I don't believe that is a danelectro Sitar. The thing is just about all electric sitars all have that distinct body type. It's very weird allowing for the drone strings. I think Ronnie's is a Coral.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

>>I think Ronnie's is a Coral.

maybe - but coral is also danelectro

btw - you can bid on a baby Danelectro on ebay (still uptodate)
[cgi.ebay.com]
but the owner also gives some nice details

thank you again, Mathijs, for identifying these oddballs of Ronnie's!
i'm now off to study the links you've provided.
and the Danelectro connoisseur i mentioned earlier has now conceded that the sitar/guitar is indeed a Danelectro -
thanks again, Liddas, for that site with the close-up.

meanwhile another Zemaitis question: did/does Ronnie have two metalfront Zemaitae?
(i've decided i like "Zemaitae" as the plural, sorry!)

then there's this Gretsch:


- 1998, by one of the Woods (sorry i don't know which one!)

brooding over this site here: [www.provide.net]
i've decided it might be a late-50s White Falcon - is that anywhere close to right?

>> That is a "RKS - The Wave" guitar, developed by Dave Mason of Traffic. <<

thanks Mathijs! here's the RKS page with the details:
[rksguitars.com]

they've got a shot of Ronnie with it on their "artists" page - must be Night Time they're performing ...

>> This is an "O.N.G." guitar, the model is "Blues". <<

... and thanks for this one too! while we're waiting for them to fix their English-language site, i found this: [www.harmony-central.com]

i think it's about the same model!

with sssoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> meanwhile another Zemaitis question: did/does
> Ronnie have two metalfront Zemaitae?
> (i've decided i like "Zemaitae" as the plural,
> sorry!)

He had at least four, maybe five: one stolen in 1973, one stolen after 1976, one stolen in 1979. The one he used on the 1981/82 tour might not be the same as the one he sparsely used on the 89/90 tour, but I am not sure as the available pictures are limited.

Mathijs

ahh, so they're known as "boutique guitars", not oddballs! :E
in case a listing of oddb - er boutique guitar sites is of interest to anyone: [www.vintaxe.com]

with sssoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> meanwhile another Zemaitis question: did/does
> Ronnie have two metalfront Zemaitae?
> (i've decided i like "Zemaitae" as the plural,
> sorry!)

Yep, my dear. It seems that Ronnie owns/owned at least two metalfront "Zemaitae". Check these pics, and you'll see the control knobs aren't the same. The one from 1976 features two control knobs behind the bridge and the pickup selector in the lower side, while the 78 one features only one knob right there and the pickup selector is on the Gibson Les Paul position. I would like to heve good pics to check the engraved pattern from both guitars...

The 1976 pic, which was a header on Voodoo ands Gazza's Rocks Off page (from one of the London Earl's Court gigs that year). Truly funny pic, BTW, featuring the "More-knobs" model:



The 1978 pic (don't know where, when or who, sorry), featuring the "Less-knobs-and-classic-position-for-the-pickup-selector" model:




Beautiful guitars in any case... Pretty expensive, though...

[There'll be no wedding today...]

Going deeper: I've been searching between the pics I have and I have realised that it seems the first one was used in 75-76 but not later, while the second one seems to have been used from 78 to 81, but not before (or later?).

So it seems each period has its own Zemaitis...

[There'll be no wedding today...]

yayy - i'm so glad i haven't been hallucinating about the metalfront Zemaitae! :E

>> "Less-knobs-and-classic-position-for-the-pickup-selector" model <<

:E those are catchy model names. :E
[peering hard:] don't they both have six knobs, though? just arranged differently?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-21 20:25 by with sssoul.

Ooops, I've just seem Mathijs' post. So I was quite correct about the on from 75 not being used later...

But then, isn't the 81-82 one the same as the one from 78????

And the main question that comes to my mind after following all these threads about guitars:

HOW THE FU*K HAVE THESE TWO GUYS MANAGED TO GET SO MANY GUITARS STOLEN OR BURNT?????

[There'll be no wedding today...]

It doesn't endear me to ron that he likes to play so many boutique guitar$. Kind of ostentatious (and that "WOODY" guitar looks like something Motley Crue would use). And I am certainly envious of his all-original broadcaster-or-nocaster.

I guess he's not going to lose any sleep over my feelings, though!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-21 23:51 by cc.

>> he likes to play so many boutique guitars <<

hm. maybe it's good to give small companies a bit of support once in a while,
especially if they're creating high-quality instruments.

(and what "Woody" guitar do you mean? the one the ZZ Top guys had made for him?)

LOL, I know this is a "serious" thread but it has some funny moments. Like Bruno says: How the hell did these two guys manage to get these pricelss guitars that they play every day get stolen again and again? And what is with all the fires??
And I do like the Zemaitae plural decision. LOL..
De zemaitates non est disputandum.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

the New Barbarian guitar collection, courtesy of the good Mathijs -
the good Rockman kindly posted a similar shot recently, but i've decided this one belongs in this thread.
stay tuned for more of Ronnie's Zemaitae and his Travis Beans.


- 1979, courtesy of Mathijs (don't know who took it, sorry!)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-22 20:28 by with sssoul.

Shouldn't that be "Travae Beanses"?

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

I can not recall who played the Kramer over on the left. I wonder if that is Woody's sax. Great shot btw.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

>> I cannot recall who played the Kramer over on the left. <<

... oops, sorry - no photo after all, but: Ronnie played that, at least at the Fort Worth gig.
looking at this site: [www.vintagekramer.com] ... would that be a DMZ2000?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-22 12:22 by with sssoul.

If I had to keep only one, I would get the metal front Zemaitis. Second it would be a tie between the humbuckered Tele and Woody's Strat, which I think it's the one on the left, innit???...

I suppose it's Bobby Keys' sax, Chelsea

[There'll be no wedding today...]

Ronnie with a Travis Bean 1000 Artist - thanks for identifying it, Mathijs!


- San Diego, may 22 1979 by Chief Moon

... and with a Travis Bean 500 (thanks again, Mathijs!)
i'm not sure which Barbarian gig this is ...


- 1979, probably by Henry Diltz; courtesy of Mathijs

Great - good ole Mathjis must have given you a truckload of interesting pictures

>> good ole Mathjis must have given you a truckload of interesting pictures <<

yes he did! i feel honoured. :E
and i'm trying to do them justice by posting them in some semi-sensible way -
for example, i'm trying to get Ronnie's Zemaitae in something like chronological order.
which is why i thought i'd start with this one from when Ronnie was (it looks like!) about 14 years old. :E


- by Craig Petty, courtesy of Mathijs

but since 1961 seems a *little* early for Ronnie to own a Zemaitis, does anybody know what year that was really taken?

next up is Ronnie's dragon-front Zemaitis - this is one of the first ones made for him, right?
how long was this one around before it was - wild guess here! - stolen or burnt up?


- courtesy of Mathijs (don't know who took it, sorry!)

I suppose it's about the "First Step" album era (1970) with the Faces, as with the Jeff Beck Group he played bass and before that I don't think his financial status could allow him to buy a Zemaitis (in case they were already manufactured)...

(Edited: I'm talking about the metal front one)

[There'll be no wedding today...]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-22 21:09 by bruno.

with sssoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >> good ole Mathjis must have given you a
> truckload of interesting pictures <<
>
> yes he did! i feel honoured. :E
> and i'm trying to do them justice by posting them
> in some semi-sensible way -
> for example, i'm trying to get Ronnie's Zemaitae
> in something like chronological order.
> which is why i thought i'd start with this one
> from when Ronnie was (it looks like!) about 14
> years old. :E
>
> [img.photobucket.com]
> guitars/Ronnies_guitars/FacesMetalfrontZemaitis_Cr
> aigPetty.jpg
> - by Craig Petty, courtesy of Mathijs
>
> but since 1961 seems a *little* early for Ronnie
> to own a Zemaitis, does anybody know what year
> that was really taken?

This Zemaitis was built in March 1971, as was Wood's Disc Front Zemaitis, and the Faces toured England I believe in June, so this probably is June '71. I have never been able to identify the difference between this Zemaitis and the one he used after 1973 and before 1977. This one was stolen in '73, and he had Tony Zemaitis build an quite exact copy. But, there must be some visible differences, but I have never been able to eshtablish that.

Mathijs

my my my - this is pretty hot! posted by Bruno over on Rocks Off:



Stay With Me, from 1971 (that's what it says, anyway);
Ronnie's got a Dan Armstrong and he sounds freakin great.

with sssoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> my my my - this is pretty hot! posted by Bruno
> over on Rocks Off:

BTW, just in case you were getting ready to jump into my arms, I'm not that Bruno, darling. LOL!!

[There'll be no wedding today...]

rats :E
but it is a pretty hot clip anyway!