Original Danny Gatton Telecaster

Photos?

 

That's an excellent description, but yes, photos are a must. You can upload them directly from your computer. If you need help, just ask. I promise, we won't bite your head off. CS

 

If this was one of Danny's guitars, I'd feel like I could never do it justice playing it.

 

It's very easy. Just below the white box where you type your text are three buttons: Post Reply, Upload a File, and More Options... Click on Upload a File, and choose the picture(s) you want to show. That's all there is to it. CS

 

Hmm regardless, I think you have a really nice guitar in hands, XB70A. Looking forward for the pictures.

 

I am really looking forward to the pictures.

I grew up in the D.C. area and saw Danny and the FatBoys (?) in Georgetown at one of the bars on M Street,
Roy Buchanan at the Wax Museum (late in his career)
and Nils Lofgren at the Bethesda Unitarian Church. I remember when Truth by Jeff Beck was released and the next week Nils could play it all.

Those were the days.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

Here's what Danny's signature looks like on his Custom Shop model.

 

A question for the experts. Does that fretboard wear look like it could have been done by Danny?

 

Good question, Tony. I don't consider myself an expert, but one thing that stood out to me seeing Danny Gatton play? It looked like his entire fretboard had been worn to a frazzle - no part left unplayed. It would seem unusual for a guitar played by Danny Gatton to have a wear pattern down in the first position and nowhere else.

Interesting set of pickups. Wonder what they are.

 

Don't clean it.

Contact Joe Bonamassa's people if you ever want to sell it. He'd be all over it for sure. He loves buying guitars that have a story.

I watched a YouTube video of Joe when he was a teenager playing with Danny.

 

I think I have one of that guitar's cousins. Check the cover of Billy Hancock's "Shakin' That Rockabilly Fever". Tex Rubinowitz, sometimes along with Danny, made several partscasters in the mid-70s. I note the "placebo switch" on yours that I removed on mine when I did the plate flip. It looks like your guard might also be one of the home made ones as well. Mine has a genuine Dakaware switch tip and the finish removed from the knobs-making the knurl sharper. According to Billy Hancock and another source there were nine guitars built like mine that were initially to sell the idea of a pickup Danny and Tex Rubinowitz were making of what was thought to be a Charlie Christian pickup they found at a local music store (probably Zavarella's). It turns out it was a Gibson B9 lap steel pickup. The business tanked. The two pickups didn't really "play well together" until I removed the tone control from the neck pickup. From the age on the surround on my pickup I think mine might be the original one. Check under the pick guard and control plate to see if there isn't some poor chiseled routing work and sloppy soldering. The bridge on mine is a 70s Fender six saddle modded to a three saddle. There's an ancient thread somewhere around here where a guy tracked down I think 7 of the nine guitars. Almost all were modded to something else later on because they had no real value. I know Peter Bonta had one at one point. Mine, like the custom shop models, has no finish on the neck and the string trees flat on the headstock. Billy said Tex was the prime mover of those guitars. Check the dates on the parts if they weren't sanded off. Mine's a 69 neck and 73 body. A friend of mine also has a Tex P bass with a less than amazing burst finish. Oh, mine also has a rewound pickup that was wrapped in electrician's tape too.

 

Even if it isn't Gatton's it's still a very nice piece of history.

 

Wow!

The pickguard isn't original...an original 1979 would be an 8-hole, 3-ply black.

I can't explain why only the first few frets are worn like that.

Also, I think 1979 Teles had a three-saddle bridge but I couldn't swear to it...will have to check out an old catalog I have.

Nice guitar no matter what the provenance.

 

I had one of the original Tex Rubinowitz Teles, also with a Charlie Christian pickup. It was a cool guitar, but as you say its value was primarily sentimental, and I foolishly let it go before I moved to Austin, TX in 1979. I've always wondered where it wound up -- who knows? Maybe it's yours! ;-) CS