rwmol said:
I searched the web and found an album cover from a late 1960 release that has him holding his flute and his A-500 to his side.
Hello Randy,
You're probably referring to this photo:
rwmol said:
Interestingly, it appears to have an D'Armond Artist Award Pickup. My question is: the control is mounted on a pick guard with both a front and back cutaway. Is this the way it would have come from the factory? Or, was it added later?
The guitar is listed in the factory ledgers as an A-500, which means it didn't come with the DeArmond originally. If the album cover is indeed from the end of 1960, then the guitar must have been fairly new, since it's a 1960 guitar. As far as the pickguard is concerned, that's a Gibson (style) pickguard, probably borrowed from another guitar.
rwmol said:
The control on my 61 A-500 is mounted on a Guild pick guard with no cutaway. It was added after the build. There is no letter after the model name on the sticker.
Usually, a guitar that came with the DeArmond as stock equipment will have the 'Special' designation on the label.
The guitar in the Quincy Jones clip has controls on the body and the pickup is not clear enough for me to identify but since I do not know when exactly the Quincy Jones clip was made, it is very well possible that the guitar was altered at a later date or it may not have been the same guitar at all.
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl