Buddy Holly's GUITAR

Gil, nice to kinda run across you online. It appears we might me a bruther from anuther muther, except you are from down unner, and I am a little yunner.. I too have played drums for over 40 years, my uncle was a swing drummer in the 40/50s and played with Kruppa and Ritch. He tought me to play. I have his old hand made zildjans, and like you, kinda play a lot of guitar these days. My main ax is a '72 Tele I picked up at a place on Bleeker St in NY years ago. Very nice to sorta meet you online. cheers. that guitar you have is beautiful. take care. these Aussie guys are great, would love to get down there one day. By the way, I just use a Fender Blues Junior. Tube, small, light, easy to carry, but easily miked with reverb. Does the trick for me.

We drummers have carried enough heavy crap over the years that we know light is the key. Screw those young guys and let em carry in and out over the years. Me and Charlie Watts do just fine with a small kit.

 

You have way too much cool stuff for me Gil!

I bet it sounds great! I fit some Mesa tubes to my Marshall...........but it's just not the same.

Will get a Mesa when I get around to it. Cheers mate.

 

Agreed on Keith Carlock ,Gil.I've seen him twice with Steely Dan and once with John Mayer.
He is amazing!!

 

Both Steve and Lee are fantastic!

Lee looks like he's 107 or more!

 

Sounds like you are putting the band together again. Mission from God?

 

Oh, I should have said I did the valve change BEFORE I knew anything about them.

I only read afterwards that changing them would not make any difference. I was told by a friend that you should change the valves if I bought a 2nd hand amp as I don't know the life they have had.

I changed them and out and nothing changed, but at least I knew they were new. They were a matched set from the US.

I still have the original ones and will sell them with the amp. I must admit, the Marshall REALLY cranks, but the sound is too tame for my style. Even through my Boss Metalzone II pedal.

It sounds awesome, but the Mesa or an older Hughes & Kettner sounds a lot better.

Those Vox amps sound great. The AC30 sounds sweet, never heard a 67 model though.

I would love to bring around one of my ESP guitars one day and blow up one of your vintage amps up with one of my many powerchords!

 

Check this out Gil. A video of the Fender Factory filmed in 1959.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nswcAPvH0P8[/ame]

 

Hi,

That is amazing footage!

Love the pictures of the machinists just eyeing up necks and bodies by eye, and cutting them to shape on the band saws. Lots of skills in there that have been replaced by mass produced machines not necessarily for the better.

The OHS people would have serious issues with the work practices in that factory if it existed today. People painting without masks, people walking around bare chested The sobering thing is even the youngest persion there would now be 70+

Interesting brief footage of construction of pedal steel guitars

Love the soundtrack too, nothing better than a good fender going through a twin, nice clean sound, but borders on dirty when you want it to, or push it hard.

 

You got me all excited, but it seems that only the men did this.

 

Awesome alright!

Interesting in regards to their finishes.

Sunburst Strats are my favourite, followed by black ones.

One of my Dad's friends has a beautiful early 90's Strat in black. Wanted to sell it to me 10 yrs ago, but I had just bought my first ESP. I didn't want it anyway and I didn't have they money to buy it at the time. He wanted $2000.

I just watched it myself. Great stuff and very interesting. Certainly different times back then.

I wonder how much of it is hands on at the factory now?

OHS today would have a heart attack watching that footage.

Fender Twin amps sound wonderful.

 

Great info, cheers Gil.

 

Hey, don't stress man. The sunburst colour difference is interesting as I never knew this and I can now pass this information onto others. There is A LOT of interest in vintage Strats and I had a great conversation with a guitar shop owner in Townsville 2 weeks ago when I was there with my Dad.

This guy was Danish, in his late 60's and he had a few vintage Strats in store on display. Oldest one being a 68 I think. He LOVES them, played them his entire life. He doesn't have any price tags on the older Strats, but I asked and he said everything is for sale if you're interested.

He told me he bought this guitar and that guitar back in Europe in the 60's for $300 and $500 etc. *I forget which guitars he said, I think Gibsons* He wishes he still owned them as they would have been worth $100K or more today he reckons. All vintage stuff is great and these days vintage guitars are becoming more and more like retirement plans for collectors.

He also had vintage Gretsch guitar there that was pretty cool. It was from the 60's and in a nice gold colour.

It's always a good day when you learn something new and I spent 2 hrs talking to him while my Dad sat on a drum stool nodding off to sleep waiting for me.

I might open a guitar shop when I retire. I would love to sit around playing guitar all day and talking guitars with players/enthusiasts and collectors that come in. Would be the dream.

 

50's are the 2 tone tobacco sunburst, later 60's ones are three tone

 

Interesting stuff Gil!! I kinda thought you were a Fender NUT!

They changed the decal on the headstock, but didn't they also change the size of the headstock also?? I think it's a little smaller than it used to be.

Writing to the factory when you were 16 and actually getting a repsonse was very cool!

Reckon they would do that now? No chance. Wouldn't get a return email either I would say.

Fender has a huge history and it's quite interesting too. Same deal with Gibson. Both have been around long enough to have a rich history and I find it very interesting as I love guitars. Mainly ESP guitars........*cough cough*

ESP guitars are still realitvely unknown. Those who don't know guitars still know of Fender and Gibson guitars. They have never heard of ESP guitars or most of the other brands.

On my next visit to Melb, I will swing past and show you how to shred a solo on those Fender guitars of yours Gil. Mainly the Buddy Holly Fender.

And I will take your F1 355 Spider for a drive and let you take me for a drive in the Boxer, 308 AND F40.

 

Lucky Gil.

 

Yes, he is.

I thought my presence alone would be enough to spoil your day?

Sounds great Gil.

I remember reading something about their necks many years ago. The older necks are thick, like baseball bat thick.

Perhaps it may have been around the late 50's when they made the headstock smaller too Gil. Maybe the same time they offerered the thin necks and introduced different colours.

If you have time, that would be great. I would love to see them.

All good man, at least this Fender content is staying in this thread.

 

RIP Jim Marshall.

I will crank my amp to eleven for you tonight.

http://marshallamps.com/