• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Bob Marley question

bramley

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
408
Has anyone seen any pics of Bob Marley playing the guitar Gibson used as the Marley model? ( Football shaped aluminium surround etc) The reason I ask is that in London (1973 ) I sold him the LP he's most often pictured with , and later added the famous enlarged round cream switch surround. as a temp repair. (The guitar fell off a stand only a week after he'd had it and punched the switch through, he never bothered bringing it back for the top repair it needed, rest is history) Most folks have only ever seen him playing that guitar,and can only wonder why it wasn't used as the "model".

http://lespaulforum.org/lpimages/marley.jpg
( the guitar I did.. 57 special if I remember, note the big round switch plate and original pickguard))

http://www.gibson.com/press/namm/images/marleyproto1.jpg

(The Gibson re issue with football shaped aluminium switchplate etc)
 
Last edited:

Lespaul3

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
495
I agree, the marley edition LP is not as faithful as a reproduction as it could be.

congrats on being part of music history!

There was a '56 for sale that was bought by a forum member (I tried it out) and it had the same problem with the toggle switch. I then figured that it was the same thing that happened to bob's. Did you do the bridge/stop tailpiece conversion?
 

DANELECTRO

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
6,318
marley.jpg


Here's another photo with the same guitar seen in your photo.

marley6uj.jpg


Had it been re-necked or were different inlays installed? The inlays look like 60's block markers. Notice that binding has been added to the headstock, the truss rod cover is missing and the face of the headstock is natural.

Below are photos of Bob with a Special that has a switchplate and pickguard like the Custom Shop model. Notice the same block markers. I suspect that this is the same guitar as in the above photos except the plates were changed out.

Bob-Marley-in-Concert_Zurich_05-30-80.jpg


bob2.jpg


And finally, here's a photo of Gibson Custom Shop guitar. Note the block markers and the binding on the headstock.

marleyproto1.jpg


A 50's Special would normally have a holly veneer on the headstock face with an inlayed pearl logo. This guitar lacks the veneer and appears to a a Gibson decal instead. This looks to be consistant with the second photo above of the actual guitar. It's sensible that that veneer would have been sanded off by whoever reworked the guitar because once you sand the black paint off of the headstock face, it reveals that the pearl inlay is actually set into a pocket that is much larger that the inlay itself, then filled with black filler material. This would pretty much look like shit, so he probably just sanded the veneer until he was down to the mohagany, then found a Gibson decal and applied it
 
Last edited:

bramley

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
408
Thanks for the replies, it means alot!! . I have read since resuming this search that Roger Meyer did the aluminium mod in the late seventies, so it's likely the same guitar. That would explain why the earlier version wasn't used as the model for the re-issue. The first mod took place at the famous Top Gear store in Denmark St, where much of the vintage stock came from English bands returning from the US having bought a bunch of guitars while on tour. Also visiting US musicians would bring stuff in to sell. As I recall, the inlays, bridge and headstock mods were already done when we bought the guitar.

I am currently assembling material for a web site on Top Gear as it played an extensive behind the scenes role in English rock. It had a great vibe, and was a focal point for most guitarists then. As part of a normal day's work, I had cleaned violin resin out of Page's bridge pu, set up every Beatle guitar you've seen, and was sitting around when Gary Moore came in so excited with the guitar Peter Green had just given him, to mention a few memorable moments

I think it all deserves documenting.
 
Last edited:

bramley

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
408
A footnote..

As a wee joke we inscribed " riddum and trebull" in pencil on the new switch surround , which got a big laugh out of Bob when he came in to pick the guitar up. Aston Barrett bought a Cherry slot peghead Gibson EB3 same day.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, I think the mystery is cleared up once and for all.
 

bramley

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
408
I can't say too much about it's history as there is a " Top Gear " book in the works .

I can confirm once again that the bridge/ tailpiece, inlays and headstock binding & mods were already in place when top gear acquired it ... recently come to light is that it was brought to England by a well known US guitar builder who likely did the mods , and that Bob was the second " famous " owner of the guitar after it arrived in London .

I mentioned above that the guitar Gibson used as the model for their re issue was infact the Top Gear guitar. Some time later in it's life Bob had Roger Meyer remove the round plastic temp plate and add the football shaped aluminium plate etc. By the time Gibson looked at it the round plastic plate was long gone.
 
Last edited:

kwest

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
716
I can't say too much about it's history as there is a " Top Gear " book in the works .

I can confirm once again that the bridge/ tailpiece, inlays and headstock binding & mods were already in place when top gear acquired it ... recently come to light is that it was brought to England by a well known US guitar builder who likely did the mods , and that Bob was the second " famous " owner of the guitar after it arrived in London .

I mentioned above that the guitar Gibson used as the model for their re issue was infact the Top Gear guitar. Some time later in it's life Bob had Roger Meyer remove the round plastic temp plate and add the football shaped aluminium plate etc. By the time Gibson looked at it the round plastic plate was long gone.

Wow,thanks for all the info.Can't wait for the Top Gear book to come out.
 

tangerine

Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
230
Does anyone know, did the book about the Top Gear shop ever come out? I'd love to read it if it did.
 

bushburst

New member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
69
Thanks for the replies, it means alot!! . I have read since resuming this search that Roger Meyer did the aluminium mod in the late seventies, so it's likely the same guitar. That would explain why the earlier version wasn't used as the model for the re-issue. The first mod took place at the famous Top Gear store in Denmark St, where much of the vintage stock came from English bands returning from the US having bought a bunch of guitars while on tour. Also visiting US musicians would bring stuff in to sell. As I recall, the inlays, bridge and headstock mods were already done when we bought the guitar.

I am currently assembling material for a web site on Top Gear as it played an extensive behind the scenes role in English rock. It had a great vibe, and was a focal point for most guitarists then. As part of a normal day's work, I had cleaned violin resin out of Page's bridge pu, set up every Beatle guitar you've seen, and was sitting around when Gary Moore came in so excited with the guitar Peter Green had just given him, to mention a few memorable moments

I think it all deserves documenting.

Really great story, Bramley - I'm surprised I don't know about Top Gear, having been a Denmark Street visitor for many years. If you need any help with the web site I have the skills, and would be more than happy to help out.
 

Oshelfryn

New member
Joined
Jun 23, 2016
Messages
1
Has anyone seen any pics of Bob Marley playing the guitar Gibson used as the Marley model? ( Football shaped aluminium surround etc) The reason I ask is that in London (1973 ) I sold him the LP he's most often pictured with , and later added the famous enlarged round cream switch surround. as a temp repair. (The guitar fell off a stand only a week after he'd had it and punched the switch through, he never bothered bringing it back for the top repair it needed, rest is history) Most folks have only ever seen him playing that guitar,and can only wonder why it wasn't used as the "model".

http://lespaulforum.org/lpimages/marley.jpg
( the guitar I did.. 57 special if I remember, note the big round switch plate and original pickguard))

http://www.gibson.com/press/namm/images/marleyproto1.jpg

(The Gibson re issue with football shaped aluminium switchplate etc)

Hey, just came across this page by doing a bit of research on Bob's guitar, I'm currently in the process of customizing my LP Special to look (hopefully) exactly like Bob's (originaly not the version with the metal pick guard & toggle switch surround). Any tips o'r insights would be greatly appreciated.
 

seventhson

New member
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
1
Thread resurrection...

reverb has an article on this guitar. Cant comment on how accurate it is but it seems to line up with what’s been noted in this thread. Additionally it appears the American luthier who originally modded on this guitar was Dan Armstrong.

edit: And Roger Mayer did later mods.

 

bramley

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
408
Thread resurrection...

reverb has an article on this guitar. Cant comment on how accurate it is but it seems to line up with what’s been noted in this thread. Additionally it appears the American luthier who originally modded on this guitar was Dan Armstrong.

edit: And Roger Mayer did later mods.

Hi, thanks ! I posted it here the day it came out, it's gone a few pages in by now!

FYI I provided Tony Bacon with most of the details . He got it mostly right except Roger Giffin didn't start at Top Gear until early '75, staffer Stan Smith made the big poker chip himself, I guess after almost 50 years it can get hazy. I was disappointed that Tony didn't mention the "Riddum and Trebull" gag, totally not PC these days I suppose. Also I thought it would have been relevant to mention that George Gruhn for years insisted it was a reissue, it was definitely an original.

Either way , it's nice to see Top Gear get some love, most Reverb stories on the London shop scene in the 60s and 70s have been about Selmers and Sound City , neither had anywhere near the client list that TG had.
 
Top