Queen
City Old Ladies:
A Photo Essay
by Dave
Long
It's a view of different Queen City players and their guitars. Most players have a very strong attachment to their guitar. Some are vintage, some rare but they are all treasured.
Jamie Hoover’s Old Lady: 1958 Rickenbacker 325
Of
only eight model 325s produced by Rickenbacker in 1958, only two have
been accounted for. John Lennon bought one when the Beatles were in Hamburg
in 1959, and in 1986 Jamie Hoover acquired one from an individual. Nicknamed
“The John Lennon model” , this Rickenbacker 325 could not have fallen
into more appreciative hands. Jamie Hoover owns several Rickenbackers,
and has kept this Old Lady true and vintage, leaving the original hardware
intact. He has played her on Spongetones
recordings for the past twenty years. “I love it!” said Jamie, “It has
THAT sound”. Jamie Hoover is not a collector, but a working producer and
musician. The Spongetone’s latest project: Odd Fellows is
now out on Gadfly Records, and his credits for producing and session work
keep building. He has recently completed projects with Don Dixon, Robert
Crenshaw and The VanDeLecki’s. The Spongtones have appeared on National
Public Radio's World Cafe, play regularly in New York, and still
play the clubs and rooms in the Charlotte area. Jamie has retired the
325 from the road, but still uses itin the studio when according to him
he “needs THAT sound.”
Eric Cavanaugh's Old Lady: 1977 Fender Mustang
"A
Pawn-shop Sweetie", Eric first admired this Mustang's sunburst finish
hanging in the window of a Greenville, North Carolina pawn shop. At the
time he was flat broke and could ill afford a new treasure, but "I
had to have it, I just fell in love with it" Eric spoke of his Old
Lady. He put it on lay-a-way and painfully paid $20 a month until she
was his. Made of alder, the Mustang is heavier that she looks, and the
dense body along with two single coil pick-ups give this Old Lady plenty
of sustain and punch. Eric loves her simplicity and reliability: "I
like the thought that I can stun a moose with it and it will stay in tune.
A handy function for those Canadian gigs." Eric is partial to open
chords on the first and thirteenth frets. Eric used the Mustang on his
band's rendition REM'S "Radio Free Europe," on the tribute-compliation
album Reconstructing The Fables on Throwing Stones Records. The
Mustang has also appeared on several other Frocky
Jack recordings. Eric's other guitar is a new Yamaha, but the Mustang
is is favorite Old Lady and she can be found in person at every Frocky
Jack show.
Michael Reno Harrell's Old Lady: 1940 Martin D-28
It was not all that long ago if one wanted a quality flat top guitar you could choose either a Gibson or a Martin. Founded in 1833, C.F. Martin instruments set the standard for tone and resonance, and have long been the favorites of folk and bluegrass players. Only a Martin would not get buried by the sound of fiddles and banjos when amplification was not needed nor welcomed! Michael Reno Harrell is a Martin kinda guy. He bought his first one in 1964, and over the years has accumulated 8 of them. His pride and joy these days is a 1950 D-28. Original owned by a gentleman from Ohio, and played all over the world in USO shows, she had been in storage for a number of years, tucked away under a bed. She was in bad need of a fret job, nut and bridge work and she also had to have a stain removed. She show her age with a few scars and bruises, but she's up and running and in Michael's words "Plays like butter and sounds like God's own cannon!" It's easy to hear the bluegrass-folk influences in Michael's music. And although Michael is best know for his song-writing, he is a fine player, and his bluegrass licks sound out with the help of this Old Lady! Michael stays pretty busy these days supporting his album Second Wind on Rank Records.
Michael Styers' Old Lady: 1952 Gibson J-200N, 'Ms. Gibson'
She's
blond, buxom and has more curves than Jayne Mansfield. Original endorsed
by singing cowboy Gene Autry, GibsonŐs J-200 has been a favorite of performers
from Elvis Presley to The Everly Brothers to Emmie Lou Harris Her spruce
top, mapel sides and ample proportions give Ms.Gibson a warm yet bright
tone. She was also a pawn shop find, discovered hanging on the rack at
Reliable Pawn Shop in 1967. With his work with Tucker's Fault, Michael
uses a Telecaster and a Rickenbacker, saving Ms. Gibson for studio work
only. Michael is a creative player and knows how to coax Ms. Gibson, knows
how to stroke and pet her, knows how to wisped to her and to get her to
respond, moan, sigh and sing! She can be heard on on two songs the band
recently recorded with Jamie Hoover at Hooverama Studios. When asked to
describe her tone, Michael said, "She sounds like The Bells Of St.
Mary!".
All photos are by Dave Long and are used by permission.