This Old Guitar Trivia Quiz

Answer: Old Black

When it left the makers, "Old Black" was a 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.

Someone painted it black before Young traded in a Gretsch for it in 1968.

Answer: Blackie

"Blackie" was created from the best parts of three Stratocasters built around 1956 or 1957.

In fact,
Clapton bought six of the guitars and gave the other three to Steve Winwood, George Harrison, and Pete Townsend.

Clapton played "Blackie" in concert from 1973 to 1991.

In 2004, "Blackie" was auctioned to raise money for the Crossroads Foundation, and sold for $959,500.

Answer: Trigger

"Trigger" is a 1969 Martin N20. It was named after Roy Rogers's horse.

Answer: Lucy

"Lucy" was originally a goldtop Gibson made in 1957.

In 1966, Rick Derringer had it refinished, but did not like the new sound, so sold it to a New York City guitar store. At some stage, John Sebastian also owned it.

Eric Clapton bought the guitar from the store and gave it to Harrison.

Harrison played "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in concert on "Lucy" and still had her until his death in 2001.

Answer: Lenny

"Lenny" is a Stratocaster built between 1963 and 1965. Vaughan saw it in a pawn shop but did not have the money to purchase the guitar.

His wife, Lenora, asked seven friends for $50 each, and so the asking price of $350 was met.

The guitar was presented to Vaughan at a show, and later that night he wrote the song "Lenny" on it.

Answer: Frankenstein

The guitar is also sometimes known as "FrankenStrat".

Van Halen was looking for a guitar that had the sound of a Gibson and the feel of a Stratocaster.

Initially, he married a Stratocaster body to PAF Humbucker pickup from a Gibson ES355.

"Frankenstein" had a maple neck and fret-board. Van Halen painted the guitar black, added masking tape, and then painted it again white.

Later he added red when he noticed other black and white guitars were becoming commonplace.

Answer: Lucille

The name came about in 1949 after a nightclub King was playing caught fire. King realized he had left his guitar inside and went back in to rescue it.

He later discovered that the fire had been caused by two men fighting over a woman called Lucille. He named all his guitars "Lucille" after that, using it as a reminder of what could happen in a fight over women.

The original "Lucille" was stolen from the trunk of his car not long after the fire.

In 1997, King gave Pope John Paul II one of his "Lucille" guitars.

Answer: Micawber

The Telecaster is a 1953 model Richards picked up in 1971.

"Micawber" is always set up for open G tuning, and only has five strings in use, and only five bridge saddles. It has a Gibson PAF in the neck and the bridge has a stock Fender lap steel pickup.

Answer: Red Special

"Red Special" was built by Brian May and his father, Harold in 1963.

Wood came from an 18th century fireplace mantle that a neighbour was throwing away.

In 1998 and 2005 it was refinished and had cosmetic work done.

In more recent years, May had played guitars by Guild and Burns.
"Red Special" is sometimes known as "Fireplace" or "Old Lady".

In 2002, Brian May played 'God Save The Queen' on guitar from the roof of Buckingham Palace as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II.

Answer: 00001

While this was not the first Sportscaster ever built, it does have "00001" stamped on it and different theories abound.

It was first owned by Leo Fender, and then Fender either sold or gave it to Seymour Duncan.

Duncan sold it for $900 to someone else before it ended up in the hands of the Pink Floyd guitarist.

Duncan's belief is that there were originally two 00001 Stratocasters, and Gilmour's is one that was sent for repairs, and received a new, random body.