to belong to one of my good friends who died from cancer in July, 2008. His wife had massive
bills to pay off late last year, so all but one of his guitars had to be sold. I was lucky enough
to get this one offered to me by her. I probably paid more than market rate for it ($2450), but
it had all the original hardware, plus the Pigtail bridge, straplocks, etc...and it was my friend's,
so Shelly & I bought it.
It's been used by a number of players on records for it's ridiculously thick slide tone, such
as Dave Melton & Kirk Fletcher (ex-Fablulous T-Birds) among them.
I have all the original hardware, but this Pigtail bridge with adjustable saddles was what
my friend, Dave Venanzi, had on it. I've decided to leave it the way he had it, leather
DiMarzio guitar strap, Strap-Locks and all.
The guitar originally had a root beer/mahogany finish on it that Dave did after the original
was all flaked off (now that's aging for you!). He scratched the serial # on the bottom of the
pickguard and in the control cavity, from what Dan Shinn @ Lay's Guitar Shop told me.
Obviously he wanted that serial # preserved.
It's a ridiculously hot P90 in this guitar. I measured it at 9.8K with 250K pots and through
the jack on a guitar cable. From what I know of that measurement system, it's probably
more like 10.5K after you take out the resistance of the pots/cap.
Lay's put a cherry finish with nitro lacquer back on the guitar, then I had Luthier reassemble
it for me since I am way too busy finishing cabs for people. It rings like a bell, with sustain
to rival anything you've ever heard.
Here's some pics...
My buddy Dave Venanzi (w/sisters flanking him).
[img:400:266]http://avesint.com/images/davsisters.jpg[/img]
Right after we finished a gig opening for Scott Whyte's band (drummer was taking the
picture...or drinking IIRC.)
L-R: Tom (the bass player), Dave, me.
[img
750]http://www.southbayampworks.com/59jr/tomdavejim.jpg[/img]
The 59 Les Paul Junior...just back from Lay's...
[img
1003]http://www.southbayampworks.com/59jr/59jr-1.jpg[/img]
and back from MusicWorks after Jim Foote put it back together for me.
[img
720]http://www.southbayampworks.com/59jr/59jr-2.jpg[/img]
[img:720:1280]http://www.southbayampworks.com/59jr/59jr-3.jpg[/img]
[img:720:1280]http://www.southbayampworks.com/59jr/59jr-4.jpg[/img]
RIP Dave, you're missed buddy.