PTC Bernie
Member
There were supposedly three of these guitars made. Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick has one. Pete Townsend has another.
Does anyone know who has the third one?
Does anyone know who has the third one?
Guild Merle Travis
- Thread starter PTC Bernie
- Start date
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Pete Townshend had one, he sold it to finance a boat! Hans wrote last year there are at least 5 (he already knows of 5)!
See: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?175141-Townshend-s-Special-guitars
Also some more info here: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?173863-Merle-Travis-postcard
Ralf
See: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?175141-Townshend-s-Special-guitars
Also some more info here: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?173863-Merle-Travis-postcard
Ralf
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srickl
Junior Member
Straight from Merle's mouth - I was just reading this the other day:
AN INTERVIEW WITH MERLE TRAVIS (excerpt)
WITH MARK HUMPHREY JUNE 21, 1979
I wanted to ask you about that beautiful Guild hanging on the wall. I’ve wondered about that since I saw it on the cover of the album, “The Best of Merle Travis.” Is that another one you designed?
Yeah. I was playing that solid-body for awhile, and the Gibson company asked me, “What could we do to get you to go back to playing a Gibson?” Of course I’d started out playing a Gibson as soon as I had enough money to get one. I said, “if you’ll build me a Super-400 the way I design it, I’ll play it.” They said, “We’ll do it.” So I drew a picture of a Super-400, I put a star up here, I put my name on the neck, I dolled it up, and said, “The Gibson, Special.” So they built it for me, and it’s worked pretty well. I’ve got 2 or 3 of these things. The same story with Guild. They said, “What can we get you to do to play a Gretsch? (must mean Guild here - RL) ” I said, “I’ll do it if you’ll build one exactly as I draw it.” I had some ideas, and it’s not bad. I said, “I want you to carve the top out of a one inch piece of wood, but leave the inside uncarved. Leave it flat inside.” So that guitar is arched on top but it’s an inch thick under the bridge. And the back, too. I drew the whole thing — the red checkers around, I got that idea from a guitar Gene Autry used in pictures years ago. The sound hole is copied from an old-time Gibson — the oval sound hole. And I designed that top up there, the curlicue.
And you designed the armrest and the pickguard also.
Yeah, I thought it made it look better.
Why such thick wood?
For sustain. I wanted it to sound like a solid-body but look otherwise. The reason I don’t use it more is because the neck was a little too broad, and I took it to a friend and said, “Make the neck a little smaller.” And he cut it down to where it’s like a ukulele neck. (laughs)
_______________________
So I guess if you find the Guild Merle Travis with the ukelele neck - you have THE ONE!
AN INTERVIEW WITH MERLE TRAVIS (excerpt)
WITH MARK HUMPHREY JUNE 21, 1979
I wanted to ask you about that beautiful Guild hanging on the wall. I’ve wondered about that since I saw it on the cover of the album, “The Best of Merle Travis.” Is that another one you designed?
Yeah. I was playing that solid-body for awhile, and the Gibson company asked me, “What could we do to get you to go back to playing a Gibson?” Of course I’d started out playing a Gibson as soon as I had enough money to get one. I said, “if you’ll build me a Super-400 the way I design it, I’ll play it.” They said, “We’ll do it.” So I drew a picture of a Super-400, I put a star up here, I put my name on the neck, I dolled it up, and said, “The Gibson, Special.” So they built it for me, and it’s worked pretty well. I’ve got 2 or 3 of these things. The same story with Guild. They said, “What can we get you to do to play a Gretsch? (must mean Guild here - RL) ” I said, “I’ll do it if you’ll build one exactly as I draw it.” I had some ideas, and it’s not bad. I said, “I want you to carve the top out of a one inch piece of wood, but leave the inside uncarved. Leave it flat inside.” So that guitar is arched on top but it’s an inch thick under the bridge. And the back, too. I drew the whole thing — the red checkers around, I got that idea from a guitar Gene Autry used in pictures years ago. The sound hole is copied from an old-time Gibson — the oval sound hole. And I designed that top up there, the curlicue.
And you designed the armrest and the pickguard also.
Yeah, I thought it made it look better.
Why such thick wood?
For sustain. I wanted it to sound like a solid-body but look otherwise. The reason I don’t use it more is because the neck was a little too broad, and I took it to a friend and said, “Make the neck a little smaller.” And he cut it down to where it’s like a ukulele neck. (laughs)
_______________________
So I guess if you find the Guild Merle Travis with the ukelele neck - you have THE ONE!
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PTC Bernie
Member
Very cool, Guys. I knew I came to the right place to ask the question.
So Pete sold his to finance a 46 foot boat, eh? Gotta love it!
So Pete sold his to finance a 46 foot boat, eh? Gotta love it!
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
I didn't find the info about the 46' yacht, but below is one of the obviously multiple yachts he owns, it's true vintage, built in 1906!
Description: http://www.velaclasicamenorca.com/web/inscripciones/ficha_uk.php?menu_b=inscri&clave1=56
"Built from mahogany and teak, the fore and aft cutter Eva is similar in dimensions to an International 8-metre Class. After her launch she began competing in the Clyde under the burgee of the Royal Northern Yacht Club. Her next owner Robert Graham renamed her Valora and in the early 1940s her fore and aft rig was converted to a Marconi. In the 1950s, she was co-owned by former Battle of Britain pilot John Dunlop- Urie.
Twenty years later she was based in Cadiz and between 1998 and 2001 was moved to Malaga by her new owner Don Jose Sanches Abril. However, it was only after she was sold again that Eva was given a major refit by the Astilleros Mediterraneo yard in Malaga. She was relaunched in 2003 with her original fore and aft rig and under her old name."
He also owns (as far as I can find on the web) a beautiful 126-foot Jongert classic sailing yacht, the Gloria, and a 70-foot gentleman’s motor yacht, Tambura.
That's the Gloria: http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=sailing-yacht-gloria-7944
That's the Tambura: http://www.serenedays.com/index.html#
Some more info : http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/client.php?id=876&news=5193
Ralf
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