The Harrison/Clapton "Lucy" Gibson Les Paul - If Guitars Could Speak... #1

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  • Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
  • In the VERY FIRST episode of "If Guitars Could Speak...", we examine the history of the 1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard owned by two titans of the guitar world; George Harrison and Eric Clapton. This guitar has been through more than most human beings. I hope you enjoy Episode 1!
    Fair and honest criticism (not trolling) welcome to help me become a better content creator! Please let me know in the comments.
    Guitar Center’s vid featuring Clapton playing the 2013 reissue: • The Gibson Harrison-Cl...
    If you’re looking for FREE background music for your UA-cam video, be sure to check out the legendary Kevin MacLeod on Incompetech.com!
    Music from filmmusic.io
    "OctoBlues" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)

КОМЕНТАРІ • 88

  • @Tonetwisters
    @Tonetwisters 2 роки тому +4

    I lost a 1954 Stratocaster with a Jazzmaster neck, out the back of my brother's Ford station wagon on the expressway of Jacksonville, Florida on 25 July 1965 ... STILL looking for that one ...

  • @skydogstudio
    @skydogstudio 2 роки тому +3

    The musician from Guadalajara was Miguel Ochoa. He and I were friends in the late 80s. He bought the guitar for $500 and had to give his contact info because the guitar had just come into Sound City’s Possession. He had planned to go to Mexico and took the guitar with him. He was contacted in Mexico and told of the guitar’s ownership. He was like I’m here so whatever… Harrison’s people hooked up with Norm of Norm’s guitars and he gave them two similar aged Les Pauls (not a new one!!) and they took the guitars to Mexico and had him choose which one he wanted. I’m not sure about the bass he didn’t mention that. Soon after arriving back in LA he traded the Les Paul for a 1957 Strat.

  • @KRW628
    @KRW628 3 роки тому +8

    I saw John Sebastian playing that Les Paul, and I was hooked.That was the first Paul I ever saw, and I wanted one. It would take me 40 years, but I finally got it. It's sitting behind me right now.

    • @armand2615
      @armand2615 3 роки тому

      You bought the 15k one?

    • @KRW628
      @KRW628 2 роки тому +1

      I got it on sale, and saved $14,600

    • @mikegoldberg553
      @mikegoldberg553 2 роки тому

      @@KRW628 so what you bought is not even close to the same guitar. period...........

    • @mikegoldberg553
      @mikegoldberg553 2 роки тому

      I bought my les paul custom back in 1974 it is equal to new ones going for 7500.00 or more Randy Roads model is a copy of mine mine is the original The Clapton one is even nicer....

  • @johnnyb2495
    @johnnyb2495 3 роки тому +8

    Great videos - always loved the look of Lucy. I never knew that it started its life as a Goldtop!
    One small point - I believe that Clapton's "The Fool" guitar was thus named because of who painted it - the Dutch design collective known as The Fool.

  • @rickreeder1698
    @rickreeder1698 2 роки тому +7

    The Les Paul that the individual down in Mexico received from George was a 1959 Sunburst that George accuiered from Norman Harris who now has Normans Rare Guitars . At that same time George also accuiered an almost mint condition 1960 Sunburst Les Paul and a 1957 two tone maple neck Strat . At one point during that evening George asked Norm if he ( Norm ) might be interested in taking one of his Gretsch Country Gentleman's in trade . Norm declined because he just wasn't into Gretsch guitars at that time .... Norman states now that that is truly " The one that got away ..."

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  2 роки тому +1

      Great info!!

    • @calsurflance5598
      @calsurflance5598 2 роки тому

      It’s really interesting how much insight and inside knowledge Norm has about so many iconic musicians and instruments. Norm is awesome! 🎸 He once sat down next to me and listened, as I tried out a 335 on the “famous brown couch”. He is a true gentleman and a living historian.🎼🎼

  • @FRDMLIBERTY
    @FRDMLIBERTY 4 роки тому +4

    Thanks! Truly legendary all the way around.

  • @titobattaglia7932
    @titobattaglia7932 9 місяців тому

    Lucy is special and holds several distinctions in my book. It's only famous Cherry (non-burst) Les Paul I know of, so beautiful despite its mismatched top. More importantly, it's the most beautiful clean sound of a Les Paul on a pop-rock record to my ears: its lush tone on Something is matched only by the splendour of George's lines. And while not entirely clean, the big round sound in Come Together is so unique. But she sure could bite too!

  • @jpollackauthor
    @jpollackauthor 2 роки тому +1

    2:25 - Clapton didn't "nickname the finish 'The Fool'" - that's the name of the Dutch design collective who painted it for him.

  • @Nick-qf7vt
    @Nick-qf7vt 3 роки тому +1

    Absolutely love that guitar. Would have loved to hear it in the hands of Rick Derringer later in his 70s hard rock period!

  • @jltrem
    @jltrem 2 роки тому +7

    While watching Peter Jackson's "The Beatles: Get Back", I nearly had a heart attack when Lucy falls off Ringo's drum riser. Doesn't seem to bother George all that much.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  2 роки тому +3

      I saw that too! I yelled “Lucy!!”

    • @jltrem
      @jltrem 2 роки тому +2

      @@TheGuitarHistorian Makes you wonder if any of the dings on Lucy came from that tumble.

    • @tonym994
      @tonym994 Рік тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian "someone's got some esplainin' to do". the band was just a little too far away to stop it, talking about something. and luckily, it didn't get hurt.

    • @uberbeast113
      @uberbeast113 11 місяців тому

      Ha! The Beatles legend is chock full of guitar disasters. The Gretsch Country Gent that flew off the van roof on the motorway. The stolen Gibson J160E, never recovered. And the Epiphone Texan that fell down onstage on camera (I think it was ok). I'm sure there were others. Look at old photos of The Beatles in no2 studio Abbey Road. Priceless guitars lying on the ground all over the place.

    • @marshallrogers8011
      @marshallrogers8011 10 місяців тому

      I screamed like a little girl when I saw that happening!! Yes All Those Guitars,Amps+Of Course RI go's Drum Kit from all the boys laying about!! How many Millions of Dollars laying about carelessly!!

  • @drutgat2
    @drutgat2 3 роки тому +11

    Thanks for this. Clapton did not really "own" Lucy, in terms of having kept and played it for a while; he specifically bought it for George, and gave it to him as soon as he got back to Britain.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  3 роки тому +2

      It’s been a while since I wrote this one, but the article I read intimated that he was just looking for a Les Paul in new York and did hang on to it for a bit before passing it on to George. He just didn’t get round to playing it very much.

    • @drutgat2
      @drutgat2 2 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian Thanks. That is interesting. As a Beatles completist, huge George fan, Eric fan, and a guitarist, I would love to have the publication information of that article. Would you please give the name, publisher (page numbers) and so on?
      Thanks.

    • @tonym994
      @tonym994 Рік тому

      @@drutgat2at Clapton's 'Rainbow concert' ,during which Eric was white as a ghost, but wearing a nice white suit, played that Les Paul, along w/ a Strat, at that gig. so he was sick, but between his duds and his guitars, he looked great.

  • @rocketpoolpki
    @rocketpoolpki 3 роки тому

    awesome...

  • @josephblue4135
    @josephblue4135 3 місяці тому

    All these stories are great.
    I always felt bad to see films of Pete Townsend destroying guitars on stage . Guitars should be played & resected.

  • @uberbeast113
    @uberbeast113 11 місяців тому +1

    That psychedelically painted SG. I don't know if you got your facts a little confused...the artwork looks very much like that of a very popular Dutch artist duo of the late 60s known as The Fool, apart from Rolls Royces and enormous murals on the sides of London office blocks, the duo were sought after to paint rock stars guitars.
    Maybe both are true? Maybe Eric named his guitar after the artists who painted it...

  • @nigil7386
    @nigil7386 4 роки тому +2

    Interesting story

  • @sagrado5
    @sagrado5 4 роки тому +2

    Great. This vídeo should have more views!

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  4 роки тому +2

      I think all my videos should have more views 😂🤣😂🤣

    • @sagrado5
      @sagrado5 4 роки тому +1

      @@TheGuitarHistorian Jajaja 👍

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  4 роки тому +1

      And make sure you check the other 6 episodes in the series! (So far)

    • @sagrado5
      @sagrado5 4 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian I will for shure, thank you! I saw the episode 2 of this series too.

  • @marqsee7948
    @marqsee7948 4 роки тому +2

    Nice presentation!
    according to the pics on this video, there were very noticeable changes on the instrument between Clapton and Harrison. It appears to have been refinished 'properly' and all the plastic hardware was replaced (from cream to white, minus the pickup selector indicator ring).

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  4 роки тому +1

      I think what you’re seeing is pictures of the reissue interspersed throughout the video. Sorry for the confusion. Knowing what I know now, I realize that I didn’t always know the difference between the new Gibson reissue and the original.

    • @marqsee7948
      @marqsee7948 4 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian Harrison used the new reissue? In some angles across various pictures, one can see the line between wood grains in the more consistently-colored pics with Harrison.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  4 роки тому +1

      Marq See yeah that line at the top bout is the original guitar. They also recreated that for the reissue. But if you see one that looks “a little too clean” that’s probably the modern reissue.

  • @ryann5247
    @ryann5247 2 роки тому

    George loaned Lucy to Pete Townshend when he was organizing the Rainbow Concert so that Eric could play it on stage for some of the songs that required a humbucker sound

  • @Radiocures
    @Radiocures 3 роки тому +1

    Can you make an episode about Tommy bolin's stratocaster? He had a stratocaster with a telecaster neck

  • @baroqueguitarist5673
    @baroqueguitarist5673 2 роки тому

    I wonder if this is why Dickey Betts refinished his legendary goldtop red as a nod to Lucy

  • @traileater
    @traileater 3 роки тому +3

    Very interesting, loved it! Is there a story on the LP Clapton used on Hideaway?

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  3 роки тому

      Oh yeah! It’s called the “Beano Burst” and it’s been covered by others channels like @theguitarshow and Joe bonamossa. Just search for it I would do an episode but it’s already been well covered and I don’t really think I’d have anything to add to the story

    • @traileater
      @traileater 3 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian yes i did look it up, thanks

  • @tonym994
    @tonym994 Рік тому

    so which owner lost the poker chip for the toggle switch? in 'GET BACK' from last Thanksgiving, that guitar takes a fall that turned out to be non-fatal, but it did fall over after being leaned against some equipment. if you haven't seen 'GET BACK', it's time. on DISNEY+, film over 50 yrs. old, is re-mastered by Peter Jackson, a genius.

  • @pabloperez4063
    @pabloperez4063 3 роки тому +2

    Why was Eric uncredited in the white album??

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  3 роки тому +2

      Back then it wasn’t really done when guest players played on other people’s albums. Keep in mind that the Beatles were the first to have their band names and lyrics on album covers. It was often a “you scratch my back...” approach. Likes Clapton played on “Gently Weeps” and the. George co-wrote and played on Cream’s “Badge,” both uncredited (except on the written byline)

    • @mikegoldberg553
      @mikegoldberg553 2 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian they had record label contracts hat would not allow it without permission if they had permission it would say appears courtesy of bla bla bla records..

  • @aisle_of_view
    @aisle_of_view 2 роки тому

    Lucy the guitar...fell over
    Lucy the guitar...fell over
    Ahhhhhh
    Picture your axe on a shaky drum riser
    With anvils around and much noise going on...

  • @martym7836
    @martym7836 2 роки тому

    Consider this story about George Harrison's Gretsch Duo Jet!
    ua-cam.com/video/FDt0FdwoHYk/v-deo.html

  • @nigil7386
    @nigil7386 4 роки тому

    Seems Eric himself is speaking

  • @leesanna7835
    @leesanna7835 3 роки тому

    I believe Lucy was stolen from under George's bed in a hotel room in L.A.

    • @mikegoldberg553
      @mikegoldberg553 2 роки тому

      never heard that story. George's son Dihanna has it ..

  • @jamesperryman6433
    @jamesperryman6433 3 роки тому +4

    Need to turn the music down. It's hard to hear the speech

    • @JonPorter94087
      @JonPorter94087 3 роки тому +1

      Too right. Music on top of narration is really annoying.

  • @TheNeonRabbit
    @TheNeonRabbit 3 роки тому

    What do you mean by the engineer giving it a "wobbly" sound? I hope you're not talking about the vibrato while the note is being bent back down. If I can do it I KNOW Clapton can.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  3 роки тому +2

      I can look up the actual effect being used, but it’s not vibrato. It was a certain compression that Emerick used that made Harrison’s solos sound a certain way

    • @TheNeonRabbit
      @TheNeonRabbit 3 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian I know they thickened it up with some ADT but I wouldn't describe that as wobbly.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  3 роки тому +1

      That was the way Clapton referred to it at the time

    • @JamZorro
      @JamZorro 2 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian Sounds wobbly to me too... But it could also be in the way he's playing it... maybe to make it sound a little more Harrison-ish (just guessing)... Loved the way he played it, though

    • @mikegoldberg553
      @mikegoldberg553 2 роки тому

      @@TheNeonRabbit George called it wobbly .. he loved that 1 way was to put pressure on 21 reel of tape as it was recording creating a warble the other is know sort of as a little bit of flange the other is when he used a Leslie organ cabinet like when Eric plays his solo on Badge. George loved that sound.......

  • @philfrank9226
    @philfrank9226 3 роки тому

    This is no Les Paul standard.

    • @corneliuscrewe677
      @corneliuscrewe677 2 роки тому

      If you’re going to split hairs, you’re going to have to look a little deeper.

  • @rj2128
    @rj2128 2 роки тому

    Great story but your background music is overbearing

  • @henryfhs
    @henryfhs 2 роки тому

    I'm sorry but "Less" is pronounced as lake, without the k sound and definitely without the s sound.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  2 роки тому

      … are you talking about the “Les” is “Les Paul?” If so, you are incorrect. It’s short for Lester.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  2 роки тому

      You say it “Lay Paul?”

    • @henryfhs
      @henryfhs 2 роки тому

      Yes. Lay Paul. And it's not short form for Lester

    • @henryfhs
      @henryfhs 2 роки тому

      @@TheGuitarHistorian yes.

    • @TheGuitarHistorian
      @TheGuitarHistorian  2 роки тому

      Um… no, it’s not.