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Here is a video of James Burton playing Hello Mary Lou with Rickie Nelson -- on a Jazzmaster (!!??!!) . . .
Is it possible that he played this famous solo originally on the Jazzmaster and not the Telecaster?

Very interesting and what a great solo that is.

Very surprising !
When Cliff ordered the first Strat for Hank, they tought it was the model used by James Burton. They should have ordered a Jazzmaster instead !

Didier

Didier wrote:Very surprising !
When Cliff ordered the first Strat for Hank, they thought it was the model used by James Burton. They should have ordered a Jazzmaster instead !

Didier

Exactly! Let's not forget that the Jazzmaster was Fender's top of the line model !!

Errr . . . . . before we get too carried away, don't forget that the band are not playing live, they are miming to the record with Rick singing into a mic that may (or may not) be a working practical.

As the clip was presumably from a US TV pop show, Fender could well have used the opportunity to 'show off' their top-of-the-range model (in the same way that, in another recent thread on this site, The Honeycombs were shown miming with brand new Burns guitars). James Burton would have been given the guitar for the show and it would have been taken back afterwards. It is very common for musicians to use hired or supplied instruments on TV shows when they don't actually have to play them.

Ray

Bojan wrote:

Didier wrote:Very surprising !
When Cliff ordered the first Strat for Hank, they thought it was the model used by James Burton. They should have ordered a Jazzmaster instead !

Didier

Exactly! Let's not forget that the Jazzmaster was Fender's top of the line model !!

This is probably why Bruce got a Jazzmaster soon after, may be he wanted a more expensive guitar than Hank's !

Didier

RayL wrote:James Burton would have been given the guitar for the show and it would have been taken back afterwards.

I saw Bruce Welch playing live a white Tele at the Paris Olympia in 1961, may be it was for the same reason !

Didier

Bojan wrote:

Didier wrote:Very surprising !
When Cliff ordered the first Strat for Hank, they thought it was the model used by James Burton. They should have ordered a Jazzmaster instead !

Didier

Exactly! Let's not forget that the Jazzmaster was Fender's top of the line model !!

Are you serious Boing??..I thought the Jaguar was the top-notch guitar at that period in time...

RayL wrote:Errr . . . . . before we get too carried away, don't forget that the band are not playing live, they are miming to the record with Rick singing into a mic that may (or may not) be a working practical.

But a Jazzmaster easily gives that Telecaster-type sound. At least, mine does. In my opinion, the Jazzmaster is the most versatile of the well-known solid guitars, capable of the piercing Tele twang, the more refined Strat growl and honk and an extremely convincing jazz archtop purr...

Incidentally, although that is the record being used as the soundtrack, it's quite different from the stereo version I have on CD. Whatever it is that the drummer is hitting is inaudible in that mono mix - and the backing vocal is missing.

JN

ernie1958 wrote:I thought the Jaguar was the top-notch guitar at that period in time...

The Jaguar was introduced only at the NAMM show of 1962 (some time after that video was made).

Jet Harris had one of the very first batch into the UK by the time that Diamonds was released (4th January 1963).

HTH,

JN