The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach's 64 Thunderbird
- Thread starter Kslam
- Start date
Ian
Senior Member
Just waiting on the LP version of El Camino to arrive.... (new found wealth to be shortly expected resulting from full time employment: felt I deserved a present, but nowhere flush enough for a NGD....)
hansmoust
Enlightened Member
guitar tech said:
That guitar was for sale during the Fall of last year and I'm amazed how quickly the current owner has managed to scratch it up like he did. I do not know when that video was made but the guy could not have owned the guitar longer than 3 months and it already looks like he went to Afghanistan with it. Don't get me wrong; I understand that people have the right to treat their guitars the way they want and I also understand that live performing can easily put a few extra scratches on a guitar.
But somehow it bothers me a bit when a guitar that's about 50 years old (and the previous owner has been taken reasonably good care of it) is treated like that. I know to some people it's just a tool but still ..............
........... and by the way, the guitar is from 1965 but that's just for us 'nitpickers'!
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
Ian
Senior Member
Anyone else think it's stretching the indie cred when they've got a guitar tech :lol:
Cheers, Ian
Cheers, Ian
Kslam
Member
Interesting, Hans. Was it an Ebay sale? Are you sure it's the same guitar? I'd love to see pictures of the guitar before it got so beat up.
Thunderface
Senior Member
In the video the tech said he bought it right before they played Saturday Night Live, the first of three TV performances in the span of a few days.
I would like to see photos of it before Dan bought it, but I could see it accumulating the wear being on tour like it has been. Still, though, you had to see something that beautiful get so beat up. Very cool, thanks for posts Kslam!
I would like to see photos of it before Dan bought it, but I could see it accumulating the wear being on tour like it has been. Still, though, you had to see something that beautiful get so beat up. Very cool, thanks for posts Kslam!
hansmoust
Enlightened Member
Kslam said:
Hello Kslam,
Not sure if I've seen it on eBay. It's definitely the same guitar though. I saw it when it was in the booth of a dealer and I had plenty of time to take a good look at it; that's why I recognized it.
It already had quite a bit of wear when I inspected it but when I looked at the YouTube video, it really surprised me how much more wear the instrument had accumulated over what could not have been more than a 3 month time period.
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
Thunderface
Senior Member
The cover photo from the Q magazine story, which was shot before their London shows Feb. 11-12, shows the guitar with the finish along the bottom edge largely intact, from what I can tell.
Here are a couple of screen grabs I pulled from the Premier Guitar video.
While we debate over the apparent lack of care for this vintage Thunderbird, we also need to remember that this is a working, touring instrument, and the fact that it has gotten this much exposure is, in many ways, a benefit for the brand and for us Guild solidbody enthusiasts. Do we wish it was kept in better condition? Obviously, yes. Are we glad it's now his favorite guitar and that it's getting played a lot. Again, yes. That's just my opinion, and remember, it was "made to be played."
The ironic twist in all of it is that, while it appears to have accumulated many more scratches and finish where, Mr. Auerbach does handle the tremolo lightly. :wink:
Here are a couple of screen grabs I pulled from the Premier Guitar video.
While we debate over the apparent lack of care for this vintage Thunderbird, we also need to remember that this is a working, touring instrument, and the fact that it has gotten this much exposure is, in many ways, a benefit for the brand and for us Guild solidbody enthusiasts. Do we wish it was kept in better condition? Obviously, yes. Are we glad it's now his favorite guitar and that it's getting played a lot. Again, yes. That's just my opinion, and remember, it was "made to be played."
The ironic twist in all of it is that, while it appears to have accumulated many more scratches and finish where, Mr. Auerbach does handle the tremolo lightly. :wink:
Kslam
Member
Thunderface
Senior Member
Another good recent shot.
I agree with the "made to be played" theory, my D-64 has a lot of nicks and scratches. But I also think that this guitar is REALLY abused - how many thousands of touring bands are out there who have not done this much damage in many more years of touring than the Keys have?
But it is clearly his guitar - therefore he can do what he wants with it.
walrus
But it is clearly his guitar - therefore he can do what he wants with it.
walrus