Pedalboard Archive

Robert JohnsonAcoustic Rig, 1936

Robert Johnson recorded his first session in a San Antonio hotel room in November 1936: acoustic guitar and voice into the room setup, no electronics at all.

Board
San Antonio acoustic recording path
Context
Gunter Hotel temporary studio, San Antonio
Board date
Evidence
Documented equipment · 2 cited sources
Order
Not applicable
Scope
Core signal path
Routing
Not applicable
Audited
Signal
Acoustic · Guitar to microphone

San Antonio acoustic recording path

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InputGuitar
Acoustic captureNo electronics
OutputMicrophone

Documented equipment · Documented order · Not applicable

The acoustic-to-microphone path is documented, but the precise guitar used across every San Antonio take remains disputed. No specific instrument model or speculative room-processing stage is inserted into the chain.

Cited sources

Methodology
  1. Texas State Historical AssociationJohnson, Robert
  2. MusicRadarUnder the microscope: Gibson Kalamazoo KG-14

Questions about Robert Johnson's 1936 acoustic rig

Did Robert Johnson use effects pedals in 1936?
No effects pedals are documented in this path. The archive records the guitar going to a microphone, so the sound comes from the instrument, the room and the way it was captured.
When and where was this acoustic rig used?
23 November 1936. Gunter Hotel temporary studio, San Antonio. This is the core signal path documented for that period, not a career-wide gear list.
How does the archive know what was on this acoustic rig?
2 cited sources, listed above with the date each was read, including Texas State Historical Association, MusicRadar. Among them an archive record and a written article. The units are recorded as documented equipment, and the page was last audited on 2026-07-18.