BOUGHT
This issue, Guitarist’s very own GASman fesses up about the gear he’s loved (and lost) during his long and illustrious gigging life
What was the first serious guitar you bought with your own money?
“In 1970 I worked in a corrugated-cardboard factory in Chelmsford as a machine setter/operator. I didn’t smoke, drink or take drugs and, since I earned good money, I saved up every week.When I had enough cash, I went to Guitar Village in Shaftesbury Avenue in London and bought a 1967 stripped-body Telecaster. For £105. I painted it black with Humbrol enamel! But it was an amazing guitar. Sadly, I sold it to get a white Strat, which wasn’t a patch on that lovely Tele.”
What was the last guitar you bought and why?
“In 1989, I spec’d a PRS Signature directly from Paul, to my exact requirements. It was a hand-signed, limited edition of 1,000 with Brazilian ’board and 10 top, and was my main guitar for years. However, I sold it a while back, but having lately been ruminating on the idea of another PRS, I bought a limited-edition River Blue maple-necked Custom 24 with Wood Library spec. It’s an incredibly striking-looking guitar, spectacularly built, and will cover just about anything you throw at it.”
What’s the most incredible find or bargain you’ve had when buying gear?
“I don’t think I’ve ever really had one. But in 1972 I bought a black Les Paul Custom. I knew the head of the guitar repair department at Selmer’s in Braintree and he got it for me on the staff purchase scheme. It wasn’t a great guitar as it had silly‘Fretless Wonder’ mandolin-sized frets. So I took it round the London music shops in an attempt to flog it. After having no success all day, a guy at the final store I tried said he’d swap it for his own two Fender Teles. So I went to his flat and did the deal. Both were sunburst with maple necks, and one was a ’68 with slab maple ’board. That felt like a good deal.”
What’s the strongest case of buyer’s remorse you’ve experienced?
“Actually that LP Custom would be a good fit here, as I was so looking forward to getting it and when it arrived it was a complete disappointment. But I’ll offer a few other instances instead. In the early 70s the amp I used was my mate’s 1963 Vox AC30. But, of course, I needed one of my own and thought I’d get the best. So I saved up and bought my friend’s Fender Dual Showman Reverb head for £165. It was a hell of a lot back then. I then went bonkers and bought, from Sound City in London, the matching Fender cabinet but with two 15-inc
