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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Bob Dylan; Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, on stage at the Newport Folk Festival 1965


Bob Dylan Fender Stratocaster electric guitar from Newport Festival
Bob Dylan's guitar Newport 1965

What happened to the electric guitar Bob  Dylan played at the Newport  Festival, was it lost and found?


After writing my last post about George Harrison and his Gretsch Duo Jet, I thought there would be more stories to tell about famous guitar players and their guitars.
This one is about Bob Dylan and his Fender Stratocaster, he played at the Newport festival in 1965. The guitar is supposed to be "lost and found".


The news came out in july 2012, so it's not "fresh from the press". Despite of the fact that perhaps a lot of people already know about it, for me, the story is amazing enough to post. Guitars, history, and modern forensics come together!

Bob Dylan performing at the Newport Festival in 1965


Bob Dylan playing electric guitar at Newport Festival 1965
Bob Dylan playing electric guitar at Newport Festival 1965

In 1965 Bob Dylan performed for thousands of fans at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Everybody was expecting him to play acoustic guitar, the way they were used to hear him playing his "'protest songs", and then it happened. He plugged in an electric guitar, the Fender Stratocaster,started playing, and hell broke loose.

The fans did not accept it at all! After only three songs, Bob, with his electric guitar, left the stage. Bob came back and played on with his acoustic guitar. Bob Dylan's fans wanted to hear the acoustic folk sound, not the electric guitar Rock'n Roll sound.

This moment is music history. By combining rock and folk, the music of the 60´s would never sound the same again. Bob Dylan and his electric guitar changed history in 1965, and experts say this guitar is one of the worlds most famous guitars.

Bob Dylan and Bloomberg playing at the Newport 1965 Festival
Bob Dylan and Bloomberg playing at the Newport 1965 Festival

What really happened to the guitar Bob Dylan played at the Newport 1965 Festival



In July 2012, the American television show, History Detectives, claimed to have re-discovered the famous electric guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, Bob Dylan played during his contraversial performance at the Newport Folk festival in 1965. Bob Dylan denies this claim, but experts are convinced it is the real deal.

The story goes that Dylan did not took very good care of the guitar.  Dawn Peterson, the doughter of pilot Victor Quinto stated that she is in possession of the guitar. Victor Quinto was the pilot who flew Dylan to different gigs in that period. The pilot would have contacted Bob Dylan´s management after finding the guitar, to have it picked up, but nobody showed up.
The guitar was stored until a friend of the pilot´s doughter made the connection between the guitar and Dylan´s performance at Newport in 1963. The woman then contacted History Detectives to have the guitar investigated.


History Detectives with the supposed to be Bob Dylan guitar
History Detectives with the supposed to be Bob Dylan guitar

A guitar expert compared the grain in the wood in the guitar with pictures taken at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan performed with the Fender Stratocaster, and he is convinced the guitar, History Detectives was offered for examiniation, really is the famous Bob Dylan guitar. In the guitar case, handwritten song texts by the hand of Dylan were found, which makes the story even more real.

Bob Dylan's spokesman and lawyers on the other hand, state that it's for sure not the guitar Bob Dylan played at the festival mentioned; that guitar is, as they say, still in possession of Bob Dylan himself. Bob did loose guitars, some where stolen, but not the 1965 Newport guitar. Anyway, Dylan really wants the guitar back which was left behind in the plane. According to the finder's doughter, nobody from Dylan's management contacted her to claim the guitar, so the guitar remains in a safe place until it's clear who is legally the owner of the guitar.

I think Bob Dylan and his management will, if so, never admit it's the real guitar, until the guitar is back in the hands of Bob Dylan. Experts say the real 1965 Newport Fender can be worth up to 1 million dollar !

Video and updates can be found at the History Detectives website.


Update!


On friday 6 december 2013, the Fender Stratocaster has set a price record on an auction!

Christie's announced that Bob Dylan's -1965 Newport Festival - Fender Stratocaster was sold for a stunning 965.000 dollar.........
The previous record for a guitar sold by auction was Eric Clapton's Fender "Blackie",  by Christie's in 2004 for 959.500 dollar.

Bob Dylan's Newport Festival performance in 1965 is still considered to be the most important event in the American music history.





Wednesday, August 22, 2012

George Harrison Duo Jet, Tribute and Signature by Gretsch


George Harrison and his Gretsch Duo Jet
George Harrison and his Gretsch Duo Jet

George Harrison and his "first decent guitar", the Gretsch Duo Jet

Lately I've been reading a lot about George Harrison, the lead guitarist from the legendary Beatles, and his guitars. As a fan of the Dutch "Egmond" guitars, I was surprised to hear that the first guitar George Harrison bought, actually was an Egmond. After this acoustic guitar, George obviously obtained more guitars. One of his favourites was the 1957 Gretsch G6128T.


 

George Harrison's  "ol' black Gretsch"

It's clear that George Harrison (25 february 1943 - 29 november 2001) was, within the Beatles, the guitarman. He was not the songwriter, but the real guitarist, who was grazy about guitars.

After playing some cheap second hand guitars, like the already mentioned Egmond, George in 1961 bought his first, as he said, "decent guitar" , the Gretsch 6128 Duo Jet, from a cab driver, former merchant seaman Ivan Heyward, who bought the guitar new in New York in 1957. The Gretsch replaced the Futurama George was playing on until then. George paid 70 Pound of the asking price of 90 Pound, and left an "I.O.U" on the back of the customs receipt. Ivan claims he never received the remaining 20 Pound.

George Harrison Cavern Club Liverpool 1962 Gretsch 6128T Duo Jet
George Harrison Cavern Club Liverpool 1962 Gretsch 6128T Duo Jet
George played the Duo Jet from 1961 to 1963. It was in that period his main guitar, and he used the Duo Jet in the early Beatles years, performing mostly in the Cavern Club in Liverpool and in the Star-Club in Hamburg. Also his Gretsch Duo Jet can be heard on the first Beatles album, "Please please me".

Although George was crazy about his Duo Jet, he replaced and retired the guitar in 1963. George stayed loyal to Gretsch, performing on with the Country Gentleman 6122, brown Walnut finish, and the Tenessean. George gave the G6128T Duo Jet to his German friend Klaus Voormann, but about 20 years later Voormann returned the guitar to George Harrison.

The Gretsch G6128T-GH, George Harrison Tribute and Signature.

In 2011, 10 years after the dead of George Harrison, when Gretsch wanted to honour George with a tribute and a signature model, it had to be the first guitar he was so proud of, the Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T.

The G6128T-GH Tribute is an exact replica of  George's original Duo Jet, made in the Gretsch Custom Shop. Only 60 pieces are manufactured, set at a price of 20.000 USD! Every detail has been duplicated from the original guitar as Gretsch got George's Duo Jet from the UK for the project. I suppose some die hard fans must have been excited; all George Harrison Tributes have been sold.

George Harrison Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T-GH
George Harrison Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T-GH

The G6128T-GH Signature can be found in the Gretsch Professional Collection, and can be recognized by the George Harrison signature on the truss rod, set at a price of 5.000 USD.
 
George Harrison Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T-GH headstock
George Harrison Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T-GH headstock


George Harrison Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T-GH body
George Harrison Gretsch Duo Jet G6128T-GH body

Some nice information, including a video about the making of the G6128T-GH Tribute, and all specifications about the George Harrison Duo jet Tribute and Signature can be found on the Gretsch website.
These guitars surely share some wonderful history, and as all signature models, also the ones build by others, they attract the real fans; and there you pay the price.

The ol' black Gretsch Video


Some nice detailed shots of George Harrisons's original ol' black Gretsch. From this original Duo Jet, every detail has been duplicated to create the George Harrison Duo Jet G6128-GH Tribute.



Friday, August 3, 2012

Fender Birdflower Telecaster, only one piece, built in the Fender Custom Shop


fender birdflower telecaster
fender birdflower telecaster

Fender Birdflower Telecaster!

Take a look at this wonderful one of a kind Fender Birdflower Telecaster from the Fender Custom Shop, and read more! It might well be your last and only chance.....
Here in big pictures!




When going through the 2012 catalog of the German Musicstore my eye fell on the Fender Custom Shop Birdflower Telecaster, advertised with: "single piece" and a pricing of 45.000 Euro! It's the most expensive Fender Custom Shop ever build.
The guitar is built by master builder Yuriy Shishkov who was looking for a way to put some Claro Walnut to a good use. He presented the Telecaster on the Namm show in Los Angeles in 2011, and put hundreds of hours of craftsmanship in building this Telecaster masterpiece. No CNC machine or laser used! The fingerboard, headstock and the top are handcrafted, decorated with mother-of-pearl, different colors of abalone, silver wire and copper wire. What a piece of work!
Fender Birdflower Telecaster
Fender Birdflower Telecaster
I took the freedom of using the information and the pictures from www.musicstore.de where this diamond is for sale. I hope they don't mind. Only a little piece of information can be found about the Birdflower Telecaster, and when it is sold, we probably never see it again....
Fender Birdflower Telecaster
Fender Birdflower Telecaster

Features: 

  • Premium Ash Body 
  • "Claro walnut" blanket with Ivoroid Binding 
  • AAA birdseye maple neck with modern C shape
  • Ebony fingerboard with 9.5 "radius 
  • 22 medium jumbo frets 
  • Fender Texas Special neck pickup hand wound by Abigail Ybarra 
  • Fender 1963-style Telecaster bridge pickup hand wound by Abigail Ybarra 
  • 3-way switch and pots from the back of the cabinet mounted 
  • Modern Fender tuners Pearl Button 
  • Razor-thin, hand-polished lacquer 
  • including Morris & Holmberg Flight Case & certificate 


Birdflower Telecaster back
Birdflower Telecaster back



Fender Birdflower Telecaster Video


The German Musicstore has been so kind to put a video online on their Youtube tv-channel, starring the Fender Custom Shop Birdflower Telecaster. It still is the most expensive Fender Custom Shop guitar ever.
Enjoy the video!


Les Paul Custom Black Beauty by Gibson and Epiphone


les paul custom black beauty
les paul custom black beauty

The ultimate black tie guitar, the '57 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty

With the introduction in '54 of the Les Paul Custom, a luxury version of the Les Paul Standard, was born. Available in black, and with low, smooth frets, it was called "the fretless wonder" or "Black Beauty", the perfect "tuxedo" guitar. At first build by Gibson, and much later for a larger public by Epiphone, Gibson's budget brand. The Black Beauty is one of those guitars with a lot of history and a whole lot of "grandeur". Welcome in the nightclub!


What makes the Les Paul Custom Black Beauty as unique as it is?


les paul custom black beauty3 humbuckers
les paul custom black beauty 3 humbuckers

The reason that the Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty, and the Epiphone Black Beauty, are different from lot's of other Les Pauls is obviously not the Les Paul model or the black color. The fact that the guitar has 3 golden humbuckers, makes it unique. Even without a closer look, the 3 humbuckers on the Black Beauty catches the eye, as clearly can be seen on the images.

These (PAF) humbuckers, with different number of windings for a unique sound, were introduced in '57, and they put their stamp on the Black Beauty. The earlier Gibson Les Paul Customs, from the introduction in '54, have 2 Alnico-V humbuckers. Widely known though, are the Black Beauties with the 3 golden humbuckers. Epiphone uses for their Black Beauty the much beloved Alnico Classic humbuckers.
les paul custom black beauty
les paul custom black beauty
These features make this guitar probably a bit to controversial for some real Les Paul fans. I suppose the looks don't hurt much, but just the fact that the Black Beauty has three instead of the usual two humbuckers is a little to much for Les Paul fanatics. However, from what I read on the forums, the Black Beauty owners speak in lyrious terms about their guitar. For them it is a real Les Paul with a classy extra. It's no wonder that the vintage Les Paul Custom Black Beauties are real collectors items, and for guitar players with a smaller wallet, Epiphone offers a great looking, and sounding, alternative.


50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty

For those who don't believe in "more is better", Gibson introduced the 50 th. Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Custom, equiped with 2 BurstBucker pick-ups, image below!  Either way, two or three humbuckers, both types are true Black Beauties.

50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Custom
50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Custom