Members pureanalog Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Does anybody know the history of signature guitars? Which compandy had the first endorsee and which guitar was the first signature guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Les Paul? EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aclarke Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Electrics? Pretty sure the first to carry a name was the Les Paul. 1952. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tiltsta Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Rickenbacker Ken Roberts model circa 1936. Predates the Les Paul by a long, long time. Not sure if this is the first signature model, but it is an early one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philo426 Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Strange-looking vibrato unit!Pre-dates Bigsby by a far margin I'll wager! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members etawful Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Gibson Nick Lucas 1926 I think. Or are we talking electrics only? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Rickenbacker Ken Roberts model circa 1936. Predates the Les Paul by a long, long time. Not sure if this is the first signature model, but it is an early one. That beats the LP. Never saw that one before. Cool. That is a funky looking vibrato to be sure. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryan Trevisol Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Aside from the Les Paul (dunno if that's really a sig model since Les's own guitars often look very different than stock LP's), I didn't expect sig models to go back that far. I thought the EC or Jeff Beck Strat was one of the first Sig guitars . . . just wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jewel Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Gibson Nick Lucas 1926 I think. Or are we talking electrics only? +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members saktr-iyko Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 discounting anything prehistoric, the malmsteen strat came out in the mid 80s; that's the 1st one i can think of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Squier Fat Telecaster Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Several Jazz guitarists had signature models: Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel..etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryan Trevisol Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 discounting anything prehistoric, the malmsteen strat came out in the mid 80s; that's the 1st one i can think of YJM's strat along with EC's were released in 88, but I believe they had been trying to make a Jeff beck model for longer than that. Also, there was the 1980 Hendrix Tribute strat, of which only 25 were made.http://www.stratcollector.com/scn/models/hendrixproto.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deadwax Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm thinking there were some Mosrite's, Maphis Maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pureanalog Posted March 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Ok to sum things up. I am talking about electric guitars only. The Les Paul might literally be a sig guitar, but not in today's sense. I am talking about the signature guitars that are kind of like an endorsement deal, where a famous player gives the rights of his name to a company to build a guitar that supposedly fits their needs and adjusted to the player's specs. Usually limited runs too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryan Trevisol Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 First endorsed electric "artist" guitars . . . Then, in the early 1960s, California guitar manufacturer Mosrite designed and marketed a uniquely styled, futuristic-looking electric guitar called "The Ventures Model." The band adopted these guitars (which included a bass model) and first used them on The Ventures in Space (1963), one of their most influential albums because of the unique, unworldly guitar sounds it contained. From 1963 through 1968, a statement on their album covers announced that The Ventures used Mosrite guitars "exclusively" (The Ventures and designer Semie Moseley were partners in the distribution of these instruments). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 probably Mosrite...The Ventures had amps too but they were crap and IIRC drove Mosrite Co under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 59humbucker Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Ok to sum things up.I am talking about electric guitars only.The Les Paul might literally be a sig guitar, but not in today's sense. I am talking about the signature guitars that are kind of like an endorsement deal, where a famous player gives the rights of his name to a company to build a guitar that supposedly fits their needs and adjusted to the player's specs. Usually limited runs too. But the LP is a sig guitar in today's sense. It was the result of an endorsement deal and resulted in a guitar designed round Les's specs, even down to the original colours (GT and black custom) It's only been in more recent years you've had other artists hava a sig LP of their own, but this would be like a cc deville Jem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 But the LP is a sig guitar in today's sense. It was the result of an endorsement deal and resulted in a guitar designed round Les's specs, even down to the original colours (GT and black custom)It's only been in more recent years you've had other artists hava a sig LP of their own, but this would be like a cc deville JemI'd have to agree with you, it was designed by and then endorsed by Les Paul himself. But that Ric is kind of interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pureanalog Posted March 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 So then if the LP is a signature guitar what would the Jimmy Page LP be? A double sig ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Heel Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Rickenbacker Ken Roberts model circa 1936. Predates the Les Paul by a long, long time. Not sure if this is the first signature model, but it is an early one. Yeah, the answer to the obsure "first ever" electric guitar questions is almost always the Ric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Minnie The Moocher Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'd have to agree with you, it was designed by and then endorsed by Les Paul himself. Sorry but it wasn't designed by Les Paul at all. The only thing he designed was the weird trapeze bridge that was quickly replaced by the wraparound one.The real LP designers are McCarthy and his team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members unworthy Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Gibson Nick Lucas 1926 I think. Or are we talking electrics only? I think this is correct, followed by an onslaught of Roy Smeck sig models. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ballhawk Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Sorry but it wasn't designed by Les Paul at all. The only thing he designed was the weird trapeze bridge that was quickly replaced by the wraparound one.The real LP designers are McCarthy and his team. You are aware of the Les Paul "LOG" right? Les had been trying to perfect the solid body idea for quite some time. I' think I'd give him credit for more than just a bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Minnie The Moocher Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 You are aware of the Les Paul "LOG" right? Les had been trying to perfect the solid body idea for quite some time. I' think I'd give him credit for more than just a bridge. Man, the Log was closer to a ES-335 than a Les Paul model. And at Gibson they didn't even listened to him back in the days. Lester wasn't around when McCarthy and his team decided to build the first Gibson solidbody and they didn't used Lester's ideas. It's only once the guitar was made that they look around to see which famous guitar player could endorse it, and Les was the man. You can give Lester credit for a lot of wonderfull inventions, including the multitrack and the tape echo, but not the Les Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ballhawk Posted March 23, 2009 Members Share Posted March 23, 2009 Well I'm not going to split hairs over how much of the design was due to Les Paul's input. I just remembered reading about it once, I think on this link: http://www.gear-vault.com/les-paul-journey-gibson-guitars-1951/ But when he brought the instrument to Gibson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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