Paul Simon on a Guild :

[204084]

Paul Simon sings Homeward Bound live in the studio - YouTube

 

[Cougar]

So good. What a star....

 

[Bernie]

Fine playing, great performance. Thanks for posting this video...
Seems like an F-30 isn't it ? (I know he has -or had- one). He has the Chesterfield inlay on the headstock - I haven't - but apart from it, it looks pretty much the same as mine. Glad to see the guitar in action in skilled hands...

 

[gjmalcyon]

At 37 seconds he hears his low E buzz and casually slides the capo a little closer to the fret with his thumb. So smooth.

Thanks for posting that - enjoyed it.

 

[walrus]

At 37 seconds he hears his low E buzz and casually slides the capo a little closer to the fret with his thumb. So smooth.

I saw that - that was cool!

walrus

 

[Westerly Wood]

Kathy's Song is my fave from them. Just so beautiful.

he just uses a thumb and first finger. amazing.

 

[SFIV1967]

Seems like an F-30 isn't it ?

Yes, that is his "F-30 Special" number 2 (Braz back and sides and Grover Rotomatics) from around 1967 he is using in the video. You can identify it by the 3 (and other) unique spots on the pickguard which his otherwise identical number 1 does not have.

That's his other one:

Ralf

 

[F312]

I can tell my F30 by it's stars.

Ralph

 

[Rebosbro]

And more recent

 

[beecee]

Boy that guitar sounds incrddible...and yes just picking with two fingers....there may be hope for me yet!

 

[HeyMikey]

That was great. So easy going, casual
and natural the way he plays and sings. He is a great storyteller.

 

[204084]

FYI...MGM+ just started running a series on Paul Simon titled "In Restless dreams: The Music of Paul Simon". So far there's two episodes (that may be all of them, I don't know yet) and I've only watched the first episode so far.

 

[Neal]

Using both a thumb and finger pick on his first finger.

 

[Wilmywood]

Using both a thumb and finger pick on his first finger.

I see no picks, only fingernails.

 

[wileypickett]

There's a fair amount of old footage of Simon & Gurfunkel in the first episode with PS performing on Guild six- and 12-string guitars.

But the guitar he's using in all the current footage is an old Gurian.

I thought the series was good.

 

[Westerly Wood]

That guitar sounds a lot like mine. I appreciate that kind of consistency, considering his was built a good 25+ years before mine was.

 

[kitniyatran]

I see no picks, only fingernails.

In the original posted video you can see he's wearing a thumbpick and fingerpick and in the first of the blow up pictures of the body of the guitar you can see the thumb pick. He loses the picks in the later video.
.
It's amazing to hear what he's playing and seeing he's only moving the thumb and one finger

 

[wileypickett]

It's amazing to hear what he's playing and seeing he's only moving the thumb and one finger

That's how Rev. Gary Davis (no slouch on guitar) did it too.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Travis picking

 

[kitniyatran]

Yeah actually Merle Travis did that too, thumb and one finger, and most "Travis pickers" following from him use thumb and two fingers