Josh White Guitar - The First Signature Guitar named for an African-American.

Josh White

Recently I was talking with a friend about recordings, and he brought up Josh White. I knew very little about this man. What I did know was that the first signature Ovation guitar was The Josh White Model.

Josh White Jr. and Elyse Luray
of the History Detectives.

So I did a little digging, which involved watching a most interesting episode of History Detectives about a Guild guitar that belonged to Josh White.

1965 Guild Josh White Guitar

In the program it was claimed this could possibly be the first signature model ever named for an African American guitarist.

If we are referring to all guitars, acoustic and electric then dispute that fact.

Fernando Sor

For many years, guitar manufacturers and luthier have created guitars for well known players in hope that customers would purchase products named for these players. Players purchased signature guitars in hopes of sounding like their favorite players.

1836 Rene Lacote Guitar

As far back as the 1830, builder such as Johann Stauffer, and René Lacote built signature guitars for players such as Luigi Lagani, Fernando Sor (whose guitars studies are still in use at conservatories), and Napoléon Coste. In fact the first known 7 string guitar was designed by Coste, and built by Lacote.

Nick Lucas with his
signature Gibson model

The first American company to produce a signature guitar was Gibson. In the 1920’s singer-guitarist Nick Lucas was all the rage on phonographs. By 1926 Gibson produced a signature Nick Lucas model. This was updated in 1935 to a 14 fret neck.

Though the C.F. Martin Guitar Company created some early models for popular recording stars, it was not until recently that signature models were produced.

Leadbelly with 12 string Stella guitar

The same could be said for Stella guitars, which were played by so many Blues guitarists. There was never a signature model.

Josh White

Josh White had a fascinating life and career as a musician. He went on to become a torch bearer for the Piedmont Blues style of music.


At the age of 5 Josh White’s mother, who was in dire financial straights gave him to a Blues musician named Blind Man Arnold, who took him around the country for the next 8 years.

Arnold would sing and play guitar, and young Josh would dance and collect coins in a tambourine. Blind Man Arnold sent White’s mother $2 a week.

Arnold then rented out young Josh White other Blues street musicians, to help them attract customers. Finally a record producer for Paramount records recognized White’s talent and  through legal action was able to free him from this indentured servitude.

A young Josh White 

By the 1930’s Josh White began a career singing Gospel songs as The Singing Christian. During this period of time White injured his hand. It went untreated and became gangrenous. For a while White went to work a dock worker and during this time exercised his hand by squeezing a rubber ball until he could once again play guitar chords.

Josh White and Leadbelly 1940's

By the 1940’s he starred in a musical called John Henry, playing the part of Blind Lemon Jefferson. This lead to a meeting with Eleanor Roosevelt, and many visits to the White House, including a performance at the inauguration of President Roosevelt.

Society Blues

A Greenwich Village club called the Café Society was frequented by a racial mixed audience and racially mixed musicians. This not only opened the door to New York society, but to European society as well.

1950 brought the onslaught of McCarthyism, and the witch-hunt for Communist sympathizers. Many actors, artists, and musicians fell prey to the House Committee on Un-American Activity, and were black-listed from working in their respective industries. Although White was neither a Communist or a sympathizer, he interjected protest songs into his stage act, to express human rights for all people, including people of colour.

Josh White found little work after that in the United States, and went to England to start playing in London Clubs. He stayed there for the next five years singing and acting in performances for Granada Television.

Odetta and Josh White
at March on Washington

Upon moving back to the United States, he performed at the 1963 March on Washington, alongside Reverend Martin Luther King, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and others. His career picked up steam as the popularity of Folk Music increased.

1962 Martin
00-21 New Yorker

For much of his career, Josh White played a Martin 00-21 12 fret guitar. This guitar has a wider neck and is sometimes referred to as a New Yorker model. The bridge on this guitar was a flat piece of rosewood, not typical of Martin guitars of the day. The bound top was solid spruce, and the back and sides were rosewood.  The rosewood fret board was wider than most  models. The headstock was slotted with open machine tuners.

1957 Josh White Zenith
Guitar by Boosey and Hawkes

While in the U.K. and Europe, Josh White was approach by the music company Boosey and Hawkes to put together a guitar method book. Boosey and Hawkes is still one of the World’s biggest publishers of written music, and at that time were manufacturing a variety of musical instruments.

To go along with their book, they also created a Josh White guitar under their Zenith brand name.

Josh White with Kay Kraft guitar

As a young man he also played a mid 1930’s Kay Kraft guitar, made by the Stromberg Voisinet. This was a very interesting instrument, since there is a small bolt on the neck heel that easily turns to adjust the string level.

Josh White with double pickguard
unidentified Martin guitar

He also played a variety of Martin guitars and usually favored a large pickguard; sometimes using two pickguards.

'67 Ovation Josh White Model

By 1965 Charles Kaman created the one of the first ever Ovation guitar with the fiberglass (Lyracord) back and solid spruce top, and the neck joined the body at the 12th fret. In 1967 the company offered the a signature guitar build specifically for Josh White and had a wider neck. The back had the parabolic fiberglass bowl. The name Josh White was written on the slotted headstock between the strings.

Prior to offering the guitar to the public, Josh White was presented with his signature model during an appearance at the Hotel America in Hartford Connecticut in 1966.

One of a kind Guild Josh White model

Later that same year, 1966, Al Dronge, owner of Guild Guitars, of Hoboken, New York, built a special model for Josh White. This was a gorgeous instrument and it featured a wide neck, a slotted headstock and an auditorium sized body.

Guild Josh White Guitar

Guild may of initially set it’s sights on producing this model as a production guitar, however by 1965 Folk Music took a downturn, being replaced by The British Invasion. The Guild instrument never went into production.

1967 & 1968 Ovation Josh White models

One interesting fact about Josh White is that in later life he suffered from psoriasis on his hands, which caused his fingernails to crack and break. This was tough condition for a finger-picking guitarist.



Through his relationship with Ovation Guitars, one of the foremen at Kaman Industries made a cast of his hands, and produced fiberglass fingernails for him. These were attached with a new type of glue called Eastman 910 (which later is still be sold as Super Glue).

1957 Zenith
Josh White model

I mentioned earlier that I disputed the fact the Josh White was the first African American to have a signature guitar named after him. This holds true if we count only United States Companies. However if we look at companies throughout the world, it was in 1957 that Boosey and Hawkes produced the Zenith Josh White guitar. So yes, Josh White would be the first African-American musician to have a signature guitar.

1958 Bo Diddley Gretsch

But in the United States, the honor of the first African American to have a signature guitar would go to Elias Bates, better known as Bo Diddley. In 1958 he went to the Gretsch Guitar Company and persuaded a designer named Juiliano to built his rectangular cigar box shaped guitar which he dubbed The Twang Machine.

1958 Bo Diddley
Gretsch Jupiter

That same year Gretsch Guitars also build another model for Bo that was based on the tail fins of a Cadillac of that same year. This was called the Bo Diddley Jupiter and was later re-christened the Billy-Bo Jupiter..

Other notable African-Americans to have signature guitars would include B.B. King, Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix. Prince, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Tracy Chapman, and Charlie Christian had a pickup named in his honor.

Click on the links under the pictures for sources. Click on the links in the text for further reading.
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)

Here is the original 1957 Zenith Model

The Epiphone Scroll Guitar

Possibly the most unique guitar ever made under the Epiphone brand is the Epiphone SC Scroll. It was produced in Japan at the Matsumoku factory from 1976 through 1979 and is named for the carved scroll on the upper bout of the guitar.

Note the German Carve

The Scroll body also features a unique German Carve around the edges of each model. Other features of the Scroll model were ebony or ebonized necks, coil-tap and optional Leo Quann Badass-style bridge as well as optional open-coil Scroll pickups by Gibson.

SC-350

The SC-350 featured a Mahogany body with the German carve surrounding the mahogany finished top. The bolt-on neck was bound with white trim. The fret board was made of rosewood and featured dot inlays. The guitar was equipped with twin humbucking pickups controlled by a single volume and tone control and a 3 way switch. The strings went over a tune-o-matic style bridge and attached to a stop tail piece. All hardware was finished in chrome. The nut was made of plastic. The three-on-a side tuning gears were covered die cast versions.

SC-450

The SC-450 came with a Maple body that featured the German carve. It was offered with either a Mahogany or Natural finish. The neck was made of Maple and was set in to the body. It was topped with a rosewood fret board that came with dot inlays. It had twin humbucking pickups that were controlled by a single volume and tone control, a three-way selector switch and a split-coil switch. This guitar came with either a tune-o-matic style bridge or a Leo Quan Badass style bridge. The tune-o-matic versions featured a stop tailpiece. . All hardware was chrome finished and the nut was made of bone or plastic. The three-on-a-side tuners were sealed die cast models.

SC-550

The SC-550 also featured the German carve on its Maple body. Like the 450 version, the neck on this guitar was set-in and made of Maple. The neck was topped with an Ebony fretboard with block inlays.

SC-550 Natural

It featured twin humbucking pickups on the body controlled by a single volume and tone control, a three-way selector switch and a split-coil mini-toggle switch.

This guitar came with a tune-o-matic style bridge and a stop tailpiece. The nut was made of bone and all hardware was finished in gold plating. The three-on-a-side tuners were sealed die cast models. The body came in either and Ebony or Natural finish.

Maton Guitars

Tommy Emmanuel

Tommy Emmanuel was in town recently and put on a wonderful concert. Emmanuel is an amazing guitarist, and endorses Australian made Maton guitars.

Maton Guitars

The Maton brand is not well known in the United States, or Europe as in most countries there are only one or two franchised distributors.

There are only eleven USA music stores that carry the Maton brand, which I find very odd for a brand of guitar that has been in production for over 70 years.

Bill May - founder of Maton Guitars

Maton was established by Melbourne resident Bill May in 1946. May was a woodworking instructor, and a jazz musician. He knew the best guitars in his day came from the United States, which was rather frustrating for Aussies. Along with his brother, Reg, who was a wood machinist, May sought to change all that by creating high quality Australian manufactured guitars to be sold locally.

The brothers put together a company call Maton Stringed Instruments and Repairs. The Maton name is a derivative of the words “May” and “Tone”, and it is pronounced "May-Tonne.".

Maton became the very first guitar manufacturer in Australia. Until the mid 1930's an Australian guitar manufacturing industry was virtually nonexistent and good quality guitars were hard to find. The best guitars came from the U.S.A.

Linda and Neville Kitchen

The Maton company is still family owned and run by Linda (Bill May’s daughter) and her husband Neville Kitchen. The factory was originally in Canterbury, Melbourne, where the company created over 300 different models. In 1987 when the Kitchens' purchased the business, it was in trouble.Their strategy was to concentrate on building just steel string acoustic models. They now produce over 7,000 guitars each year that are available locally and shipped all over the world.

In 1990 a new modernized facility was open in Bayswater, Melbourne. Bill May lived long enough to see the new factory. His health failed in 1989 and he passed away in 1993.

Linda Kitchen at the Box Hill factory

In 2003 a new facility that was four times the size of the previous ones was opened in Box Hill, Melbourne to meet the demand for Maton guitars and products.

Maton Guitars made in Australia

One of Bill Mays goals was to pioneer the use of Australian wood species in his guitars, and his daughter and son-in-law maintain his dream. The company also utilizes locally designed computer programs and technology to maintain their standards.

It is interesting to note that every worker at the Maton plant is a guitar player, which enhances the love of the instrument.

Late 1950's Maton Alver.
Their budget brand

During the early days of the venture the company concentrated on high quality, and good value instruments for professionals and students.

1962 Maton EG75 and Goldline 750

By the late 1950’s Maton had branched into the Australian rock scene by manufacturing acoustic and electric guitars aimed at the market. The Country’s tariff situation made it far more appealing to purchase a locally made guitar, than an imported one.

The Strangers in 1965

In the mid 1960’s, the company also inked a deal to sponsor the popular Aussie band, The Strangers, and supply them with equipment, including Maton El Toro electric guitars.

The Strangers with Maton Guitars

This group became the house band for a popular TV series called The Go!! Show, which was quite similar to the US produced TV shows, Shindig!, and Hullabaloo. By then Maton was making solid body and acoustic thinline electric guitars.

1960's Maton Electrics

Some of the 1965 electric models looked similar to Asian made instruments, perhaps in an effort not to copy US made guitars of the day.

The Easybeats with Maton guitars

Another Australian group from the mid 1960’s was The Easybeats, who scored an worldwide hit with their song, Friday On My Mind. They played Maton guitars,

Maton Sapphire 12 string

Easybeat lead guitarist Harry Vanda was well known for playing a red Maton Sapphire semi-acoustic 12-string guitar, which became part of the groups sound.

Colin Hay with Maton guitar

Men At Work frontman Colin Hay uses Maton Custom Shop guitars as part of his live show.

Neil Finn with his Maton guitar

Neil Finn, of Crowded House, and The Finn Brothers also uses Maton guitars.

Big Jim Sullivan's
Maton Cello Guitar

British player, guitarist Big Jim Sullivan owned and used a Maton 'Cello' guitar for many years during the peak of his career, playing it on recordings with Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis, Jr.,Tom Jones, and Johnny Keating and his Big Band.

George Harrison with his Maton

Even George Harrison played a Maton Mastersound MS500 electric guitar early in his career. He borrowed it from Barrat's Music of Manchester while they were repairing his Gretsch Country Gentleman

This guitar sold at auction for a tidy $485,000.

Maton guitar have come a long way since those days, and now produce some very fine instruments in a variety of price ranges. However, expect to pay from $1600 to over $4000 in today’s United States market.

1960's Alver electric archtop by Maton

Back in the 1950’s Maton had a line of budget guitars sold under the brand name Alver. These included archtop models that were comparable to Harmony archtop guitars of that era.

'58 Maton F-240

Their high-end models, such as this 1958 F-240 is akin to a mid-range Gibson, Epiphone or Guild archtop of that era. Maton has been making great acoustic flat top guitars for many years, and just seems to improve their design with time.

5 year old Tommy Emmanuel

In an interview, Tommy Emmanuel states he has been using Maton's since 1959. Believe it or not, Emmanuel has been playing guitar since he was four years old.

Emmanuel Family Band 
The Midget Surfaries

His family had a band, and traveled throughout Australia performing for years. Early on, Tommy and his brother Phil played Maton electric guitars.

1970 Maton F100

The current line up of Maton guitar uses some woods that you cannot get any where but in Australia. The backs and sides are made of Australian Blackwood, which is indigenous to eastern Australia and is a type of acacia wood. On some of the models, the back and sides are made of Queensland maple.

Current Maton
Mini Diesel

Most of the necks are made of Queensland maple. The tops are made of sold Sitka spruce in various grades, from A to AAA, depending on the model. Bracing is always X style with scalloped braces.

Tuning machines are Grover Rotomatics. The saddle and nuts are made of bone, even on the lower end models. Frets are made by Dunlop.

Maton  ECS80

Maton uses their own proprietary acoustic pickups the call the APS 5 or APS Pro. Maton has done some serious research into their acoustic pickup design. Instead of 9 volt batteries, the APS models use 2 AA batteries.

Maton EBW808
(blackwood)

Maton builds guitars in a dreadnought shape, and also auditorium sized, and jumbo sized shapes. Though the tops are usually Sitka spruce, the M series is made of Sapele wood, which is also known as African Mahogany. The necks on this series are made of Fijian Mahogany.

Heritage ECW80C

The Maton Heritage series makes available reproductions of older Maton instruments, using todays technology combined with materials used on models from the 1950's and 1960's. Instead of maple backs and sides, these instruments include Sapele wood for the back, sides, and neck.

Maton Starline 4606

The Heritage series also includes two electric models; a Jazz style hollow body model called the Starline 4606, which includes twin JHB humbucking pickups, that have a coil tapping feature. There is also another guitar that Maton intends to make available soon.

1958 MS500

This is the 1958 MS500, which is the 50th Anniversary model of a guitar similar to the one that Tommy Emmanuel played as a child, and the one that George Harrison played. It has a solid body made of Quandong, and a set Queensland maple neck. That begs the question; what is Quandong. It is a wood indigenous to Australia also known as Silver Quandong, that is occasionally used in construction.

The pickups on the MS500 include one Maton vintage single coil model, and one Maton vintage humbucking model. Though this model is not currently available, it will be very soon.

EBG808C
MicFix

Maton also offers the EGB series that includes the EBGMicFix model that was built and designed for singer songwriter Michael Fix. The top is AAA Solid Sitka spruce, and the back and sides are made of Queensland maple. Fret board inlays on the ebony fretboard are mother-of-pearl snowflake designs. This guitar comes with the APS-Pro pickup system. The EBG808 is a non electric model that has a top made of AA Sitka spruce, and the back and sides are made of Blackwood.

EBG Artist

The upgraded version is the EBG808 Artist. It too is non-electric and only available through select dealers.

The EBG808 Nashville (which also comes as the EBG808C cutaway model) features AA a solid Sitka spruce top with a brown-burst finish. The back and sides are made of "A" grade solid blackwood. It features the APS Pro pickup system.

EM100

The Maton Messiah EM100C and EM100 (non-cutaway) features a newly tuned, scalloped braced top and Solid Rosewood back and side sets.  This guitar and others in the Messiah Series are Maton's top-of-the-line.

This guitar features a Solid Mahogany Neck adds thickness to its deeper and richer tone and again the Maton UV paint finishes this model with a finer and more refined quality. The Maton signature M MOP decal on the headstock is the finishing touch to a guitar that is truly a world class performer.

EM100J

In creating the Messiah line up, Maton sought to bring together the best of the world’s tone woods. In 2012 the line-up was enhanced to improve their flagship model to maximize its tone and projection by giving it a combination of scalloped bracing, mahogany neck, a thinner, rounded, back and an ultra thin UV finish.

The Messiah line-up features the APS Pro pickup system, as well as top-of-the-line woods, Ivory bridge pins, gold Grover tune-o-matic machines, herringbone binding, and comes with a Maton case.

This guitar also comes as a 12 string model, and as the Messiah EM808 auditorium size guitar, and the EM100J, Jumbo size model. These were the guitars favored by Tommy Emmanuel, before he was honored with his personal model.

EM808TEC

The Maton TE Series was designed in conjunction with Tommy Emmanuel. These the are Maton top-of-the-line guitars that Tommy uses in concert. They are based on his specifications to give a huge sound on stage, as well as withstand the various climates of the cities throughout the world, where he performs.

TE Personal

All of the Tommy Emmanuel models feature a Mother of Pearl block inlay on the 12th Fret, engraved with "C.G.P." The acronym stands for "Certified Guitar Player," a title bestowed on Tommy by Chet Atkins and held by only 3 other guitarists in the world - John Knowles, Jerry Reed and Steve Warriner.

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©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)

Guitar Rifles - April 1 2018

Sincere protester that should
have paid more attention in class

These days there is much turmoil in the United States regarding guns. I have no opinion. I am neither pro or anti-gun. But I do have a wonderl solution.

Much like pounding your swords into plowshares, turn your rifles into guitars.

Homemade Kalashnikov
guitar-rifle

Just think of it; a 100 watt Marshall stack cranked up to 11, and strumming power chords on your Kalashnikov rifle guitar; that would be enough to send the bad guys scrambling.

Former UN General Kofi Anon
 with his AK-47 guitar-rifle

All you are going to need is a rifle, a guitar neck with frets and tuning machines, a pickup or two, and a bridge. Oh you might need a few tools. How hard could it be? Kofi Anon, former UN Secretary General built one. So can you.

Rifle Guitar 

First make sure the magazine is empty and there are no rounds in the barrel.

Guitar Rifle with neck attached

Next remove the barrel, or you could even use it as a truss rod if you like. You will need to attach the neck to the rifle’s body. I’ll leave that up to you. Be creative.

On the rifle’s body, route out a section for the pickup(s).

Guitar Rifle controls
in the magazine

I suggest that you run the wiring into the magazine clip. Onto the clip add the volume and tone controls. Use the gun’s trigger as a pickup switch, or volume boost, by adding electronics into the stock. Add a bridge and saddle. This one is off of an acoustic guitar. I prefer metal bridges, but whatever works for you should be fine.

This guy used a Strat Jack - Smart move!

Of course you will want to add the input jack at the end of the rifle’s butt.

The most wonderful thing is that there are plenty of ready made molded hard shell cases to carry your Guit-rifle.

You may have a little trouble getting it through security and onto a plane, but once again, I have faith in you.

Glen Burton AK-47 Guitar Rifle

Now go forth, and turn your weapon into a formidable ax.


By the way, did you realize this is April Fools Day?

Click on the links under the pictures for sources.
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)