Someone said that Paul's first guitar was an Epiphone
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And so this was their reasoning for recommending the purchase of a current model Epiphone Les Paul. One that goes for ~ $175 USD. Now, there are good guitars and s0-so guitars from the same manufacturers, while price range often determines quality. Add to that the matter, that I started out by strumming my brother's '65 Silvertone, a PITA with Ultra-Wide fretboard radius (I mean, Absolutely Flat), and I am skeptical. Is one's first guitar the same as the guitar that you would choose to live with? In fact, I tried one of these $175 Les Paul Epiphones the other day, after not touching a guitar for over 8 years. That Epi was Heavy, and I got very little out of the feel and play of it. I actually did much better on a cheap $59 acoustic wonderment with wound strings and a wide fretboard with a ruler-flat radius, in spite of being blessed with stubby fingers. I even got a new tune out of it, straight off the rack on the first strum. Any thoughts?
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Is this acoustic or electric? My first guitar was a 1967 Gibson Acoustic (I think an N-25--I'd have to look it up) I still have it. It looked like Donovan's guitar that he brought to India and there are pics of John playing it (Donovan taught him how to pick it for his songs like Julia)
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Paul's first guitar was a Zenith model 17. In the Quarrymen Paul played a Roseti Solid 7 guitar.
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Well hrumph. The store doesn't have the model or the specs online. So I'll have to go back to the store. EDIT: Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar THICK solid body Mahogany. But no tremelo bar? I guess that came later?
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Audley's Piano:
Well hrumph. The store doesn't have the model or the specs online. So I'll have to go back to the store. EDIT: Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar THICK solid body Mahogany. But no tremelo bar? I guess that came later?
You talking about the sunburst 1960 Les Paul he plays today? That was given to him in the '80s by Linda.
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Oh no. Somebody was saying his first guitar was an Epiphone.
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Mr Martinez is spot on, you would have been lucky to get hold of an Epiphone guitar in Britain in the 1950's, plus the price would have been to much for teenage boy. Think Paul plays his Zenith in the early days video, definitely his first guitar! The Epiphone guitar was obtained after the Beatles hit the big time possibly 65/66?
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mrmarx:
Mr Martinez is spot on, you would have been lucky to get hold of an Epiphone guitar in Britain in the 1950's, plus the price would have been to much for teenage boy. Think Paul plays his Zenith in the early days video, definitely his first guitar! The Epiphone guitar was obtained after the Beatles hit the big time possibly 65/66?
Paul plays the (right-handed, upside-down) Epiphone acoustic on TV in 1965 doing Yesterday. Is that the one you are talking about? (The one he still plays today)
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Audley's Piano:
Oh no. Somebody was saying his first guitar was an Epiphone.
I meant that the one you described above (electric Les Paul) sounds like the 1960 Les Paul that Linda got him. I know you meant that someone told you his first guitar was an Epiphone, but they were wrong.
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Is that the gold top Nancy? A Christmas present if I remember rightly?
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mrmarx:
Is that the gold top Nancy? A Christmas present if I remember rightly?
I thought it was called sunburst (I think I'm wrong), but yes, the gold one he plays now. It was either a birthday or Xmas present. One year she also got him Elvis' bass player's (Bill Black's) upright bass.
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Ah yes, Bill Blacks bass, seen in The World Tonight documentary.
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Nancy R:
One year she also got him Elvis' bass player's (Bill Black's) upright bass.
I think that was in June 1974 when they were staying in Nashville. Back at Abbey Road that November, Paul played it on 'Love In Song'.
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Nancy R:
mrmarx:
Is that the gold top Nancy? A Christmas present if I remember rightly?
I thought it was called sunburst (I think I'm wrong), but yes, the gold one he plays now.
You are correct Nancy, it was a sunburst guitar. To cut a long story short, Paul purchased two Epiphone guitars in the autumn of 1964. One was a acoustic flat-top Texan FT-79 and the other was a electric Casino ES-230TD, with a sunburst finish. As he mainly played his Hofner bass, Paul said at the time that he purchased these guitars mainly for 'composing'. However, during 1965, he started to use these guitars in the recording studio, television studio and on stage. (info from Andy Babiuk's excellent book, 'Beatles Gear'. .
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Little bit earlier than I thought, thanks for the info
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Kestrel:
Nancy R:
mrmarx:
Is that the gold top Nancy? A Christmas present if I remember rightly?
I thought it was called sunburst (I think I'm wrong), but yes, the gold one he plays now.
You are correct Nancy, it was a sunburst guitar. To cut a long story short, Paul purchased two Epiphone guitars in the autumn of 1964. One was a acoustic flat-top Texan FT-79 and the other was a electric Casino ES-230TD, with a sunburst finish. As he mainly played his Hofner bass, Paul said at the time that he purchased these guitars mainly for 'composing'. However, during 1965, he started to use these guitars in the recording studio, television studio and on stage. (info from Andy Babiuk's excellent book, 'Beatles Gear'. .
We were talking about the gold Les Paul electric that he plays now. It is a 1960 that Linda bought him. (or so I read) What is this Casino electric and does he still play it? I have the Beatles Gear book. Will look it up. Do you have a page # handy?
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Okay, I found it. We were not talking about the Epiphone Casino which is starburst and Paul played it on Taxman and Paperback Writer. (and still does today) It was also a right handed guitar which he plays upside down. Andy Babiuk says it was shipped Nov. 1, 1962, but how could that be? I think he meant 1964 since it is talked about in the 1964 chapter. The Texan was purchased towards the end of 1964 he says. Also, John and George had Epiphone Casinos too. John sanded his down later and that is what he is playing on the rooftop in Let It Be. He also played it in promo clips for Rain & Paperback Writer. John & George both played theirs in the Japan concerts, didn't they? Here's the Texan today: (I took this in Atlanta from the 3rd row)
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