NGD - Danny Gatton Custom Shop Tele (kind of)

[teletail]

I've started a couple of threads on Danny Gatton Teles and a couple of months ago I found one at Chuck Levin's in Wheaton, MD. It had obviously been modified with a strat pickup in the neck and new tuners and the headstock decal was a little funky, so even though it was priced well, I passed. They did a little research and it was actually built for someone. Well, I really liked the way it played and sounded and I've been back a couple of times. The last time I was in, they offered to take it apart to let me look at the neck cavity, the neck and the pickups. It turns out that the neck is Gatton Custom Shop neck from 1993, the body is a '52 Custom Shop body from 1998, and the inside of the pickguard is signed by Jay Monterose, Danny Gatton's guitar tech, with a note that this was built for Bill Wallace "friend & picker" in 1999, along with a note thanking him for something I can't quite make out. They changed the strings and set it up for me to my liking so I could try it out, before I even agreed to buy it. Can't say enough good about Paul Schein and the manager of the guitar shop, who's name I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember after spending an hour with him.

My original idea was to turn this into a Keith Richards micawber, but of course once I got it home and started playing it I started thinking, "I can't mess with this guitar!"

 

[Slim Chance]

HA! I drove by the shop today, but kept myself out for obvious reasons. I've already made a guitar purchase from them this year working with Luke, who may be the manager. I got a great deal on a LP Classic. Bought my first electric from Paul many years ago.

Enjoy your one-of-a-kind Telecaster.

 

[teletail]

HA! I drove by the shop today, but kept myself out for obvious reasons. I've already made a guitar purchase from them this year working with Luke, who may be the manager. I got a great deal on a LP Classic. Bought my first electric from Paul many years ago.

Enjoy your one-of-a-kind Telecaster.

The first thing I ever bought was an SVT 8X10 cabinet from them in 1976. I arranged a deal with the salesman for $300 out the door for a floor model with cover. I drove up there and he said there had been a mixup and the floor model was sold, but they had a new one I could have for $400. I just turned around and started to leave and he chased me down and you won't believe this, but somehow they found another floor model that they could sell me for $300! My father didn't raise any pushovers or fools. I played the crap out of that cabinet from Long Island to Miami for many years.

 

[brookdalebill]

Cool!

 

[hoggy]

SWEET

 

[MickM]

I've called that shop when amp shopping but never made the 2 hr. trip. Maybe one of these days.
That is a great looking guitar and I likely would have bought it too!

 

[teletail]

I've called that shop when amp shopping but never made the 2 hr. trip. Maybe one of these days.
That is a great looking guitar and I likely would have bought it too!

I'm not sure where you live, but if you haven't been there, Atomic Music in Beltsville, MD is well worth a trip. They easily have 3 or 4 times the inventory that Chuck has - all used, really good prices.

 

[MickM]

I'm not sure where you live, but if you haven't been there, Atomic Music in Beltsville, MD is well worth a trip. They easily have 3 or 4 times the inventory that Chuck has - all used, really good prices.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm outside of Harrisburg, PA.

 

[Fretting out]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm outside of Harrisburg, PA.

That’s a good trek, I’m about the same distance from those shops

Always look at them online but haven’t made the journey myself, maybe it’s worth it for the right thing

 

[Cali Dude]

That's awesome! Congrats.

 

[teletail]

That’s a good trek, I’m about the same distance from those shops

Always look at them online but haven’t made the journey myself, maybe it’s worth it for the right thing

Atomic has a very tiny amount of their inventory on line. Same with Chucks; they have about a dozen used Custom Shop guitars and basses right now.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Dang. Nize!

And boy that's a definite real DG neck, with that 22nd fret squeezed, squeezed in at the neck end!