Unnoficial Signature models

[Blazer]

Let's talk about the players who have developed an instrument with a well known builder that's clearly their own but didn't attach their signature to the resulting instrument.

Such is the case with Genesis player Mike Rutherford who in the mid eighties was an advocate for Steinberger instruments, using both the bass and the guitar version of their L series.

But Rutherford is a tall guy, towering over 6 feet, so playing such a compact instrument like a Steinberger L series bass, looked a little... How can I put this... funny, but not 'Ha-ha' funny.

Genesis live in 1986, with both Rutherford and Daryl Stuermer playing Steinberger L-series instruments

So in that same year, Rutherford teamed up with Brittish luthier Roger griffin to create something that looked and felt like a normal instrument to Rutherford, at first they made a plastic stratocaster-shaped encasing for Rutherford's L-series instrument which they took to Ned Steinberger to see.

In addition, Rutherford also played a Status headless doubleneck for a while and I wonder if that was an influence as well...

Rutherford playing his Status double neck during the "Mama" tour


The result of their coleboration was the GM series guitar and the XM series bass

Rutherford on Genesis'1987 tour playing one of the first GM series they made him.

But this Steinberger Rutherford model never became an official model for the guy.

[Chris P.]

- Schecter has this PT model, which is a copy or Pete Townshend's Schecter Tele. But not official. At the Hiwatt-site they only refer the amps to one 'Pete' used and no sign of 'Townshend'. I wonder if they write Entwistle as 'Entwhistle' at Hiwatt's to avoid legal matters;)

- I believe Alembic produces some kinda outrageous Buzzard-copy as Batwing or something? Maybe as an 'answer' to Warwicks Explorer-bodied Entwistle-Stryker

- Coming back to my The Fool thread: Vintage made a series of Clapton The Fool SG's without any permission.

- I think everybody refers to a Höfner bass as a McCartney bass, but most of them are no signatures. You see that a lot with ex-Beatles guitars. Everybody associates an all-rosewood Telecaster to George Harrison. The same with some Gretsches.

- I have an Eastwood Airline bass at home for a review. Of course everybody's calling the Eastwood Airline the Jack White - White Stripes guitar.

- I don't think there's ever been a Shadows sig Vox amp?

- I believe Paul Weller is talking with epiphone about a signature Casino (about time) and I think jhe also talks with Marshall to reissue the Lead & Bass combos. I think he's the only one using those Marshalls.

- I think Burns sold a lot of Bison basses because of Andy Bell playing 'm. Andy's into '71 Precisions now.

- Rickenbacker 3000s are expensive in Great Britain because of Mani (Stone Roses / Primal Scream) and the first Arctic Monkeys bass player.

- I want a harmony because of Muff Winwood and Plonk Lane. It's just THE Plonk Lane bass...

- Dave Davies & Flying V's?

- Uwe Hornung and the Gibson 20/20?

- Has there ever been a Steve Cropper sig Tele? Only Peavey I guess.

[Dave W]

How about Francis Rossi and his Tele with the hole drilled through it?

[ilan]

The Rickenbacker 4003SPC Blackstar is actually a Mike Mesaros (Smithereens) signature bass. Mesaros played an '86 Shadow when RIC offered him his own model - the Blackstar, but it never had his name on it.

From the Rickenbacker corporate website: "Since Mike Mesaros' bass tones can be heard all the way through the stratosphere, Rickenbacker thought "Blackstar" would be a suitable name for Mike Mesaros' bass of choice."

The Rickenbacker 4001v64S is sorta McCartney signature bass, but officially it isn't.

[nofi]

russ ballard's strat with many holes.

[Chris P.]

How about Francis Rossi and his Tele with the hole drilled through it?

I believe there was!!! With hole:) Just a moment. I have to google.

Look at those reviews:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Fender/Francis+Rossi+Telecaster/10/1

And a Dutch advertisement:

http://www.aanbodpagina.nl/728623_fender_telecaster_francis_rossi_model.asp

[Dave W]

Interesting, Chris. That was never imported here. Probably because Quo was a one-hit wonder here and the hit was 4 decades ago.

[Blazer]

Interesting, Chris. That was never imported here. Probably because Quo was a one-hit wonder here and the hit was 4 decades ago.

Yeah you Yanks missed out on a lot of cool rocking music after "Pictures of matchstick men"


I mean this certainly is NOT the same Status Quo as the psych band that had that one hit in the USA.

[Chris P.]

two or three yars ago (I think) I read a review of both the Quo Teles. The white one and the green one.

[nofi]

i always put status quo and saxon in the same boat. suitably rocking stuff but not very memorable.

[Chris P.]

All Status Quo songs sound the same. Duh duhduh duhduh duhduh duhduh duhduh.

My girlfriend worked in a record store and aguy said he was looking for a certain song by ELO. He listened to all the ELO CDs, but he couldn't find the song. After ten CDs my girfriend asked to hum the song. The guy sang: 'Duh duhduh duhduh duhduh' and Loes said as a joke: 'Ow, that has to be Status Quo.

And it was!!!!


Saxon did one memorable gig, when the Spinal Tap bassist practiced with them

[Blazer]

All Status Quo songs sound the same. Duh duhduh duhduh duhduh duhduh duhduh.

Well not ALL of them sound like that...

[Chris P.]

This was their 'experimental' period?

[Freuds_Cat]

What about a Dusty Hill sig Gibson Explorer?




Quo did a lot more memorable stuff IMHO than Saxon (just a personal opinion).
Best album they ever did was this double live.



the song 45 Hundred times rocks.

Or an Alan Lancaster sig Travis Bean?

[nofi]

i saw status quo in the early seventies headlining a show with rory gallagher as the opener. wrong order there. however it seems to me that at least one of the quo guitar players was using some kind of epi that was fairly inexpensive at the time.