This 1965 Fender Stratocaster, serial number 100193, was formerly owned and used by renowned guitarist Eric Johnson.

Eric can be seen with this guitar on the cover and in the cover story of the January 1993 issue of Guitar Player magazine.

This custom color Dakota Red guitar is original, except for the work done at Eric’s request. The rosewood fingerboard has been planed and re-fretted, the original 3 way switch has been notched to into a 5 way switch without removal of the original wiring, and one ground & one hot wire were loose and were re-soldered.

Eric Johnson is considered one of the 100 greatest guitarists of the 20th Century. His 1986 solo debut album, Tones earned a Grammy nomination. Four years later Ah Via Musicom reached near-platinum sales. The single "Cliffs of Dover" was a top 5 hit and earned Eric a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental. He received the "Best Overall" guitarist award from Guitar Player Magazine for four straight years. On the fifth year he was inducted into their "Gallery of Greats."

We sold this instrument in 2004. 

Images: © Route 66 Guitars/Odyssey

Tags: Fender, Stratocaster

This is me, in 2003, with George Harrison's Fender Rosewood Telecaster, prior to it going to auction.

George used this guitar most prominently on the film and LP 'Let It Be,' including The Beatles final live performance on the roof of their Apple offices and studio in London. He also used it on 'Abbey Road,' and the Cream hit 'Badge,' before giving it to Delaney Bramlett while playing on tour with Delaney & Bonnie.

I have been involved in the recovery or sale of several of the instruments the Beatles used to play and record their music. Being able to play the parts to these great songs (even upside down and backwards!) on an actual instrument used to record them is a staggering experience. Of course I gave my best "I'm not worthy!" first, but did it anyway.

The guitar was auctioned in late 2003. It was purchased by Ed Begley, Jr. on behalf of the George Harrison Estate. It is back with George's family, where it belongs.

Fender currently offers a replica of this instrument through the Fender Custom Shop, based on measurements taken when Delaney, and later I, took it to their Custom Shop facility.

Tags: Rosewood, Telecaster, Beatles

No bassist has done more for and with popular music than James Jamerson. While his name may not be known by the countless millions of fans of his playing, his sound and style have influenced every player to pick up the instrument since Motown's first hit record.

This instrument was James Jamerson's personal upright bass. He purchased it in 1957 and used it in Detroit's jazz clubs while honing his style, on tour with Smokey Robinson, and on countless classic Motown recordings that play somewhere in the world every second of every day. Enduring hits by Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Martha Reeves, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, and others were created using this instrument.

In later years James Jamerson, III continued to use this bass, playing it on further hits. This bass was last played in the film documentary Standing In The Shadows of Motown. The bass, as it appeared in these images, is in the same condition as when James Jamerson last used it, including the set of strings.

James Jamerson passed away in 1983. He was among the first group of sidemen inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004 he posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award along with his fellow members of Motown's house band, known as The Funk Brothers.


URL Links: Motown • James Jamerson

Tags: Motown, bass

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's 1960's Mosrite Mark IV Gospel

This instrument is unusual in a couple of ways. It is one of only two known examples of a Mark IV style Mosrite Gospel model. While Kurt owned and smashed many cheap (usually Univox) copies of Mosrite guitars during his career this was one of only two actual Mosrites he owned. (The other was damaged and given away.) It was also one of his favorite guitars, which saved it from the usual fate of the instruments he used for live performances. Kurt purchased the guitar in San Francisco in 1990.

According to Kurt’s tech, Earnie Bailey, "Kurt had only one Gospel, and this is a beyond rare guitar. At the time Kurt died, I was secretly working with Loretta Mosley to build Kurt a lefty Gospel," ".in some cool color." Unfortunately, Kurt passed away as Earnie was gathering photos to send to Mosrite of Kurt's original. "Loretta sent me a nice letter after it ended, as she had recently lost Semie (husband, founder of Mosrite) and was now running Mosrite on her own... she had sent me some sales literature of another Gospel, but could find no history of ever having made one based on the Mark IV guitar."
[Quote reprinted from www.kurtsequipment.com]

Kurt had painted the very small Mosrite dot markers with white-out to make them more visible in a live setting. Although a subsequent owner removed this simple modification, residue of this is still visible on the instrument.This is a factory right handed instrument, so it was modified for Kurt with a strap button added to the treble side horn, and the original metal string guide has been flipped to allow it to be strung left handed. The original case bears the words 'NIRVANA' and 'Fuck Elvis' in white paint, which while painted over with the same paint are still visible on inspection.

This was a featured instrument in our ‘Icons of 20th Century Music’ auction, held in Dallas, TX, in April 2004. The guitar sold to a collector for $131,450.00. At one time Kurt’s lovely widow, Courtney Love, attempted to claim ownership of the instrument. This was problematic for her, as he had sold the guitar before they were married.

URL Links: Kurt Cobain • Mosrite • Nirvana

Tags: Mosrite, Nirvana, Kurt Cobain

Gregg Allman gave this 1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard 'Gold Top' to Dan Toler during his time playing guitar with the Allman Brothers Band. Dan used this instrument with the Allman Brothers Band for 3 years, and for 7 years with the Gregg Allman Band. It was also used on recordings released by both groups.


This guitar had been in the Allman 'family' for years, and as was done to several other instruments the band members owned it was sent back to the Gibson factory in or around 1973 to be refinished. The tuners, pickup rings, and one of the tone knobs were replaced at that time.


The Book Gibson Electrics includes a shot of Dickey Betts playing this instrument.


The Patent Applied For ('PAF') humbucking pickups, wiring harness, switch cap and ring, pickguard and bell cover are all original to this guitar.


URL Links: Gibson Guitars • Allman Brothers Band • Dickey Betts 

Tags: Gibson, 1957, Les Paul, Gold Top

This custom ordered 1966 Rickenbacker 370-12 was built for The Byrds frontman and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Roger McGuinn, as a replacement for his original 1964 Rickenbacker 360-12.

That original 1964 guitar had been returned to the factory to add the third pickup. Roger & his tech installed a treble booster circuit under the pickguard and rewired the guitar to have three separate volume controls.

When Roger ordered the new instrument, the factory made these modifications for him, with the exception of the treble booster, which once again Roger installed after picking it up from the factory. When viewed up close it becomes obvious that the on-off switch between the two toggle switches is was cut by hand.

The tuners were also replaced some time in 1967 with an unwieldy set of gold Schallers (see image below. The 6 mounted to the edge of the headstock were reversed, leaving the tuner buttons facing the front of the guitar.

This was Roger’s main guitar from 1966 through the end of of 1970, when it was retired, and later sold to the Guitar Center in Hollywood, California. In 1970 he ordered a third instrument due to the damage this one had seen through constant use.

We had the 6 inch neck crack repaired, and I wired the guitar back to Roger’s specs with what remained of the original harness, less the missing treble booster circuit. The previous owner had completely removed the original harness and installed an even more complex switching arrangement.

This guitar was auctioned as one of the premier instruments at our ‘Icons of 20th Century Music’ auction in Dallas, Texas, in April 2004. It sold for $117.500.00. Since then it has been auctioned a second time. I do not know the identity of the current owner.

Roger’s original 1964 360-12 is in the Permanent Exhibition of the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington.

We’ve posted a few items for sale featuring the beautiful front and back images of this guitar here.

I am currently authoring two book featuring our vintage and celebrity-owned instruments, as well as having posters and other cool items designed using the images from our archives.

Feel free to submit comments, suggestions, etc. using the Contact Us link at the bottom of this page.

Scott


URL Links: Roger McGuinn • Rickenbacker • Experience Music Project

Tags: Roger McGuinn, 1967, Rickenbacker , 12 String, Vintage, Celebrity