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Greeny - how Gary bought from Peter

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david plues

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May 21, 2012
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I was searching my archives and came across this interesting article
the full piece can be seen on the web site www.burst-videobase.com

18d0ee_42f7233cf8df47c882fc3d1ffe09f73b.jpg_srz_443_465_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz
 
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mistersnappy

mistersnappy

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Well, except the date that Peter originally bought it, the story is pretty much the one I've read for many years.
 
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Tom Wittrock

Tom Wittrock

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When was this written, and what is the source [or: who was the interviewer]? :hmm
 
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david plues

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TW59 said:
When was this written, and what is the source [or: who was the interviewer]? :hmm
Click to expand...

hi Tom, the mag was 1981 probably international musician & Recording World - written by Max Kay

I will upload the full article on the site - he talks about strats and another burst stolen from him
 
Tom Wittrock

Tom Wittrock

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david plues said:
hi Tom, the mag was 1981 probably international musician & Recording World - written by Max Kay

I will upload the full article on the site - he talks about strats and another burst stolen from him
Click to expand...

That sounds like something for a discussion here. :hmm
 
Emerald

Emerald

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The story of how Peter Green came to own Greeny in the first place:

Reading a recent issue of The Guitarist,issue265,at Barnes and Noble,I came across a fascinating article by the famed English music journalist,Charles Shaar Murray,where he describes the history surrounding the Peter Green/Gary Moore Les Paul,Greeny,before it was sold to Peter Green.
Tony Tyler,who died last October,was for most of the '70's as first features editor and the assistant editor of the New Musical Express,a British music newspaper,similar to the Melody Maker and Disc.
Tony was primarily a keyboardist,but dabbled in guitar.He worked in a now defunct West End of London instrument shop,selling keyboards and guitars during the day and playing them at night.
Tony was a big fan of Eric Clapton and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers,particularly the tone Eric had with his '59 Les Paul Standard.
Since he worked in a music store,he was able to receive one of the first 1959 Les Paul Standards in his shop,and gave himself a great discount as well.But being primarily a keyboardist,Tony realized that Peter Green,would be able to go so much further with this Les Paul than he could,so he quite unselfishly sold the LP to Peter,for little more than he paid for it.
So that is the story of how this guitar came into the hands of it's two most famous owners.The fact that Peter in turn,practicaly gave the guitar away to Gary,taking the money from Gary selling his SG at the time.
Tony before his death learned of the guitar being listed for $2 million .He said if he had kept it under the bed,he at least would have gotten a few hundred thousand dollars,even without the provenance,it was to have later.
So Peter first received the guitar through the kind and generous act of a musican and true fan.
Maybe that's why Peter gave the guitar so freely to Gary,in the spirit of how freely it was provided to him in the first place.
Just thought this was a fascinating story,I'm sure lots of you have stories of famous guitars changing hands as well.
Emerald
 
Xpensive Wino

Xpensive Wino

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landminelenny said:
Just a bunch of English kids a couple o' year later.
Click to expand...

Ricks, Gretschs and Fenders had much more cred in the early 60's, thanks to their association with certain UK pop acts.

John Sebastian was Patient Zero for epidemic Burstola, IIRC.

lucy-005.jpg

​

Remember there were few US-made guitars available in England until the mid-sixties, and thus even guitars that had already been deemed less desirable by the Americans became highly sought after in London.

After all, Gibson discontinued the 'Burst in 1960 because it wasn't selling well.

Then our Eric bought a sunburst...
 
Rev.WillieVK

Rev.WillieVK

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Emerald said:
Peter in turn,practicaly gave the guitar away to Gary,taking the money from Gary selling his SG at the time.
Click to expand...

Any truth to the story that Peter said that the money Gary got from the sale of his guitar was too much, and Peter gave a portion of it back? Don't remember the numbers exactly but supposedly Gary sold his guitar for ~150, gave it to Peter, and Peter gave ~30 of it back to Gary.
 
John Catto

John Catto

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Jul 15, 2001
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Emerald said:
The story of how Peter Green came to own Greeny in the first place:

Reading a recent issue of The Guitarist,issue265,at Barnes and Noble,I came across a fascinating article by the famed English music journalist,Charles Shaar Murray,where he describes the history surrounding the Peter Green/Gary Moore Les Paul,Greeny,before it was sold to Peter Green.
Tony Tyler,who died last October,was for most of the '70's as first features editor and the assistant editor of the New Musical Express,a British music newspaper,similar to the Melody Maker and Disc.
Tony was primarily a keyboardist,but dabbled in guitar.He worked in a now defunct West End of London instrument shop,selling keyboards and guitars during the day and playing them at night.
Tony was a big fan of Eric Clapton and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers,particularly the tone Eric had with his '59 Les Paul Standard.
Since he worked in a music store,he was able to receive one of the first 1959 Les Paul Standards in his shop,and gave himself a great discount as well.But being primarily a keyboardist,Tony realized that Peter Green,would be able to go so much further with this Les Paul than he could,so he quite unselfishly sold the LP to Peter,for little more than he paid for it.
So that is the story of how this guitar came into the hands of it's two most famous owners.The fact that Peter in turn,practicaly gave the guitar away to Gary,taking the money from Gary selling his SG at the time.
Tony before his death learned of the guitar being listed for $2 million .He said if he had kept it under the bed,he at least would have gotten a few hundred thousand dollars,even without the provenance,it was to have later.
So Peter first received the guitar through the kind and generous act of a musican and true fan.
Maybe that's why Peter gave the guitar so freely to Gary,in the spirit of how freely it was provided to him in the first place.
Just thought this was a fascinating story,I'm sure lots of you have stories of famous guitars changing hands as well.
Emerald
Click to expand...

Tony also at one point talked about the neck pickup. Apparently a couple of weeks after he bought the guitar Peter appeared back in the shop (Selmers?) carrying the guitar with the neck pickup hanging out, somehow he'd managed to break it, no doubt trying to remove the cover or something. That was the point it got rewound.
 
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