Ever own a Red, White & Blue guitar?

[CJ]

The summer of 1970 my dad traded a car top carrier to a co-worker for a beat up f-hole guitar - I think it was a Silvertone or maybe a Harmony? RW&B clothing was quite the rage then and I drooled every time I saw Buck Owens play that RW&B guitar on Hee Haw. I would have been heading into the 9th grade that summer. My dad had worked with his father to paint houses, thought he could improve on the Buck Owens guitar design and painted that Silvertone f-hole out for me in enamel. The photo was taken while camping with my youth group at Priest Lake, ID. My bud Brian is playing the guitar and cousins Danny and Pete sitting beside him.

Just wondering if any of you all ever had a RW&B guitar? "I'm a pickin' ... and I'm a grinnin' ..."

[L07 Shooting Star]

Great story.  I just love stories like that, but then I'm a bit sentimental that way.  That is the era I grew up in too, although I'm just a bit older.  I was in grade 11 in 1970.

Kurt

[unclrob]

 :bgrin:Thats funny I owned a Buck Owens Fender Tele that was red,silver and blue sparkle for a few years.

[CJ]

Thats funny I owned a Buck Owens Fender Tele that was red,silver and blue sparkle for a few years.

I'd have liked to see that one.

This is an old photo, from maybe my junior year, after painting out my National Westwood 75 (circa 1965) with red, white and blue sparkle paint. Dad's design once again. A few years later I scraped it down and stained it with Watco and finished it with oil. Thankfully it isn't a particularly collectible guitar or I'd still be kicking myself still.



And that makes 10. 

[Mr_LV19E]

I'd have liked to see that one.

This is an old photo, from maybe my junior year, after painting out my National Westwood 75 (circa 1965) with red, white and blue sparkle paint. Dad's design once again. A few years later I scraped it down and stained it with Watco and finished it with oil. Thankfully it isn't a particularly collectible guitar or I'd still be kicking myself still.



And that makes 10. 

Is that a Kalamazoo amp you're plugged into?

[CJ]

Is that a Kalamazoo amp you're plugged into?

Roger, I'm pretty sure that was a Univox amp. It was a solid-state, about like this one: http://www.univox.org/pics/amps/u400g-4.jpg

Didn't last long, traded it in against an Acoustic 135 amp.

[Mr_LV19E]

Roger, I'm pretty sure that was a Univox amp. It was a solid-state, about like this one: http://www.univox.org/pics/amps/u400g-4.jpg

Didn't last long, traded it in against an Acoustic 135 amp.

Only seeing the corner of it, it reminded me of a Kalamazoo model 2 I used to have in the 60's.

[CJ]

Sounds like you wish you still had it. 

My folks couldn't afford an amp, so dad added a 1/4" input jack to an old Magnavox console stereo. Then as I recall, he took the old tube amp out of a radio tuner or a record player and built a small guitar amp. Entering high school I started playing guitar for a gospel song and dance troupe of about 40 high school kids from 5-6 schools and a dozen churches. Couldn't pack in the Magnavox  and the little tube amp couldn't cut it, so I bought the Univox through a mail order company for about $200 in 1971-ish. But even the Univox wasn't loud enough, so I traded it for the Acoustic 135, also solid state with a couple of 12's. Lots of clean power and volume. So wish I'd have gotten a tube amp and kept it.

[ducktrapper]

No but I've had a tiger by the tail.

[CJ]

Thanks for the pic. Wonderful old video clip of him here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBeOddejiGw

Wouldn't catch me dade in an outfit like that, tho. Prob'ly why I never made it. Well, that and I ain't very good. 

[Queequeg]

saw a new r/w/b Harmony about a year ago in a local shop. around $169 IIRC.
almost thought it was worth it just as a prop, but I didn't bite.

[SMixon]

I love the story about your dad making an amp. I remember being younger and thinking my dad could do and build anything! And he could.  Still can.  Great memory lane thread.
No RW&B guitar though for me.

[CJ]

What I neglected to mention is that he had me try it out in the garage, which I did, in my bare feet. With my hands on the strings and feet thoroughly grounded through the concrete, I got a nice shock. It was then I really came to appreciate the term "electric" guitar. ;)

[StringPicker6]

Forgive me for resurrecting an 11-year old post, but I have just seen a limited run larrivee for sale modeled after the buck owens harmony guitar. Looks like a limited run of 6. Hope its ok to post a music store's web listing? This thing is too beautiful not to share with the forum:

http://www.martinmusicguitar.com/store/larrivee-custom-american-om-red-white-and-blue-limited-edition-1-of-6.html

[Strings4Him]

That should have had a clear pick guard IMO


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[StringPicker6]

I thought the exact same thing!  I don't know when these were made, but it's listed on the larrivee website under the custom archive section, and the picture there is without the pickguard. That would be a fun guitar to play at an open mic night, a real head turner!

[jazzereh]

Sorry, but, ugly, ugly, ugly