I finally got to hang out with Amy and Jason from Mad Tea Party this weekend, it has been way too long! The are from Asheville, NC and play some awesome folky garage rock on ukulele and guitar. I have always known Jason to play a 1960s Silvertone, but on this trip he also had his father's Guild Starfire along. Jason's dad, Tim Krekel, was an amazing songwriter and guitarist from Kentucky. He passed last year and Jason inherited his main guitar. Here is with the Guild.
And here Jason is with the Guild and the Silvertone, both of which were made around 1964-1965, FYI.
Ok, now some pics. Notice the gold plated Bigsby Tremelo and Rotomatic tuners. Also, two single coil pickups and all original hardware, except for a missing finger rest. The whole thing is really awesome maple with a reddish sunburst. The neck is maple/walnut/maple and feels great. People pay the custom shops big bucks nowadays to fake the kind of mojo that Tim put into this guitar, but this is the real deal! Also, check out the two color pearl inlays and celluloid bindings!
It was really special to see Tim's guitar and learn more about him. I think for the next blog post I will feature Jason's silvertone!
I used to love when Tim sat in with us, (the Metro Blues All-Stars). He made that Guild sing. A really tasty guitar player and a great songwriter. Our world here in Louisville is much smaller with Tim's passing. I'm glad to see Jason carrying the family tradition.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously drooling over that Guild guitar.
ReplyDeleteThat baby tells a thousand stories!
Baz
www.gotaukulele.co.uk
looking forward to the Silvertone pics and info--I have a bit of a thing for the Silvertones--and if im gathering guitars...they are cheap...if you gotta go cheap though..go w soul..the guild is has it all....! thanks for sharing that.
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