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Weir - Les Paul Special "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:58 pm
by tigerstrat
Image

it's an ebay auction so this pic might be taken down before too long...

Isn't that bizarre little import record? No GD songs or relevance at all but features these cool rare-as-hell GD pics on the sleeve.

I'm dating these as 12/31/71 "One More Sat. Night"! Donna's first time onstage with the band... one song only.

...What's the amp behind Weir? It looks way too short to be a Twin Rvb but a slightly too tall to be a Dual Showman Rvb head.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:39 pm
by b weird
Weir's Les Paul Jr. is really the one Jerry used during the summer of '71. When Jerry was using the LP Jr Bobby was using his Black LP.

Sweet pics too never seen them before. Thanks.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:54 pm
by tigerstrat
b weird wrote:Weir's Les Paul Jr. is really the one Jerry used during the summer of '71.
I've suspected it was; has that been confirmed?

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:01 pm
by b weird
Um... let me check the Dead Gear Guide.

After aquick scan of the 71 section I didn't see any confirmation, but I did see somewhere. Let me get back to you on that.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:35 pm
by tigerstrat
b weird wrote:Um... let me check the Dead Gear Guide.
You mean Grateful Dead Gear? Never mind, I helped write it! ;^) a lot of the stuff about which axes when, anyway.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:53 pm
by b weird
What's your real name? If you don't mind revealing it.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:55 pm
by b weird
Wait aren't you also Dozin, of dozin.com?

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:24 am
by jonarobb
That is such a bizarre find.... Very cool TS.

Les Paul Juniors only had 1 pickup whether they were TV's or not. This would be a Les Paul "Special" TV. Here's a video of Jerry playing it, with Weir using the black Les Paul Standard...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dCJUroc ... re=related


Depending on age if you've ever seen an original "TV" finish model, be it a Junior or a Special, it either fades to clear, almost white, or can turn light green. Something about the inconsistencies in the way Gibson applied the finish early on.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:27 am
by tigerstrat
I don't know if it's an optical illusion but the lighting on Jerry's strat makes it look like the neck has a very extreme bow to it.

thanks for cleaning up my nomenclature, re: Les Paul Special.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:47 pm
by Pete B.
tigerstrat wrote:
b weird wrote:Um... let me check the Dead Gear Guide.
You mean Grateful Dead Gear? Never mind, I helped write it! ;^) a lot of the stuff about which axes when, anyway.
Are there any blatent "TS" penned passages?
I just re-read pages 92-94 today!

I had a '74 Gibson Les Paul "Special" (in SG maroon color) for about a year. I could never fully dial into it's playabilty though.
Interstingly, The guy who has it now thinks it is a the best rhythm guitar he has ever owned, and he loves to play it.

Re: Weir - Les Paul Jr. "TV" / Jerry - Alligator strat

PostPosted:Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:44 pm
by tigerstrat
Well no, none of it is in my words, I helped the author mainly by sharing my observations of the gear timeline with him, collected from searching out dateable photos that showed instruments and gear, so that at the appropriate time in the storyline, he could drop references to changes of guitars or amps, etc. But I did also tip him to useful sites such as Dozin's . and explain a few things in layman's terms. We're old dnc.dead.net acquaintances, so I got some emails and calls from him pretty early in the work on the book and didnt mind sharing what I could, and putting him in touch with few others.