The Sting guitarist mourns a long-lost Gibson ES-335 and reveals a fondness for 60s Telecasters
What was the first serious guitar you bought with your own money?
“I bought a Gibson 335 in 1981.There were a bunch of guitar players who played 335s in those days – it was de rigueur to have a 335 because of Larry Carlton. Everybody wanted to sound like Larry Carlton and I was no different. I can’t remember how much it cost – probably about 350 or maybe 500 quid.That was the market value in those days.And then I sold it like a mug.
“Before then I was just using acoustic guitars. I had an Ovation, the Glen Campbell Ovation, and another one I can’t remember. Just two different Ovations. I was really into them because I wanted to be like Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, you know? I also had a bunch of Spanish guitars. I always had good classical guitars, but they were, like, run of the mill – you know, 200 quid guitars.”
What was the last guitar you bought?
“The last guitar I bought was a 1968 Fender Telecaster. I bought it in Los Angeles about six months ago. I always wanted to have one with a maple neck and I found one – that’s the most money I’ve ever spent on guitar, for sure. It’s like a wild animal that you need to tame.That’s what I like about them, they have so much character. Everything works well together. I love the balance of the neck and the body; it seems to pick up all kinds of overtones from everywhere, more than a Strat does. I don’t know why because I’ve always been a Strat kind of guy; I just wanted to play a Tele because I’ve been using Bill Nash Teles for a long time now. But then I thought,‘Why don’t I treat myself to a real one?’When I first picked it up, I thought it’s not as good as the Nash, but then cut to six months later and it’s actually 10 times better, I think, because I’ve learned how to play it.The sound didn’t come to me immediately. I had to find it. I think the better the instrument, the harder it is to make it sound good immediately.”
What’s the most incredible find or bargain you’ve ever had when buying guitars?
“I was in New York and there was this guitar shop in Soho. I saw this Gibson SG in the window, which was kind of green with one pickup. It looked so ugly – I felt like I was in a pet shop and it was the ugly dog that nobody wants, and it was only $500 or $600. I think it had been sitting in the shop for ages because nobody wanted an olive green SG with one pickup. So I bought it and gave it to my daughter Misty. 500 bucks? I’m sure it’s worth more than that. And it sounds great.”
