Which electric guitar for rhythm in the early years?

[Bill Bowley]

.. and that Jazzmaster appears in this shot of a live show back 'when'.......you'll also note the Telecaster on the old movie clip when Cliff plays Apache which is on YouTube.

[ala1940]

In the last but one picture Bruce is playing a Grimshaw SS DeLuxe. This Guitars were handmade,normally to order, and of high quality.Often considered to be as good as the bearly available Gibson guitars at the time. The Grimshaw that I had and now regret parting with was theTrobadour DeLuxe.equipped with a ebony fingerboard, "D" shaped soundhole all very similar to a Maccaferri but with the strings secured at the bridge and a cunningly hidden 6 pole pick in the end of the fingerboard, way ahead at the time.

[abstamaria]

Very interesting photos. Yes, I wonder how Bruce acquired that Jazzmaster, which was more expensive than a standard Stratocaster then.

Andy

[cockroach]

Did I recall reading somewhere that the black Vega that Bruce used may have once been Hank's?

Either way, it was a rare US model, I think the great early electric jazz guitarist Charlie Christian played that model as well as his Gibsons, someone posted a photo some time ago. I would guess there was an interesting story about how that particular guitar got to the UK back then- probably brought over by an American ?

The UK hand built Grimshaw has always fascinated me- quite a few UK players used them in the late 50's- Joe Brown, Joe Moretti, Jimmie Currie (with Lonnie Donegan) Bruce, Tony Sheridan etc - there is a very good website- I think it's www.grimshawguitars....whatever!

Bruce seems to have stuck with various Fenders after that lot, apart from the orange Gretsch 6120.

I've often thought that when Bruce and Jet were using the sunburst Fender Jazzmaster and Precision bass, that if Hank had used a sunburst Strat, they would have looked like the Ventures...ooops! Did I just say that?!

Ah what the hell- it's only paint!

[John Boyd]

Cockroach,
Re your last comment - I think that the cover shot of the Ventures second LP (with the three sunburst Fenders) is the classic promo shot for the Fender brand.
Cheers,
JB

[cockroach]

Hi JB!

Yeah, I agree, and for years when I was young, I was so envious of all those Amercian groups that had beautiful matching Fender lineups, including matching Fender amps!

[John Boyd]

Cockroach
I, like you was very envious. We had to make do with matching Jansen (NZ made) guitars and amps.
Even so, we thought we looked pretty cool. The real 'cool' came a couple of years later with the Fiesta Red Strats.
JB

[RUSSET]

Of course, the Lead guitar in the Ventures was the Jazzmaster.

Tony.

[John Boyd]

Tony,
You're quite correct.
Initially, Bob Bogle played lead on a JM, however around 1962 (when Mel Taylor joined on drums), both Don Wilson and Bob Bogle were playing Jazzmasters.
Cheers,
JB

[Bill Bowley]

Cover pic from the first guitar LP I ever bought.