Here is bunch of cool pieces I found along the famous Music Row in midtown Manhattan.

These aren’t really guitar stores anymore. They are more like museums, whose customers must be the rich and famous but whose history is undeniable. Below are a few bits that caught my eye.

A 75 thousand dollar Strat (which is just laughable). Hendrix’s invoice for a Harmony, an Epiphone and a Les Paul, the classic sixties tape delay – The EchoPlex (also pictured from another store), and a couple of packs of strings as far as I can read.

I also snapped a quick shot of Dave Glimour’s famous Blacktop Strat.

The most interesting thing on Music Row though was the great “Old Yellow” – the guitar used to demo amps and effects in-store for the famous and the common alike – the coolest looking coke bottle double cutaway Danny I have ever seen – probably the coolest guitar I have ever seen. I mean what a history that thing has. Played by so many of the greats. “Old Yellow” is a legend in its own right now.

Tags: $75000, 1954, 50's, 60's, 70's, acoustic, america, american, amplifier, bands, blackie, blacktop, blues, brooklyn, classic, collector, danelectro, dave gilmour, DC-1, DC-2, deep south vintage, double cutaway, ds vintage, electric, fender, gigs, guitar, guitarist, harmony, hofner, import, ireland, jimi hendrix, jimi hendrix experience, kay, liverpool, mitch mitchell, new york city, noel redding, nyc, old yellow, pink floyd, rare, recording, rock, silvertone, single-coil, soid-body, strat, stratocastor, sunburst, supro, teisco, telecaster, vintage

This is an ultra rare 50′s Kay Stratotone. An early electric built in Chicago to compete with the Les Paul and with many similarities to the Harmony Stratotone of the era. It was also branded as an Old Kraftsman Speed Demon. Think it’s a ’57 but am unsure as I have seen some marked as being early 50′s models.

The neck-thru design and uber fat neck means big tone. The dual single-coil pickups deliver a classic retro sound and are hooked up to the coolest stack pots I have ever seen on a guitar. The neck is ridiculously beefy which matches the sound. Kluson-Deluxe tuners with pegs like old me’s teeth.

This guitar has the most amazing player’s wear. The neck laquer is down to the wood and the ultra-rare Silverburst finish body has a great elbow wear and cracked laquer finish.

Tags: 50's, 60's, chicago, dual single-coil pickups, fifties, gibson, guitar, harmony, kay, kluson deluxe, kraft, les paul, neck-thru, old kraftsman, rare, sixties, speed demon, stratotone, vintage

Deadly sounding late 40′s Silvertone Lapsteel made by Harmony in Chicago circa 1948.

The electronics are very similar to Gibson’s early 40′s Kalamazoo units and it’s reckoned that Gibson sold the unused stock of these pickups too Harmony after WWII.

Very cool, ultra-light and powerful lapsteel that still sounds great nearly 70 years on.

Tags: 40′s, 50′s, blues, chicago, danelectro, electric, fifties, forties, gibson, guitar, harmony, kalamazoo, kay, lapsteel, nathan daniel, rare, sears, silvertone, single-coil pickup, slide, vintage

This is more commonly known as the Jimmy Reed Model for it’s association with the late, great blues man. It’s a much sought-after instrument. Its a heavy, fat-necked beast because of the huge pickup magnets and the electronics hidden behind the expansive pickguard and all fastened to a solid block that extends from the neck to the bottom of the body.

All this gives it great warmth and body. It’s a great playing guitar, fast frets and a really beautiful piece of 50′s design. Sounds amazing with lovely feedback tones up and down the neck, huge bottom end and a lush mellow presence.

The 1381 dates from ’55 / ’56. The Kay version was Jimmy Reed’s preferred guitar but Howlin’ Wolf and his sideman Hubert Sumlin also played these beauties.

Tags: 1381, 50's, blues, chicago, danelectro, electric, fifties, guitar, harmony, howling wolf, hubert sumlin, jimmy reed, kay, lipstick pickup, nathan daniel, rare, recording, sears, sears and roebuck, silvertone, slide, vintage

Norma guitars were built in Japan between ’65 and ’70 by Tombo and distributed out of Chicago.

This one is another unknown model with amazing sounding gold foil pickups and a decent whammy.

(The pickups in this guitar are often taken out and used in acoustic guitars to superb effect).

Tags: 60's, blues, chicago, electric, fish fin headstock, gold foil pickups, guitar, harmony, japan, kay, lightweight, norma, rare, recording, sixties, teisco, tombo, vintage, whammy

This Strat knock-off sounds better than most new cheap Fenders I’ve heard. Kent guitars didn’t make it out of the 60′s. I reckon this one is pretty late on, probably a ’69.

Another lawsuit model. Another exact copy. Its really weighty – possibly the heaviest solid body I have ever held.

Nice big tone. Classic Strat sound. Out for Refurb and Restoration (R&R)

Tags: 60's, 70's, blues, electric, fender, guitar, harmony, japan, kay, kent, rare, recording, seventies, single-coil pickups, sixties, strat, stratocaster, vintage, whammy

Tags: 335, 60's, archtop, blues, electric, gibson, gold foil pickups, guitar, harmony, hollowbody, japan, kay, kent, rare, recording, sixties, vintage, whammy

Kapa guitars were founded in ’63 by a Dutch immigrant dude called Koop Venemen. He had a music shop and then became one of the many to get into the booming guitar manufacturing business in the 60′s.

Venemen imported the necks, pickups and electronics from Hofner and the tuners from Schaller in Germany. He then built the bodies, bridges and tremolos back home in Maryland and assembled them all there.

Kapa were really the American Hofner and the Challenger was Kapa’s most popular models.

One of Kapa’s earliest models, it has a killer sounding tone circuit and pickups that can be really mellow and warm all the way up to overdriven scuzz fuzz. Super loud Hofner humbuckers although they may just be single coil- the debate continues – all I know is that these Hofner 511 super twin coils are some of the coolest sounding pickups I have ever heard.

Strat like body – supposedly Fender sued – so it’s a “Lawsuit Model”.

Tags: 511, 60's, america, blues, challenger, dutch, electric, fender, germany, guitar, harmony, hofner, hofner 511 super twin coils, japan, kapa, kay, kent, maryland, pickups, rare, recording, schaller, sixties, strat, stratocaster, vintage, whammy

The Deep South Mascot. Used to be Southside’s mascot so i’m returning the favour. This mutant is going to have to be beaten from my hands. It’s the DS Vintage pet. A total mutant.

Its actually a Norma Burns Copy body with a 12-string neck to bring it back to a 6-string; but then it seems to have the original fretboard from the Norma Burns copy as the pearl inlays are the same.

Dont think it’s the original pickups either but who cares – when it sounds like this – it is deservid of the word awesome.

So the Jesus Saves Model made by… none other than The Man Himself. Double P90′s – blended – (both pickups on / both with volumes / and a low mid and high blender). Low blend is all wooly and fuzzy, but then you flick to the mid and the high blend’s to add the incredible bite, crunch and cut of the top pickup.

Killer sounding gitbox – not for sale – maybe.

Tags: 60′s, blues, chicago, custom, custom headstock, dual p90s, electric, guitar, harmony, japan, jesus, kay, lightweight, norma, pickups, rare, recording, sixties, teisco, tombo, vintage

Harmony were once the largest music instruments manufacturer in America. Founded in 1892 by William Schultz. Harmony made its name post-War making ukuleles and was eventually bought by Sears; and they went on to sell 350,000 guitars at its peak in ’65 out of Chicago and over 8 million before the doors closed in 1975.

This is a Jap built 80′s solid body, dual pickup, with a great blues tone. Lovely overdriven pickup sound. Very pretty orange-burst glossy finish and signature fish-tail headstock.

Not much info on this one. Great little guitar for mincing on. Also one that’s good for the Girls cause it’s really small and light.

Tags: 60′s, blues, chicago, dual humbuckers, electric, fish fin headstock, guitar, harmony, japan, kay, lightweight, rare, recording, sears, sixties, solid-body, teisco, vintage, william schultz