jeff adams
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2024
- Messages
- 3
Back in 1977 when I was touring with Face Dancer (Capital/EMI) and "Sandy", my '59 curly top LP, I reached out to my friend Paul Smith to build me a guitar. At that time Paul was the guitar tech in a local music store (Veneman's Music, Gaithersburg, Md). I had known Paul since the early 70's, and had noticed and liked a guitar he was playing that he had built, so we agreed on a deal. I liked the body style he had, but I wanted to mirror Sandy, my '59 burst, so we went to work on a new design. My ideas included the 2 piece curly maple top, original PAF humbuckers, the smaller streamline headstock, the tremolo bar, the Kluson tuners, as well as the original Gibson yellow stain. I also wanted the volume knob and pick-up selector up close. Paul asked me if I would like his idea of birds as fret markers, I agreed. I also asked if we could get 'aged' wood, Paul performed a miracle, he came up with curly maple drawer fronts from a 100 year old dresser, and mahogany from a 70 yr old dresser. Finally in '78, with the build complete, Paul said he'd like to spray it with an imron clear coat, not knowing any better at the time, I agreed. And what a mistake that turned be, in my opinion, the guitar sounded extremely punchy, glassy, and brittle, with no warmth whatsoever. Over the next year Paul would tell me if I wanted to give it back to him he would give me what I had payed, $1,500. Eventually I said ok and gave it back, the rest is history, the age of the "Golden Eagle" was born. Paul turned the guitar over to Howard Leese, who I believe still has it (?). For me the memory of having Sandy and the Eagle on stage at the same time is a mind blower.
