Tal's 1960 prototype

[Dutchbopper]

So the guitar Tal played the most, his 1960 prototype, ended up in the collection of Matthieu Lucas in Paris, a French kid that collects celebrity owned guitars. Whenever I get to Paris, I will visit his store and play it. That would be so cool. To view it click the link.

DB

[HeyNow]

Very cool

Hmm...not sure how the back would fade from sunburst to blonde...

[jazzkritter]

It was the Viceroy Brown sunburst, not a dark sunburst. (Almost a yellow) I Knew/studied with Tal ten years, I can verify.

And... DB if you do get to play it... watch out for the worn scalloped fretboard)))
And give it a hug for me?
d

[Woody Sound]

It was the Viceroy Brown sunburst, not a dark sunburst. (Almost a yellow) I Knew/studied with Tal ten years, I can verify.

Interesting, thanks. I had always thought that guitar was a blond.

[HeyNow]

It was the Viceroy Brown sunburst, not a dark sunburst. (Almost a yellow) I Knew/studied with Tal ten years, I can verify.

And... DB if you do get to play it... watch out for the worn scalloped fretboard)))
And give it a hug for me?
d

Wow! that's awesome you studied with him. Was that before or after he retired from live playing?

[jazzkritter]

That guitar spent many a day out in the sun on the Jersey Shore)))

I started in 87, lessons halted around 94, hung out 97. He never fully ‘retired’ and was playing regularly at bars/places around Monmouth County NJ. Weekly at the Peninsula House in Sea Bright (till it burned down) then at the Sea Girt Hotel brunches. Tal averaged 2-3 European trips a year too, along with gigs all over the US but not on any scheduled basis.
As we all say, one of the finest people this world has seen.

[HeyNow]

Wow, thanks for sharing. I love stories like that. One of the reasons it's hard for me to even think of leaving NYC/NJ, the history and energy of jazz music is all around.

[Lobomov]

Oh .. He also has the little red

https://www.mattsguitar.shop/en/matt...low-little-red

[jazzkritter]

Heynow happy to keep the memory alive. you’re right this area (plus Philly) can’t be matched. (However we are moving to VA for retirement...?). If you search on my posts you’ll find some long winded coverage of Tal ?

[jazzkritter]

AND little red! Quite the collection.

[339 in june]

When it's too good to be true .....
There has been numerous claims on french guitar oriented forums about Matt. He is said to have sold a lot of fakes (guitars said to have belonged to famous artists, with pics of Matt with the artist and a guitar)
No personal experience but I'd be very cautious if dealing with Matt.
But I may be wrong.

[JSanta]

When it's too good to be true .....
There has been numerous claims on french guitar oriented forums about Matt. He is said to have sold a lot of fakes (guitars said to have belonged to famous artists, with pics of Matt with the artist and a guitar)
No personal experience but I'd be very cautious if dealing with Matt.
But I may be wrong.

I've heard many of the same things. A lot floating around the internet that the Jeff Buckley Tele he sold Matt Bellamy is a forgery. I am not an expert in either vintage guitars or forged vintage guitars, so I can't speak to the veracity of those claims I've read.

[jazzkritter]

The photo on Matt’s site is definitely Tal’s working guitar, called the second prototype. It’s called the second prototype as the first was stolen (Tal never called it that, it was just his guitar.). It is a one off easily recognized guitar. It’s pickup switch is not buried by the controls, it’s out on the lower bout and there is an inlay circle around it, no scroll. Totally unique tailpiece, different name plate. Faking that guitar would be quite an accomplishment.

I sat across from that puppy for years, watched it on stage, and played it. Know it anywhere.

[jazzkritter]

BTW point of order Matt is wrong re Little Red. It was definitely not on color TV, it was a black and white show. I don’t recall it’s Gibson finish, but in the studio whatever it was didn’t show up in B/W. It was painted in NY, not by Gibson, in order to look right on the BW tv. Apparently early tv cameras were funky about what colors they could or could not”see “.

Also, that’s some creative photoshopping on Red. It’s color last I saw it was a dull, washed out red with a lot of painting streaks. Lol maybe Matt repainted it)

[Fred Archtop]

Just an advice Dick, be careful if you trade with him.

Best to you and take care.

[vinnyv1k]

All I can say is that 1960 prototype sure made a lot of GREAT music. Not to mention as a guitar, one of the legends of thunk.

[Geechnyc]

Also, that’s some creative photoshopping on Red. It’s color last I saw it was a dull, washed out red with a lot of painting streaks. Lol maybe Matt repainted it)

The rendering of the instrument's color on that website is to my eyes actually less vibrant than I perceived the guitar (and as it appears in my own photos of the time), but consistent with the photos that Rudy's had then posted on Gbase, when I had the pleasure of playing it at Rudy's a few weeks before it was to be shipped to France.

[jazzkritter]

Yea ... what do i know

[neatomic]

posted this before..great pic



cheers

[neatomic]

cheers

[jazzkritter]

Maybe Rudy used some auto wax buffer thing on ‘em

[neatomic]

in pic above notice the 2 screws, that seem to hold the bridge in place...in the ops parisian shop pic, the screws have been removed and the bridge moved considerably


cheers

[Dennis D]

in pic above notice the 2 screws, that seem to hold the bridge in place...in the ops parisian shop pic, the screws have been removed and the bridge moved considerably


cheers

....looks like a good-size surface finish crack was removed too.....( ? ).....

[jazzkritter]

Hey Neatomic I remember Tal often adjusting the bridge to get intonation right. I dont
remember those screws but its been over twenty years. That guitar was no museum piece, it was played and played hard).
and well)))