Jimi Hendrix's Black Beauty

The Guitarist

Jimi Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. His named was later legally changed to James Marshall Hendrix in memory of his older brother who died at an earlier age.

For a relatively short period of time, from signing up with Chas Chandler in 1966 until to his untimely demise exactly 42 years ago in September 18, 1970, Hendrix personified the term "guitar hero" and revolutionized guitar playing in a manner that shook the rock world to its foundations.

He has his share of admirers and detractors but there's no denying that people still listen to his music for inspiration, even after his untimely demise. His musical genius was way beyond his time. The showmanship, braggadocio and over-the-top nature of his live performances were unheard of during his era.

As a testament to his talent and influence, Rolling Stone magazine gave him the #1 spot on their list of the Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time in 2003. Hendrix also was posthumously inducted to the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and in the UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

The Guitar

Black Beauty is a 1968 Fender Stratocaster with black finish, white pickguard and a maple neck. Its serial number is 222625, the neck is slim and the fretboard is of standard Fender radius of 7". It was one of several Fender Stratocasters that Jimi owned.

What makes it unique is that Black Beauty was actually Jimi Hendrix's favorite guitar, even more so than his other equally legendary guitar, the 1968 Olympic White Fender Stratocaster known as the "Woodstock Strat", which he famously played during the seminal 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Hendrix himself named the guitar "Black Beauty".

Hendrix played Black Beauty in several live performances, most notably in the Isle of Wight Pop Festival on August 31, 1970, and was his first choice to pick up whenever he jams with other musicians. Initially though, Jimi was hesitant to play Black Beauty on stage and was instead content to play the guitar during practice. Eventually, he started playing Black Beauty at memorable gigs during the later part of his career. Black Beauty was the last guitar Hendrix was seen to have played during his live concerts prior his untimely demise.

Black Beauty was taken into possession by Jimi's girlfriend Monika Danneman after his demise in Monika's London apartment just 18 days after the historic Isle of Wight Festival. According to her, Jimi had played Black Beauty on the night prior to his death.

The current whereabouts of Black Beauty is subject to speculation.

It is generally believed that the guitar had been in Monika's possession since Jimi's passing, kept unplayed in its case for more than 20 years. But after her death in 1996 via carbon monoxide poisoning, the guitar was said to be passed on to Uli Jon Roth, the former lead guitarist of German rock group The Scorpions. Monika and Uli had been in a relationship after meeting in the mid-1970's, lasting until her death.

Here’s a video of Jimi Hendrix performing an amazing version of "All Along The Watchtower" at the Isle of Wight Festival with Black Beauty, August 31, 1970.



Photo sources:
www.univibes.com
www.strat-talk.com

John Lennon's 1965 Epiphone Casino

The Guitarist

John Lennon was the other half of the incredible songwriting juggernaut, the famed Lennon-McCartney tandem with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, that produced one hit song after another during The Beatles' incredible run from their inception of the group's classic lineup, with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in 1962 up to their break-up in 1970.

Lennon was born John Winston Lennon on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England at the height of the Second World War. Got his first guitar, a Gallotone Champion acoustic given by his mother, in 1956. He then formed a band called The Quarrymen on the same year. It was on one of the band's performances that Lennon met Paul McCartney and asked him to join the group, which ultimately evolved into The Beatles.

The Beatles went on to become the best-selling musical group in history, with an estimated sales of over a billion units and influenced scores of budding musicians over the years.

Even after the Beatles went their separate ways, Lennon continued writing and recording iconic songs, such as "Imagine", "Working Class Hero", and "Give Peace A Chance", in the 70's which became anthems for a generation of socially-conscious individuals.

However, good things never really last. On December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot in the back four times by a deranged fan near his New York apartment, The Dakota. He was declared dead on arrival at the nearby hospital where he was taken after the tragic shooting.

Among his numerous accolades, Lennon inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1994, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And in 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine honored Lennon by ranking him the 5th greatest singer of all-time.

The Guitar

Though Lennon's career is defined largely by his contributions to songwriting and his larger-than-life persona, his role as a guitarist in The Beatles repertoire should not be ignored.

One of the more recognizable guitars that John was identified with was an Epiphone Casino which he got around 1966 and was first seen during the group's performance in British TV show "Top of the Pops". It should be noted that McCartney was the first of the group to acquire an Epiphone Casino in 1964, after an evening of listening to blues music with his friend John Mayall and got a liking to the guitar's sound. Perhaps for the same reason, Lennon and Harrison followed suit and got their own, albeit identical, Epiphone Casinos in 1965.

The 1965 E230TD Epiphone Casino that John acquired had a double-cutaway semi-hollow f-hole body, P-90 pickups, vintage tuners with small buttons, trapeze tailpiece and originally a sunburst finish. However, after hearing from a friend that a guitar would sound better without a heavy finish, he decided to sand the paint off the instrument, leaving it with a natural wood finish. He then used his newly-sanded Casinos to the sessions for the "White Album". In the promo video for the single "Revolution" off the new album, Lennon can be seen taking the refurbished guitar for a spin.

During his remaining years with The Beatles, Lennon frequently utilized the Epiphone Casino as his main guitar, thereby cementing its status as one of the legendary guitars of the era.

After Lennon's passing, the guitar was kept by Yoko Ono and was put on display in the John Lennon Museum in Saitama, Japan until it closed in September 30, 2010.

Here's a video of the phenomenal group performing their classic "Don't Let Down" in their historic Apple building rooftop concert, at 3 Savile Row, London, on January 30,1969.



Photo sources:
www.epiphonewiki.com

Angus Young's 1968 Gibson SG

The Guitarist

Angus McKinnon Young was born in Glasgow, Scotland in March 31, 1955. He is the Australian lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of hard rock band AC/DC. He is currently residing in Sydney, Australia and also has a home in Aalten, Netherlands.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is well-known for his outrageous performances, schoolboy-uniform (from his secondary school, Ashfield Boys High School) stage outfits, a variation of Chuck Berry's duck walk and his spasm-like contortions while playing lead guitar lying on the floor.

His playing style is reflective of his blues background, reminiscent of his influences such as Chuck Berry, Freddie King and Jimi Hendrix. Although Angus is typically the main visual focus during live performances aside from vocalist Brian Johnson, he usually credits his brother Malcolm as being a more superior guitar player than he is.

He was listed 24th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time. Most recently in May 2012, Angus was named Best Australian Guitarist Of All Time by a poll conducted by Australian Guitar Magazine.

The Guitar

The Gibson SG (which stood for "Solid Guitar") Standard electric guitar has always been associated with Young, who almost exclusively uses the Gibson SG over the years.

There are speculations that Angus' early guitar was actually a 1970 model SG due to certain details in the construction of the body and neck when viewing early pictures of Angus with his SG. However, in an interview with Steven Rosen, Angus stated that the first Gibson SG he owned was bought second-hand, possibly a 1967. He played the guitar until the neck got ruined and warped.

The diminutive guitarist's favorite, though, was a 1968 SG Standard, mostly because of its lightweight body which comes in handy during his frenetic stage antics. It was unusual because it apparently had an extra slim and narrow neck than standard issue SGs. The reason for this anomaly was because this SG was actually a factory reject.

Gibson eventually produced the Angus Young Signature model which used the guitarist's favorite 1968 SG as basis. The signature SG's bridge pickup (The Angus Young Signature Humbuckers) was designed in collaboration with specifications from the legendary guitarist while the neck pickup is a '57 Classic Humbucker. The fretboard features the AC/DC signature "lightning bolt" inlays. The guitar also possesses the extra slim, narrow neck that Young prefers.

The video below, a 1977 footage of the band playing "Let There Be Rock", captures the intensity and energy of a live performance by the classic AC/DC lineup (with the late, great Bon Scott). Don't miss Angus' scorching guitar solo at the end of the song!



Photo source:
www.acdc.com
www.gibson.com

Slash and his Gibson Les Pauls

The Guitarist

Slash, born Saul Hudson in London, United Kingdom, on July 23, 1965, was prominently known as the ex-lead guitarist for the hard rock group Guns N' Roses from 1985 until the break-up of the original lineup in 1996.

Slash’s blues and punk rock influences are very much evident in his work with GNR, Velvet Revolver and his other side projects/solo efforts. Known for his hard-living, devil-may-care rockstar attitude as much as his blues-driven guitar stylings, Slash was notorious for alcohol and drug abuse early in his career. He eventually toned down in recent years and has adopted a relatively clean, substance-free lifestyle.

At the age of 5, Slash moved to Los Angeles from the UK with his parents. It was there in Hollywood that Slash joined several different bands before meeting with Steven Adler, Duff McKagan, Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin, the group that in due course became known as the legendary rock outfit Guns N’ Roses.

After several tumultuous, albeit profitable years, with the self-proclaimed “Most Dangerous Band in the World”, Slash played his last gig in 1993 after the extensive “Use Your Illusion” 1991 world tour and ultimately left the group in 1996. In 2002, Slash co-founded the supergroup Velvet Revolver with Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Dave Kushner and Scott Weiland, and released two commercially successful albums, “Contraband” (2004) and “Libertad” (2007).

The Guitars

Slash is known to own more than a hundred guitars, mostly Gibson Les Pauls, with a few B.C. Rich Mockingbirds, Fender Strats and Teles. He has also collaborated with Gibson USA/Gibson Custom to produce 7 signature guitars, and with Epiphone to create 4 signature models.

His main guitar used during recording sessions was a 1959 Les Paul Standard replica. He used that guitar on every album he recorded with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver. Aside from the 1959 Les Paul replica, Slash’s other main guitar for during live performances was a 1988 Gibson Les Paul Standard.

I don’t know about you, but for me, the image of Slash, with his big ‘fro under that ubiquitous top hat and playing a low-strapped Gibson Les Paul, is indelibly engraved in my mind that it’s almost absurd to picture Slash playing a different guitar! Though Slash has in fact played a number of other guitars such as Mockingbirds, Strats and Teles, he is generally associated with the Les Paul guitar.

Having said this, it is quite impossible to pin Slash to a particular LP guitar given his massive guitar collection. Every concert would be an opportunity for him to use and display a guitar from his vast arsenal of six-stringed axes.

For your viewing pleasure, I've included one of my favorite Guns N' Roses tunes, November Rain. The video also features a couple of Slash's most memorable guitar solos!



Photo sources:
www.telegraph.co.uk
www.snakepit.org

Carlos Santana's Yamaha SG2000

The Guitarist

Carlos Santana is a Mexican-American rock guitarist who became well-known in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion. Santana was born in Jalisco, Mexico, on July 20, 1947.

The band's sound featured his melodic, blues-based guitar lines set against Latin and African rhythms featuring percussion instruments such as timbales and congas not generally heard in rock music. Santana continued to work in these forms over the following decades. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s.

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and 3 Latin Grammy Awards.

The Guitar

Since the late 60’s, Santana had been playing different guitars and searching for the right tone for his music. He’d been seen performing with a Gibson Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Custom and a Gibson SG.

By 1975, Yamaha had introduced their SG175, and had contacted Carlos Santana regarding playing that model. However, Santana's first reaction was that the guitar was too light, that the frets were too thin, and that it just wasn't delivering the sustain he was looking for. Luckily for both parties, Yamaha took his comments to heart.

Eventually, the two developed the SG2000. This model incorporated a neck-through-body design (instead of the neck being bolted onto the body, it is one solid piece of wood that runs from the headstock to the tailpiece). A mahogany body delivered the weight, which led to greater sustain and a fatter tone. And strips of mahogany flanking the neck (called the "T-Cross System”) were also incorporated.

The hardware was converted to brass, which purportedly added to the sustain as well (the ability of brass hardware to enhance tone has been debated by artists for the last 30 years). In addition, a "Sustain Plate" was added: a brass plate that sat underneath the tailpiece.

The tone of Carlos Santana's Yamaha SG guitar can be heard on a number of landmark recordings, one of the most notable being 1977's Moonflower. From that record came the studio version of "She's Not There," along with live versions of "Dance Sister Dance (Baila Mi Hermana)," "Let the Children Play / Jugando," and "Europa," all of which blew away the previously released studio versions. Some of Santana's straight-ahead rock hits, like "Open Invitation" and "All I Ever Wanted" were also recorded on the SG2000.

Carlos continued to use the Yamaha until the early '80s, both in concert and on albums including Inner Secrets, Marathon, Zebop!, and Shango. By 1982 he had migrated totally to Paul Reed Smith guitars, which he continues to play to this day. However, his years' playing the Yamaha SG guitar were pivotal in his development of the smooth, round, endlessly sustaining tone which has become his trademark.

Santana’s legendary guitar, the Yamaha SG2000, is now on display at the Berlin Musical Instrument Museum.

For your viewing pleasure here is Santana performing the classic “Black Magic Woman” live in 1977. He played his then-recently acquired signature Yamaha SG2000 in this performance. Watch and feel the magic!



Sources:
www.wikipedia.org
www.ultimatesantana.com

Stevie Ray Vaughan's Number One

The Guitarist

Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas on Oct. 3, 1954, and went on to become one of the most prominent blues guitar players that emerged from the 80’s era. SRV and his band Double Trouble's popularity came a long way from being booed at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival to perform sold-out concerts in various locations all over the world until his early demise on Aug. 27, 1990.

As SRV survived drug and alcohol addiction over the years, his popularity soared. He became even popular after his untimely death. He was onboard an ill-fated helicopter, on the way to Chicago from Wisconsin, that crashed on the side of a steep hill. Earlier that evening, Vaughan had played with Double Trouble at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, featured as a special guest with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan. This tragic incident cut short Stevie Ray's career and denied the music fans from experiencing more of his music.

The Guitar

Number One was SRV's main guitar. The beat-up vintage Fender Stratocaster is often called "the most famous battered Strat in rock history".

He was able to acquire the guitar in 1973 from a guitar shop in Austin, Texas. It was of tobacco-sunburst shade, built with a combination of a 1962 solid alder body, a 1963 maple neck and 1959 stock single-coil pickups. SRV, being a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, tried to imitate the way Hendrix plays his guitars by putting a left-handed vibrato system on Number One. This way, the tremolo arm would be hanging from the top part of the unit, the same way as when left-handed Jimi played right-handed guitars. SRV also replaced the original white pickguard with a black piece, then putting his signature SRV initials with stickers.

Number One, as with Stevie's other guitars, was usually strung with heavy string gauges. SRV used amazingly thick .013-.060 gauge strings. In comparison, guitars are bought normally with .009-.042 (high-E to low-E) string gauges. There's even a widespread account about SRV's propensity to use super glue on his fingertips to re-attach torn shards of skin. It's no wonder though, considering the chunky string gauges he was using!

All these attributes of Number One gave Stevie his distinctive, signature tone. Over the years, the abuse, wear and tear of SRV's playing resulted in several repairs for the Number One strat, such as re-frets with jumbo frets and replacements for neck/headstock. After Stevie's death though, the original neck was put back on the guitar.

Number One is presently under the care of brother Jimmie Vaughan. Recently, Fender Custom Shop was able to produce replicas of SRV’s Number One with a limited number of copies. According to the guys at Fender Custom Shop, Number One was meticulously measured and weighed. Every part was copied every odd detail, replicated each dent and scratch for a creation that looked as though it was the real thing.

A fitting tribute to one of the greatest blues guitarist who ever lived.

Here's a video of Stevie Ray playing his classic song "Tightrope" with his Number One strat live. Enjoy!

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Photo sources:
www.wikipedia.org
www.stevieray.com

Eric Clapton's Blackie Stratocaster Specs

Blackie, a mid-1950s Fender Stratocaster guitar pieced together by Eric Clapton himself from numerous individual guitars, was Clapton’s main instrument throughout the ’70s and ’80s. Clapton’s albums 461 Ocean Boulevard, Slowhand, No Reason To Cry and Just One Night among others, were all recorded with Blackie. And in addition to memorable solo tours, Clapton and Blackie shared the stage with the likes of Pete Townshend, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters and The Band.

In 2004, Eric Clapton's legendary black strat Blackie was auctioned off and commanded an amazing US $959,000 at a Christie’s auction that benefited the Crossroads Centre, Antigua, a charity founded by Clapton.

In 2006, Fender Custom Shop, with the permission of Eric Clapton himself, took on the task on recreating a limited number (275 units) of Eric Clapton's beloved Blackie Sratocaster guitar. Each replica, meticulously reconstructed down to the smallest detail, was priced at US $ 24,000.

Listed below are the specifications and items included with the Blackie package:

Fender Custom Shop Tribute Series Series
Standard Colors: Black (Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Pick Ups: 3 Staggered Pole Custom Wound Single Coil Pickups
Body: 3 Piece Alder
Neck: Maple, Soft "V" Shape (Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard: Maple, 9½" Radius
Number of Frets: 21
Scale Length: 25 ½ inches
Options:
- Bolt-On Neck
- Special Soft "V" Shape Neck
- Cigarette-burned Head Stock
- 21 Vintage Style Frets
- American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
- Five Vintage Chrome Tuning Keys
- One Worn Gold-plated "F" Type Key For Top E-string
- Dulled Nickel Hardware
- Single-Ply White Pickguard With 8 Screw Holes
- White Plastic Knobs and Pickup Covers
- One Master Volume Knob
- Two Tone Knobs (Neck and Middle - Pickups)
- 5-way pick-up selector as per original (3-way included separately)
- Original Headstock Shape
- Original Body Shape with "Original Contour Body" Decal on Headstock
- Replica-aged "Duck Brother" Anvil Case
- Certificate signed by Fender Masterbuilder Who Made The Guitar
- Certificate signed by Eric Clapton
- Making of Blackie DVD
- Leather Presentation Folder for certificates and DVD
- Christies Auction Book
- Crossroads CD Set
- Crossroads DVD
- Letter from the Crossroads Center
- Original List Price: 24,000.00


Related post:
Eric Clapton and his Blackie Stratocaster

Source:
www.fendercustomshop.com.au
www.zuitar.com

Prince's MadCat Hohner Telecaster

The Guitarist

Prince Nelson Rogers, more popular known as Prince, emerged as one of the top acts in the pop music heap during the early 1980’s. And His Royal Badness has been on it ever since, selling around 80 million albums worldwide and cementing his status as one of the all-time greats.

He’s an astounding multi-instrumentalist who can play several different wind, string and percussion instruments. There was also a time when he recorded all tracks on his album by himself! While Prince was primarily recognized for his talents in songwriting, musical prodigy and knack for producing hit songs, he was likewise notoriously famous for his eccentric behavior. After all, who else would rename himself as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince? Actually, his weird behavior has enough grounds to cover a separate article, but let’s not get sidetracked by this for now.

What is commonly overlooked by the casual listening public is his surprising capacity as a rhythm and lead guitar player. Once Prince puts on his guitar player cap, he delivers with the same six-stringed passion and virtuosity as his idols, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Johnny Watson.

The Guitar

The main guitar Prince uses is his MadCat guitar, a Hohner telecaster knock-off, which he started using around 1983. It has a natural-wood finish with a maple fretboard/neck and leopard skin pickguard, with chrome hardware. The guitar has 2 single-coil pickups and a fixed bridge.

The MadCat Hohner Telecaster is identified to be his primary guitar during live performances and recording sessions in the studio. It’s distinctive, funky rhythm tone has been present in several of his recordings.

After years of using the stock Hohner Tele pickups, Prince eventually replaced the stock pickups with Kinman pickups. Now here’s another story that displayed his eccentricity. When the Kinman pickups ordered by Prince’s guitar tech arrived, it came with white covers. Rather than buying black covers, Prince instead instructed him to color the covers black with a black Magic Marker. Can you believe that?

His Royal Badness had several of these Hohner Telecasters eventually. It was a testament of his fondness for this guitar despite the fact that Hohner guitars were generally considered as cheap alternatives to more well-known brands such as Fender and Gibson.

Here's a jam session where Prince was playing his Hohner Tele with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne jamming “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” during the posthumous induction of George Harrison to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, of which Prince himself was a co-inductee. Prince made his guitar weep in the latter part of the song, starting at the 3:28 mark. Watch the video and see for yourself!

Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock Strat

The Guitarist

Jimi Hendrix is a guitar legend who, unquestionably, doesn't need any introduction.

He has his share of admirers and detractors but there's no denying that people still listen to his music for inspiration, even after his untimely demise more than 40 years ago. His musical genius was way beyond his time. The showmanship, braggadocio and over-the-top nature of his live performances were unheard of during his era.

As a testament to his talent and influence, Rolling Stone magazine gave him the #1 spot on their list of the Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time in 2003. Hendrix also was posthumously inducted to the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and in the UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

But enough about Jimi. Let’s talk about his Woodstock Strat!

The Guitar

As expected from a guitar player of his stature, Hendrix was the owner of several guitars. One of his most well-known guitars was popularly known as the Woodstock Strat. His other equally famous guitar was his favorite, Black Beauty, a black Fender stratocaster.

This legendary guitar is a 1968 Olympic White Fender Stratocaster, bearing the serial number #240981, that he bought from a music store in New York. Its body was made of alder and has a maple neck/fretboard setup.

Hendrix played the Strat at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, including on his famous rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner". Hendrix purchased the guitar in 1968 and played it at many concerts including the Newport Pop Festival and his final concert at the Isle of Fehmarn in September 1970.

It was sold to Paul Allen in the 90s and now rests in one of the rooms of the Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle. Since then, it has been in the Seattle-based museum's permanent collections.

The Woodstock Strat was recently played by Kenny Wayne Shepherd during a live performance at the Jimmy Fallon Show last November 2010.

That lucky dog!

I was thinking that a guitar of such iconic magnitude definitely transcends being played again by anyone less than Jimi himself. But in the end, a guitar is a guitar. Frankly, I’d definitely want to try my hands on Jimi’s Woodstock Stratocaster. Now wouldn't that be a treat.

Here’s a video of Jimi Hendrix performing a stupefying, face-melting rendition of “Red House” at the 1969 Woodstock Festival using his 1968 white Statocaster, known as the Woodstock Strat. Prepare to be blown away!

Bob Marley's Les Paul Special

The Guitarist

Bob Marley, one of the most recognized and revered icons in the music world, was a multi-instrumentalist capable of playing various instruments such as the guitar, piano, saxophone, harmonica and percussion. Despite his untimely demise at the early age of 36 when untreated cancer spread to his lungs, his legacy in the form of raggae anthems such as "Buffalo Soldier", "No Woman No Cry", "Redemption Song", "I Shot The Sheriff", which was covered by Eric Clapton, and scores of other songs, plus his dedication to the Rastafari movement, lives on.

The Guitar

During live performances in his career spanning 1963 to 1981, he's often seen playing his Gibson Les Paul Special. Currently, this legendary guitar is kept and displayed at the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica. Not surprisingly, the guitar is one of the most popular exhibits in display.

It has a solid mahogany body with a natural wood finish and sports a couple of P-90 soapbar pickups on the neck and bridge areas. Apparently, Marley modified his beloved guitar at some point by replacing the original wraparound tailpiece with a stoptail bridge. The guitar also had the recognizeable bindings on the headstock and fingerboard, with small pearl inlays in the fretboard.

In 2002, as a tribute to the man himself, prominent guitar company Gibson issued 200 limited-edition Bob Marley Les Paul Specials built to the exact specifications of the original Special used by Marley. Though it is acknowledged that no replica would ever come close to a guitar as unique as the one played by the reggae legend, I got an inkling that there won't be any complaints from collectors of Bob Marley paraphernalia about Gibson's faithful reproduction of the instrument.

Here's a classic video of Bob Marley playing with his legendary Les Paul Special, rocking out their upbeat reggae number "Jammin''" with the Wailers. Enjoy, mon!



Photo source:
www.bobmarley.com