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What player made 'Bursts popular?

Xpensive Wino

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Lots of them. :ganz


Undoubtedly so.

I'd say Bloomfield & Clapton between them were the most influential initially.

I know they weren't necessarily the first with their 'Bursts, but they had the most influence on the desirability of the '58-60 Les Paul Standards as far as I know.
 

goldtop0

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The Les Paul/Marshall combination was the kicker for most all players back in the day and yes EC and MB started the phenomenon.
 

Ed Driscoll

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James Patrick Page!:dude::salude:jim

Page certainly kept them popular in the 1970s, but by the time he bought his 'Burst off of Joe Walsh, Clapton, Beck, Peter Green, Bloomfield and Keith Richards all had their own for several years. Page was making a statement that he had leapfrogged into the elites when he bought his 'Burst in 1969, but he was far from the first to popularize the instrument in the 1960s.
 

Xpensive Wino

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Page certainly kept them popular in the 1970s, but by the time he bought his 'Burst off of Joe Walsh, Clapton, Beck, Peter Green, Bloomfield and Keith Richards all had their own for several years. Page was making a statement that he had leapfrogged into the elites when he bought his 'Burst in 1969, but he was far from the first to popularize the instrument in the 1960s.


His first Les Paul was a Custom, too, not a Burst.
 

Ed Driscoll

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His first Les Paul was a Custom, too, not a Burst.

Yup -- and prior to buying the Walsh 'Burst and selling a zillion records with Zeppelin, I don't think too many players were buying Customs because Page owned one. Not to mention he was photographed almost exclusively with a Tele during the Yardbirds era.
 

Xpensive Wino

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Yup -- and prior to buying the Walsh 'Burst and selling a zillion records with Zeppelin, I don't think too many players were buying Customs because Page owned one. Not to mention he was photographed almost exclusively with a Tele during the Yardbirds era.


True. The first time I saw Zeppelin there wasn't a Gibson in sight.
 

madformac

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Page gave it greatest exposure. Biggest influence.


Agreed.


Bloomfield and Keef were the first, Clapton found the tone, Page gave it the greatest exposure and Green was the best.

Sounds about right.. :dude::salude
 

garywright

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Paul McCartney could have written...
What's that man got happen'n ...looks like the one used by Eric Clapton..

But he chose...

Tell me, what's that man moving cross the stage?
It looks a lot like the one used by Jimmy Page
It's like a relic from a different age, could be, oo wee
 

gmann

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Clapton and Bloomfield at about the same time but I'd give the nod to Clapton because he had a much bigger audience.
 

Xpensive Wino

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Clapton and Bloomfield at about the same time but I'd give the nod to Clapton because he had a much bigger audience.


Debatable. Bloomfield played with Dylan, remember. As a guitarist, I think his influence was wider initially, although Eric was first with a 'Burst between the two of them.

I'm just waiting for someone to tell me that Ace Frehley was the most influential. :##
 

ourmaninthenorth

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Debatable. Bloomfield played with Dylan, remember. As a guitarist, I think his influence was wider initially, although Eric was first with a 'Burst between the two of them.

Where would you say Keef figures in the time line? He had a 'Burst before either of the lead contenders, 1962? Ed Sullivan show, 64 was it?

I think Mr Gruhn makes an important distinction in his appraisal, he says Mike was a big influence in the USA, particularly in the Mid West. I wonder if any of the UK Lads around and about early 60's could describe whether that influence translated across the pond? Something quite clearly did, this tiny island is heavily represented, and massively influential in carrying the flame.

I'd like to know who or what influenced John Bowen to pay a kings ransom for a 'Burst in Luton in 1961...who had he seen or heard with one?
 

Xpensive Wino

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Where would you say Keef figures in the time line? He had a 'Burst before either of the lead contenders, 1962? Ed Sullivan show, 64 was it?

I think Mr Gruhn makes an important distinction in his appraisal, he says Mike was a big influence in the USA, particularly in the Mid West. I wonder if any of the UK Lads around and about early 60's could describe whether that influence translated across the pond? Something quite clearly did, this tiny island is heavily represented, and massively influential in carrying the flame.

I'd like to know who or what influenced John Bowen to pay a kings ransom for a 'Burst in Luton in 1961...who had he seen or heard with one?

I don't know anyone who wanted a 'Burst because Keith played one, and I suspect he got one because he could.

Plenty of people wanted a guitar like Eric played on those Mayall tracks, though, including Mr. Greenbaum, who badly wanted to join the Bluesbreakers as Clapton's replacement.

Bloomfield, on the other hand, had played with Dylan, so anything he touched was instantly sought after, as Gruhn details. The impact of the Dylan association went far beyond the American Midwest.

As far as John Bowen goes, the embargo on American imports had made any US-made instrument an object of desire in the UK. Once it was possible to get a guitar like the ones people had seen on the LP covers, the dam burst - for those who could afford to slake their thirst, anyway.

There are good articles about the phenomenon here: http://www.theguitarmagazine.com/vintage/absolute-beginners-british-solidbody-part-one/ and here: https://stmargarets.london/archives/2014/06/rock_around_the_embargo_part_1.html
 

fred dons

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Debatable. Bloomfield played with Dylan, remember. As a guitarist, I think his influence was wider initially, although Eric was first with a 'Burst between the two of them.

I'm just waiting for someone to tell me that Ace Frehley was the most influential. :##

well there is a bit of truth in this :D , a lot of guys in my age Group (50+) got drawn into LP's because of Ace and the first guitar I coveted was a clownburst custom, only later on did I learn the different LP types and started to appreciate the Burst so albeit indirectly, Ace is the reason I love Bursts
 

Elmore

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For me, Page gets extra credit because he never abandoned the 'burst. He just used it as the proper tool for that song.
 

thejaf

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Well, for me (born in 1974) it was in this order:
1. Ace Frehley
2. Jimmy Page
3. Slash
 
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