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Ed King's new 58 Darkburst...what a killer looking and killer sounding guitar!

madformac

Active member
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Messages
719
Get well soon Ed! :salude:salude


That's a hell of a good toy to recuperate with! :dude:
 

Bruce R

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
1,029
Hope you're doing well, Ed. Hang tough. Praying for you! God bless.
 

joeh77

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
97
After reading this I'm wondering if I saw this burst "Live" as I saw Scandal in the University of Bridgeport gym sometime in the early 80's. Was not as much into vintage stuff at that time so I wouldn't have paid attention to Ray's gear.

It sure looks, and sounds great in the videos!

I've been GASing for a Carr Mercury V for a while now. These videos sure don't help me keep that in check!

Joe
 

marfen

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2016
Messages
330
Ray Gomez did a write up on this guitar in one of Vic's Burst Believers books. What a stunning guitar and hope Ed gets well soon. Ed's dog sure appreciates the sound of a burst!
 

Decoy205

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
621
How is this not called the “Starburst”. :) Seriously what a cool looking burst! Love the dark finish with the double white.

I hopw Ed is well and back playing that beauty.
 

53Goldtop

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
739
How is this not called the “Starburst”. :) Seriously what a cool looking burst! Love the dark finish with the double white.

I hopw Ed is well and back playing that beauty.

Ed was very nice to me when I owned The Voxmobile (now owned by Jeff Dunham). Pictures of Strawberry Alarm Clock were taken with The Voxmobile on several occasions and I think they performed with it once or twice. When I asked Ed what he remembered I believe his response was "Nothing"! LOL! Hope you are well Ed!
 

K_L

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
566
Does anyone have an update on Ed? He hasn't posted on Facebook in a week or so.
 

EdKing

New member
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
359
Great looking guitar and I love the star! Enjoy it, Ed!! :hank

:salude

Hi Tom. The STAR on the headstock was put there by Gibson at some point in 1958. The guitar was supposed to be used in a LIFTON CASE ad. Hence, the star to match the case emblem.

I am ashamed to admit I had never heard the name Ray Gomez. When I first picked the guitar up, it was unplugged. I played a 4-5 note run and instantaneously KNEW that every note on this guitar had been sounded thousands of times. I had to have it - it cost me 5 guitars out of my collection. 54 LP, 52 LP conversion, 58 Gretsch 6120, a 64 345 & my 1960 LP I call Crackhead.

I’ve played PEARLY GATES. This is very close. Great playing non-typical 58 profile neck. Slightly smaller, ridiculously comfortable.

The 59 double whites have been 'dicked with'...magnets might be changed. Doesn’t matter what pickups are in this.
 

EdKing

New member
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
359
He’s doing very well.

I had nearly half a lung removed 5-1. 6 week recovery, I’m halfway. This surgery has been the most difficult so far but I’ll bounce back. Too many guitars, so little time!
 

EdKing

New member
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
359
Ed was very nice to me when I owned The Voxmobile (now owned by Jeff Dunham). Pictures of Strawberry Alarm Clock were taken with The Voxmobile on several occasions and I think they performed with it once or twice. When I asked Ed what he remembered I believe his response was "Nothing"! LOL! Hope you are well Ed!

Actually, I just finished my book. Turns out I recall a LOT. Way later this year, it’s being edited now. 65,000 manually typed words, it reads pretty good!
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
God bless and get well. Sounds like you found a winner there!
 

corpse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
4,876
To me it sounded like you bought something to speed your recovery. Good move. It sounds like old wire and PBT- and air and wood- and some well-trained fingers.
 

NYCBURST

Active member
Joined
May 11, 2016
Messages
288
Interesting find right here... Very ironic positioning of that star. It kind of makes the lifton case theory questionable..

..And an early 50's catalogue binder with the solid star.

Vintage-1950s-Gibson-Guitar-Instruments-Binder-wth-1950s.jpg


A 1959 Catalogue...
s-l1600.jpg
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Interesting find right here... Very ironic positioning of that star. It kind of makes the lifton case theory questionable..

Not necessarily.
Lifton might have produced that tag to match Gibson logos already using the star.
[or maybe Gibson made the tag and shipped it to Lifton]
 

NYCBURST

Active member
Joined
May 11, 2016
Messages
288
Good point... I kind of like that star. A very cool one-off kind of a thing.

Not necessarily.
Lifton might have produced that tag to match Gibson logos already using the star.
[or maybe Gibson made the tag and shipped it to Lifton]
 

AtomEve

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
4,666
Great pics, videos and history on that guitar. Thanks for sharing:dude:
 

Black58

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
10,139
That 'burst used to belong to jazz/fusion/rocker Ray Gomez in the early from the late 1970's until the early 1990's. Ray played it in Stanley Clarke's band and, although he usually plays 64/65 stratocasters, this burst was in his arsenal for quite a while. The star on the headstock and the dark burst stood out back then when I played the guitar when I used to work at Outlaw Guitars in Green Brook, New Jersey in the 90s. I believe we helped broker the guitar for Ray. Glad to see it turn up again. You can see it sitting onstage when Ray and Stanley did School Days at Montreaux in '77 (Ray is playing his strat but the burst is clearly visible on a stand). That video is on on you tube. Anyway...


Here's two videos of Ray playing the darkburst Les Paul with the star inlay in '86, as I remember it with a double black exposed pickup and a covered lead pickup. The second video really smokes..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzGT4D8WBJQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5IJmPsa9tA

Outlaw Guitars! Holy SHIT. I miss that place. :dang .. Bought my first vintage guitar there. A '59 Junior. Jim was good man. :salude
 

Rex Carlson

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
34
I am blessed to be the new owner of this wonderful guitar. There were a number for sale but none quite like this one with the story to go along with the mojo. It's truly a one of a kind. Thank you to the members of this forum for your guidance and sage advice, especially Charles Daughtry who gave me his honest impressions on it. And also Thank you to the great folks at Carter's for helping me thread the needle while I lined-up the resources and put the deal together.
 

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