Personnel

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6-string guitar, 12-string guitar, Spanish (classical) guitar, tenor banjo, 5-string bluegrass banjo, 5-string folk (long neck) banjo, tenor or high baritone vocal

Born in 1937, Puget Sound WA.

Husky beautiful voice. He is a very good guitar and banjo player. Especially, his 12-string guitar play is so wonderful. His Martin 12 string guitar is quite special. This is originally 6 strings Martin 00-21 and it was converted into 12 strings by McCabe's (a famous guitar shop in Santa Monica). Mike told me this amazing 12strings story. Thank you Mike! The sound can enjoy in the album "Sing Of Our Times" and some albums. He used Martin D-35SE(?) with magnetic pickup, electrical output still remain acoustic sound. Recently I found that this D-35SE has NO position mark on the fret board!! Is it the special custom made? This guitar is called "mystery guitar" by me and Mike. Our detective work is continued..

In 1969 he left The Brothers Four because of his son's passing away.

6-string guitar, tenor guitar, tenor banjo, piano, keyboards, harmonica, cymbal, high baritone vocal

Born in 18/Apr/1939, Seattle WA.

He takes a lead vocal in most song. Very beautiful voice. His finger picking guitar is very gentle and kind. I like his "Across the Sea" and "Island In The Sun". He plays the piano beautifully, also. Have you listened to his "Winds Of Green" piano play.

6-string guitar, baritone vocal

Born in 26/Nov/1937, Okanogan, WA.

He used to play Martin D-28 with unique shaped pick-guard plate. It sounds good. Bob Flick calls John's guitar "The Greenfields Guitar". His ultimate rhythm picking is the base on The Brothers Four's sound. His picking speed is very quick and that sometimes sounds like percussion. This technique make the Brothers Four sounds more rhythmical than other band. You can see their photo that only John's right hand is blurring!! It looks very easy but it's so difficult. He also uses invisible and unbelievable technique. Maybe this cannot be found by a good guitar player. He uses Yamaha guitar also. He seemed to be a "Sloth" and to live in Central Park, N.Y. however this is the Top Secret...I could not understand for a long time why the back pictures of the album "Try To Remember" are up-side down. Now I got it! Because John can see it with ease.

He put his 45 years old Greenfields guitar into the case as a performer with the Brothers Four on 27/03/2004 at Kirkland Seattle.

Acoustic Bass, electric up-right bass, Jew's harp, baritone or bass vocal

Born in 24/Aug/1938, Seattle, WA.

His "25minutes ago" is great! He had played electric up right bass (violin shaped) on stage for several years since 1969. Recently he uses also electric up right bass named BSX-Bass. It sounds powerful and similar to acoustic bass. Bob says it's his half bass for travel like my travel guitar "Backpacker". I tried to play BSX Bass the other day. The BSX Bass's neck feel fat and squared rather than other acoustic bass so that I could not grasp the fingerboard tightly. Bob-san is great!! In 1960's video he moved around the studio playing bass. Can you believe it? He sometimes slaps or taps the finger-board on his bass. This technique makes the Brothers Four sound tight. I like it much. And he has a special talent to create beautiful lyrics and melody. He introduces many Japanese folk songs in English. He did not translate the words directly Japanese into English, but his lyrics suit to its melody. It's magical. He creates whole music also. "Winds Of Green" is so beautiful and emotional indeed.

6-string guitar, 12-string guitar, 5-string banjo, tenor banjo, tenor or baritone vocal

Born in 1946, Minnesota

He was also in Fraternity of Washington Univ. His guitar and banjo play is called "flying finger". I like his music arrangements, especially on his solo vocal part. He recently uses Martin D35 with custom-shaped pick-guard plate. His 12-string guitar is Martin D-12-28. It sounds very nice. His banjo seems to be Gibson Master tone banjo and Deering Banjo. It's very famous banjo as nice tone and its weight (very heavy). There are many banjo player in the world, but there are few both 5string (Bluegrass) and 4string (Plectrum) banjo player. 4string banjo is quite different from 5string banjo in its playing technique. He recently got a new banjo playing style...driving banjo! He uses various 5-string banjo technique, Foggy Mountain-roll (Scruggs) style, melodic (chromatic), folk style and crow hammer style and strumming... He has played a new HD-28V since 1999 Japan tour. I never forget his voice strong and beautiful like angel who knows sorrow. He makes songs also and they are so emotional.

6-string (steel string, Spanish, solid electric and arched top acoustic) guitar, 12-string guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, pedal steel guitar, flute and tenor or baritone vocal

Born in 9/Oct/1946, Spokane WA.

Multi-instrument player. Husky but wide-ranged voice. He is the first man who use a Gibson and Guild guitars in The Brothers Four on stage however he says he haven't got any Guild..

Electric solid bass guitar, baritone vocal

Born in 12/May/1950, Hamilton Field Air Force Base - Marin, California

He used 1962 (Pre CBS) Fender Precision Bass which was colored in black except the pick-guard (tortoise color) plate. Very special bass. He has pretty wide ranged (4 octave) voice. He inspired "West-Coast Folk-Rock" feeling to The Brothers Four. He and Bob Haworth sings "Suite : Judy Blue Eyes". It is my favorite.

Born in 29/July/1950

6-string guitar, mandolin, Pedal steel guitar, high baritone vocal.

He brought a new feeling to The Brothers Four's sound. His voice rises up to unbelievable high tone, beautiful. If you listen carefully then you can . His harmony construction seems to be influenced by bluegrass chorus. He uses the (Michael) Gurian Guitar. It sounds very clear and deep like a classical guitar. In "San Francisco Bay Blues" he plays jazzy guitar phrase that I like much. He uses black (or Ebony colored?) flat-back mandolin named Flatiron Performer A. To play the bluegrass music most of famous player uses F style mandolin but Performer A sounds nice and suit for the Brothers Four sound. His selection is right. This Flatiron is discovered by Mark at Seattle musical instrument shop. He has played with the Brothers Four in the "Some Nice Songs" album before he became the member of The Brothers Four. (See the album credit). He uses Martin phosphor bronze strings for his Gurian. Very clear tone. In 2001 Japan tour he start to play Martin HD-28. He says his Gurian is one of his favorite guitars but the live perform band needs loud tone so he got a Martin D-style guitar. He likes it, too.

Guitar, baritone vocal

A singer / song writer. He was born in Seattle and studied at University of Washington. He used to sing and play with his good friend Mark Pearson. His shout makes the B4 sound strong. He uses Martin D-28.

Guitar, tenor vocal

He was born in West Virginia. He has beautiful high tenor voice. His vocal is soft, gentle and clear. Syncopated rhythmical sense is worthy of special mention. I like his "Jamaica Farewell". He uses HD-28, I think.

Guitar, vocal

A singer, chorus master and a good guitar player. He has very beautiful voice and a technique of melodious guitar picking. He plays Martin D-35.