Thursday, July 4, 2019

Fourth Of July Guitars - Buck Owens Red, White, And Blue Guitar, and More

Buck Owens with his Red, White, and Blue guitar

It's the Fourth of July here in the USA.  When I think of patriotic American guitars, Buck Owens comes to mind.

Buck Owens, Roy Clark on Hee Haw

In the late 1960's through 1970, The Hee-Haw TV Country variety show was produced. It featured Buck Owens and Roy Clark as the Emcees.  Buck played a guitar similar to one pictured here.




Buck's Original Red, White and Blue
Bucks original Red, White and Blue guitar was made by the Mosrite Guitar Company.

Apparently Buck, being a savy businessman, was wise enough to license the model and arranged for an inexpensive replica to be produced by Chicago Musical Instruments.




Harmony RW&B sold by Silvertone

These guitar were not at all great players.  The top was spruce, but the back and sides were made of birch featuring ladder style bracing. However folks were buying them for the paint-job. The retail price was less than $100. Today they are selling for up to ten times that much.

Buck Owens original Red, White, Blue
The guitar that Buck Owens is most remember for playing is of course the Telecaster.  He started out playing off-the-rack Telecasters, as did his friend and fellow guitarist, Don Rich.

So Owens had a Telecaster painted to resemble his Mosrite acoustic.

The Buckaroos with Red, White, Blue Fenders



Through the assistance help of Fender, Owens and the Buckaroos were outfitted with sparkle finished Teles and basses.

Buck Owens Harmony acoustic




Fender had put together an original Buck Owens Telecaster that was in silver sparkle on the body and headstock.



Buck Owens Telecaster




This was later updated the guitar to a sparkle-finished version of Buck's Red, White and Blue Fender Telecaster.  It was finally upgraded to include an anodized gold pickguard, switch plate and hardware.

Flag Guitars
But let's not stop there because there are plenty more Red, White and Blue guitars and American Flag guitars.


So put down those fireworks, strap on a patriotic model and crank that amp up baby!


Happy Fourth of July to everyone, everywhere!

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