Guitars of the Stars (GOTS for short) is a series that I plan to use to solve the mysteries of guitars in live performances + music videos. I plan to incorporate celebrity interviews when possible as well. Credit this time goes to: www.askzac.com/post/the-black-betty-les-paul-story Which guitars do you GOTS to know about next? Submit to tradetrogly@gmail.com
It was never a mystery. The black Betty Les paul.was a gold top. Then routed for humbuckers. The it had a neck swap to an Ibanez and Di'angelico. I've known that for atleast 30 years.
We still did it in the 80’s tho usually nothing we couldn’t reverse fairly easily & never ever to 50’s stock, not anything to do with monetary value just that messing with them classics was sacrilege to us
Just like old cars back in the day... My dad told me about tearing ass through the woods in old galaxies and stuff he'd got for like $50... Whoops... 😬 I did the same thing with his 76 f100, cause the floor was gone, literally gone in one spot. It was my trail truck for a while, screw it it needs a new can anyway and they're cheap. So it ended up beat all to shit, the body had been pretty straight other than the bed side got messed up when he hauled his Fatboy and the strap broke or something, just rotted floorpan.
Most people do. That why things that old stuff, guitars and otherwise, that’s still around in original condition is worth so much. If everyone kept theirs and never modified them they wouldn’t be worth anything.
Bill Bartlett played in the late 60’s band “The Lemon Pipers”. They had a hit on the radio back then called, “Green Tambourine”. There is a video of this song here on RUclips. Bill is playing the Les Paul when it was still in the original condition that he bought it in
@pedraw, there are at least two different videos of them playing that song. He's definitely playing a Telecaster in the top listed one and a Les Paul in the other. Cheers
Please explain. Are the headstocks designed to crack to protect the rest of the neck, or are you just saying that Gibson had quality control issues or are poorly designed?
@@eljison That's half a joke ! Gibson's headstock are not design to break to protect the neck. They are just VERY fragile. Gibson stick to this design since the 50's for historical reasons but it is weak point.
Bill didn't just play all the smoldering leads on Black Betty, but he came up with the revved up arrangement for it too. On top of singing it. The Ram Jam version is definitely his baby.
@@Dan.Solo.Chicago I followed your lead and checked out the green tambourine video, and Bill Bartlett is playing the gold top , with the gold top finish on it!
@@brythecracker @William Olsen @Dan Solo Chicago Thanks ! from way back in the day I always thought both tunes were tops, but for different reasons. Who knew (not I !) that it was the same guitarist (AND guitar ! ) ?? Check out the tapping at 1:50 of the G.T. vid. Some excellent mods by him, as someone said, ahead of his time. DIY mods that extensive rare fifty years ago !
It was actually recorded by Bill Bartlett’s previous band, Starstruck. But that band had broken up before Bartlett landed a contract, so the label “helped” him form a new band and the Starstruck recording used on Ramjam’s debut album. Awesome song, and Bartlett’s solos should by rights get a lot more kudos.
I just spoke with Bill Bartlett, he told me about this video! So he has seen this. He really likes the video. I thought I should share this here. Bill said he'll never let the guitar out of his sight. And he serenely will not send it through the mail for a video. Also he doesn't want people to see the back of the guitar.
Documenting it better will help the instrument's status and value after he's gone. Is Bill still based out of Ohio? Austin could probably do it in person.
@@davidmckean955 Bill lives in Liberty Indiana, he's 80 now and still has some more guitars. He did an interview for I think "Ask Zach" where he showed photos of the guitar. Bill himself has made some modifications to it over the years.
In 2015, I interviewed Bill Bartlett for a Reverb article on Mosrite amplifiers, as he'd toured the Mosrite/Bakersfield factory when on tour with the Lemon Pipers in early 1968. He's a fascinating man with some fascinating musical memories. I recall him telling me the story of all the mods he did on the "Black Betty" Gibson, but did not take notes. He told me he wrote one of the "Black Betty" lyrical lines or couplets, but did not claim any of the copyright, which I think he should have. He told me of attending Syracuse University in 1962 and some of his later-to-be-famous classmates: Lou Reed (then playing in a band called LA and the El Dorados); Felix Cavaliere (later of the Young Rascals): and Mike Esposito (later of the Blues Magoos). Talent!
I've read that the song Black Betty, allegedly, originated sometime in the 30's. Names like Huddle Ledbetter and Alan Lomax are mentioned in various sources.
I like that this highlighted a heavily and uniquely modified guitar. I know collectors might look down on that, but when the work is done well I love mods like this, even more so when they're on vintage guitars. It could've just been another 50s goldtop sitting in a case collecting value and dust, now it's something totally unique and beautiful and I'm a big fan of that.
That one isn't hard to find details about. It started life as a 1961 sunburst and had a few pickup swaps over the decades, mostly due to damage from sweat and/or beer getting into the electronics. The only non stock part was a DiMarzio bridge pickup.
I'd LOVE to see one episode on Ace Frehley's guitars, he's the reason I like Les Pauls but I never understood how many he has or how the guitars were made
Writing before watching to say Thank You for doing this! Been a fan from back in the day when this was on the radio and have been wondering about this guitar since first seeing the video.
Ace's Deluxe of course. From the odd neck humbucker route, heel carve and head stock binding all the way to it's demise as a black double cut. That 7th fret inlay will get you there.
Even the pre Ibanez lawsuit models too! I have a ‘74 (or earlier) Ibanez Les Paul Custom and the only thing that sucks about it is it has a bolt on neck. I’ve owned it since 2009 and got it for $375.00 which was really cheap at the time for a custom especially. I haven’t checked super recently, but the post lawsuit models are still pretty sought after since they’re vintage now and a part of history! I’d take one of those over an epiphone every day of the week with their hideous headstocks. In my opinion a lot of the post lawsuit models are even better, you just don’t get the open book headstock. Burny, Greco, and Tokai are definitely superior though. I have an 08 (I think) Burny SG and four Gibson SG’s (one a ‘74 and an ‘85) and I like it better than my Gibsons most of the time. Gibson charges way too much for a LP standard. I’d take a Burny, Greco, or Tokai any day over a Gibson. You get basically the same damn guitar for $4,000 shaved off the price lmao while still getting a set neck guitar too. And if you don’t like the electronics, change em. Gibsons designs are beautiful but their higher end guitars are astronomically priced for the average working class person.
Not filmed 'somewhere'- Hicksville, Long Island. When I moved here 15 years ago 17 year old musicians were telling me about it (I'd never heard of Ram Jam until then). Multi-generational Ram Jam pride runs pretty deep here
I had one of those PT Teles for a while. White binding. I can’t recall if it was bound on the back as well. Maple fretboard. And HUGE frets. I never played much in the round up selling it to someone in Indonesia, I think. A Very good looking guitar.
Cool story. I started a band a few months back with some older folks in their 50’s and 60’s (I’m 24) down in Miami and our keys player was married to the bass player of ram jam. Sadly he’s gone, but she told us tons of stories and that’s when I first heard this song. She’s one of girls on the motorcycles in the back throughout the music video.
This new series just cemented your place as my favorite guitar history channel on RUclips. Thank you very much, from a crazy music nerd... who doesn't even play guitar!
Absolutely fantastic story, you really did your homework on this, top job...this song and anything to do with it fascinates me, it has so much history and still sounds great today.
The more I look at the headstock, I think he was aiming towards a D’Angelico New Yorker look. It has the same notched double scroll and even the deco style tuning pegs.
It's funny you started with this guitar, because of all the guitars in all of the videos I have seen this is the one that has perplexed me the most. Thanks for sharing!
Bill Bartlett was also in the Lemon Pipers, and it looks like he might be playing a pre-mod version of that same guitar in the video of their hit “Green Tambourine”.
The guitar in my photo yonder is my 1975 (September) 2351TB lawsuit era Ibanez. It was my main guitar for years until the truss rod finally gave out and I had to replace the neck which I had fabricated by a Chinese factory a few years ago. It's flawless. They made it identical to the original. Gibson mustache head stock and all. So sweet.
An idea for an episode...'where are they now?' There are famous guitars that disappeared into secondhand-land and are now lost. Some, like Jim Hendrix's Flying V, were identified. But where is the red Telecaster Clapton used in the Yardbirds? And the semi bass played in the Yardbirds? The Gretsch hollowbody John Lennon used for Paperback Writer? The stripped natural Strat with the broken pickguard Jeff Beck used in the early 70s? Does Richie Blackmore still have the ES335 from the early Deep Purple days, and if not, where is it?
Great Series Trogly!! I would love to see an episode talking about Paul Kossoff's stratocaster. He was the guitar player on FREE and it is said that Dave Murray from Iron Maiden owns it now.
This was a fantastic deep dive into a guitar I didnt know I really wanted to know so much about. I do want to offer an opinion as to why Bill Bartlett may have opted to use his Esquire in 2009 to perform Black Betty. There was an interview with David Gilmour that took place in the early 2000s. He was talking about his signature Strat he was most known for..(not the consumer based copy...his actual black Strat....) He said he left it behind at home on the previous tour because he was quite aware that it was begining to feel "rather delicate" and he didnt want to rush irreparable damaging the instrument "in the rigors of touring". I'm guessing Bill may have felt the same way about this Gibson being it has seen a pretty extreme life of continuous modification that it may also be a fragile bit of guitar that hed rather not see fall apart on stage in front of people. Just a thought. Then again he may as you suggest be a bigger fan of the Esquire. Fascinating new series. I'm wracking my brain thinking of guitars Id like to know more about. I think every one knows Jimmy Page with a Gibson and a Marshall stack. But I have always been a fan of his Danelectro. Maybe you could cover that one?
AWESOME!!! Thanks for starting this series. Learning about the history of guitars that we’ve seen over the years is a great idea. I loved the story of this Les Paul. Thanks Trogly for the endless great content. Your channel is a repository of knowledge that I can always come back to for this, that & all things guitar. ✌🏽❤️🎸
@@EarthAltar Did you hear about KK Downing's Gibsons Flying V, that Michael Schenker had been in the same music store earlier in the day and asked the store to hold the V. Which of course they said they would do until KK, walked in and bought it later that day.
Great video, you told the story well. I was curious about that Guitar I assumed it was a D'Angelico with Gibson pickups ('was not even close). Thanks for doing the research. Good Luck with the new series!! Looking forward to more!!
I know Ace Frehley customized a LP Standard to a double cut (although I don't believe he did the work himself). He had some wonky UFO guitars as well as the smoker. Wow, so many cool guitars out there to document.
Bill Bartlett played in a local band in Cincinnati with my father in the 80's called "Southern Rain". My dad still keeps in touch with Bill, and my friend Jeremy delivers mail to Bill's house in Liberty, Indiana. I have a VHS tape of Southern Rain playing at Hamilton High school in Hamilton, OH for their film class, and Bill used that double neck on a couple of songs. Bill lost a few guitars many years ago in a house fire. I have multiple cassette tapes of Bill playing with southern rain in local Cincinnati bars. Bill is as good as anyone on guitar. Bill stopped playing guitar quite a bit lately and has really moved forward with playing piano. ALSO, that 2009 video of Bill, he didn't play as well as he could have because Bill had a wart removed from his hand the day before the show and the soreness made it harder for him to play. ONE MORE THING FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, Black Betty....that we've all heard was not actually recorded by Ram Jam, but a Cincinnati based band called Starstruck, but when Bill joined Ram Jam, they had the recording released under the Ram Jam name. The bassist on Black Betty is David Goldflies, his dad was my elementary school music teacher.
Dave murray yeah. More on his strats please. Squiers and covered humbuckers. Has dave ever played an SSS strat? Edit: are those carvin pickups? Nice. Niccccccce.
I believe that house is in Stubenville Ohio right on the PA line. If you are unaware which most people are the Band "Ram Jam" that wrote "Black Betty". Ten years before that, they were a band called "the LemonPipers" that also had a hit song with "My Green Tamborine"
This series is definitely going to be cool, here are some guitars I’d love to see for a future video: - Eddie Van Halen‘s Frankenstein - George Harrison’s Rickenbacker 360/12 or Les Paul Standard - David Gilmour’s Black Strat - Daron Malakian’s Ibanez Iceman - Angus Young’s Gibson SG - James Hetfield’s Gibson Explorer/Gibson Flying V - Pete Townshend’s Gibson SG Special/Gibson Les Paul Deluxe - Billy Gibbons’ Gibson Les Paul Standard “Pearly Gates”/Fuzzy Dean Guitar from the “Legs” music video
Love the content my Dude, " Huddie Leadbeter / LeadBelly" was an amazing influence I wish more players and people were introduced to his work. Echo Hard! "Doc"
It has been half a year since the first episode and i am still super hyped for the next episode. No matter how long it takes, i am looking forward to it.
Ok I’ll play! The Australian band -Stars has a video on RUclips called -The Mighty Rock, the lead Geetar player plays what looks like a 70s fender! But I’m not sure, if so what year and how the heck does he make the guitar sustain for days at the end of the main guitar solo!
Now that was awesome. I had a 1985 Carvin DC150, and those pickups sounded great. I had the SD22 in the bridge position. The coil splitters and the phase switch gave that guitar so many sounds. Great video.
I dunno. I personally really like seeing musicians who clearly love their instruments and wear them to the bone and take the time to keep them in working order. It gives them a unique charm that can only be achieved through true admiration for an instrument and enjoyment when playing. Who cares if it isn’t mint anymore? Not like he cares and he clearly has enjoyed his time with it. In my eyes a mint guitar is a sad guitar it means they’re not played much and were merely something to show off. I love seeing musician’s daily drivers ones which they truly made their own. It’s really cool to see!
I have an Ibanez J200 copy and it's a very nice guitar. When I acquired it it had some issues. Some had put glue on top of the truss rod. Maybe the neck wouldn't stay put. It has a crack on the wood that tends to the attacked bridge. It does not hurt the play ability. It sounds great and stays in tune well but the tuners aren't very nice. they could stand to be replaced. It's fine for grabbing a big box acoustic and jamming at a camp fire type of thing. I wouldn't use it to perform live. could be though with work. It has great tone and projection.
As a fan and an owner of two Ibanez "lawsuit" guitars, I was super happy to see my Ibanez "Les Paul copy" ST Custom in black. I left it all original (minus the pick guard). Ibanez was sued by Gibson because of the headstock design was spot on. I think it's a pre-1970 because there's no serial number on it. Ibanez started putting serial numbers on after 1970. My 2nd "lawsuit" guitar is a 1985 Ibanez PR-1665 Pro Rock'r Flying V in black, with black hardware. In 1986, a slightly different version of the Pro Rock'r came out with a two tone paint finish that caught the attention of Jackson Guitars, which clearly violated their design cues of the "Jackson Randy Rhoades" flying V model - this time it was the body style and paint scheme, not the head stock that got Ibanez in trouble.
Would love to find out about the lead guitarist and vocalist from Canned Heat - Alan Wilson- He played a Les Paul with an STP sticker on the body, He died so young at 27 like other famous rock stars at the time, It would be cool to fine that Gibson.
That's pretty cool the song is about Betty Page. She wasn't very widely known back then. She became more of an icon after Dave Stewart put her in his Rocketeer comic books.
Looks kinda like Kirk Hammett's gold top he used we miley cyrus sang vocals on nothing else matters also I'm not sure if it's just me but I noticed in the video Kirk Hammett's neck pickup was installed the same way as the bridge I don't know if that's supposed to be like that or what but it looks weird but sounds really cool though especially when James does that solo part
Guitars of the Stars (GOTS for short) is a series that I plan to use to solve the mysteries of guitars in live performances + music videos.
I plan to incorporate celebrity interviews when possible as well. Credit this time goes to: www.askzac.com/post/the-black-betty-les-paul-story
Which guitars do you GOTS to know about next? Submit to tradetrogly@gmail.com
It was never a mystery. The black Betty Les paul.was a gold top. Then routed for humbuckers. The it had a neck swap to an Ibanez and Di'angelico. I've known that for atleast 30 years.
Thank You for documenting this Les Paul.
Cool series Trog, I’ll enjoy these thanks man!
Thanks so much for this awesome new series! I LOVE IT....Great job Trog.
@@Rummy73 l
Back in the 60-70's we modified our guitars to suite our tastes. We never dreamed these guitars would soar in value and become collectors items.
I hacked up a 64 SG. Doooh
We still did it in the 80’s tho usually nothing we couldn’t reverse fairly easily & never ever to 50’s stock, not anything to do with monetary value just that messing with them classics was sacrilege to us
Just like old cars back in the day... My dad told me about tearing ass through the woods in old galaxies and stuff he'd got for like $50... Whoops... 😬
I did the same thing with his 76 f100, cause the floor was gone, literally gone in one spot. It was my trail truck for a while, screw it it needs a new can anyway and they're cheap. So it ended up beat all to shit, the body had been pretty straight other than the bed side got messed up when he hauled his Fatboy and the strap broke or something, just rotted floorpan.
Most people do. That why things that old stuff, guitars and otherwise, that’s still around in original condition is worth so much. If everyone kept theirs and never modified them they wouldn’t be worth anything.
@@salvadordollyparton666 yeah, cash for clunkers was a travesty. So many great old cars that just needed some slight tlc lost to car crushers.
Bill Bartlett played in the late 60’s band “The Lemon Pipers”. They had a hit on the radio back then called, “Green Tambourine”. There is a video of this song here on RUclips. Bill is playing the Les Paul when it was still in the original condition that he bought it in
Thanks! I had never heard it. pretty cool stuff.
Looks like a Telecaster to me.
@pedraw, there are at least two different videos of them playing that song. He's definitely playing a Telecaster in the top listed one and a Les Paul in the other. Cheers
@finnmcginn9931 thanks for your comment. I was really confused. 😁
Classic psychedelic bubblegum pop
6:34 "He accidentally cracked the headstock."
That was not accidental, The Gibson headstock was functioning as designed.
Please explain. Are the headstocks designed to crack to protect the rest of the neck, or are you just saying that Gibson had quality control issues or are poorly designed?
@@eljison That's half a joke ! Gibson's headstock are not design to break to protect the neck. They are just VERY fragile. Gibson stick to this design since the 50's for historical reasons but it is weak point.
@@aceshigh8781 if you break you'll end up buying another one if you don't know how to fix it
As someone who once broke the headstock clean off an old Epi, I'm glad to hear that was part of the design. I was afraid I had done something wrong...
i’ve heard the expression “ thats how you know its a real gibson “ on more than one occasion
Bill didn't just play all the smoldering leads on Black Betty, but he came up with the revved up arrangement for it too. On top of singing it. The Ram Jam version is definitely his baby.
Ram Jam is a classic one hit wonder band. Never heard of any other song from that band
Bill Bartlett was in the Lemon Pipers in the 60's so he has a little more history than the rest of the band.
@@williamolsen20 Green Tambourine
@@Dan.Solo.Chicago I followed your lead and checked out the green tambourine video, and Bill Bartlett is playing the gold top , with the gold top finish on it!
@@brythecracker @William Olsen @Dan Solo Chicago Thanks ! from way back in the day I always thought both tunes were tops, but for different reasons. Who knew (not I !) that it was the same guitarist (AND guitar ! ) ?? Check out the tapping at 1:50 of the G.T. vid. Some excellent mods by him, as someone said, ahead of his time. DIY mods that extensive rare fifty years ago !
I live across the street from one of the lead guitarists from Iron Butterfly and I still only know one song from that band.
I bet you do too.
Great start to the series, looking forward to this.
The Pick Ups have stamped Gibson!
Bill Bartlett is such an under appreciated guitarist
And a Brit!! Grew up in Harrow.English guitarist, born in 1946 in South Harrow, Middlesex, England, UK.
Bill goes all the way back to The Lemon Pipers and their hit Green Tambourine
You could probably spit and hit thousands of underrated musicians in any direction.
And what a craftsman.
Is there a global standard of ratings for appropriate levels of appreciation for guitarists? I think he's perfectly appropriately appreciated.
It was actually recorded by Bill Bartlett’s previous band, Starstruck. But that band had broken up before Bartlett landed a contract, so the label “helped” him form a new band and the Starstruck recording used on Ramjam’s debut album. Awesome song, and Bartlett’s solos should by rights get a lot more kudos.
I just spoke with Bill Bartlett, he told me about this video! So he has seen this. He really likes the video. I thought I should share this here. Bill said he'll never let the guitar out of his sight. And he serenely will not send it through the mail for a video. Also he doesn't want people to see the back of the guitar.
Documenting it better will help the instrument's status and value after he's gone. Is Bill still based out of Ohio? Austin could probably do it in person.
@@davidmckean955 Bill lives in Liberty Indiana, he's 80 now and still has some more guitars. He did an interview for I think "Ask Zach" where he showed photos of the guitar. Bill himself has made some modifications to it over the years.
You can see him playing this gold top in its original condition in the Lemon Pipers My Green Tamborine when he was a member of that band.
Thanks for sharing. I looked it up on RUclips and sure enough! He does play a mean guitar
I'll be really fascinated to watch this series unfold.
This is going to be a fun ride, especially given Trogly's affinity for oddball guitars.
Truer words are rarely spoken, @@hifibrony.
In 2015, I interviewed Bill Bartlett for a Reverb article on Mosrite amplifiers, as he'd toured the Mosrite/Bakersfield factory when on tour with the Lemon Pipers in early 1968. He's a fascinating man with some fascinating musical memories. I recall him telling me the story of all the mods he did on the "Black Betty" Gibson, but did not take notes. He told me he wrote one of the "Black Betty" lyrical lines or couplets, but did not claim any of the copyright, which I think he should have. He told me of attending Syracuse University in 1962 and some of his later-to-be-famous classmates: Lou Reed (then playing in a band called LA and the El Dorados); Felix Cavaliere (later of the Young Rascals): and Mike Esposito (later of the Blues Magoos). Talent!
I've read that the song Black Betty, allegedly, originated sometime in the 30's. Names like Huddle Ledbetter and Alan Lomax are mentioned in various sources.
@@dunemetal67 Yes, Leadbelly is where I know the song from.
I like that this highlighted a heavily and uniquely modified guitar. I know collectors might look down on that, but when the work is done well I love mods like this, even more so when they're on vintage guitars. It could've just been another 50s goldtop sitting in a case collecting value and dust, now it's something totally unique and beautiful and I'm a big fan of that.
Bill Bartlett is an awesome guitarist! Wish they and he would have done more.
Great topic for a series.
How about:
Rory Gallagher's Strat?
My thoughts exactly as I watched the video!
That one isn't hard to find details about. It started life as a 1961 sunburst and had a few pickup swaps over the decades, mostly due to damage from sweat and/or beer getting into the electronics. The only non stock part was a DiMarzio bridge pickup.
I have it
@@aniquinstark4347 there's a LOT more to it than just that
@@timmydonovan3253 what he said was about right lol. Just didn't have how he got the guitar and a number of refrets
Trogly, please bring this series back!
The whole series is a genius idea!
I'd LOVE to see one episode on Ace Frehley's guitars, he's the reason I like Les Pauls but I never understood how many he has or how the guitars were made
Writing before watching to say Thank You for doing this! Been a fan from back in the day when this was on the radio and have been wondering about this guitar since first seeing the video.
Ace's Deluxe of course. From the odd neck humbucker route, heel carve and head stock binding all the way to it's demise as a black double cut. That 7th fret inlay will get you there.
Bill, Rocks
Those old Grecos and Tokais (even the new ones made in Japan) are really nice guitars
I can attest to that !
i have 7 les pauls and 1 explorer, all aria pro II's. very nice with proper guts in them.
Even the pre Ibanez lawsuit models too! I have a ‘74 (or earlier) Ibanez Les Paul Custom and the only thing that sucks about it is it has a bolt on neck. I’ve owned it since 2009 and got it for $375.00 which was really cheap at the time for a custom especially. I haven’t checked super recently, but the post lawsuit models are still pretty sought after since they’re vintage now and a part of history! I’d take one of those over an epiphone every day of the week with their hideous headstocks. In my opinion a lot of the post lawsuit models are even better, you just don’t get the open book headstock. Burny, Greco, and Tokai are definitely superior though. I have an 08 (I think) Burny SG and four Gibson SG’s (one a ‘74 and an ‘85) and I like it better than my Gibsons most of the time. Gibson charges way too much for a LP standard. I’d take a Burny, Greco, or Tokai any day over a Gibson. You get basically the same damn guitar for $4,000 shaved off the price lmao while still getting a set neck guitar too. And if you don’t like the electronics, change em. Gibsons designs are beautiful but their higher end guitars are astronomically priced for the average working class person.
My dude.. when is another video of this series coming out ?? This was greattt and I’ve been waiting for a follow up since for almost half a year Trog!
Please, please, please cover Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray’s original 57 black Stratocaster which used to belonged to Paul Kossoff.
Seconded!
Umm third that!!
With the Super D's on it! And how about Adrian Smith's Goldtop?
Not filmed 'somewhere'- Hicksville, Long Island. When I moved here 15 years ago 17 year old musicians were telling me about it (I'd never heard of Ram Jam until then). Multi-generational Ram Jam pride runs pretty deep here
I always liked the black Schecter tele that Pete Townshend played in The Who’s Eminence Front video.
I had one of those PT Teles for a while. White binding. I can’t recall if it was bound on the back as well. Maple fretboard. And HUGE frets. I never played much in the round up selling it to someone in Indonesia, I think. A Very good looking guitar.
When the cat's having trouble yakking up a big hairball, I always show him a picture of that Schecter Tele and he pukes instantly.
@@arlingtonhynes Now that was funny 😊
Cool story. I started a band a few months back with some older folks in their 50’s and 60’s (I’m 24) down in Miami and our keys player was married to the bass player of ram jam. Sadly he’s gone, but she told us tons of stories and that’s when I first heard this song. She’s one of girls on the motorcycles in the back throughout the music video.
This new series just cemented your place as my favorite guitar history channel on RUclips. Thank you very much, from a crazy music nerd... who doesn't even play guitar!
Absolutely fantastic story, you really did your homework on this, top job...this song and anything to do with it fascinates me, it has so much history and still sounds great today.
The more I look at the headstock, I think he was aiming towards a D’Angelico New Yorker look. It has the same notched double scroll and even the deco style tuning pegs.
I’m excited for this series. I’d love an episode on Jeff Buckley’s telecaster
It's funny you started with this guitar, because of all the guitars in all of the videos I have seen this is the one that has perplexed me the most. Thanks for sharing!
Bill Bartlett was also in the Lemon Pipers, and it looks like he might be playing a pre-mod version of that same guitar in the video of their hit “Green Tambourine”.
The guitar you speak of looks like a new in '68 gold top deluxe with mini-humbuckers instead of P90's.
Great series. Hope to see more.
The guitar in my photo yonder is my 1975 (September) 2351TB lawsuit era Ibanez. It was my main guitar for years until the truss rod finally gave out and I had to replace the neck which I had fabricated by a Chinese factory a few years ago. It's flawless. They made it identical to the original. Gibson mustache head stock and all. So sweet.
A great idea for a series. Looking forward to seeing what guitars are featured.
An idea for an episode...'where are they now?'
There are famous guitars that disappeared into secondhand-land and are now lost. Some, like Jim Hendrix's Flying V, were identified. But where is the red Telecaster Clapton used in the Yardbirds? And the semi bass played in the Yardbirds? The Gretsch hollowbody John Lennon used for Paperback Writer? The stripped natural Strat with the broken pickguard Jeff Beck used in the early 70s? Does Richie Blackmore still have the ES335 from the early Deep Purple days, and if not, where is it?
Nice, look forward to seeing more of this series!
5:00 Side note, I’m pretty sure this is Alan Wilson’s goldtop. One of the most under appreciated players and forgotten member of the 27 club.
Marc Bolan's Les Paul and Jimmy Page's Les Paul Custom, with all the iterations of switching etc. Awesome concept !!
Oh definitely Marc Bolan's.
I love the new series 🙌🏻 can’t wait to watch the next episode 👏🏻
What a stud. As a habitual tinkerer myself, I love all the work he did. 54's don't play all that well anyways 😄
Excellent! Was hoping there were more deep dives like this. Really looking forward to more videos in this series.
Great Series Trogly!! I would love to see an episode talking about Paul Kossoff's stratocaster. He was the guitar player on FREE and it is said that Dave Murray from Iron Maiden owns it now.
As he has for the past 45 years!
This was a fantastic deep dive into a guitar I didnt know I really wanted to know so much about.
I do want to offer an opinion as to why Bill Bartlett may have opted to use his Esquire in 2009 to perform Black Betty. There was an interview with David Gilmour that took place in the early 2000s. He was talking about his signature Strat he was most known for..(not the consumer based copy...his actual black Strat....) He said he left it behind at home on the previous tour because he was quite aware that it was begining to feel "rather delicate" and he didnt want to rush irreparable damaging the instrument "in the rigors of touring".
I'm guessing Bill may have felt the same way about this Gibson being it has seen a pretty extreme life of continuous modification that it may also be a fragile bit of guitar that hed rather not see fall apart on stage in front of people.
Just a thought. Then again he may as you suggest be a bigger fan of the Esquire.
Fascinating new series. I'm wracking my brain thinking of guitars Id like to know more about.
I think every one knows Jimmy Page with a Gibson and a Marshall stack. But I have always been a fan of his Danelectro. Maybe you could cover that one?
Great comment. Thanks.
My wife named her Jeep Black Betty after this song. I love the history of both the guitar and the song.
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson's (Canned Heat) guitars.
the headstock looks like the D'Angelico just without the little metal tip
it is, it's neck a D'Angelico neck modified to fit after the original broke, hopefully the full story will come out
That's the first thing I thought when I saw the shape.of it as well
@@stinkychickentitty Me too.
The tuners make them look even more like an early D'Angelico.
But in 1977 D'Angelico didn't exist anymore, they quit shop in the early 60s.
@@frieswijk That's true (Jimmy D took over for a while) but there were plenty of necks around.
AWESOME!!! Thanks for starting this series. Learning about the history of guitars that we’ve seen over the years is a great idea. I loved the story of this Les Paul. Thanks Trogly for the endless great content. Your channel is a repository of knowledge that I can always come back to for this, that & all things guitar. ✌🏽❤️🎸
Ooooo new series! Fun!
Greetings and well wishes from Utah man!
This is gonna be great.
Killer video. I can’t wait to see more of this series. Especially seeing Ace Frehley, Dave Murray, and Slash in the into college!
Michael Schenkers' Flying V, Frank Marinos' SG/Melody Maker, Tab Benoits' 72 Thinline Tele, and Ted Nugents' 62 Byrdland would be interesting yes?
+1 on the Schenker V. I won't spoil it, but I already know the story on the block inlay V's he had. Of the 49 made Michael had two.
Ted Nugent had to sell his Byrdland to buy another teenage girl from the South Pacific.
@@GrayEdenfield Biden gave 85 billion worth of military equipment to the Taliban for more kids...
@@EarthAltar Did you hear about KK Downing's Gibsons Flying V, that Michael Schenker had been in the same music store earlier in the day and asked the store to hold the V. Which of course they said they would do until KK, walked in and bought it later that day.
@@mikejelinek1413 Yes, I vaguely remember reading that story years ago. Or maybe it was from a Schenker interview where he talked about it.
Great video, you told the story well. I was curious about that Guitar I assumed it was a D'Angelico with Gibson pickups ('was not even close). Thanks for doing the research.
Good Luck with the new series!! Looking forward to more!!
I know Ace Frehley customized a LP Standard to a double cut (although I don't believe he did the work himself).
He had some wonky UFO guitars as well as the smoker.
Wow, so many cool guitars out there to document.
Frehley's double cut Les Paul "Blackie" recently sold at auction.
Didn’t Ace have an LP Deluxe that came from the factory with full size Humbuckers or was that one modified?
Bill Bartlett played in a local band in Cincinnati with my father in the 80's called "Southern Rain". My dad still keeps in touch with Bill, and my friend Jeremy delivers mail to Bill's house in Liberty, Indiana. I have a VHS tape of Southern Rain playing at Hamilton High school in Hamilton, OH for their film class, and Bill used that double neck on a couple of songs. Bill lost a few guitars many years ago in a house fire. I have multiple cassette tapes of Bill playing with southern rain in local Cincinnati bars. Bill is as good as anyone on guitar. Bill stopped playing guitar quite a bit lately and has really moved forward with playing piano. ALSO, that 2009 video of Bill, he didn't play as well as he could have because Bill had a wart removed from his hand the day before the show and the soreness made it harder for him to play. ONE MORE THING FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, Black Betty....that we've all heard was not actually recorded by Ram Jam, but a Cincinnati based band called Starstruck, but when Bill joined Ram Jam, they had the recording released under the Ram Jam name. The bassist on Black Betty is David Goldflies, his dad was my elementary school music teacher.
Bullshit 😂😂😂
wish there was a way to pin all these anecdotes in one section.
Like Blackfoot’s “highway song”, and others, BB stood out in an era when everything was good!
In the 70's there was horrendous music, for example, Disco and the likes of Gloria Gaynor singing I will survive - hate it all!
@@markfahey3921 different genres from Ram Jam.
This is one of the best videos I've ever seen. I'm instantly subscribed
Dave murray yeah. More on his strats please. Squiers and covered humbuckers. Has dave ever played an SSS strat?
Edit: are those carvin pickups? Nice. Niccccccce.
I believe that house is in Stubenville Ohio right on the PA line. If you are unaware which most people are the Band "Ram Jam" that wrote "Black Betty". Ten years before that, they were a band called "the LemonPipers" that also had a hit song with "My Green Tamborine"
That music video is a shortened version too -and misses out the best part of the song IMO.
Great video - thank you! One of my favourite songs of all time, and I prefer the Ram Jam edit. The guy can really play!
I spoke with Bill not long ago, I talked with him about this guitar, he still has it, great guy to talk to as well
Well hook this dude up then and he can do a follow up.
@@rickborousk8655 I can call him and see if he'd like to do a thing
I love the new series, can't wait for the next episode.
Great new series, would love to know how Keef's Macawber is actually wired.
This series is definitely going to be cool, here are some guitars I’d love to see for a future video:
- Eddie Van Halen‘s Frankenstein
- George Harrison’s Rickenbacker 360/12 or Les Paul Standard
- David Gilmour’s Black Strat
- Daron Malakian’s Ibanez Iceman
- Angus Young’s Gibson SG
- James Hetfield’s Gibson Explorer/Gibson Flying V
- Pete Townshend’s Gibson SG Special/Gibson Les Paul Deluxe
- Billy Gibbons’ Gibson Les Paul Standard “Pearly Gates”/Fuzzy Dean Guitar from the “Legs” music video
He did a remarkable job for someone who wasn't a luthier. Definitely a talented carpenter.
It was the 70's. Back when Men had mustaches and could fix things with tools.
Love the content my Dude, " Huddie Leadbeter / LeadBelly" was an amazing influence I wish more players and people were introduced to his work. Echo Hard! "Doc"
I would like to hear more about Ace Frehley's " FrehleyBurst" Les Paul.
Great idea for a series! Would love to see a video on Zappa’s “Baby Snakes” SG...
That was an awesome first episode Trogly! I can’t wait for the next episode .
It has been half a year since the first episode and i am still super hyped for the next episode.
No matter how long it takes, i am looking forward to it.
Everything vintage, cars, bicycles, and guitars were all at one time "just some old crap" before they became vintage and sought after.
Ok I’ll play! The Australian band -Stars has a video on RUclips called -The Mighty Rock, the lead Geetar player plays what looks like a 70s fender! But I’m not sure, if so what year and how the heck does he make the guitar sustain for days at the end of the main guitar solo!
What a great episode!!! We want more! Please do the John Cipollina SG.
Great idea for a series! Looking forward to future iterations.
Malcolm Young's Gretsch "The Beast" would be a great guitar to go over Austin.
Amazing series. Looking forward to it. Would love to see an episode on the Iron cross shaped guitar Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople used to play.
Trogly's in the HOUSE!!!
Greg is in the house 🏠 😳 🙄 👀 😂 😐.
You are the absolute best 🍪
Now that was awesome. I had a 1985 Carvin DC150, and those pickups sounded great. I had the SD22 in the bridge position. The coil splitters and the phase switch gave that guitar so many sounds. Great video.
Man great job definitely would love to see more of this series
He really jacked that thing up. Too bad, there’s only so many 50’s LP’s in the world. He had no idea that it would be a holy grail type instrument.
It's better now.
Now it's one of a kind. Since it was totally worn down to the bone and had pretty ugly wood it was going to get refinished one way or another.
I dunno. I personally really like seeing musicians who clearly love their instruments and wear them to the bone and take the time to keep them in working order. It gives them a unique charm that can only be achieved through true admiration for an instrument and enjoyment when playing.
Who cares if it isn’t mint anymore? Not like he cares and he clearly has enjoyed his time with it. In my eyes a mint guitar is a sad guitar it means they’re not played much and were merely something to show off. I love seeing musician’s daily drivers ones which they truly made their own. It’s really cool to see!
I have an Ibanez J200 copy and it's a very nice guitar. When I acquired it it had some issues. Some had put glue on top of the truss rod. Maybe the neck wouldn't stay put. It has a crack on the wood that tends to the attacked bridge. It does not hurt the play ability. It sounds great and stays in tune well but the tuners aren't very nice. they could stand to be replaced. It's fine for grabbing a big box acoustic and jamming at a camp fire type of thing. I wouldn't use it to perform live. could be though with work. It has great tone and projection.
I would really love to hear about Dave Hill's Sam Li.
Great episode: thank you so much for clearing this up I have been wondering this for years and years 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🎸👍🏼
Wallmart
As a fan and an owner of two Ibanez "lawsuit" guitars, I was super happy to see my Ibanez "Les Paul copy" ST Custom in black. I left it all original (minus the pick guard). Ibanez was sued by Gibson because of the headstock design was spot on. I think it's a pre-1970 because there's no serial number on it. Ibanez started putting serial numbers on after 1970.
My 2nd "lawsuit" guitar is a 1985 Ibanez PR-1665 Pro Rock'r Flying V in black, with black hardware.
In 1986, a slightly different version of the Pro Rock'r came out with a two tone paint finish that caught the attention of Jackson Guitars, which clearly violated their design cues of the "Jackson Randy Rhoades" flying V model - this time it was the body style and paint scheme, not the head stock that got Ibanez in trouble.
Bama lam
Please release another episode soon, I can’t wait!!!
yoooooooooo
This is going to be an EPIC series!! So stoked for it!!
So this is a rip off of Secrets of Rock's videos then?
Okay, we see Dave Murray in the scenes. Are you going to do his Paul Kossoff Strat?
knock off les pauls????? they were japanese les pauls that, at the time, were way superior to gibson....
I hate that your right
Awesome job Trogly! I’m going to love this series!!
Would love to find out about the lead guitarist and vocalist from Canned Heat - Alan Wilson- He played a Les Paul with an STP sticker on the body, He died so young at 27 like other famous rock stars at the time, It would be cool to fine that Gibson.
absolutely in favor making this a new series. bravo
That's pretty cool the song is about Betty Page. She wasn't very widely known back then. She became more of an icon after Dave Stewart put her in his Rocketeer comic books.
The Man that made this guitar deserves a CIGAR ! WOW, how he did the work and did not just ruin a '54 Goldtop is remarkable...THE MAN IS A LEGEND !
Side note that Black Betty was done before Ram Jam by StarStruck a band also fronted by Bill Bartlett, Slightly different version.
Looks kinda like Kirk Hammett's gold top he used we miley cyrus sang vocals on nothing else matters also I'm not sure if it's just me but I noticed in the video Kirk Hammett's neck pickup was installed the same way as the bridge I don't know if that's supposed to be like that or what but it looks weird but sounds really cool though especially when James does that solo part