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Bloomfield's Les Paul in VG?

djdersh

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2001
Messages
249
I just saw this posting and picture on Facebook today:

"For all you guitar aficianados, here's a look at Michael Bloomfield's legendary 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar. The pic on the left shows Mike in full flight with the '59, probably in 1968, six years before he abandoned the instrument in a Vancouver club. On the right, guitar technician John Bride is shown holding that venerated piece of blues/rock history some 18 years later. It seems its owner in 1986 brought it to John in Toronto to have some work done on it. Realizing the cultural importance of the instrument, John took extensive photos of it before returning it to the owner. Bride's friend, guitarist John Picard, has just published an article about the history of Bloomfield's lost LP after it left Michael's hands. You can find it in the June edition of Vintage Guitar -- highly recommended! Photo of Bloomfield by Peter Amft; Bride picture courtesy of John Picard."

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i181/karmadave/BloomfieldBurst.jpg

Has anyone seen the article? I don't subscribe to VG, but I did check their online site and there's no mention or link to such an article.
 

zorglub!

Burst Detective!
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
5,230
It is also mentioned here:

Added 5/07/11
New Articles Listings
Articles & Books

"A Sunburst Mystery." John Picard, Vintage Guitar Magazine; 2 pages; June 2011.
A recounting of the loss of Bloomfield's fabled 1959 Les Paul, tracing its history through several Canadian owners. Five photos, including three of Bloomfield and one of the guitar in the mid-'80s.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Many of us saw it when it came out, a few months back.
It has been discussed here also. :)
 

zorglub!

Burst Detective!
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
5,230
It is, in the 'No serial number' category. You can see some pics of this beauty here.
 

Stow

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Messages
1,857
I just love that Burst! Wonder what happened to his Twin?
 

lpnv59

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
10,725
I just love that Burst! Wonder what happened to his Twin?

I always thought this one was close
normal_whats59lpot1.jpg
 

Electric Lloyd

Active member
Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
3,500
TW, I think that IS your old 'Burst!:2cool
Wow!:wow How lond ago did you own it & for how long? (sorry to hijack a thread):wah
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
TW, I think that IS your old 'Burst!:2cool
Wow!:wow How lond ago did you own it & for how long? (sorry to hijack a thread):wah

9-0937
I got that from Vic in mid 1986 [that's Vic's photo].
I sold it at the Dallas show in 1989.
It had the DW under the cover. :)
 

burstman59

New member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,753
9-0937
I got that from Vic in mid 1986 [that's Vic's photo].
I sold it at the Dallas show in 1989.
It had the DW under the cover. :)

Tom is there any way you would know if Vic had this on consignment at Gruhns in 86 before you bought it? I remember going down to Gruhns in 86 and he claimed to have one of Vics burst on consignment at 8500.00. it looked similar to this one having an upward chevron flame pattern. I wanted it real bad but he had the 60 0 0303 that I ended up with for 5500.00 a 3000 difference ! These 2 burst have what alot of folks started using the term tiger top or tiger flame.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Tom is there any way you would know if Vic had this on consignment at Gruhns in 86 before you bought it? I remember going down to Gruhns in 86 and he claimed to have one of Vics burst on consignment at 8500.00. it looked similar to this one having an upward chevron flame pattern. I wanted it real bad but he had the 60 0 0303 that I ended up with for 5500.00 a 3000 difference ! These 2 burst have what alot of folks started using the term tiger top or tiger flame.

I really do not remember anything like that, or any conversations with Vic at the time. I got it in June of 1986 as a trade on 9-2148.
 

FlyingVBlues

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2002
Messages
155
I just love that Burst! Wonder what happened to his Twin?

Mike and I were long-time friends, going back to just before he did the Highway 61 sessions with Bob Dylan. Prior to the start of the Electric Flag Mike owned 3 Blackface Twins, all of which were in fairly bad shape. When the Flag started Fender offered to provide the band with amps and other equipment. It wasn’t exactly an endorsement deal, but there are a number of Flag photographs floating around with the band playing behind a Fender banner. Fender gave Mike 2 1968 Twins with JBL’s and 2 Dual Showman cabinets. He toured with them for a while until they disappeared – the whole horn section of the band were junkies and they stole and sold off a lot of the bands equipment for dope. After Mike left the Flag he went back to playing the Blackface twins and also a Super Reverb. Mike also had a 1962 Blond Bandmaster and matching 2x12 cab, that he frequently used with Mike Bloomfield and Friends for gigs around San Francisco in the mid- to late 70’s. The amp had been in storage at his mothers house in Chicago. He used it on a video that was a tribute to Muddy Waters called "Chicago Blues Summit" which was originally shown as a documentary on PBS’ Soundstage program. It was recorded in July 1974 in Chicago. He brought that amp back to California and started using it on gigs until his death. The 3 Blackface Twins were all pawned to buy dope. From around 1965 to 1967 he used a Guild Thunderbird amp, and during the East-West recording he used a Gibson Falcon amp. I believe that both of these amps were pawned too. I don’t know what happened to either the Super or Bandmaster after his death. His house on Reed Street in Mill Valley was broken into after he died and most of his guitars were stolen. It’s likely that the amps were stolen too.

FVB
 

Redhod

Active member
Joined
May 2, 2002
Messages
540
FlyingVBlues -- that was very interesting.

Sadder'n'hell, though. What an awesome tragedy that he'd go that way.

When I saw the Flag in '68 he had a powerful Twin Reverb going full stonk.
 
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