fantasy Camp if he used a pick on that track. He said he didn't remember but at the time of recording that first LP (early February 1958) he was just beginning to use a flat pick and he wasn't sure. He certainly was using a flat pick on "Little Maggie" from the same album - you can hear the click of the pick on the strings on the introductory bass run.

It's a trivial point at best, but inquiring minds want to know, as they say.