The 12-String Roar of Leo Kottke's Armadillo Album

Leo Kottke’s 1969 debut for Takoma Records, titled 6- and 12-String Guitar, is far more than just a collection of folk tunes. It is a seismic event in the history of the acoustic guitar. Often referred to as the "Armadillo album" due to its distinctive cover art, this record transformed the 12-string guitar from a specialty rhythm instrument into a powerful, orchestral force capable of breathtaking speed and emotional depth.

For many listeners, the first encounter with this album is a moment of disbelief. The sheer volume of sound, the driving bass lines, and the cascading arpeggios often lead people to ask: "How many people are playing?" The answer, of course, is just one man with a set of fingerpicks and an extraordinary sense of rhythm.

The Takoma Breakthrough: Three Hours in Minneapolis

The story of 6- and 12-String Guitar begins not in a high-tech studio in Nashville or Los Angeles, but in a makeshift setup in Minneapolis. Recorded in a single afternoon in late 1969, the session lasted roughly three and a half hours. According to the original liner notes, the tracks were recorded in the exact order they appear on the album, with almost no overdubs or second takes.

John Fahey, the founder of Takoma Records and the pioneer of the "American Primitive" guitar style, recognized something unique in Kottke. While Fahey’s own playing was often dark, dissonant, and avant-garde, Kottke brought a "driving" energy that leaned into the percussive possibilities of the steel strings. The resulting album became a massive success for an independent label, eventually selling over 500,000 copies—a staggering number for a solo instrumental record in an era dominated by psychedelic rock and folk-rock.

Redefining the 12-String Voice

Before Leo Kottke, the 12-string guitar was often treated as a "jangly" instrument, popularized by groups like The Byrds for its shimmering, chorused effect. Kottke took a completely different approach. He treated the 12-string as a mini-orchestra, utilizing the octave pairs on the lower strings to create a "piano-like" resonance.

Tuning and Tension: The Secret to the Depth

One of the most critical elements of the "Kottke sound" on the Armadillo album is the tuning. A standard 12-string guitar carries an immense amount of tension, which can make the sound thin or "tight." To counter this, Kottke often tuned his instruments down significantly—sometimes as far as C# or even B.

By tuning down, Kottke achieved two things:

1. Lower Tension: This allowed him to use much heavier gauge strings, which produced a "throaty" roar rather than a thin chime.
2. Sustain: The lower tension allowed the top of the guitar to vibrate more freely, creating the massive, cathedral-like sustain heard on tracks like "The Last of the Arkansas Greyhounds."

The Polyphonic Technique

Kottke’s playing style on this album is a masterclass in polyphony. His right hand is a machine of independence. His thumb provides a rock-solid, alternating bass line (often called "Travis picking," though heavily modified), while his index, middle, and ring fingers weave complex melodies and counter-melodies on the higher strings. On the 12-string, this technique is exponentially harder because the player must accurately strike two strings for every single note.

The "Geese Farts" Philosophy: Why No Vocals?

One of the most famous quotes in the history of guitar music appears in the liner notes of this album. Kottke, known for his self-deprecating humor, famously described his own singing voice as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day."

This decision to remain strictly instrumental for his Takoma debut was pivotal. It forced the audience to focus entirely on the guitar as a lead voice. Without the distraction of lyrics, the listener is invited to interpret the "stories" within the music—the frantic escape of a bus in "The Last of the Arkansas Greyhounds" or the tranquil, flowing water of "Crow River Waltz." This helped elevate the acoustic guitar to the status of a solo concert instrument, on par with the classical piano or violin.

Essential Tracks: A Deep Dive into the Armadillo Masterpiece

To understand the genius of 6- and 12-String Guitar, one must look at the specific compositions. While almost all are original pieces, they draw from a vast well of influences, including blues, ragtime, classical, and jazz.

The Driving of the Year Nail

The opening track serves as a manifesto for the entire album. It is a high-speed, percussive tour de force on the 12-string guitar. The title itself—referring to an old Etruscan drawing—sets the tone for Kottke's eccentric and intellectual approach. Musically, it showcases his ability to maintain a relentless rhythmic pulse while executing rapid-fire arpeggios that seem to defy human dexterity.

Vaseline Machine Gun

Perhaps the most famous track on the album, "Vaseline Machine Gun," is a showcase for Kottke's bottleneck slide technique. Most slide guitarists play in a blues style that emphasizes slow, emotive "cries." Kottke, however, uses the slide to create a driving, aggressive sound that mimics the staccato fire of a rhythmic weapon. The juxtaposition of the metallic slide against the booming open-tuned bass strings creates a texture that was unlike anything else in 1969.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

The only non-original track on the album is Kottke’s arrangement of J.S. Bach’s "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." By performing this on a steel-string guitar, Kottke bridged the gap between the "American Primitive" world and the European classical tradition. He managed to keep the poise and structure of Bach’s composition while infusing it with the resonance and "ring" of the 12-string. It remains one of the most respected transcriptions in the fingerstyle community.

Crow River Waltz

In contrast to the high-energy "burners," "Crow River Waltz" displays Kottke’s lyrical and melodic side. Played on the 6-string, it has a pastoral, flowing quality that perfectly captures the imagery of a Minnesota river. It demonstrates that his virtuosity isn't just about speed; it's about the control of dynamics and the ability to make a single instrument sound like an entire ensemble.

Evolution of Tone: From Gibson to Taylor LKSM

The equipment used to record 6- and 12-String Guitar is as much a part of the story as the music itself. During the 1960s, Kottke was famously "brutal" on his instruments.

The Early Gibson Days

On the Armadillo album, the primary 12-string was a Gibson B-45. These guitars were not necessarily designed to handle the level of punishment Kottke inflicted. He was known for modifying his guitars with a pocketknife—shaving down the internal bracing and scraping off the thick lacquer finish to allow the wood to vibrate more freely. This DIY approach to "opening up" the sound contributed to the raw, unrefined power heard on the record.

The Transition to Bare Fingers

In his early career, Kottke used metal fingerpicks to achieve maximum volume and a "biting" attack. However, the sheer physical intensity of this style eventually led to severe tendonitis in the early 1980s. This forced a radical change: he abandoned the metal picks and transitioned to playing with his bare fingers and flesh. While this change occurred after the 1969 album, it highlights how extreme the technique on 6- and 12-String Guitar truly was.

The Taylor Signature Model (LKSM)

Decades later, Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars collaborated with Kottke to create the Taylor Leo Kottke Signature Model (LKSM). This 12-string jumbo guitar was specifically engineered to recreate the "Armadillo sound" safely.

• Reinforced Bracing: Built to withstand the tension of heavy strings tuned down to C#.
• Tonewoods: A Sitka spruce top and tropical mahogany back and sides provide the clarity and warmth required for his polyphonic style.
• Simplicity: True to Kottke’s aesthetic, the guitar lacks ornate inlays, focusing entirely on the quality of the wood and the integrity of the tone.

Impact on the American Primitive Guitar Scene

Leo Kottke is often grouped with the "American Primitive" school of guitarists, alongside John Fahey and Robbie Basho. However, Kottke brought a level of technical precision and accessibility that helped the genre break into the mainstream.

His influence is most visible in the generation of "New Acoustic" guitarists that followed. Michael Hedges, who would go on to revolutionize the guitar in the 1980s with percussive slaps and harmonics, cited Kottke as a primary influence. The "driving" rhythm and the idea of the guitar as a complete percussive and melodic unit can be traced directly back to the 1969 sessions at Takoma Records.

Conclusion: Why the Armadillo Still Matters

Over fifty years after its release, 6- and 12-String Guitar remains the gold standard for fingerstyle acoustic music. It proved that the 12-string guitar could be a lead instrument of incredible complexity. The album's enduring appeal lies in its unique blend of technical wizardry, eccentric humor, and genuine musicality.

Whether you are a guitarist looking to study his complex thumb-indices patterns or a casual listener captivated by the "geese farts" story, this album offers a world of discovery. It is a testament to what can be achieved when a visionary artist pushes an instrument to its absolute physical limits.

Summary: Key Takeaways of the 1969 Album

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the "Armadillo Album"?

The "Armadillo Album" is the popular nickname for Leo Kottke's 1969 record, 6- and 12-String Guitar. It is named after the distinctive line-art illustration of an armadillo on the front cover.

Why does Leo Kottke tune his 12-string guitar down?

Kottke tunes down (often to C# or B) to reduce the extreme tension of 12 strings. This allows for the use of heavier strings, which produce a deeper, more resonant "orchestral" sound and provide better sustain.

What kind of fingerpicks did Leo Kottke use on this album?

On the 1969 recording, Kottke used metal fingerpicks and a thumbpick. This gave him the high-volume, sharp attack necessary for his "hard-driving" style. He later switched to bare fingers due to hand health issues.

Is "6- and 12-String Guitar" all instrumental?

Yes. Despite having a prolific career that eventually included vocals, Kottke decided to make this album entirely instrumental, famously joking that his singing voice was unappealing.

How did Leo Kottke record the album so quickly?

The album was recorded in about three and a half hours because Kottke was extremely well-rehearsed and the tracks were mostly done in single takes. The order of the songs on the album is the same order in which they were recorded in the studio.