Guitars! For Fans Of Carl Wilson, Late 60's BB's, and 60's Stuff In General...

[guitarfool2002]

I wanted to share a few new reissues and products I've seen listed for sale in various catalogs. Just in time for Christmas/Holiday shopping wish lists! Some of these are reissues that I don't think have been available for years if ever since their initial runs ended decades ago, and some are some neat (and affordable) options to add some classic sounds to your arsenal or collection without breaking the bank.

I'll post links and photos, if any do not work or can't be viewed due to linking issues, let me know and I'll post them a different way.

To start: How about that iconic Gibson electric 12-string that Carl played on stage for decades? The model is again available as a custom reissue through Gibson. Quite pricey, but I don't think this model has ever been reissued, and it's as close to those guitars Carl played on stage as any others. As Carl admitted in an interview decades ago, these can be a little fragile, especially with neck and headstock breakage issues, so perhaps Gibson has fixed this malady on these new models. I hope they would in this price range, anyway...

The "Memphis" ES335 12-string:


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-es-335-12-string-electric-guitar

Next up, a new affordable option to get that classic baritone/6-string bass/'tic tac' sound, a model that also looks really cool (block neck inlays, white neck binding, etc), and looks authentic to the original models. To get an authentic looking and feature-laden 6-string 60's bass at this price seems to be a great bargain. It was mostly Danelectro on the classic 50's and 60's records (more consistent with modifications, and a hardtail bridge versus Fender's tremolo) but the Bass VI eventually came along as well, and took on its own reputation for "that sound"...

The Squier "Vintage Modified Bass VI":


http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-FEN-0305600-LIST?src=Y0802G00SRCHCAPN&gclid=CNHyo4vHlLsCFSHNOgodHWQAIA

Next up, a new amp line from Fender, the "68 Classic" line. Ever see those late 60's/early 70's live stage photos and videos where bands like the BB's had a backline of those Fender "silverface" amps? How about the Let It Be rooftop concert where the Beatles had just received a shipment of these amps and speakers as well and had them all fired up on the Apple roof? These were the amps that Fender sold after they had been bought out by CBS, and went from their "blackface" line of amps to these new designs. There were some around '67-'68 where the circuitry was still from the blackface era, then CBS went ahead and started to change the design and many think in the process harmed the amps' tone and performance by adding things like a master volume. But those late 60's transitional silverface amps can be terrific depending on the model, before the engineering changes.

Now Fender has brought them out again, the first I've seen these amps with the silverface cosmetics reissued or re-released in any form. They are modified for a modern performance...so they're not 100% authentic repros...but if you like seeing these amps on stage in those classic videos and photos, they're back.

The '68 Classic amps (as of now, 3 models - Twin, Deluxe, and Princeton):


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/fender-68-custom-deluxe-reverb-22w-1x12-tube-guitar-combo-amp-with-celestion-g12v-70-speaker

And finally, another "lost" model guitar from the 60's CBS era at Fender, a guitar which was designed to compete with semi-hollowbody guitars like Gibson's 335, but a model which never quite took off in popularity. That is, until they started to acquire a vintage-hip-retro reputation based on their looks and cache...The Fender Coronado has been reissued! Guitar and bass models.

Fender Coronado guitar reissue:


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/fender-coronado-semi-hollowbody-electric-guitar

[DonnyL]

that Coronado is all-wrong! The original had a Jazzmaster-type bride (not the Gibson-type on the reissue), and single coil pickups. Quite a unique guitar ... I used to have one.

[guitarfool2002]

that Coronado is all-wrong! The original had a Jazzmaster-type bride (not the Gibson-type on the reissue), and single coil pickups. Quite a unique guitar ... I used to have one.

That bridge is accurate for the hardtail option: They offered different bridge options in the 60's, that "F" design hardtail bridge is close to what you'll find on many of the 60's originals. You could get the hardtail/trapeze Gibson style bridge or one with the tremolo bridge. Same with the pickups, you'll see several options from those D'Armond style to Fender humbuckers on the originals.

I wish they had offered either the "Antiqua" or the "Wildwood" option on the reissue finishes, though! Those are as late 60's groovy as you'll find on a vintage guitar. 

[D409]

So the 12-string Gibson semis that Jeffrey Foskett has been playing during his time with BW's band, would those be vintage instruments or modern reissues ? They certainly look immaculate and sound great whatever they are...

[guitarfool2002]

So the 12-string Gibson semis that Jeffrey Foskett has been playing during his time with BW's band, would those be vintage instruments or modern reissues ? They certainly look immaculate and sound great whatever they are...

That answer can be found here in this older interview, unless he's added some others since this, I'd imagine he's still using the same guitars: http://www.gibson.com/absolutenm/templates/_gibsonnewstemplate.aspx?articleid=651&zoneid=2

Excerpts (bold references):

CG: Tell me about your Gibsons.

JF: Let me start by saying that of all of the guitar companies in the world, I think Gibson and Epiphone are the best. I don't say that because I am a Gibson artist, I say that because I believe it. I have owned over 250 guitars in my life and at this point I have only about 40 or so. I have at different times preferred to play one brand over another for various reasons but I always kept my Gibsons and I can't say that about any other guitar manufacturer. My first electric guitar was a Japanese copy of a 335. I couldn't afford a real Gibson so I bought the closest thing I could to one. My first Gibson was a 1968 Cherry Red 330. Beautiful guitar. I bought it because I was playing a lot of Beatles songs at the time and I needed the hollow body sound without the solid wood core and I couldn't find an Epiphone E230-TD Casino at the time. I ended up purchasing a 230-TD within a month or so but kept the 330 anyway. Now I buy things in pairs. In case something happens to one, I have another identical one just like it.


My current arsenal is three J-150 Southern Jumbos with the "SMiLE" logo inlayed in the neck, two J-45s both sunburst, two Epiphone EF500-RAs with the "SMiLE" logo inlayed in the
neck, two Lucilles both Cherry Red, two Firebird VIIs - one copper and the other Cherry Red, two 335s both Blonde, two Epiphone E360-TD six-string Rivieras both Vintage Sunburst, two Epiphone E360-TD 12-string Rivieras both Cherry Red, two Epiphone Studio Dot six-strings both white, and two Epiphone John Lee Hooker USA Sheratons, both Blonde. I also have on order from the Custom Shop an usual 355.

CG: Which guitars do you use on stage?

JF: On stage I use at least one of each of the afore mentioned guitars. They are all modified by my guy Michael at L.A. Guitar works. I have one of the tone knobs replaced by a Master Volume and the other tone knob becomes a Master Tone knob. On the three pick-up Firebirds I have one Master Volume and the other three knobs are individual volumes. I run the tone flat out on those guitars. My Sheratons have been modified with a series of four toggle switches on the upper horn. They do various things. My tech Ross Lahey hands me the Sheraton with the four added switches in various, different positions and says, “try this tonight." You would have to ask him what the switches do. The Sheratons have also had Bigsby Vibratos added to them. Likewise with one of my 335s, 355s and Epiphone Rivieras. Your guys at the Custom Shop were nice enough to give me the custom truss rod cover plates for all of my guitars.

CG: Can you tell me which guitars you used on Brian's CD's?

JF: On the SMiLE CD the first song with instruments is "Heroes and Villains." That's the Gibson J-150 on that song. What an awesome acoustic guitar sound. That is probably my favorite live sounding guitar but it prints really well in the studio too. Many of my peers use certain guitars for stage and others for recording, but I like to try to use the same guitar on stage that I played in the studio. I mean, I'm not playing something completely irreplaceable like McCartney's Epiphone Texan. The great thing about the Gibson guitars is the uniform of quality and greatness that goes into manufacturing them. Right out of the case they sound tremendous. If something should go wrong with one of my guitars, I can call Gibson and the replacement guitar will sound equally as good as the one that was damaged or lost.

 Most of the six-string electric guitars on the SMiLE CD are one of the Lucilles. My favorite moment for guitar on the SMiLE CD is in the second movement between "Look" and "Child is the Father of the Man." There is this ultra cool heavy reverb, delay guitar line that repeats and is played instrumentally one round through before Brian starts singing "Easy my child..." My favorite 12-string moment on the SMiLE CD is during the song "Cabinessence." The slide guitar in the second and fourth verse is actually the E360-D Riviera 12-string. Leave it to Brian to come up with a 12-string slide guitar part. I also used the Riviera 12 on "Wind Chimes" and "Good Vibrations.” The Epiphone Sheraton was used on "Good Vibrations" as well. The J-45 was used on "Vegatables" and "Cabinessence." Our Bass Player Bob Lizik switched around on the bass so I'm not exactly sure what songs he played on his five-string Tobias or on what songs he used other instruments.

We recently finished recording a Christmas CD with Brian, scheduled for release later this month (Oct. 2005). On that CD the J-150 was the only acoustic guitar used and it probably made it on half of the 14 songs. The Riviera 12-string was used extensively as well. I played the lead guitar solo on "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" on one of the Blonde Epiphone Sheratons. I think that was the only time I personally played six-string electric guitar on the CD. Again Bob Lizik switched around on his bass selection but the five-string Toby got a fair amount of use. Brian even played his "Brian Wilson Model" Valley Arts bass on a song or two.

[guitarfool2002]

Yet this right here is a Gibson (or at least a Gibson neck) despite what he said about using the Epiphone Riv 12-strings, go figure:

[guitarfool2002]

And this from C50 is an Epiphone...

[D409]

Thanks for the info ! I could be wrong but I'm sure I've also seen him use a white 12-string 355, would this have been the "Custom Shop" order he mentions in the interview ?

[DonnyL]

that Coronado is all-wrong! The original had a Jazzmaster-type bride (not the Gibson-type on the reissue), and single coil pickups. Quite a unique guitar ... I used to have one.

That bridge is accurate for the hardtail option: They offered different bridge options in the 60's, that "F" design hardtail bridge is close to what you'll find on many of the 60's originals. You could get the hardtail/trapeze Gibson style bridge or one with the tremolo bridge. Same with the pickups, you'll see several options from those D'Armond style to Fender humbuckers on the originals.

I wish they had offered either the "Antiqua" or the "Wildwood" option on the reissue finishes, though! Those are as late 60's groovy as you'll find on a vintage guitar.  

Yeh they had three different bridges on the orig. Coro, the 'I' had a wooden bridge, the hardtails had a Jazzmaster-type bridge (I think it was actually the exact Jazzmaster bridge), and the tremelo versions had a unique bridge that was kind of like a Mustang.  The reissue had a straight-up 'Tune-O-Matic'-type Gibson bridge!

orig:



reissue:



The Jazzmaster-type bridges helped to give the guitar the unique, thin surf-tone. Sort of like a thin, hollow Jazzmaster.

I'd say the new ones are Coronados in cosmetics only (to a degree). The one I had was Antigua !

[Mr. Wilson]

THX so much for starting this thread..! Very cool and yes the wildwood fender guitar would be  the best one to reissue. I remember when fender put those out and to me they were pics in catalog .. I never saw anyone playing one..  Jeff also states he buys his guitars.. When you get an endorsement deal you get free instruments.. Maybe not as many as he owns but some of them.. I like  Epiphone  myself also but they are considered Gibson budget line.. But they are hardly a Squire..