Carl's 63 Fender Jaguar

[guitarfool2002]

Where did that photo of that Epiphone 12-string on display come from - is that a museum or Hard Rock Cafe display or something similar?

I have several photos of Carl with his Epiphone 12-string electric which I looked at after the above display photo was posted. Much like the 60's-era shot of Carl on stage with an Epiphone, all of the photos I saw match the darker sunburst finish of the one shown in the live shot.

The display photo looks like a similar model but it isn't the same finish.

Consider this:

Carl's original Epiphone had, by the mid 70's, at least two cases of the neck breaking while on tour and needing repair. That is one of the pitfalls of such a guitar. Remember, this is as of the mid 70's - if he used it for 20 years after that, on stage and on tour, who knows how many times that guitar needed repair.

And the issue I have is with the color of the sunburst finish: The two guitars simply don't match, and although some finishes do indeed fade and transform over time and after being exposed to certain elements, I don't think that particular finish would change that drastically.

The pickguard doesn't have the signature Epiphone "E" on it, as earlier photos show. I chalk that up to a replacement pickguard, that really doesn't mean anything to the overall guitar, and in all probability the original with the "E" logo most likely broke, or Carl took it off and it got replaced somewhere in 20 years of use.

I won't say the display guitar is not Carl's original...from what I have seen, it appears he only had one like that, and the features line up where the finish and color do not. The possibility is open that his original at some point was refinished and the results of that new paint/finish or repair are what we see in that display case.

All of that is speculation going on what materials and photo/interview evidence is available. It's impossible to make a definitive statement about any of these things without getting more firsthand info both from the guitar and its previous/current owners, of course.

[Rocker]

Where did that photo of that Epiphone 12-string on display come from - is that a museum or Hard Rock Cafe display or something similar?

Only found it online. Here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superflash/7265354928/

It says it was taken in Cleveland so I guess it might be at the Hall Of Fame. But I was wondering too because it doesn't look like any guitar of Carl's that I have seen.

If you increase the picture you can see that the sign reads
Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys Guitar
1967 Epiphone 12-String

Carl Wilson used this instrument in the studio and on tour throughout his career

I can't read the line between the description of the guitar and the text.



EDIT:

Here's an interview Billy Hinsche did with Carl about his guitars: http://www.billyhinsche.com/story4.html

In it Carl mentions that he has two sunburst 12-string Epiphones (one tobacco sunburst):

BH: What guitars do you currently have in your collection?

CW: A sunburst Gibson Epiphone 12-string, a yellow Fender Stratocaster [named "Old Yeller"], a natural Gibson 335 with a Bigsby tailpiece, a red Epiphone 12-string, a white Fender Stratocaster, a black Les Paul, a sunburst Les Paul, a red Gibson 335, a tobacco sunburst Epiphone 12-string, an acoustic Martin Bicentennial D-76 [stolen from the Beach Boys' warehouse], a yellow Fender Telecaster, a blonde Fender Stratocaster, a red Baldwin 12-string, an acoustic Martin D-41, a jumbo Gibson J-200 and a Les Paul Jr.

[guitarfool2002]

Where did that photo of that Epiphone 12-string on display come from - is that a museum or Hard Rock Cafe display or something similar?

Only found it online. Here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superflash/7265354928/

It says it was taken in Cleveland so I guess it might be at the Hall Of Fame. But I was wondering too because it doesn't look like any guitar of Carl's that I have seen.

If you increase the picture you can see that the sign reads
Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys Guitar
1967 Epiphone 12-String

Carl Wilson used this instrument in the studio and on tour throughout his career

I can't read the line between the description of the guitar and the text.



EDIT:

Here's an interview Billy Hinsche did with Carl about his guitars: http://www.billyhinsche.com/story4.html

In it Carl mentions that he has two sunburst 12-string Epiphones (one tobacco sunburst):

BH: What guitars do you currently have in your collection?

CW: A sunburst Gibson Epiphone 12-string, a yellow Fender Stratocaster [named "Old Yeller"], a natural Gibson 335 with a Bigsby tailpiece, a red Epiphone 12-string, a white Fender Stratocaster, a black Les Paul, a sunburst Les Paul, a red Gibson 335, a tobacco sunburst Epiphone 12-string, an acoustic Martin Bicentennial D-76 [stolen from the Beach Boys' warehouse], a yellow Fender Telecaster, a blonde Fender Stratocaster, a red Baldwin 12-string, an acoustic Martin D-41, a jumbo Gibson J-200 and a Les Paul Jr.

Okay then, that would make sense! As he mentioned both a Tobacco Sunburst and a regular sunburst Epiphone, it gives a lot more credibility to that guitar on display. It lines up perfectly. Good call on that list, great info!

[Rocker]

Where did that photo of that Epiphone 12-string on display come from - is that a museum or Hard Rock Cafe display or something similar?

Only found it online. Here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superflash/7265354928/

It says it was taken in Cleveland so I guess it might be at the Hall Of Fame. But I was wondering too because it doesn't look like any guitar of Carl's that I have seen.

If you increase the picture you can see that the sign reads
Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys Guitar
1967 Epiphone 12-String

Carl Wilson used this instrument in the studio and on tour throughout his career

I can't read the line between the description of the guitar and the text.



EDIT:

Here's an interview Billy Hinsche did with Carl about his guitars: http://www.billyhinsche.com/story4.html

In it Carl mentions that he has two sunburst 12-string Epiphones (one tobacco sunburst):

BH: What guitars do you currently have in your collection?

CW: A sunburst Gibson Epiphone 12-string, a yellow Fender Stratocaster [named "Old Yeller"], a natural Gibson 335 with a Bigsby tailpiece, a red Epiphone 12-string, a white Fender Stratocaster, a black Les Paul, a sunburst Les Paul, a red Gibson 335, a tobacco sunburst Epiphone 12-string, an acoustic Martin Bicentennial D-76 [stolen from the Beach Boys' warehouse], a yellow Fender Telecaster, a blonde Fender Stratocaster, a red Baldwin 12-string, an acoustic Martin D-41, a jumbo Gibson J-200 and a Les Paul Jr.

Okay then, that would make sense! As he mentioned both a Tobacco Sunburst and a regular sunburst Epiphone, it gives a lot more credibility to that guitar on display. It lines up perfectly. Good call on that list, great info!

I also just came across this post by Stephen Desper. He mentions that Carl also had guitars just for recording. So maybe that shown guitar was never used on stage although the sign claims it was

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,1203.msg137852.html#msg137852

[Emdeeh]

Carl definitely had two of those sunburst 12-string Epiphones at concerts, both with Gibson necks. I've seen both of them sitting backstage on more than one occasion. Carl would have his tech tuning up one while using the other.

[Mikie]

Carl Wilson's arsenal:

* Kay single cutaway acoustic w/pick-up (his first)
* Fender Jaguar
* Fender Telecaster, w/Bigsby, yellow
* Fender Stratocaster, white
* Fender Stratocaster (Old Yeller) his favorite
* Fender Stratocaster, blonde
* Rickenbacker 360 12-string “Fireglo”. Limited edition (500) repros were made by Rickenbacker of the CW 6-string and 12-string varieties in both Fireglo and Jetglo finishes.
* Gibson ES-335 (Custom made in 1962, it had a blonde finish and gold hardware with a Bigsby B-7 tremolo. In 1983, the original guitar neck was broken and replaced with a neck from an ES-355).
* Gibson ES-335, blonde (w/o tailpiece)
* Gibson ES-335, red
* Gibson Epiphone Sheraton 6-string (borrowed from B. Hinshe, used for the '73 In Concert album)
* Gibson Epiphone Casino
* Gibson Epiphone Riviera 12-string, tobacco sunburst
* Gibson Les Paul, black
* Gibson Les Paul, sunburst
* Gibson Les Paul Jr. (2)
* Gibson Firebird
* Gibson J-200 acoustic
* Baldwin 712 12-string, red
* Martin Bicentennial D-76 acoustic
* David Russell Young custom acoustic
* Fender Band Master amp
* Fender Concert amp
* Fender Princeton amp
* Fender Dual Showman amp
* Fender Twin Reverb amp (Cerwin Vega speakers)
* Fender Twin Reverb amp (Gauss speakers)
* Fender Bassman amp
* Mitchell amp
* Peavy amp
* Orange amp
* Fender, Ernie Ball Slinky's, extra light strings

[Emdeeh]

* Gibson ES-335 (Custom made in 1962, it had a blonde finish and gold hardware with a Bigsby B-7 tremolo. In 1983, the original guitar neck was broken and replaced with a neck from an ES-355).

He had another blonde ES-335, the second one didn't have the tailpiece.

[Rocker]

* Gibson Epiphone Sheraton 6-string (used for the '72 In Concert album)

According to the interview that one belongs to Billy Hinsche I believe

[Mikie]

He had another blonde ES-335, the second one didn't have the tailpiece.

I need hard evidence to support this before I add it to my list.  You got pictures, Emdeeh?  Or should I just trust your memory? 

[Emdeeh]

Mikie, I do have pictures of both guitars but can't get to them to scan right now.

[Mikie]

I'm sure you do have pictures, Emdeeh, and I'll take your word for it. 

I just edited my list to include the other ES-335, sans tailpiece.

[Rocker]

It's not the Jaguar but I thought it would fit in this thread. Posted by Billy Hinsche on Facebook:


Carl Wilson's '67 - '67 Gibson ES 335 TD-12 currently on display at the Beach Boys' Grammy Museum Exhibit - on loan from Jonah & Justyn Wilson ... Photo credit: Ali Steubner

[Paul Childs]

Thought I read online somewhere a while ago that Carl's Jaguar is in one of the Hard Rock Cafes?