Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-16-2022, 08:56 PM

I had no idea this existed. The auction catalog says it’s one of 2 that Gibson made. Fascinating !!!

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-50af541f-71bd-49c6-9748-4c8d208558e7-jpeg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-50af541f-71bd-49c6-9748-4c8d208558e7-jpeg

**wintermoon** · 08-16-2022, 09:03 PM

Yes I know that guitar, note the extra frets causing the pu's to be bunched together
Short guard as well.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-16-2022, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Yes I know that guitar, note the extra frets causing the pu's to be bunched together
Short guard as well.

Yeah - I can’t imagine that he actually used the high end of a 24 fret neck on a body that big. Do you know who had the second one made?

**wintermoon** · 08-16-2022, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

Yeah - I can’t imagine that he actually used the high end of a 24 fret neck on a body that big. Do you know who had the second one made?

I don't think I've seen the other one and I've never seen Tony play his.

**jads57** · 08-17-2022, 12:06 PM

Why 24 frets? Especially when it displaces the neck pickup which is the Sweet Spot?

**jasguitar** · 08-17-2022, 01:59 PM

Cool! I found a link to some additional photos: Just a moment...

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-17-2022, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by jads57

Why 24 frets? Especially when it displaces the neck pickup which is the Sweet Spot?

It also makes the guitar look a little weird, at least to me - it's not as graceful in appearance as it would be with a "proper" neck and pickup placement. I'd love a Super 4 with 7 strings, but I'd want it to be as close to the original 6er as posible.

**wintermoon** · 08-17-2022, 03:53 PM

Another disadvantage to having the pickups so close together is it limits the tonal range

**Jimmy blue note** · 08-17-2022, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by jads57

Why 24 frets? Especially when it displaces the neck pickup which is the Sweet Spot?

Tony was a studio player. Range of notes can mean your reputation as someone who can play anything and the next guy who's just good. That guitar has a low and high range that goes beyond normal limits. And Tony could make anything sound good. I wouldn't worry about his ability to get "sweetness" out of that guitar.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-17-2022, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note

Tony was a studio player. Range of notes can mean your reputation as someone who can play anything and the next guy who's just good. That guitar has a low and high range that goes beyond normal limits. And Tony could make anything sound good. I wouldn't worry about his ability to get "sweetness" out of that guitar.

He was the first real guitar "idol" I had - James Burton got in under the wire as my first inspiration because I watched Ozzie and Harriet. But I found one of Tony's albums at our local record store when I was about 12, saw his picture in the Gibson catalog, and started looking for him. I hit pay dirt both at our local record store and on TV with Perry Como and Skitch Henderson. By the end of high school, I had every TM record they could get me at our local record store. I even got to see him live in the Tonight Show band when I dragged my girlfriend to a taping our first year in college.

I've seen him live and in many photos, and I never saw that 7 string S400. Here are just a few of the guitars I know he played over the years in addition to his blonde D'Angelico Excel:

Although only an audio track, this one has some old pics of him further in:

Here's a great interview in which he discusses the guitars he played ("Basically, Gibson was my guitar of choice for most of my life"):

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-prewar_gibson_02_3_8tml-5p-jpg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-tony-mottola-jpg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-1949make-mine-music-tony-mottola-jpeg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-9306157_109228857312-jpg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-tonymottola_l5-jpg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-tonymottola_weird_l5s-jpg

It might have been nice if Gibson spelled his name right......
Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-e6452ddf21568a56a377bc7503d00ed8-jpg

**David B** · 08-17-2022, 06:17 PM

That guitar was on display in Rudy's when I visited NYC in September 2016. I just found the two photos I took of it, which included a copy of a register entry giving its date and serial number.

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-dsc01822-jpg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-dsc01822-jpg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-dsc01821-jpg

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-17-2022, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by David B

That guitar was on display in Rudy's when I visited NYC in September 2016. I just found the two photos I took of it, which included a copy of a register entry giving its date and serial number.

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-dsc01822-jpg

Thanks! It looks more normal in your pics! I wonder if he ever played it and where it is now.

**JazzPadd** · 08-17-2022, 07:43 PM

@nevershouldhavesoldit, thanks, nice spread of pics and clips!

I clipped this one from I forget which magazine and have had it hanging on my walls for ages:

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-af6fbbbd-2f82-4029-ab59-8aa1708964a1-jpeg

Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-af6fbbbd-2f82-4029-ab59-8aa1708964a1-jpeg

Indeed, he was “the guitar player’s guitar player” in my book. Do you know if he used a 7-string on any of his own records?

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-17-2022, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by JazzPadd

Indeed, he was “the guitar player’s guitar player” in my book. Do you know if he used a 7-string on any of his own records?

The Guernsey's auction piece was the first I ever saw about a 7 string guitar in TM's possession. I never read, heard or saw any evidence that he played a 7, and none of the recordings I own or have heard sounds like he played a 7 on any of them. I also never heard of a 7 string Super 400, so I'm obviously not an authority on the subject. But the Van Hoose book on the model does not contain anything about Mottola or a 7 string. And as I didn't remember anything in there, I just checked carefully to be sure. There is no mention of TM or a 7 string S400.

Now I'm waiting for a 7 string L-5 or 175 to come along on eBay

**PaulHintz** · 08-17-2022, 11:00 PM

I believe I saw a 7 string L5 on eBay once, maybe 15 years ago. The listing said it was in Japan. It did not have the “scrunched” look of this S400. It was also listed for a whole lot of money…much as I love 7 string guitars I had to pass that one up.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 08-18-2022, 10:16 PM

A good friend of mine now has the one in the original post. Should anyone really want a 7-string, 24 fret Super 400, I bet he would sell it.

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**Sleeko** · 08-18-2022, 10:43 PM

I wonder which Epiphone model he played before Gibson ... ?

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-18-2022, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan

A good friend of mine now has the one in the original post. Should anyone really want a 7-string, 24 fret Super 400, I bet he would sell it.

That’s cool. But the estimated sale price in 2016 was $60-70k, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual amount was more. I’m sure it’s a truly wonderful guitar and I’d love to have it. But there are many 7s out there that must sound just as good or better for 10% of the amount that this one would bring now.

I’ve never understood why people pay huge premiums for ordinary guitars just because they were once owned or played by someone famous. But I have to admit that I’d consider going to my limit for one of Tony Mottola’s instruments - my limit’s just well below that territory. He was truly my biggest inspiration as a guitarist. He played so much music so well, and his backing of vocalists made me want to learn to do the same. Having switched to a 7 in the early ‘90s, I’m thrilled to learn now that he had one. I just wish I could have heard him play it.

**Sleeko** · 08-18-2022, 11:29 PM

Come to think of it I believe it was a Broadway. I remember reading that he and other guitarists would go to the Epiphone showroom and give the folks below in the street a fine free concert while they noodled about.

**wintermoon** · 08-19-2022, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by Sleeko

Come to think of it I believe it was a Broadway. I remember reading that he and other guitarists would go to the Epiphone showroom and give the folks below in the street a fine free concert while they noodled about.

Correct. Many yrs ago I used to go to a friend's home in central Jersey who was very close to Tony. I got to hear some great stories and according to him the Epi story was that as a teen he bought the Broadway by having someone play a few guitars in the Epi showroom behind a curtain or something and he liked the Broadway best. He was the great Carl Kress' protege at the time (an incredible and severely overlooked master, look him up if you don't know him and check out their duets from the 30's)
I was a young guy then and even though I've never been an autograph hound he did sign one of his records for me. I still smile when I pull it out and play it.

**ARGewirtz** · 08-20-2022, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

It might have been nice if Gibson spelled his name right......
Tony Mottola’s 7 string S400 at Guernsey’s-e6452ddf21568a56a377bc7503d00ed8-jpg

I’m not familiar with Carl Kress so will have to look him up.

All the comments so far focus on Tony’s guitar but the guitar that Carl is holding in this Carl and Tony Gibson add that was previously posted is a pretty odd-looking bird with that salami-style pickup. Was this something that Carl modified himself or did Gibson actually market this design?

**wintermoon** · 08-20-2022, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by ARGewirtz

I’m not familiar with Carl Kress so will have to look him up.

All the comments so far focus on Tony’s guitar but the guitar that Carl is holding in this Carl and Tony Gibson add that was previously posted is a pretty odd-looking bird with that salami-style pickup. Was this something that Carl modified himself or did Gibson actually market this design?

"Salami style pickup", hah. Walt Fuller, Charlie Christian and a host of Gibson luminaries are spinning in their graves

Actually it's one of the coolest Gibson promo shots ever. Carl is holding the newly released ES-300 (a poorly designed model from a pickup standpoint) His student TM is holding the last varient of the iconic and short lived ES-250
I've had that shot in a Birdseye maple picture frame I made and currenyly hanging in my music room.

**Jimmy blue note** · 08-20-2022, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by ARGewirtz

... odd-looking bird with that salami-style pickup.

They stopped making that salami pickup. Turns out it had the wurst sound

**ThatRhythmMan** · 08-20-2022, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

That’s cool. But the estimated sale price in 2016 was $60-70k, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual amount was more. I’m sure it’s a truly wonderful guitar and I’d love to have it. But there are many 7s out there that must sound just as good or better for 10% of the amount that this one would bring now.

I’ve never understood why people pay huge premiums for ordinary guitars just because they were once owned or played by someone famous. But I have to admit that I’d consider going to my limit for one of Tony Mottola’s instruments - my limit’s just well below that territory. He was truly my biggest inspiration as a guitarist. He played so much music so well, and his backing of vocalists made me want to learn to do the same. Having switched to a 7 in the early ‘90s, I’m thrilled to learn now that he had one. I just wish I could have heard him play it.

I can assure you. It could be had for considerably less than that.

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**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-20-2022, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by ARGewirtz

I’m not familiar with Carl Kress so will have to look him up.

He deserves his own thread - many put him alongside Eddie Lang as one of the fathers of jazz guitar. Like Tony Mottola, he was a wonderful musician who played a variety of styles. He loved alternative tunings, one of which was A#FCGAD (also described as A#FDGAD in an interview with George Barnes). Van Eps was a student of Kress, and those low tunings apparently led GVE to the 7 string.

His best known partnership was with George Barnes, but he paired with many other guitarists through his career. He played Gibsons early on and Guilds when they came along. Check him out - you’ll like it!