Comments on: The Guitars Of David Bowie

By: John Exall

John Exall — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 23:03:37 +0000

Bowie played a lot of his early stuff on his 12 string guitars with just 11 strings.
He removed the high G string because it never stayed in tune.
I do the same,sounds a lot better.
Look at Starman, Top of the Pops on YouTube.

By: Mick

Mick — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 20:38:50 +0000

I have seen a promo photo of David Bowie with a 12 string guitar with a slotted headstock could be a Martin ?. Picture looks like it was taken around the time Space Oddity was Re-recorded acoustic only version .I think David is playing a Guild for the same song on TV show . I have seen an arts lab photo of David in the photo there are two 12 string guitars in the background a Gibson and in foreground what looks like to me could be an early EKO J54 12 string guitar I dont know who the guitars belonged to and may be of been played by somebody else? at that gig .
I have also seen a picture somewhere of David playing an Alvrez !2 string Guitar.

I think David did use a White Egmond/ Rosetti jazz guitar? as a prop on a promo video for a Feathers song.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 18:58:19 +0000

This was Great. Thanks so much for posting this. Long Live BOWIE !

RIP David

By: Terry Walker

Terry Walker — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 00:32:32 +0000

What about the white acoustic he used for ‘time will crawl’ and ‘young American’s on the glass spider tour?

By: Sailor

Sailor — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:00:29 +0000

The Telecaster was owned by Stacy Heydon. Bowie’s lead guitarist for the Isolar ‘76 tour (aka Station to Station tour. Heydon it was his main workhorse from when he worked the club circuit in his native of Toronto until 1977. When it was stolen whilst in transit between New York and Berlin when Heydon was touring with Iggy Pop’s band…

By: DONNY

DONNY — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 19:26:54 +0000

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By: Rob ter Stege

Rob ter Stege — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 07:17:08 +0000

In the video “The Buddha of Suburbia” Bowie playes a Washburn 12-string guitar.

By: Arne Gustav Lien

Arne Gustav Lien — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 00:17:51 +0000

Great article, I really enjoyed it.

By: Danny

Danny — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 12:26:45 +0000

I was in a music shop inTonbridge Kent some years ago and the owner had a white Vox teardrop on display saying it was early Bowie’s left behind in a rented house after he Did a moonlight flit.

By: Dave Satre

Dave Satre — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 22:58:11 +0000

Saw an album promo pic in Premier Guitar near the end of his life where he wore white and held a bleached White antique parlor guitar but I’ve never seen him use one to perform and I’ve never seen the guitar used in a promo since. Any help on locating that guitar or picture?

By: Zane

Zane — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 07:24:53 +0000

11 is not a PB24. 24 stood for 2 pickups 4 switches, and his is a 3 and 6. It is an unusual transitional version closest to a Futurama or Hag III, but still with the non-beveled edge and of course the Kent logo on the headstock.

By: Tim Braithwaite

Tim Braithwaite — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 09:22:17 +0000

A great clue to the guitar’s authenticity is that it will be blue.
The Beatles story museum in Liverpool, temporarily house an exhibit of which it is claimed, is the same guitar referred to as the “Hagstrom” Bowie owned from the late 60’s early 70’s. It is currently on loan from a private owner. It is said, that modifications in the shape of a pick-up and control knobs have been added to the guitar. A picture of the guitar can be seen in the list above. While it cannot be emphatically claimed that Bowie never owned the guitar now on display there, it certainly is not the one it is claimed to be.
The Hagstrom in the museum and likely the one referred to in the previous post, is a H-33e, the semi acoustic equivalent of the H-33. This was as it was bought and free from any visable modification.
Many of the images used in the video about Bowie’s blue guitar (listed among the comments above), are photographs of the H-33e mentioned.
Although not impossible, modification to the guitar can be discounted beyond reasonable doubt, when along with a little historical knowledge all other variables are taken into consideration.

By: Pirate

Pirate — Wed, 30 May 2018 03:54:18 +0000

I have recently seen what appears to be the Hagstrom 12-String Acoustic (1969-1972) up for sale.

Is this a legitimate vendor? Is there an ownership history for guitars?

Given the apparent changes to the guitar how would a buyer know it authenticity?

By: Joe__S

Joe__S — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 04:17:24 +0000

He used 6-string Harptones as well

By: Joe__S

Joe__S — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 04:14:21 +0000

There was at least another Harptone, a blonde maple 12 string. It can be seen when he did Young American on the Dick Cavett show.

By: John Williams

John Williams — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 19:37:42 +0000

Ah… somebody mentioned the Chester and Lester LP. Les Paul was a genius inventer, but I was always so chagrinned for him as he traded licks with musical genius Chet Atkins, each panned hard. Chet collaborating: A musical ‘lion’s den’ to enter at one’s own expense!

This is a fitting tribute to the brilliant Bowie’s mercurial creative muse… as remarkable with his six-string choices as everything else.

By: Bonar

Bonar — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 17:47:27 +0000

The Framus in the first shot is a Hootenanny, first produced I think around 61 or so. It was available with pickup from the factory.

https://youtu.be/FgSRHcKHmEU

By: Marty

Marty — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 01:21:12 +0000

William Keats, # 16 is not a or ever was a Gretsch. It’s Gibson’s version of the Country Gentleman. When Chet Atkins left Gretsch for a Gibson endorsement he took the name with him along with the name Tennessean. Thats why the first reissue Gretschs of those two models were called Country Classic and Tennessee Rose until a deal was made after Chet died to get the name Country Gentleman back.

By: MRP

MRP — Sun, 03 Dec 2017 20:14:50 +0000

Nr. 7 isnt completely correct.
The jumbo-sized guitar in the Space Oddity-video is a six-string with block-inlays.

By: Eddie p

Eddie p — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 09:29:32 +0000

yes the blue guitar is a 12 string built by Bjarton.Not an Egmond.Bjarton built beautiful guitars.From Sweden.

By: Tim Braithwaite

Tim Braithwaite — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 11:20:44 +0000

I am perplexed to see the name Egmond keep cropping up in relation to Bowie’s blue guitar. In a world where information is a mere click away, people seem all to ready to accept whatever they are told as factual.
Taking a few minutes to watch the video bellow, reduces the above list a little and clears up a a significant misunderstanding about the guitar.

By: Ivan Eastwood

Ivan Eastwood — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:00:26 +0000

THAT’S interesting!

By: Adrian

Adrian — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:01:13 +0000

I missed the bidding for his chrome Steinberger by 24 hrs. I would have liked that guitar.

By: Flo

Flo — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 07:30:19 +0000

I think the Telecaster belonged to Station To Station-Tour-guitarist Stacy Headon. He can be seen playing the very same guitar on the Tour, I think it was his main axe.

By: Gav Melia

Gav Melia — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 07:16:09 +0000

Good article but it doesn’t mention that the Fender he received from Marc Bolan was played by Bowie on the album Blackstar,
specifically on the track Lazarus.

By: Dave Doneghy

Dave Doneghy — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 21:30:35 +0000

Thank you for this overview, especially for the Harptone info. I have a Harptone 6-string also featuring that peculiar cutout on the headstock and always wondered if that was their 12-string Bowie was playing but couldn’t find accurate info.

By: Daniel Krampf

Daniel Krampf — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:09:25 +0000

Oooops! My own typo!Adrian Belew and not Below.
?

By: Daniel Krampf

Daniel Krampf — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:07:57 +0000

Great article but some typos. It’s HARPTONE,not harpoon or harpotone. These guitars were designed by the brilliant luthier from New Jersey,Sam Koonz.
The Parker guitar was inspired by Adrian Below or his later guitarist,Reeves Gabrels no doubt.

By: Lewis Humphreys

Lewis Humphreys — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 02:36:19 +0000

Gretsch 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman

By: Jon Maye

Jon Maye — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 14:24:28 +0000

Great, well researched article. My former guitarist (Rick Tedesco) actually owns that Les Paul that “Spiders From Mars” guitarist Mick Ronson is playing in the “Starman” video clip.

By: Jimmy Durex

Jimmy Durex — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 00:13:56 +0000

He came home drunk one night and smashed the famous blue acoustic….

By: Richard Theaker

Richard Theaker — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 00:44:47 +0000

I have an Eastwood twin tone guitar signed by bowie that I won on absolute radio, I don’t want to sell it but I would love to know it’s value, anybody got any idea?

By: Jim H

Jim H — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 21:07:36 +0000

Nice article. The photo of David with a Les Paul is actually a Standard (with full size humbucker pickups) not a Deluxe as the heading mentions…the Deluxe LPs had the mini humbuckers.

By: Kenneth Glover

Kenneth Glover — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 06:19:11 +0000

Number 16 is correct.In the earlier comment William Keats wrote ” That “Gretsch” from #16 has a Gibson headstock, and no “Tron” style pickups nor Gretsch neck inlays. So, not a Gretsch at all, I’m guessing, unless it was modded with a Gibson neck and humbuckers”.I believe he is confused in his thinking, that this is a modded Gretsch.However Chet Atkins did have a Gibson Country Gentleman signature model .His mid-1970s collaborations with one of his influences, Les Paul, Chester & Lester and Guitar Monsters. Chester & Lester was one of the best-selling recordings of Atkins’s career. At the same time, he grew dissatisfied with the direction Gretsch (no longer family-owned) was going and withdrew his authorization for them to use his name and began designing guitars with Gibson.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:07:34 +0000

Wow great trivia facts there, thanks! We hope someone might be able to shed more light into this…

By: Larry Smiley

Larry Smiley — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 15:39:00 +0000

I always thought it was a rare juxtaposition, Bowie played these cowboy 12 strings during the years he wore outfits from outer space.. During Tin Machine and subsequent tours, Bowie began to look downright earthly, and even wore beards and mustaches. Another not mentioned guitar he used was a green Parker. I think he played it on the Tonight Show and even carried it to the couch while they interviewed him. His version had no visible pickup (it had only a saddle transducer). If he had the Steinberger or Parker as Ziggy, it would have completed his futuristic appearance. Bowie used what was available at the time, and he used it well. Thanks David for your song craft and entertaining music. Amen.

By: Paul Ewing

Paul Ewing — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 11:57:30 +0000

The Airline Twintone is also without a doubt the very best sounding guitar that Eastwood make. The price of the Twintone make it a ‘Steal’ . The pickups are hummies…but sound like single coils? In fact they make this guitar sound like the best Tele you have ever heard.. Put true a decent overdrive or Marshall they will remove the back wall of a club.and have any musician staring with their jaw dropped.

By: Christophe

Christophe — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 08:58:15 +0000

Great documentation and nice work!

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 01:20:56 +0000

Great article ,not seen anything like this before

By: Eric Sutton

Eric Sutton — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 00:19:58 +0000

The smaller Harptone is a Pioneer model. The twelve string version is extremely rare as is the Lark Jumbo. He also used a Harptone eagle, dreadnought, for writing. It’s featured in the Bowie is exhibit.

By: Gavin Lloyd Wilson

Gavin Lloyd Wilson — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 23:22:47 +0000

How about the one-string Flying V? (can’t remember which tour, sorry, late 80s, early 90s?)
I can’t find a picture of it either, but I definitely didn’t dream it.

Oh, and I believe that I heard or read in an interview that he smashed the blue Egmond 12-string to bits. That might’ve been on Later with Jools Holland, sorry I don’t remember.

By: William Keats

William Keats — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:45:10 +0000

That “Gretsch” from #16 has a Gibson headstock, and no “Tron” style pickups nor Gretsch neck inlays. So, not a Gretsch at all, I’m guessing, unless it was modded with a Gibson neck and humbuckers.

By: Richard Arbour

Richard Arbour — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:39:04 +0000

Wow! This is just fabulous!!! Thanks so much!