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Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:05 am
by Ahahah
Fall reverb wrote: Thanks for posting that last pic, Ahahah - it definitely proves that Smith had at one stage 2 different Jazzmasters;
Here's another proof that he had 2 different Jazzmasters modified with the same buzzstop-device & a 'Top Twenty'-pickup (...)
He has been using this one since 1984 ( 25/08/1984 @ Barrowlands, Glasgow)... Without modifying it. It might also be a proof that he suddenly realised that vintage Jazzmasters were valuable instruments  ???

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GZT5xT_k2sY, here in Barcelona in 1985

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:02 pm
by StevenO
The white 1963 jazzmaster is still white and still in his possession. He used it on the Cure's latest record.

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:23 pm
by Fall reverb
StevenO wrote: The white 1963 jazzmaster is still white and still in his possession. He used it on the Cure's latest record.
That would be quite interesting, as it would mean that Robert Smith has/had at least 3 Jazzmasters...do you have a source or a pic that can confirm that he used one of his white Jazzmasters on their last record, Steven?

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:17 pm
by StevenO
Yeah, he talked about it in a guitar world article from a few years ago when the cd first came out.
I'll see if I can scan the page.

EDIT:
Here it is:
Image

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:31 pm
by Daysleeper
How could he go from Jazzmasters and Bass VI's to Shecters. Robert is my Favorite musician of all time...but come on man!

btw...Smith named is two most commonly used Jazzmasters "Black Torty" & "White Torty"...wonder why

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 11:47 pm
by Fall reverb
StevenO wrote: Yeah, he talked about it in a guitar world article from a few years ago when the cd first came out.
I'll see if I can scan the page.
EDIT:
Here it is:
Thanks a lot, Steven, very cool! :)

This actually means that (one of) his first Olympic White Jazzmaster(s) has not been refinished in black but still exists in its original state, and we now have confirmation that Smith owns (as he claims that he never 'throws' a guitar away) at least 3 Jazzmasters - the hacked-up black 'fish' Jazzmaster, the black one with black pickguard (see pic I posted from 2002) as well as a white (his first one?) example...

I'm now quite curious how many of the Jazzmasters he owns are actually equipped with 'Top Twenty'-pickups - the guitar originally had only 2 pickups, however it appears that they were both 'transferred' a few times to all of his Jazzmasters...here are a couple of interesting pics (which I 'lifted' from the fabulous and very informative 'Pictures Of You'-website), taken on January 30 1984 in München during the band's soundcheck - the 'Top Twenty'-guitar makes a rather surprising appearance here, and as you can see the guitar is missing its neck pickup here -

Image

Image

...and a pic taken on the same occasion, showing Smith with a black Jazzmasters equipped with one of his old guitar's pickups :
Image

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 1:12 am
by mudhoney
Ahahah wrote:

Image

this kind of looks like ibanez talman:

Image

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:12 am
by Ahahah
StevenO wrote: Yeah, he talked about it in a guitar world article from a few years ago when the cd first came out.
I'll see if I can scan the page.

EDIT:
Here it is:
Image
Looking at the DVD "The Cure - making of" I've counted up to 60 guitars in stands for this Olympic Studio sessions... - an inferno -, but I never saw a white Jazzmaster...
Amazingly enough, I've read somewhere else that Smith wanted to play with his old trusty guitars and amps on this LP, but was prevented to do so by Ross Robinson... Quite a different version...

Anyway, when you read Simon Gallup's reported  talks ("Robinson deserves my fist on his nose") and when you hear the result, it's quite obvious there is nothing to be found of a good old Cure sound on this one... I'd be careful with Smith's statements, but mind you, when it comes to "Drumming Maestro (...)" Robinson, there's no trust left at all. This guy is a grave digger, and he did his job to the perfection when he began caring about The Cure.

Do you know Saint Thomas ? I believe what I see when I see it. But to give credit to this interview extract, it's true that the National Val Pro 86, Philippe Dubreuille's custom hollowbody and Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman can be seen on the footage.

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:48 am
by StevenO
I can post the entire article, if you all want.

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:39 am
by Ahahah
StevenO wrote: I can post the entire article, if you all want.
I buy  ;)

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:43 pm
by StevenO
Ahahah wrote:
StevenO wrote: I can post the entire article, if you all want.
I buy  ;)
Not up to date with all of your crazy lingo.
If I take what you said as literal, well this magazine is from like 2 or so years ago.

:-[

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:46 am
by eggwheat
I believe that the white, natural and black jazzmaster at least are exactly the same guitar..If you go back and study the pictures look at the tortoiseshell guard there are two distinct light coloured blobs under the top 20 pickup. They are there on the black, natural and white jazzmaster..I'll put money on that this ended up being the 'fish' guitar...

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:03 am
by Ahahah
StevenO wrote:
Ahahah wrote:
StevenO wrote: I can post the entire article, if you all want.
I buy  ;)
Not up to date with all of your crazy lingo.
If I take what you said as literal, well this magazine is from like 2 or so years ago.

:-[
:D That's a way of saying "yeah, thanks very much ! Go ahead !" (well at least in my poor country...)

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:07 am
by Ahahah
eggwheat wrote: I believe that the white, natural and black jazzmaster at least are exactly the same guitar..If you go back and study the pictures look at the tortoiseshell guard there are two distinct light coloured blobs under the top 20 pickup. They are there on the black, natural and white jazzmaster..I'll put money on that this ended up being the 'fish' guitar...
That's exactly what I think too.
I know Smith is keen to play on "black guitars only",but I can not see the point why I wouldn't have used it after 1982 if he really still had this white Jazzmaster.
I could be wrong, but having collected a (almost) full database of the stuff The Cure used on stage, I have never seen a white Jazzmaster after 1982... God, that's 25 years...

Re: Roberts Smiths Fish guitar

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:59 am
by Fall reverb
Ahahah wrote: I could be wrong, but having collected a (almost) full database of the stuff The Cure used on stage, I have never seen a white Jazzmaster after 1982... God, that's 25 years...
Ahahah, would it be possible to post pics showing Smith with his white Jazzmaster in 1982? I would be quite interested in seeing these...
Thanks in advance!