The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rickco
    His solos and playing on First Light are still my favorite GB recording although he was not singing or well known at the time. Does anyone know what guitar he played on that? Love the sound of his guitar, I was in my early days of playing when that came out and it was a lifetime lesson in taste and technique. (Van Gelders recording was stellar) One of Georges guitars however without George is just a guitar. I got to strumm Johnny Smiths Gibson JS once....it didnt rub off and I dont sound anything like our JD.
    Freddie Hubbard’s First Light? That entire album is BAD! I listened to it in 1971 when it came out.

    Benson kills it! CTI was rocking in the early 70’s.

    George Benson selling his personal guitars on Reverb-img_2709-jpeg


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  3. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    Freddie Hubbard’s First Light? That entire album is BAD! I listened to it in 1971 when it came out. Benson kills it! CTI was rocking in the early 70’s.
    I think that's probably the best sounding CTI album of the many I own or have heard. It's a Rudy Van Gelder recording, and it's one of the few string and horn extravaganzas in jazz that doesn't sound overblown and cluttered.

  4. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    I think that's probably the best sounding CTI album of the many I own or have heard. It's a Rudy Van Gelder recording, and it's one of the few string and horn extravaganzas in jazz that doesn't sound overblown and cluttered.
    It still sounds modern, at least to my ears.

  5. #29

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    “The “Benson Burner” and “CookBook” albums are the ones that first grabbed me.



    Last edited by AKA; 10-11-2024 at 11:45 PM.

  6. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
    I am surprised about the Gibson Johnny Smith, with which he recorded Breezin', being on the block.

    That instrument was on display at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, at least as of a few years ago. I assumed he donated it, but perhaps he just loaned it.

    I hope they will continue to display at least one of his storied guitars.
    I'm really considering the Johnny Smith, already doing the math in my head to set a hard limit on how much I'm willing to spend. Looking back at some prices on previous Reverb Artist shops, there's definitely a premium, but not THAT crazy.

    But also this is the first real iconic guitar I've seen. But not sure if there are too many Benson or jazzbox collectors out there. I'm not even a collector, the man is just a big influence and I'd love a more traditional archtop (have an ES-775 and a PRS Hollowbody already).

    I'll probably chicken out though.

  7. #31

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    I heard Breezin’ on the radio and the next day headed out to a music shop to get it. They only had The Cookbook so I grabbed it and took it home. I can still remember the shock as I heard the searing bop lines on the Cooker. That was me hooked on jazz - thank you George.

    I don’t think I want to own one of his guitars though - their stories aren’t over. If I had a ton of cash I’d buy them and loan them to young gifted players - my friend had a mad expensive violin lent to him during his early career and that kind of use can be very inspirational.

  8. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rickco View Post
    His solos and playing on First Light are still my favorite GB recording although he was not singing or well known at the time. Does anyone know what guitar he played on that? Love the sound of his guitar, I was in my early days of playing when that came out and it was a lifetime lesson in taste and technique. (Van Gelders recording was stellar) One of Georges guitars however without George is just a guitar. I got to strumm Johnny Smiths Gibson JS once....it didnt rub off and I dont sound anything like our JD.

    Thanks for the recommendation - this is a beautiful piece of music

  9. #33

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    The shop just went live.... and I am a little surprised that so many of the guitars are in "fair" (or worse) condition. Outside of the Breezin' or other higher profile guitars, a lot of these listings kinda feel like he is clearing out a closet. Love George, but maybe some of this stuff should have been donated as a tax write-off.

  10. #34

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    Here is a link to the Reverb shop:

    Just a moment...

    If I had the funds these would be my top picks:



  11. #35

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    This D'Angelico Red New Yorker "For George Benson" is owned by George Benson
    Beautiful guitar right here! I's clearly been played quite a bit, and it has the wear to show for it. Typical scratches, scuffs and dings throughout. The frets are fairly worn down, tarnished, and could use a dress. A good deal of the binding, both on the body and neck, either has cracks, is hanging off, or the wood itself is warped. Some slight separation going on at the neck joint. The treble-side neck binding is cracked and pulling away. There is a small crack in the pickguard and the pickup is broken off/loose. The pickup still functions and sounds great, though it will need to be reattached. Some internal rattling. Overall, this is a beautiful guitar but it certainly has no shortage of boo-boos, which will need to be repaired if this guitar is going to sing like it once did! Put in the right luthier's hands, this guitar has all the potential in the world. Comes with hardshell case.
    And yet it sold for $3,500

  12. #36

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    This $65,000 d'aquisto is listed as sold. A buck shy of a million for the breezin guitar likely wont sell on there.
    Several $3500 have sold too.
    George Benson selling his personal guitars on Reverb-screenshot_20241016-122743_firefox-jpg
    George Benson selling his personal guitars on Reverb-screenshot_20241016-122753_firefox-jpg

  13. #37

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    Some of those are pretty beat up!

    Surprising TBH

  14. #38

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    The Daquisto was priced pretty fair all things considering.

  15. #39

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    A million bucks for a Norlin era Gibson!
    I always laugh inside when I read the "how crappy Norlin guitars are" I have a 64 J.S. as well as an 83 and an 84. They are all excellent instruments.
    Hey, if it's good enough for George!

  16. #40

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    Let's not gloss over the $25,000 Norlin L-5CES complete with the volute that's $25,000 and has someone else's name on the truss rod cover.

    George explains in the video that it belonged to a friend of his. (Not mentioned in the video, but that was in fact the same friend that received a sharp cutaway L-5 as a gift from Wes and somehow later proceeded to put a bullet hole in it before then selling it to George.)

  17. #41

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    Is it my imagination, or is there something going on with the stinger on the Million Dollar Breezin’ JS? Maybe it’s just a bad/photoshopped picture, but it doesn’t look quite right to me.
    Keith

  18. #42

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    Looks like he's in no hurry to sell his blonde JS.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 10-16-2024 at 07:53 PM.

  19. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by andrew
    Let's not gloss over the $25,000 Norlin L-5CES complete with the volute that's $25,000 and has someone else's name on the truss rod cover.
    The name on the cover appears to be Jerry Byrd. The only player I know of by that name was a fantastic steel player who’s in the Country Music Hall of Fame. I wonder if he was the original owner. If this is the same guitar, it was reportedly sold or given to Pat Metheny at some point. I found this on the web:

    A little history on the Gibson L5 guitar Jerry Byrd owned and played for years. Wes gave the guitar to Jerry when he was a very young aspiring guitarist just beginning his career. In around 1994 Jerry traded the L5 to George Benson for a new Ibanez and some cash. Pat Methany [sic] owns the guitar now.”

    I’m also wondering why the Breezin’ JS is “safely secure with the folks at Ibanez”.

  20. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    The name on the cover appears to be Jerry Byrd. The only player I know of by that name was a fantastic steel player who’s in the Country Music Hall of Fame. I wonder if he was the original owner.

    I’m also wondering why the Breezin’ JS is “safely secure with the folks at Ibanez”.
    The other Jerry Byrd was a guitar player out of Pittsburgh like Georgie. He was part of organist Gene Ludwigs trio, I have several of their records, he's on some other organ lps I have as well. My drummer used to work w him too.

  21. #45

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    The other Jerry Byrd was a guitar player out of Pittsburgh like Georgie. He was part of organist Gene Ludwigs trio, I have several of their records, he's on some other organ lps I have as well. My drummer used to work w him too.
    So if this was his guitar for most of its life, what in the world would make someone pay $25k for it? I added a quote from an old Facebook post to my post below that claims the L5 given by Wes to Jerry Byrd was used by Byrd for years before being traded “in around 1994” to Benson for “a new Ibanez and some cash” and then ending up with Pat Metheny. Why would GB have traded an Ibby and some cash for a well used garden variety L5?

  22. #46

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    So if this was his guitar for most of its life, what in the world would make someone pay $25k for it? I added a quote from an old Facebook post to my post below that claims the L5 given by Wes to Jerry Byrd was used by Byrd for years before being traded “in around 1994” to Benson for “a new Ibanez and some cash” and then ending up with Pat Metheny. Why would GB have traded an Ibby and some cash for a well used garden variety L5?
    Maybe because GB knew Byrd from back in the day and wanted the L-5 for senselessmental reasons. The Ibanez was likely comped to GB, so whatever cash was involved was probably minimal if I had to guess. As for being given by Wes to Byrd there must be some mistake, that obviously never happened as the one in the auction is a 70s model and Wes was already gone in '68.
    The Metheny guitar was Wes' early 60s florentine cutaway L-5 that Benson sold to Pat.

    As for "why would someone pay 25k for it" probably because being owned by GB apparently automatically adds some celebrity value. An L-5 actually owned by Wes would be way more than a 25k guitar. For some reason the original D'Aquisto George owned didn't appear to have too much of a premium added.

  23. #47

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    nshsi's post above made me want to dig around and I found this article on Jerry Byrd though I'm not sure how accurate it is.
    Jerry Byrd - Jazz Guitarist
    It says that he and Wes became lifelong friends in '67 (but 'lifelong' could only be a year since Wes passed in '68)
    It also says Wes gave him an L-5 and Benson wound up w it later.
    I found some videos online of Byrd playing a sunburst venetian cutaway L-5 during his days w Nat's brother Freddie Cole though it looks like it may be a 70s model

    the one George sold to Metheny was Wes' early 60s florentine cut pictured on Wes' Movin Wes Lp.
    The one in the Benson auction is a blonde late 70s w/volute, so that was obviously never owned by Wes.
    Maybe there was another L-5 Byrd owned that was actually given to him by Wes, but we know it's neither the sharp cut Metheny has nor the one in the current Benson auction.
    Hmm, to be continued

  24. #48

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    The '60s florentine cutaway L-5 that Pat Metheny now owns is the one that went from Wes to Jerry Byrd to George Benson to Pat Metheny. In the video clip below, Pat mentions it being owned by someone between Wes and George, but he gets the first name wrong and says Billy Byrd (and proceeds to talk about the Byrdland).




    I'm in George (and Jerry's) hometown of Pittsburgh, although I wasn't around when they were on the scene. A close friend of mine knew Jerry pretty well and played that guitar several times when it was still in his possession. He swears there were no bullet holes in it at that time and, when George received it there was one, so it must have happened during Jerry's ownership.

    Jerry ended up moving to Thailand and died a few years ago. In the long version of the most recent Reverb video, George says that Jerry's widow called him after his death and said that she didn't know what to do with his guitar (the 70s one that is now for sale). George told her to send it to him!


  25. #49

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    Thanks for the info Andrew!
    I've never seen a pic of Jerry w it, in fact I always thought he just had the non cut ES-125/150 w/P90 he was frequently pictured w in the 60s and didn't follow his career much afterwards. I'm not aware of any other shots of Wes w the L-5 other than the Movin album cover which probably isn't unusual since it wasn't much later he was using the '63 'heart' L-5 he's shown playing in the videos.
    Maybe Jerry kept the florentine L-5 home most of the time? I wonder when he passed it on to Benson.

  26. #50

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    If I recall correctly, that blonde Gibson Johnny Smith was on display at Arizona's Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) several years ago. I saw it and the display indicated that this was the actual guitar played on the Breezin recording. Beautiful JS.