Jet Black - which guitar?

[donna plasky]

I found these on Yahoo...looks to be from the same day, or at least a similar time frame. Hank and Bruce were only 17 years old, Cliff was 18, and Jet was almost 20. Wow, only 17.

Kind regards,
Donna

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[UlrichS]

I found these on Yahoo...looks to be from the same day, or at least a similar time frame. Hank and Bruce were only 17 years old, Cliff was 18, and Jet was almost 20. Wow, only 17.

Kind regards,
Donna

Hi Donna,
The first photo originates from 1958 (somewhere between mid of October and end of the year) as Jet is on bass but Terry Smart still on drums.
The second photo is from early 1959 now with Tony Meehan on drums.

Best wishes,
Ulrich

[Didier]

I found these on Yahoo...looks to be from the same day, or at least a similar time frame. Hank and Bruce were only 17 years old, Cliff was 18, and Jet was almost 20. Wow, only 17.

Kind regards,
Donna

Hi Donna,
The first photo originates from 1958 (somewhere between mid of October and end of the year) as Jet is on bass but Terry Smart still on drums.
The second photo is from early 1959 now with Tony Meehan on drums.

Best wishes,
Ulrich

The second photo is from february 1959 during the recording of Cliff's first album at Abbey Road Studio 2 with an invited audience. The Drifters played both Driftin' and Jet Black, and also sang Be Bop A Lula, so Cliff could rest his voice (he had laryngitis).

Didier

[Gatwick1946]

Hi All

I have an Antoria LG60, which is very much like the LG50. The bridge is a solid metal bar, with no adjustment for intonation/string length, other than trial and error! With there being no truss rod either, it is a wonder that Hank managed to tune his guitar and get it to remain in tune!

Kindest regards

Chris

[JimN]

I have an Antoria LG60, which is very much like the LG50. The bridge is a solid metal bar, with no adjustment for intonation/string length, other than trial and error!

Not the great problem it might sound. All the greatest Gretsch models (including Hank's own 6122) had a plain bar bridge, though adjustable for height and curved to conform to the fretboard camber...

[Paul Childs]

I've seen smaller headstocks on 12 strings.

[abstamaria]

Our bass guitarist finally retrieved his Guyatone (as Antorias were branded here in the tropics) from storage, where it’s been since the early 1960s. I’m curious how Jet Black will sound on it.

The strings on it are the original set, as installed on the guitar when it was bought new. They were never changed. The surprise is that they are flat wound.

Would Hank already have had the Meazzi then? And was he already using a Vox amp?

Andy

[JimN]

Our bass guitarist finally retrieved his Guyatone (as Antorias were branded here in the tropics) from storage, where it’s been since the early 1960s. I’m curious how Jet Black will sound on it.
The strings on it are the original set, as installed on the guitar when it was bought new. They were never changed. The surprise is that they are flat wound.
Would Hank already have had the Meazzi then? And was he already using a Vox amp?
Andy

No, the Meazzi was not in use and neither were Vox amplifiers. Hank was using a Selmer Stadium and Bruce a Selmer Auditorium. Both were 15 watt combo units, the only difference being that the Stadium had a tremolo circuit built in.