Gretsch Reissues Bo Diddley Rectangular
Guitar
 |
| Fred Gretsch presents Bo Diddley with the first reissue of the
rectangular guitar. |
July 26, 1999 For five decades, there has been only one Bo Diddley
... the unmistakable beat ... the pounding rhythm ... the outrageous guitars.
Yes, one of the most influential and colorful of the early rock guitar
heroes will never be duplicated-but thanks to Gretsch, his signature square
guitar will be.
Due to popular demand, Gretsch is reissuing "Big B," the famous
rectangle-shaped guitar it custom built for Bo Diddley in the 1950s. Measuring
17.75" x 9.25" x 2" and made of alder and 5-ply maple,
the Firebird red semi-hollow body features two FilterTron pickups, a Tune-O-Matic
bridge, a "G" cutout tailpiece, and plenty of gold hardware.
The 3-piece rock maple neck has an ebonized rosewood fingerboard with
"dot" pearl inlays, a black 1957 Duo Jet headstock, and a special
Bo Diddley signature on the truss rod cover.
"For Bo's 70th birthday last December 28th, we wanted to do something
very special," said Fred Gretsch, President of Gretsch Guitar Company.
"So my wife, Dinah, and I went to Gainesville, Florida to give Bo
the first re-issue model of the custom guitar we made for him in 1958,
40 years earlier." Mr. Gretsch also added, "The original guitar
is in the Hard Rock Cafe on 57th Street in New York City. We went there
and duplicated the specs."
Born Elias McDaniel and raised on electric blues in Chicago, Diddley
first took up boxing (where he acquired the nickname "Bo Diddley")
then carpentry and mechanics before trying music, He cut a demo tape and
signed with Chess Records. In 1955, Bo exploded onto the R&B scene
with the startling two-sided hit "Bo Diddley/I'm A Man." The
classic "Bo Diddley" featured Bo's signature "shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits"
rhythm beat which borrowed heavily from African, Caribbean, and Latin-American
influences. He had a string of R&B and pop hits through the 1960s,
and toured Europe where he greatly influenced such British bands as The
Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones.
A pioneer guitarist, musician, and showman, Bo's legend grew even greater
in the late '50s when he performed with a variety of custom-made guitars.
In addition to his famous Gretsch square guitar, Bo had guitars shaped
like Cadillac fins, triangles, and circles. He played guitars covered
in rabbit fur, leather, and even carpet.
In addition to being a rock guitar pioneer and master showman, Diddley
was one of the first to experiment with sound distortions, echoes, and
feedback. He laid the foundations of rap with the 1959 hit "Say Man,"
a jive dialogue between Bo and his maracas player, Jerome Green. Bo has
a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Although 70, Diddley continues to perform and
record and was nominated for a Grammy in 1997. Visit Gretsch on
the web at www.gretsch.com. |
