Back in the old days we had to learn about guitars from experience, or from the few books at our disposal, many of whose ‘facts’ it turned out were rather questionable. Thank goodness for Professor Google! I was a total ignoramus when I first started buying guitars. My first quality instrument was a 1967 Tele, and my next the infamous ‘Jimi’ bitser Strat. The Tele was the round-lam rosewood-fingerboard type, while the Strat had a slab neck. I therefore presumed all Teles were round lam and all Strats slab ’boards. It was years before I found out. But I took them both to bits and learned how they were put together and how the geometry of the guitar’s action worked. It set me in good stead for later.
Then came a Gibson ES-335. I’d heard the owner was selling two, and I was to be given a choice. He turned up at my house and opened two cases. One had a gloriously dark see-through cherry finish with gorgeous swirly grain, while the other was a brighter red. The dark one was a 1962 model and the lighter one a ’67. “The newer one’s got the narrower nut width,” the seller told me. “That’s got to be good,” my ignorant brain reasoned, swerving me towards the later guitar (which, at £140, was also 20 quid cheaper).
Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra January 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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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