The Fentones were FIRST!!

[dave robinson]

Thanks Paul that explains it , mine is the non-hardback edition that I bought when we played Pipeline with The Vibratos in 2003, Mo signed it for me at the stall.

[RayL]

O/T, but on the facing page (80) of the hard-cover version, Bruce is shown as part of a group of famous guitar players celerating Bert Weedon's reign as Grand Master of the Ancient Order Of Water Rats. Isn't that a Baldwin 706 that Bruce is playing?

Ray

[JimN]

Good ole Alvin Stardust implies that The Fentones were on the scene before The Shadows and that his rhythm and lead players were better than our Shads heroes - and were around earlier! Read in for yourself in the new edition of Guitar and Bass...
Moreover, when I spent an evening with him a few years back, he asserted that Hank's Strat was not the first in UK, The Fentones lead player had one earlier...
Come on historians... prove him wrong...

On a related point, today, I read Bernard Jewry's "guitar collector" interview in the latest edition of The Guitar Magazine. He mentions the Fentones using uniformly white Fenders and The Shadows "then" (ie, "later") using all red Fenders. That is possible. For the best part of a year, The Shadows were huge stars following the success of Apache but were using the red Strat and a sunburst Jazzmaster (sometimes a blonde Tele and occasionally a sunburst Stratocaster) and a sunburst Precision. It is not beyond the bounds of the believable to accept that a group like The Fentones opted for a uniform look (all white) as soon as Fenders started coming into the shops but before The Shads were presented by Jennings (spring 1961) with the red guitars.

As to the other claim - about The Fentones having a Stratocaster before The Shadows - that's kidology. Hank had his first Strat in the spring (or so) of 1959. According to Bernie's own account, he wasn't Shane Fenton until 1960. He simply wasn't in a position to know. And anyway, apart from the Jazzmaster, rosewood-neck Fenders (as used by Jerry and the rest of The Fentones) weren't available when Hank got his maple-necked one.

QED.

JN

[dusty fretz]

Hi Ray,
Regarding the semi-acoustic Bruce is clutching rather than posing as playing, the fancy split-delta position markers and hooked cutaways confirm it's a Yamaha, perhaps even belonging to Bert, as he used to play just such a model, although here he's brandishing a more upmarket example from the same maker. This shot is from 1992, but I believe that these days the great man slums it on a Strat.

[JimN]

Hi Ray,
Regarding the semi-acoustic Bruce is clutching rather than posing as playing, the fancy split-delta position markers and hooked cutaways confirm it's a Yamaha, perhaps even belonging to Bert, as he used to play just such a model, although here he's brandishing a more upmarket example from the same maker. This shot is from 1992, but I believe that these days the great man slums it on a Strat.

I believe Bert is currently using a Parker Fly because of its very light weight.

I saw his dark red Strat at close quarters at the Pipeline Convention a few years ago. Mark Pressling, then of of Dallas-Arbiter, had bent the trem arm into a custom shape for Bert, placing the tip in the same place relative to the bridge that the end of the Bigsby handle was on his Yamaha, Guild, etc.

JN

[dusty fretz]

The Parker Fly Deluxe is an amazing re-think of the electric guitar and certainly ideal for anyone bothered by the weight of a conventionally constructed instrument. It's nice to know Bert is willing to embrace such modern technology, which is more than most guitarists can manage!

[cockroach]

Probably because, not only is the Fly comfortable and light to play (he is 90 now) but Bert is more concerned about playing than shopping or collecting- his guitars were and possibly still are tools of trade, not status symbols or investments...

Ooops..did I just say that?!

As for the 'who was first with a Strat in the UK?' debate- it's hardly relevant after 50 years, now Strats are like bottoms- everyone has one

It's what people PLAY on 'em that counts...

Old story- again...Marty Stuart the country hot picker was at a Chet Atkins recording session- after Chet finished, he said to Chet 'Wow, that Gretsch Country Gent (or whatever it was) sounded great on that track Chet!'

Chet looked at him, then looked at the guitar sitting on its stand....he then replied...'How does it sound now?'

[dusty fretz]

Spot on John, young Bert's from an era when one's guitar was regarded as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. As for instrument investment value, that certainly is suffering these days and looks set to worsen, which means everyone can hang on to what sheds they have and simply enjoy them for all right reasons, which naturally should include making music, for better or worse!

[Iain Purdon]

This is a bit like asking who really discovered penicillin. I'm tempted to ask how much it matters. It was a great big melting pot in those days. I have heard similar claims and counter-claims about Jet being Britain's first bass guitarist.

Whatever the chronology, Hank and Jet indeed made it count - as did Bruce on rhythm - and the rest follows from that.

The Fen-Tones were great too.

There were probably loads of interesting instruments in the country and players who may have been earlier or better but, in the end, we tend to gravitate towards the ones who are commercially successful. As Cliff said at the 2I's plaque ceremony, there were a load of talented guys around and some of us were lucky!

Iain

[shadowhunters]

Yea, but come on the Shadows are better and more well known, and what would you rather listen to APACHE or The Mexican? The Fentones are a good group but I would choose The Shadows anyday.....

this is just my opinion..

Sam.