So, who's got the Bloomfield 'Burst?

[Tom Wittrock]

oops, sorry, I did not notice... Anyway, now that we are here, does anybody know the serial number of Bloomfield's 59?

Maybe the guy Mike got it from? :ahem

 

[zorglub!]

OK, Dan, are you among us?

 

[keef]

He owns Shark-ago Music Exchange.

:2lol :2lol :2lol we gotta keep that in - a classic!

 

[Dan Erlewine]

The last I heard was about a woman in Chicago that has it. I have tried to contact her through the person that told me about it that has seen it and knows her. That was around two years ago (that I heard the rumour).

I have always heard the Toronto story — even way back when it happened.

I don't know the serial #, but I wonder if, by going through old photos of me playing it, I might find a rear-shot that I could enlarge. I wasn't paying any attention to the serial number, and I'm sure Michael wasn't either. I don't think that Allen has it.

dan

 

[Bluespower]

Mike is shown in serveral pics playing a 59 with a curious streak just south of the stop tail stud on the knob side. Is this the guitar we are talking about?

I think it's on the cover of the Biography as well as in the feature article on LP's in a '98 GP mag..

 

[hoss]

Mike is shown in serveral pics playing a 59 with a curious streak just south of the stop tail stud on the knob side. Is this the guitar we are talking about?

three different knobs

 

[Dan Erlewine]

Yeah, that looks like it allright. The curious streak wasn't there when I had it. I heard that it came from Mike constantly breaking first strings, and whipping one in there so fast that the ball end wanked the top as he pulled it into place. Enough times doing that, and I'd expect a pretty good trench would develop.

dan

 

[Chef Greg]

Post that photo of you playing it, Dan!! :dude

 

[58lespaulman]

What about the missing binding around the 8th fret all the the rest of the way up???

 

[Klyde59]

Hi Guy's I have posted a couple times on this guitar and my knowledge of it's current whereabouts.The Toronto story is definately true,it was obtained and subsequently sold by a guy named Ken Goodwin( a local collector in Toronto in the late seventies,early eighties)The Guitar was offered for sale in 1980 by Ken for the then large sum of $4000 Canadian.I tried in vain to buy it ,but being only nineteen and with limited funds couldn't make it happen.It went to a local guy,who eventually moved south to the states.I can tell you for a fact that he still has the guitar,knows what it is and that it is not currently for sale.The guitar has not been altered in any way since 1980,and it is the one pictured in the above black and white.I remember playing the guitar,making a mental picture of it and running down to a local record store to look at the Biography cover.It had all the distinct battle scars(the mismatched knobs had been put back to all speed knobs,but they didn't match up color wise).The guitar was beat,with an average broken headstock repair,alot of indents,scratches,buckle wear,replaced binding piece on the treble side of the board,etc.I recall it being average weight with a nice top that was quite ice tea.It was a mother of a guitar as far as sound goes,and if it ever does become available will yield a mighty provenance and price.Hope this helps.

 

[chuck dale]

Another great post about my fave Mike bloomfield-What about the sory in Vintage Guitar about the guy from Brownsville Station that claimed to own the Bloomfield burst(Micheal Lutz) rhythm guitar/bass?

 

[WheelchairBandit]

Doesn't Jimmy Vivino own Mike's 54-55 Goldtop?

WB.

 

[Sixstringhotshot]

You've got that right, brother! Dude sold a '61 slab board Strat that belonged to me as "all original" when I can tell you for a fact that it wasn't. I can name every piece of work performed on that guitar and tell you who did it as well as how every ding, nick and scratch came about on it. I owned that guitar for 17 years and was the 2nd owner. Finances made me part with it...it was like selling my own kid. I didn't sell it to him, but he got it via a 3rd party. If I'm not mistaken, he fetched $19K for it...freakin' gypsie. It's guys like this that are the problem with the vintage market.

That's strange. I've heard some shady things about the CME, but Scott cut me a helluva deal on my R9 (over $1k below MF price), and he let me pick my favorite of his batch of 8, same price regardless of the top. I was not a return customer. That was my first time in the store. My second (and last) visit to the shop was not nearly as pleasant.

 

[Dan Erlewine]

Another great post about my fave Mike bloomfield-What about the sory in Vintage Guitar about the guy from Brownsville Station that claimed to own the Bloomfield burst(Micheal Lutz) rhythm guitar/bass?

I sold a different burst to Mike Lutz. It was not the one I traded to Bloomfield. (I might have told him it was, who knows what crazy hippy musicians might say to turn a deal). I don't remember.

dan

 

[Dan Erlewine]

Hi Guy's I have posted a couple times on this guitar and my knowledge of it's current whereabouts.The Toronto story is definately true,it was obtained and subsequently sold by a guy named Ken Goodwin( a local collector in Toronto in the late seventies,early eighties)The Guitar was offered for sale in 1980 by Ken for the then large sum of $4000 Canadian.I tried in vain to buy it ,but being only nineteen and with limited funds couldn't make it happen.It went to a local guy,who eventually moved south to the states.I can tell you for a fact that he still has the guitar,knows what it is and that it is not currently for sale.The guitar has not been altered in any way since 1980,and it is the one pictured in the above black and white.I remember playing the guitar,making a mental picture of it and running down to a local record store to look at the Biography cover.It had all the distinct battle scars(the mismatched knobs had been put back to all speed knobs,but they didn't match up color wise).The guitar was beat,with an average broken headstock repair,alot of indents,scratches,buckle wear,replaced binding piece on the treble side of the board,etc.I recall it being average weight with a nice top that was quite ice tea.It was a mother of a guitar as far as sound goes,and if it ever does become available will yield a mighty provenance and price.Hope this helps.

Klyde59: I'd sure like to find out who has it and do visit the guitar sometime. I'm pretty cool about stuff like that and wouldn't tell anyone who owns it or where it is. I'd just like to close the circle.

thanks, dan

 

[Dan Erlewine]

Post that photo of you playing it, Dan!! :dude

Here you go, Chef Greg:

When I owned it it hadn't gotten too beat up yet . . .

Don't ask me what is with the gold-top with only three control knobs. Nor about the bridge. I sort of recall putting a wooden archtop bridge on it, but I'm not sure.


I had lots of other nice Gibbos over the years also, such as this '59 Dot Neck:

The '59 LP was my main guitar in the Prime Mover band back in Ann Arbor. That was when Iggy was in the band. This was my 21st birthday party. We were on the road and had a party at a fan's house.

Those were the days my friend.

dan

 

[Bluespower]

"Yute"
is a beautiful thing. and so are those guitars.

I haven't seen a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon since I left Chicago.

 

[chuck dale]

Re: Thanks Dan

Thanks for sharing that info and the cool pics.

 

[Chef Greg]

Very cool, Dan :dude

 

[RickC]

That is so cool. Iggy's already got "the pose"

/rick