Few modern guitarists have done more to keep the spirit of late 60s blues alive than Joe Bonamassa.
Joe lives and breathes the blues 24/7. Here he takes us through just some of his massive vintage guitar and amplifier collection. Oh yes, Joe has a few amps – multiple examples of every Fender guitar amp from the 50s and 60s in pristine condition, in fact. Plus Cream/Hendrix-era Marshall stacks and much more besides.
Then there’s his guitars, hundreds of them, including at least three examples of the most desirable guitar in the world – the 1959 sunburst Gibson Les Paul, each one valued at close to half a million dollars. Finally we see an original Gibson Flying V, one of only 100 made between 1958-58 and even more valuable than the Les Paul.
I watched this twice straight through and enjoyed every moment. I’m sure @Twang and other vintage guitar fans will salivate over it too.
WARNING: contains guitar nerdery of the highest order.
It keeps him off the streets, I suppose.
http://i.imgur.com/EpJgX8c.jpg
Erratum: OP should read: Gibson Flying V, one of only 100 made between 1958-59
American history like Marshall amps…er, yes. But I’m salivating nevertheless.
Joe speaking about buying guitars/amps from a private seller: “And we’d always make the offer loud enough so the guy’s wife would hear it”
I presume you watch the Doug and Pat show on YouTube? Two old geezers with one of just about everything from the golden period talking and demonstrating gear. They did a good interview with Joe.
They did a shootout with a suite of Les Pauls from 54 through to early 60s, with Oscar, the 58 Goldtop, slaying all in its path. And I think the value of Vox AC10 twin heads doubled after these guys started.
I didn’t, but I do now. Thanks for the tip.
I just watched the Les Paul shoot-out you mentioned (and when I say “clip” it’s actually 40 mins of Les Paul hog heaven).
Marvellous. Guitar p*rn of the highest quality. His nerdery knows no bounds. Must admit he lost me on the bit about the serial numbers on the three Strats.
Do you mean the three Les Pauls? They sounded like dates but were actually serial numbers and I think he was pointing out that the numbers were all quite close to each other, so they were part of the same batch made in 1959. He also said he knew someone with a Les Paul with a serial number consecutive with one of his and the grain on the maple top matched his, so they may have been made from the same piece of wood.
may have been, can’t remember now, but he was referring to quite different years, 48, 58 etc, which threw me
And who spotted that the red guitar Joe is cradling in the opening scene is a mid-60s Gibson Trini Lopez, now back in production as the Dave Grohl signature model?
Why name a Gibson after Trini ?
I thought you’d never ask.
It tended to be jazz guys who had signature guitars in the 50s and 60s (Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts, Hank Garland; Billy Byrd, Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Johnny Smith and the most famous of them all, Les Paul) but we forget how big Trini was in the early 60s, certainly in the US. So he was possibly the first pop/latin artist to have a signature model.
And almost uniquely among those who had a signature guitar, Trini had TWO signature models.
The one pictured top was based on the Gibson 335 and the other one was a big jazz guitar based on a Gibson Barney Kessel (pictured bottom). This was the signature model Trini was seen with most often, but it’s the other which has been reissued after Dave Grohl started using them.
http://i.imgur.com/NG2SnWl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qsvlnWA.jpg
Horrible thing. Apart from the pose value i can’t imagine why anyone would play one. Got most of the way through the doc last night – love it.
In Joe’s terms I’m a player not a collector though so the appeal of an instrument so rare and expensive you dare not use it is a bit lost on me.
I can see what you’re saying, but I have a grudging respect for the slimline Trini Lopez Gibson. It’s a 335! With a second generation Firebird headstock! And diamond shaped “f” holes! Crazy! The other model, not so much.
My God !! Thanks for posting. Loved the documentary.
Not a player myself, but love looking at old guitars and equipment.
You’re very welcome
Thanks for posting JC – it’s just the kind of thing I like to download and take with me when traveling. I’m no guitar buff but despite most of the tech talk going over my head, things like this and Rig Rundown make flights pass so much faster.
And I discovered this yesterday – maybe I’m the last one to the party here – Joe’s very own radio show.
http://thepickupradio.com/episodes/
I imagine he never sleeps …..
Thanks F8. I think I did know about joes radio show, but somehow lost track of it
I’ve been off with a cold. Now that my eyes have stopped streaming I enjoyed this a lot. I also enjoyed dipping into Doug and Pat.