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In regard to trying to get sustain out of the guitar like what you heard in that particular recording by Los Indios Tabajaras--no that wasn't in any sort of reverb chamber as you suspect; it was the guitar they used, particularly Nato Lima the lead guitarist. It was a Brazilian made "Del Vecchio" guitar. It is a very unusual looking guitar--like a cross between a Dobro and a classical guitar! It is a true resophonic guitar, with a single cone type resonator like a National, mounted inside a "lip" underneath the wooden coverplate which has fabric covered portholes! You can see this guitar on maybe a couple of Chet Atkins' lp covers, most notably "My Favorite Guitars" on RCA. The Del Vecchio uses silk and steel strings, has a classical width fingerboard and is 12 frets clear of the body also like a classical guitar. The body is Brazilian rosewood veneer, and has a very beautiful grain. The headstock is slotted. It is a lightly constructed instrument-not as well made as american acoustics, nor even Spanish made classics, but they have a sound like no other guitar! I own one I'd bought in Brazil in 1975 and I'm friends with Nato Lima of Los Indios Tabajaras. He played mine and commented that it was one of the best sounding Del Vecchios he ever played. In 1975 I paid all of $75 right in the "Casa Del Vecchio" music store in downtown Sao Paulo--and had the chance to try 5 or 6 of them before settling on the best sounding one. I still have it. I don't know if they're made as well, today. As I understand, they're pretty hard to come by, at least a good one. In closing, I hope I answered your question to your satisfaction. Regards, Bill Turner

If you can provide a link for where to get their songbook, it will be great.

thanks.

Clarification of previous post

I meant to say that I'm not aware of a version of Maria Elena recorded by Los Indios Tabajaras wherein Nato used a Del Vecchio resonator guitar.

Having listened to their music for some 35 years, coupled with the fact that I have a Del Vecchio Dinamico (resonator guitar) and several classicals, it is easy for me to determine whether Nato is playing a nylon string or a DV resonator. And again, I do not have a version of the tune which is played by Nato using the resonator guitar. .

Here's another variable to throw into the formula. The DV resonator guitar was designed to use either silk & steel OR nylon strings.....and you'd be surprised how good they can sound with nylon strings. Also, some of them had pickups!

And last..... I read somewhere that Maria Elena was first recorded by Jimmy Dorsey.........way back when. No matter what its source, Los Indios Tabajaras made it a GREAT song! Good luck on figuring it out!

I have an album where they show the tuning of the two guitars. One is set 1/2 note higher and the other is set 1/2 note lower than standard tuning.

Most of Nato's music is held by Peer Music in New York but they will not put out a book even though there are about 62 arrangements and compositions in the collection. I know of a few people who would love to get their hands on such a collection, myself included. There was one book put out in the early 70's which might have the Maria Elena arrangement but it does not necessarily provide the music as it is played.