Joaquin's early guitars

Mark Durante · From: St. Pete Beach FL

I've never received a definitive answer concerning what guitar Joaquin played, when he was with Spade Cooly, before his Bigsby.
Some have said they thought it was a 6 string Rickenbacker, etc, etc. Does anyone know for sure?

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

He told me that he auditioned for the Cooley band on the same steel he first learned on-a 6-string Dickerson w/matching amp.After that,there was an interim period where he played a borrowed D-8 National while waiting for his T-8 Bigsby.He also had a D-8 Bigsby LAP steel(now owned by Chas Smith)Tom Morrell told me he saw Murph play a D-8 Magnatone with Tex Williams and the Western Caravan.He also played a one-of-a-kind single 8 Bigsby with 6 pedals in that band,but he hated it and only played it one night in San Jose in the early fifties.Bobby Black was there that night and has pictures of it.Murph took to my Stringmaster like an old friend so I imagine there may have been one of those in his background-although I never heard of him playing one professionally.For a few years spanning the late 60s to the mid 70s,he played a custom made 22" scale 8 string 6 pedal guitar made by a guy in Burbank.This was the guitar he played at Scotty's and on the record he cut in Nashville on that same trip - the one w/him posing with a Sho-Bud on the cover.The only other steels he played that I know of were the Rickenbacker 8-string G Deluxe that I gave him in 1995 and the 9-string pedal guitar made for him by Chas Smith which he played till he died.In my opinion,like all great players,he sounded about the same no matter what steel he played. -MJ-

Mike Black · From: New Mexico, USA

xxxzzz

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Mike-
Chas might know the answer to that question.But Joaquin actually didn't remember playing the one Chas has until Chas pulled it out one day in 1995 and showed it to him.Chas said "Remember this?" And Murph said "Yeah....I forgot all about that guitar" BTW,Chas' guitar is the one he played in the 3 Stooges movie. -MJ-

Mark Durante · From: St. Pete Beach FL

Michael,

Thanks for the info, I thought you might know this kind of thing. So it looks like he played a Dickerson and a National before the Bigsby. Just goes to show you about the players touch

Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

He used a Rickenbacker on Oke stomp and Steel Guitar Rag May 3,1946
I have a picture somewhere of him and his double-neck Ricky
Vern

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Vernon
I believe you were looking at Murph's D-8 lap Bigsby. It was the first steel Paul Bigsby built and it had Rickenbacker horseshoe pickups. The design also resembled the Rickenbacker D-16. The Ricks were made of Bakelite and alumininum, though; Murph's Bigsby (that one) is maple with metal top plate.

It's a cool guitar, I've played it.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Homesite

Mark Durante · From: St. Pete Beach FL

Hi Herb,

Would that guitar be a different Bigsby than the one Joaquin is pictured with in Tex Williams Western Caravan photos, (the one with legs and a small rectangular plate on the front)?
I know Speedy's was the second Bigsby steel made in 1948, so how much earlier was Joaquin's made?
My interest, of course, is what guitar was he playing on particular recordings.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Mark
Well, Murph left Spade in 1945 and went with the Plainsmen, before joining the Western Caravan. I have quite a few "soundies" of Spade's band with Tex, Deuce, Smokey, Johnny Weis, and Joaquin; Murph is playing the D-8 lap guitar in those so the thing must have been built around 1944 or so.

Again, I would defer to my pal Michael Johnstone on this. He was Joaquin's benefactor in Murph's last years and in fact, Joaquin lived with Michael until he finally became hospitalized. MJ had lots of opportunities to interview Joaquin. I only spent some time with him once in person, but we had developed a good telephone friendship and I asked him many questions about those days over the course of quite a few lengthy phone conversations.

Pete Martinez, who played with Merle Travis and Jimmy Wakely, also had a very early Bigsby that he told me the case was part of the stand for the guitar. It was stolen a few years ago. I don't know if it pre-dated or post-dated Speedy's guitar, but Pete gave up playing and moved back to Wichita Falls around 1950.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Homesite

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 11 June 2000 at 10:01 PM.]

Mark Durante · From: St. Pete Beach FL

Now that I think about it, the Bigsby he played with the Western Caravan was a triple neck, it's apparent the earlier Bisby, the doubleneck, was the one he played on most of Cooley's recordings before he left. So that was Rickenbacker pickups on a Bigsby made body.
The pickups on his triple neck look similar to Rickenbackers too, but not identical. Does anyone know the story on those early Bigsby pickups?

[This message was edited by Mark Durante on 16 June 2000 at 08:53 PM.]

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: