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Topic: The last original Bigsby player/owner |
Abe Levy
From:
California, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2024 9:13 am |
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“Fireball” Bill Galvan came and picked up his original 1956 Bigsby recently. I had the guitar for about ten years and have been in touch with Bill. He always wanted it back, but was happy I was its caretaker. He’s 88 now and recently reached out again about getting the guitar back. I figured it was finally time to let go of my prized possession and he came over and took it home. I consulted with Deke Dickerson and we came to the conclusion that this makes Bill the last original Bigsby owner still playing his instrument. Cheers Fireball! So glad you’ve been reunited with your beloved guitar.
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Mostly Pre-1970 guitars. |
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Doug Taylor
From:
Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2024 9:17 am
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| What a great story! |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 23 Dec 2024 10:44 am
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What a wonderful story!
I see the guitar grew two more pedals over the years.
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Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat |
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Bill Ladd
From:
Wilmington, NC, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2024 11:51 am
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| That's awesome. |
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Jerome Reinan
From:
Salida, Colorado, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2025 6:08 am
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What a great story. I bet he was so excited.
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1968 Emmons C6; 1970 Emmons D10; Early Excel D10. 1979 Fender Super Twin. Webb twin 12”. Many Crown and Ampex reel to reels. Tubes Rule! |
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 13 Jan 2025 1:01 pm Growing two more pedals over the years...
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Not unusual. The triple eight Louis Armentaro Bigsby was originally ordered with three pedals and later sent back to PAB to have two more added. Later PAB sent LA the components to add another two pedals with instructions. The final two had parts that did not match the other five but were what PAB had on hand at the time. A few years had passed. The exact parts were probably not available anymore. Still, they were original as to what PAB was using at the time.
MLA
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"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone." |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 13 Jan 2025 6:01 pm
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Great story Abe, but to use the old joke - Bill is at the age where he doesn't even buy green bananas at the grocery store.
In the event of his eventual demise and you're alive and playing steel, is it in the cards for you to get the guitar back?
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Mark |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 20 Jan 2025 1:20 pm
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Ray Covington still has his two Bigsby steels. One is a "board" and the other is a D-8 with four pedals -- just like his friend Johnny Thompson's Bigsby. They both got their guitars in 1958 Ray bought the "board" when he placed his order for the pedal steel, which was in 1955. It was simply available at the time.
Ray's guitar is 41558 and came after Oma Thomas' 31558 and before Roland Smiley's 51558. Gord Affeldt is 61558 and Jimmie Pirie is 71558 and so on.
In the 1970s, Johnny Thompson's guitar was sold to a player in the band Chicago (according to someone I spoke to at Thompson's Monterey Park music store).
Ray Covington, who I think turns ninety this year, no longer lives in Los Angeles.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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