Joey and me talk on the phone every so often. He sent me this YouTube video yesterday of a guitar demo from Norm's of a vintage Martin, one that's still reasonably affordable. To be fair, I don't know what Norm's Rare Guitars is asking for it, but 30's 0-17's can still be had back-East here at <$5K in good condition. You just gotta' hunt for them. I'm posting partly because it's a cool old guitar, but also because this girl really gets the best out of it.  😎

I feel like we need more Fenders here. A 1954 with some patina on it:

Until this moment, a '59 was oldest Strat I'd seen in CAR (my favorite color for a Fender)!
Kewl.

Peter

The paint under that red is the same rattle can gold used on the Eldon Shamblin Strat.

I'm pretty sure next to nobody has heard that story, so I'll repeat it, as it was told to me by the guy who bought the gold Strat from Shamblin.

Bill Carson, who was working for Fender in Nashville, heard that Eldon was selling his '54, and realized that he needed to get another Strat in his hands, or he'd just buy the first guitar he came across. He had a gold Strat made up, and drove from Nashville to Tulsa to deliver it on the day Eldon had arranged to drop his old axe off at Cain's Ballroom.

Bill made it in time, and gave Eldon the new guitar, but had to stay over night. The guy who bought the '54 Strat took Carson to dinner, and while they were eating, Carson told him about its paint job.

Evidently, Leo had ordered gold paint from his supplier, House of Kolor, and when they sprayed the first body, it had terrible orange peel, so they pitched it. The next body did the same thing, so Leo sent Bill to the hardware store for a can of gold spray paint, and they used that over some primer, then shot clear over the gold.

That's what Larry Schaeffer (owner of Cain's Ballroom and the gold '54 Strat's buyer) told me around 15 years ago.

As an interesting aside, when I was researching this guitar, I spent a bunch of time talking to Joe Bailon, who invented Candy Apple Red. He was adamant that this guitar (and anything painted with nitro) was NOT Candy Apple. He explained to me that Candy Apple is a process, and required the use of DuPont Lucite, which was the first clear lacquer that didn't craze when used on  metal.

He and the former manager at House of Kolor both told me independently that this style paint had been used on furniture and in car interiors prior to Lucite's introduction in 1956. The guy from House of Kolor also explained to me that lacquer like you see on this guitar was made by mixing printer's ink into clear nitro.

The more you know...

That is a beautiful guitar and a great backstory on a custom color.

I have given away every Fender bass I ever had but one... they just don't work for me. I want one to, but they don't. There was a story a while back though, about a 1968 Telecaster bass in Dakota Red. There was a lotta' hubbub about whether the paint was original or not. That was a pretty bass. Can't find it now, or remember where I read it, but that bass was striking. I remember thinking; I'd have to try.

My only Fender-produced bass is this Squier, mysteriously called a Precision. For the rest of the bass-playing world, it's a 71-79 Telecaster bass reissue. Pretty good one. Heavy as hell, and plenty of whump. Fender reissued these as part of the Mexico Vintera line a couple years ago. This one is 20 years old though, and from the Indonesia factory.

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on September 01, 2026, 01:30:08 PMJoey and me talk on the phone every so often. He sent me this YouTube video yesterday of a guitar demo from Norm's of a vintage Martin, one that's still reasonably affordable. To be fair, I don't know what Norm's Rare Guitars is asking for it, but 30's 0-17's can still be had back-East here at <$5K in good condition. You just gotta' hunt for them. I'm posting partly because it's a cool old guitar, but also because this girl really gets the best out of it.  😎

It does sound really nice, and looks great.  She has an interesting right hand finger style technique.  I've seen a few of these videos where they demo a rare guitar in that location, and I'm always concerned that they're going to bang the guitar against one of those close rough edges of shelving.

Quote from: David Houck on September 03, 2026, 08:45:42 AM

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on September 01, 2026, 01:30:08 PMJoey and me talk on the phone every so often. He sent me this YouTube video yesterday of a guitar demo from Norm's of a vintage Martin, one that's still reasonably affordable. To be fair, I don't know what Norm's Rare Guitars is asking for it, but 30's 0-17's can still be had back-East here at <$5K in good condition. You just gotta' hunt for them. I'm posting partly because it's a cool old guitar, but also because this girl really gets the best out of it.  😎

It does sound really nice, and looks great.  She has an interesting right hand finger style technique.  I've seen a few of these videos where they demo a rare guitar in that location, and I'm always concerned that they're going to bang the guitar against one of those close rough edges of shelving.

Same thought! It probably happens. Maybe not many bangs but a bump or two bound is to happen in there.

I probably shouldn't quibble, but just to point out while the ebony nut on that guitar may not be the original, it is correct for Style 17. Ebony does wear out more so than bone, which may have necessitated replacement. If it's me, I'm shimming the original. Not a big deal. 

*and Nova C can check me, but if these are not the original clipped-plate Grovers, they are the correct replacements. I guess if you're gonna' ask 10 big ones for an 0-17, ya' might as well, huh?

The guitar is sold already ⚠️ but here's the ad, with good pics. https://normansrareguitars.com/shop/martin-0-17-1936-mahogany/3F3FyBBiEwDLvuJBDp14Kxrs3yU

More Fender Fun! 

Had a discussion with the sound effect editor on 'Lanterns'( btw, fun show, great people!!!).
Great guy, super chill, cuts great sounds.
Never worked with him before, but finally had a chance to talk over our show wrap meal...
He said, "I heard you played bass, and sometimes fix up guitars??" 
Made me laugh. Well, wish I played more, but yes.
"I have an old bass I used to play when I was a kid, would you be willing to look at it? I'm thinking of getting back into it when I retire." (he's 62)

I'd be happy to set it up and clean it up for you.

1974 Fender Precision Bass - with a odd modification... A series  / parallel switch?!

Really in great shape outside of some dings and scratches, dirty pots and switch, and some strings that could give you lock-jaw.
Definite a case queen for 3 decades.
He got it in 1980, his bass teacher was the last one to change strings!
The order of pictures is kinda backwards...did some cleanup already after I took it apart.

Cleaned up well.  Actually sounds pretty good. did some remedial intonation with some spare DR strings.
Very sterotypical P Bass, but the S/P switch does give it have more of a Ric Sound.
Have one more giant ding to fill, then polish, new strings and back to him it goes.

Glad he's rediscovering the joy of the instrument!

That reminds me a lot of my very first vintage guitar — a 1974 ash-bodied hardtail strat. It was destroyed by the guy I sold it it to (he added a Floyd Rose and painted it bright blue).

I'm really looking forward to Lanterns.

I can see that.  It does have some beautiful, tight grain ash wood, but is still remarkably light still?
( maybe because I'm used to Alembic's?) 
Lanterns- Hope you like it! 
Really some tremendously awesome people to work with!  Talented and good people!
Very lucky to have The PITT and Lanterns going so well- sometimes you get lucky!
All this coming from a guy who's shop looks like this right now?
Oh dear, gotta get myself in gear! LOL 

Quote from: Artgeckko on September 05, 2026, 10:17:31 PMMore Fender Fun! 

Had a discussion with the sound effect editor on 'Lanterns'( btw, fun show, great people!!!).
Great guy, super chill, cuts great sounds.
Never worked with him before, but finally had a chance to talk over our show wrap meal...
He said, "I heard you played bass, and sometimes fix up guitars??" 
Made me laugh. Well, wish I played more, but yes.
"I have an old bass I used to play when I was a kid, would you be willing to look at it? I'm thinking of getting back into it when I retire." (he's 62)

I'd be happy to set it up and clean it up for you.

1974 Fender Precision Bass - with a odd modification... A series  / parallel switch?!

Really in great shape outside of some dings and scratches, dirty pots and switch, and some strings that could give you lock-jaw.
Definite a case queen for 3 decades.
He got it in 1980, his bass teacher was the last one to change strings!
The order of pictures is kinda backwards...did some cleanup already after I took it apart.

Cleaned up well.  Actually sounds pretty good. did some remedial intonation with some spare DR strings.
Very sterotypical P Bass, but the S/P switch does give it have more of a Ric Sound.
Have one more giant ding to fill, then polish, new strings and back to him it goes.

Glad he's rediscovering the joy of the instrument!

Is that pick-up a Dirt'Marzio?

Peter

Honestly, I have no idea-

Appears to be a stock pick up.  Mounted to a brass plate, then some rubber padding, wax sealed pickup.
Thought it would look better to switch out cover, but didn't want to screw with the wax.
Seemed to be asking for trouble.
Pretty much all original- at least to me - except for some pick up screws, strap buttons, and pickguard screws

All done, back in case!

A friend of mine sent me this mysterious picture yesterday. I don't think it's a fake, but it's also not an ordinary Gibson logo. I don't know what the whole story is. He likes to spoof me every so often with something weird.

A couple things to point out. Gold metallic color, script font with a pennant tail. The font set for the word "The" is noticeably smaller than it would be for an inlay in pearl of "The Gibson". The tuners bushings are press-in bezel type. I can only see one tuner completely, and none of the back, so impossible to get much clue there. Those bushings are a tell though. 

Gibson was good for updating instruments that came back for warranty or repair. A plain model guitar might receive a decal or stenciled logo not necessarily correct to its own time. For instance, my 1919 A-model got a late-30's script stencil. Completely legitimate, just wrong. I know of instruments originally destined for catalog sales under other brands rebadged as their Gibson counterpart, easier than trying to inlay a finished product. Not sure that's what happened here. Just throwing it out as a possibility. 

I can't remember ever seeing exactly this decal on a Gibson guitar. I do think it's old, and from the Kalamazoo factory in the 20's. Just from what I can see here. I'm guessing the instrument is an L-body guitar but I don't even know that much.