Vintage Guitar Scene

Everyone remembers their first time. This was mine. Attending an auction to bid for a guitar.

1954 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top (Serial Number 4 0809) I first saw this guitar in Sydney in 1984 whilst touring with a band from Perth, Western Australia. It was the ‘cleanest’ vintage Gibson Les […]

These guitars were made in the U.S.A. as budget instruments. I would think quite a few were made back in the day, but not sure how many original examples would have survived until the present day. These original examples are very rare here in Australia.

John Joseph Rogers from Millicent (South Australia) and Grace Mabel Beatrice Fitzgibbon from Williamstown (Victoria) were married in 1917. They lived in a modest weatherboard house on a vineyard in Merbein, North-West Victoria. John Rogers had purchased the virgin land and planted it with grapevines – primarily sultanas – soon after the Merbein irrigation settlement was established in 1909. John and Grace raised 13 children on the property. My father John (Jack) was the first-born, whilst the last was Kevin, born in 1931, and later to be known throughout the clan as “Unk”.

Ok take a deep breath… This is about as good as it gets… This one guitar literally cost me – a 1957 Stratocaster, 1964 Stratocaster, 1956 Les Paul Custom, 1956 Les Paul Soecial TV, an L series Fender Jazzmaster, and a refin but otherwise all original 1962 strat. All these guitars were 100% original bar the ’62 refin strat.

1964 Gibson ES335 Red (Serial Number 70664)

I’ll start off by saying that this is one of the best sounding guitars ever. A big wrap I know, but it’s true.

1961 Fender Bass VI (Serial Number 70174)

Original Sixties Fender Bass VI’s are not very common here in Australia. I found this one in a guitar shop on Coogee Bay Road (not far from where I was living) and the shop’s owner had just returned from the US with this instrument.

I was looking for one of these for a while and when this one came up I played it and liked its vibe. Also the binding was still in good shape, not like a lot of older Gretschs where it deteriorates.