Yes, that's the way I acquired it in 1977. Changing it now would be akin to refinishing the patina of an old hot rod. I love it just the way it is and that's how it will stay.
Totally agree with you. Sometimes you need to leave them the way they are. My electric bass is kind of like that...when I acquired the neck, the body had been carved up into an eagle, it was a '59 P-bass. I mated it with a '63 body and left the neck unfinished as it was when I bought it. It's my favorite bass, it's got the best sound, it feels the best to me...it's my bass. Thank your lucky stars you have it, those 50s teles are going off the chart on price also...many players prefer the rosewood fingerboards over the older maple necks. The width is usually a tad narrower up near the nut. That's a player's guitar you have there! (just like my bass! )
This auctioneer is really overplaying this guitar, the models with the P90s are not as desirable, most people want the humbuckers. Not to mention those tailpieces are known to go out of intonation frequently. Nothing that can't be fixed, but it won't be original if someone did.
Picked this Silvertone up at a farm auction today. Have not tried to date it yet. 85 year old guy owned it. Lousy pics, too tired to take new ones
That's a nice one, you don't see too many of that style. You'll notice that there is no truss nut, and it's a bit peculiar the way you adjust the neck on these. You literally bend it with your hands. You really need to get some new strings, set it up, get the intonation setup, and then look at the neck to see if you can see any sway in it...the way I used to do it was pull and bend it on my knee, you want to be slow and gradual...How does it sound through an amp? Nice score!
Here are my guitars. I cut off my left index finger in 1978, sewed it back on but couldn't use it for guitar playing anymore except for barre chording. My hands are too small to play 3-finger guitar on a full size, so had to go to 3/4 size. 1957 ES 125 3/4 on the right and 1957 LG-3/4 on the left. They are like bookends, the body contours, neck, peghead, ivory binding are practically identical. Love these little babies!
My dreams of becoming a bass playing rock & roll god came crashing down when I crushed my left middle finger & left ring finger using a stump grinder, I sold all my Guitars with the exception of a inexpensive 6 string electric guitar my dad gave me for Christmas in the early 60's and my first bass which was also a cheap Japanese guitar. About 3 years ago I purchased a Gibson/ Epiphone hollow body guitar and occasional pull it out and try playing for my own amusement, sometimes it pretty amusing! Incidentally, I talked with the only other living member of our band yesterday, The Sterling 5 plus one, and Mike suggested we get the band back together, he was the lead singer and could shake a tambourine and wasn't too shabby with a pair of maracas. I can see the name in lights, "The Sterling 2 minus 4" ----- I don't think it would fly. HRP
My old 70's P-bass that I have beat on for the past 35 years & the new Jazz Bass. The P-bass just attaches itself to me after years and hundreds of shows, the jazz just played so nice I had to get it!
Here's my Brown Eyed Girl. 1941 0-15 martin. I got it in 74 from an old timer who told me that a former roomate left it behind when he went to fight in the war...never came back. I had gone to is house to help him start a 34 packard V12 Convertible Coupe that had been in his garage just as long. i got the car started and he gave me the guitar. It had a broken back. I had that replaced , that was in 1974 about. I lacquered it then and have loved her ever since. As Doc Watson said in the circle album " That old guitar rings like a bell" The serial number is 80467.
Fantastic. Had an all mahogany acoustic Gibson back in 74, cannot even remember the model, would have to search. Yours is a cut above.
My old buddy Kinley Wolfe (google him) has used Kahlers on his bass for over 40 years. He has more basses than I can count, but many have Kahlers since he was endorsed by them for years. What is that second pickup?
1935 streetrod, That is a beautiful Barney Kessel, one of the cleanest I've seen. When did you acquire that beauty?
I don't have any pics handy, but if I listed all of the guitars that I have owned and sold it would make you cry. I have lost track, but a few highlights in the order that I acquired them. The Les Pauls: '55 Les Paul TV Junior - it was my dad's, but ended up being mine after my parents divorced '59 Les Paul Custom - first good guitar that I bought in '71 with my own money ($300!!!!) '68 Les Paul Custom - bought to help out a friend ($300 again!!!!) '64 SG Special 12 STRING! - included because I stole the neck off of it for project below late '50s Melody Maker another late '50s Melody Maker I turned these two into a doubleneck 6-12 using the neck from the '64 SG (crazy, huh?) '59 Les Paul TV Junior (yet another because I had sold the other Les Pauls) early '70s Les Paul Special (Blue Sparkle) '74 Les Paul Custom (to replace the '59 and '68 that I had sold) '93 Custom Shop Les Paul (burgundy with maple cap) - sold to buy R8 below '94 Premium Plus Les Paul- sold to buy R8 below '96 Les Paul R8 '58 Historic Reissue 2018 Chinese Les Paul with single bucker (the only Les Paul that I now own!) Others: '68 Gretsch Tennessean '86 Mossman flat top acoustic - (still have it) '59 Fender Music Master- (still have it) '82 Fender '62 re-issue (still have it) '98 Danelectro Baritone - (still have it)
One of our local Cruise Nights has been near the well known House Of Guitars music store. They sometimes come out with old guitars and take some nice pictures for their website using our cars as a backdrop.
How does that Mossman flat top play? In about 1980 me and a band mate of mine went to Stuart Mossman's in Winfield KS. We dropped off a guitar to be worked on, and visited a while, very interesting guy. I always heard he made a fine playing guitar, but I've never played one.
I don't think I shared my Fender Jazz bass. I love this bass. I don't get to play it too often (not counting these Covid lockdown days) but every so often we need a bass player and none are available, so I get to strap on the bass. This bass plays like butter, and sounds excellent. The strings on it are the original strings that were on it when I acquired it in the early 80's, I'll never change them unless they break.
I need to get back in the shop to work on my truck. During the quarantine, I've been screwing around with guitars instead. Did a quick refurb on this '61-'65 Kay N3 archtop. Needed some gluing, cleaning, etc. Sounds & plays pretty good. Also, had this no name Japanese solid body from the 60s. Best guess is a '66 Kawai, due to the body shape & the original pickup looked like one from an EKO (which Kawai was known to emulate), but it could easily be a Teisco. Pickup was not working, so added a P90 with a chrome cover. Looks like it belongs on the stainless pick guard. And, a cheap tremolo. Went the hot rod look with satin black & pinstriped by my buddy Johnny B Good. And, just for kicks, built this box guitar. I call it the "Lonestar."
The Jalopy Journal
