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Jay Geils: What is this Les Paul?

frank3si

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Feb 22, 2007
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Interesting photo of Jay back-in-the-day on the cover of the new Vintage Guitar. Does anyone have any details or speculation about this instrument? It doesn't seem to get a mention in the article...




mib5.jpg
 

Mark Kane

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Wide binding in the cutaway, probably an early '70's deluxe all modded up and stuff.
 

Tom Wittrock

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Definitely not a 50's Les Paul. :ganz


Perhaps a Moderator would be so kind as to move this to the Sunburst Pub? :salude
 

fender69

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He did have one (vintage), but nowadays, who know where it's at. I believe he sold it. Anyone?.....
 

lpnv59

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There are pics of Jays current collection in the VG piece. Most of his guitars are jazz box archtops. One pic shows the refin '59 that hes kept. He details the story of how he traded a '56 Black Custom he had 600 bucks into. It was refinned when it came to him. He had it refinned again by the late Eddie Murray. It sports a typical Ed Murray dark color and burst pattern. Similar to Scott Gorhams '56 conversion.
J also talks about the V he use to play live. He sold it thru Reeve Little at an Arlington Show in the late 80's. Mac Yusuda bought it soon after he photographed it out in back by the shows hotel pool. I carried the V for Reeve who was a close friend of mine. He didn't want to leave his booth and Mac had his bag of photography equipment. Another little detail I know is that the V's original uncovered double white PAF's were replaced. Jay sweat so much into them, that he killed them. I forget what they were replaced with. Either J or repairman Jim Mouradian still has those dead dbl whites sitting in a drawer.
 
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Wisertime

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< Interesting photo of Jay back-in-the-day ... >

Just for the record, his name is an abbreviated 'J', not Jay, and it's short for John. No biggy, just thought I'd clear that up. :dude:
 

jerseydrew

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I saw that photo on the cover of Vintage Guitar too. I was also wondering why there was no mention of it in the article.
 

Mike Shaw

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"Just for the record, his name is an abbreviated 'J', not Jay,"

Somebody must have confused him with Homer J(ay) Simpson!
 

nmcinc

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I remember when he first got the V . I got to play it right before Eddie Murray and Peter Stokes started on inlaying his name on the neck. It was upstairs in Eddie's shop above Wurlitzer. I think J's first name is Jerome
not John.
 

lpnv59

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J is short for Jerome. My mistake in spelling it out Jay. :bike
 
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soulbrojcs

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Hey everybody. in a February 1974 interview with Guitar Player Magazine, J. mentioned that he preferred the scale of Gibson guitars, and when he wanted a Fender sound he used what he described as a "Paulocaster", which was a new (at the time) Les Paul with two Telecaster pickups, and a Stratocaster Pickup mounted between them. i would think that that is the guitar he's pictured with on the V. G. cover. here's a vid of The J.Geils Band back in the day, with J. playing his Flying V... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRezwP_znTc
 
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Tom Wittrock

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Hey everybody. in a February 1974 interview with Guitar Player Magazine, J. mentioned that he preferred the scale of Gibson guitars, and when he wanted a Fender sound he used what he described as a "Paulocaster", which was a new (at the time) Les Paul with two Telecaster pickups, and a Stratocaster Pickup mounted between them. i would think that that is the guitar he's pictured with on the V. G. cover.

There you go. :dude:

I bet I still have that issue here somewhere. :)
 

gmann

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< Interesting photo of Jay back-in-the-day ... >

Just for the record, his name is an abbreviated 'J', not Jay, and it's short for John. No biggy, just thought I'd clear that up. :dude:
Actually it is Jay. When he plays with Magic Dick in Bluestime he spells it that way. I think Magic Dicks name is actually Jerome.
 

lpnv59

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Wikipedia says J's given name is John. I've heard, and I'm 99% sure I've read, J was short for Jerome.
 

gmann

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Wikipedia says J's given name is John. I've heard, and I'm 99% sure I've read, J was short for Jerome.
Quite possibly true then. I'm just sayin' that on the Bluestime CD's he spells it out Jay for some reason.
 

lpnv59

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Quite possibly true then. I'm just sayin' that on the Bluestime CD's he spells it out Jay for some reason.

There are legalities that could be coming into play with J/Jay/John/Jerome's name. The name "J Geils" or "J. Geils Band" is trademarked property, that isn't neccessarily owned by J/Jay/John/Jerome himself. :hmm
 

sgtJoe

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Here's the Feb '74 Guitar Player article, I noticed the LP he's holding on the cover has the mid fifties style barrel or hat box knobs

gpfeb74cover.jpg


gpfeb74pg20.jpg


gpfeb74pg21.jpg


gpfeb74pg22.jpg
 

frank3si

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Feb 22, 2007
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If I'd scanned the entire cover of the new VG, you'd see the headline is "Jay Geils." So Jay must be the currently-accepted variation. At least it sounds the same, unlike the old Roger/Jim McGuinn switch! :)
 
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