VOX PHANTOM MK III TEARDROP REPLICA, Vintage White
A replica of the guitar made famous back in the 60’s by The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones. The neck and body are made by
Alan Entwistle (Alden Guitars). The neck pickup is an Entwistle Alinco single coil and the bridge pickup is a Seymour
Duncan SSL-5 Custom. The Brian Jones style mirror pickguard and the reproduction alloy control knobs were made by
Phantom Guitar Works in the USA. PGW now owns all the trademarks for the body shapes, headstocks and names such as:
Phantom and Teardrop etc. Strings: Pyramid Gold Flatwound. 010-0465w gauge.
CUSTOM BUILT STRATOCASTER, Crimson Sunburst
This custom strat based on a Fender was originally built for Mel by Brinsley Schwartz of
Graham Parkers Rumours. This was in 1992, replacing a custom built Schecter stolen from a gig. It had an American
Chandler body in alder (Fender Sonic Blue), a Warmoth neck in birds eye maple with a rosewood fretboard. Vintage Schaller
tuners and an original Floyd Rose tremolo system (the last in the UK) were fitted to keep tuning stable! The pickups used
were EMG SA active pickups (used by Dave Gilmore) with a SPC boost circuit fitted to make the guitar as versatile in tone as possible and using alnico magnets gave a proper 1950’s tone to the instrument. At the time it was the only guitar Mel used on stage.
In 2005 the guitar was taken to Andy Crocketts workshop in Kent to be re-built. It was fitted with a new body. This was
made in the USA by Mighty Mite of California. It’s an ash body with a striped figured top of maple in a crimson to yellow
sunburst. New hardware was fitted and the guitar had its third re-fret at the same time. The new body was fitted because
no one could re-paint the old one in between Mel’s busy schedule of gigs! The Fender Strat sound has been used by just
about everybody in Rock n’ Roll: Buddy Holly, The Shadows etc, etc, etc. Strings: Dean Markley Blue Steel. 010-046w
gauge.
EPIPHONE CASINO, Gold Sparkle Finish
First introduced in 1962, Paul McCartney bought his Casino in late 1964. (Used on the solo on Ticket to Ride). Paul
McCartney has later said that the Casino is his all-time favourite electric guitar and has continued to use it both for
recording and live performances right up until the present day. George Harrison and John Lennon got theirs early in 1966
with Lennon using his almost exclusively until the Beatles broke up in 1970.
All these Casinos were finished in Vintage
sunburst and used on Paperback Writer and the Revolver sessions and also The Beatles 1966 US tour which was to be their
last ever. In 1968 Lennon got his Casino sanded down to a neutral blonde finish which he used on Revolution and the
last ever roof top appearance by the Beatles.
Epiphone, owned by Gibson from 1957 are now making two limited editions
of the model owned by John Lennon. A ‘1965 Sunburst’ and a ‘1968 Revolution’ model in the sanded down finish.
These are fetching over $3,500. Mel had his Epiphone Casino imported from Ohio US in January 2005. It is a 1997
guitar finished in a very unusual Gold Sparkle finish made by Epiphone for 1 year only and never made to sell
here in the UK. The factory fitted Bigsby style tremolo arm adds to the rarity of this guitar.
Since getting the guitar Mel has replaced the stock pickups with Kent Armstrong hand wound P90’s.
The warm sound of this hollow body guitar adds originality to the later sixties songs. Strings: Dean Markley
Blue Steel. 010-046w gauge.
RICKENBACKER 360 V64 12 STRING, Fireglo (Red Sunburst)
Bought new in 1998 to replace Mels Jetglo (Black) 360 12 string stolen from a gig! This is a limited edition model
made from 1988 until 2000. This was made to be exactly the same as the guitar used by George Harrison back in 1964.
This Rickenbacker was used extensively on the Hard Days Night Album including the famous first chord of the title song.
It was originally made this shape for only 1 year before being changed to the shape used later by Roger McGuinn of the
Byrd’s.
McGuinn’s model was called a 370 and had three of the original Rickenbacker ‘Toaster’ pickups. A limited edition
Roger McGuinn edition has been made by Rickenbacker which incorporates a compressor circuitry to emulate the Byrds sound.
Mel uses the unmistakable 12 string sound of this guitar on songs from The Beatles, The Byrd’s, The Searchers, Gerry &
The Pacemakers etc. A new version is currently made by Rickenbacker called a 360 C63 12 string. Mel’s guitar has a
replacement Ultratone brass and Delrin 12 saddle bridge from Ed Roman’s Guitar Store, Las Vegas. Strings: Pyramid Gold
Flatwound 12 string. 010-0465w gauge.
DANELECTRO LONGHORN, Blackburst
A new re-issue of the famous Longhorn guitars first built from 1959 to 1969. Originally offered in 3 forms: 4
string bass, 6 string baritone and a 6 string ‘Guitarlin’ version. This had 31 frets so playing the top end frets
sounded like an electric mandolin. Never an expensive brand, Danelectro also built models for catalogue brands such
as Sears & Coral. Most of the range featured the ‘lipstick’ style pickups that were originally just that. Lipstick
tubes that were chromed and the pickup magnets taped inside. The guitar bodies were constructed with a poplar wood
frame and the top and back of the body was made of ‘Masonite’ fibre board glued to the frame. The nut on the guitar
was made of aluminium. Despite the cheap method of construction these guitars have a distinctive metallic sound that
was featured on many late 50’s instrumentals. In the 60’s the bass version was played by John Entwistle of The Who
and later by Tom Petty in the Travelling Wilburys. Strings: Dean Markley Blue Steel. 010-046w gauge.
DANELECTRO HODAD, Light Blue Sparkle Finish
Unlike other Danelectros made since the 1990’s, the Hodad is not a reissue of an older model. Made in limited numbers
from 1999 to 2001 they were sold as ‘The Ultimate Surf Guitar’. (Hodad is a slang word for a surfer). These guitars
had a body shape based on the Mosrite guitars used by The Ventures back in the 60’s. The body construction was the usual
Danelectro poplar wood frame and Masonite (hardboard) top and back. This top of the range model featured 4 lipstick single
coil pickups wired as 2 humbuckers. These could be coil tapped or used out of phase by pulling up the tone controls.
Finished in a range of metallic and sparkle finishes, Mel’s 1999 Hodad is a light blue Sparkle model fitted with a
Danelectro Bigsby style tremolo arm. Never sold in the UK Mel imported this rare guitar from Massachusetts in January
2008. Strings: Dean Markley Blue Steel. 010-046w gauge.
IN THE RACK
ALLEN HEATH DL1000 DIGITAL MIXER
Computer (midi) controlled digital mixing desk with 2 digital effect units
KORG TUNER DTR-1
Digital rack mount guitar tuner
DIGITECH VOCALIST II HARMONIZER
Computer (midi) controlled digital harmonizer adds 4 harmony voices to the lead voice
ROLAND FANTOM XR SYNTH/SAMPLER MODULE
Multi-timberal 128 voice synthesizer which can also sample real drums and instruments
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