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Why No Johnny Thunders Signature Guitar?


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Have I missed something or have Gibson never issued a Johnny Thunders signature Les Paul Jnr? He's surely done more to popularise that particular guitar than anybody else and yet, while they've seen fit to produce a Billy Joe Armstrong singlecut LP Jnr and even done a Joan Jett Melody Maker, I've never seen any sign of a Thunders signature model. Even on commercial grounds I'd be surprised if Gibson sell more Melody Makers on the strength of Joan Jett's name than they could a doublecut TV yellow Les Paul Jnr on the strength of Johnny Thunders'. It's just weird to me. Does anyone know if they ever did produce one?

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Getting a signature guitar is more about recognizing a musician's success rather than their influence.

 

Johnny Thunders was more influential than popular, and pretty much spent the 1980's in a heroin-induced stupor. At least Joan Jett and Green Day could claim #1 hits. And methinks a large chunk of the reasoning behind the JJ Melody Maker was Gibson trying to get more girls to play guitar.

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There was ... but it was stolen by junkies and traded for a wrap of skag.

 

The way I heard it, the luthier traded the prototype for a bindle before production could begin. Same kinda thing happened to the Ron Asheton tribute Strat, too.

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There was ... but it was stolen by junkies and traded for a wrap of skag.

 

:D too funny.

 

I don't think the #1 junkie of New York is viable from a marketing stand point. Just being realistic, I love the man & his music myself but a signature guitar. He couldn't even be counted on to show up to a gig with a guitar of his own.

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:D
too funny.


I don't think the #1 junkie of New York is viable from a marketing stand point. Just being realistic, I love the man & his music myself but a signature guitar. He couldn't even be counted on to show up to a gig with a guitar of his own.

 

Well Chelsea Guitars always seems to have a couple yellow Juniors on display and I imagine they turn them over pretty quickly, I think you could sell out a limited run just to European tourists in New York. Problem is that while Thunders fans are roughly the same age as Clapton and Gilmour fans I'm gonna go out on a limb and say fewer of them are dentists and stock brokers so it couldn't be a $25,000 Custom Shop deal.

 

So yeah, in order to sell it would have to be cheaper than the $2,500 one they're selling now and I can't imagine that Johnny's name would sell enough to make that worthwhile.

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Yeah, all good reasons I suppose. I can only really speak for myself but even though I think it'd be a great idea and I do love Johnny Thunders, even I'd probably resist buying a JT signature guitar. I suppose I just wish it existed.

 

It's probably a good thing I don't run Gibson. They'd be bankrupt in six months - but what an exciting six months they'd be!

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Just another Junkie like I said who cares.

 

Yeah, we sure wouldn't want to listen to any rock and roll made by people who ever did drugs.

 

Lessee...that leaves Frank Zappa, Ted Nugent and Ian Anderson.

 

Have fun with that. Rock on in your sober abandon!

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