Some years ago Mick Taylor (of That Pedal Show fame) and I did a few gigs as an acoustic duo, and sometimes as a trio with our late lamented bassist friend Roger Newell. The three of us also had a decent pub rock band with another mate on drums. On one occasion it was just Mick and me playing our hotch‑potch of numbers to a happy audience in a village pub near Bath. I had borrowed a Martin 000‑18 from World Guitars, just to see if I got on with it and whether it worked in this context. It had a quality pickup fitted and, of course, it played and sounded great – but was hardly a killer in the looks department. Mick had a much more imposing looking Taylor (yes, Marten with a Martin and Taylor with a Taylor – how we laughed!). It was a 714ce in sunburst, with pretty fingerboard and headstock inlays and altogether a more striking‑looking piece of kit.
Two middle‑aged guys had watched us intently all night. At the end of the evening they came over to chat and enthuse over our performance. The quieter of the two finally piped up to me with, “I’ve got a guitar just like that one.” “Oh yeah, nice,” I responded. “190 quid from Argos, wasn’t it?” His unintended sleight on my guitar was the coup de grâce. Next day I took the Martin back and bought a (cheaper but much more visually commanding) Gibson J‑185, in sunburst, with double parallelogram fretboard inlays and Maltese crosses on the bridge.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BASIC INSTINCTS
The sophisticated range of Swedish-designed guitars made by .strandberg* has lured thousands of players over to the headless side. But the company's new stripped-back Boden Essential model is its strongest play yet for the hearts and minds of mainstream players
Second String
As PRS's more affordable USA-made S2 line moves into its second decade, the series gets a revamp with - at last - USA-made pickups and electronics. What took so long?
PABLO VAN DE POEL
When a band from The Netherlands describes themselves as 'raw, psychedelic Southern rock', it may take a little cognitive processing to work out what that might mean. One listen to DeWolff, however, and you will be duly transported to the 60s for some fuzzed-out rock 'n' roll
THE BERNIE MARSDEN COLLECTION
With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden's guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer's hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
LENNY KRAVITZ
Some 35 years since the release of his debut LP, for his 12th record, Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz is back again with equal doses of vigour and vibes, using vintage guitars and the purest valve amps
GEORGE VJESTICA
You may not know him at first glance, but the work of Stoke-on-Trent native George Vjestica has probably impacted some of your favourite albums and movies
DICKEY BETTS
Emerging from the shadow of Duane to write signature hit Ramblin' Man, the Allman Brothers guitarist was a hard-living pioneer of Southern rock
NICK GUPPY
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our highly valued amplifier guru, who died suddenly in April
Lucky Break
Alex Bishop blends old wood with new in an attempt to fix a severely damaged guitar headstock
Tones Behind The Tracks
Cedric Burnside learnt at the knee of his fabled grandfather, but his latest album is a hill country blues masterclass on his own terms