1959 Gibson Les Paul into '70 Marshall 50 full stack LIVE VIDEOS from 1981!

[Geetarpicker]

I recently found some old videos I had of a cover band I played with right after high school called "RAVEN". We were all just 18-21 at the time, playing here at an outdoor festival filmed by the local cable TV company.

I'm playing a '70 "small box" Marshall 50 into two mid 70s cabs with blackback G12H 30s, the 2nd head was a spare. Pretty sure I was attenuating it (but possibly not) a little with a Scholz or Altair unit. No pedals for gain or dirt, just a chorus, flange, wah. Amp set on 10, w/bass 10, treble & presence 6, mids 4, top input channel 1. Coiled cord! Mic was an SM57, and at the board they mixed in a little MXR delay @ 40ms, and a Space Echo. I added just a touch of reverb when I recently transfered the videos.


I kinda wish I had the amp back (#S/A 5297A) it showed up on ebay a few years back, and I hadn't owned it since the late 80s. Should have nabbed it then but I know it's still around...

Guitar is an original '59 burst, all stock w/ PAFs.

Those were the days!

Enjoy,
GK

http://www.youtube.com/user/GlenKuykendall

[PinoyBoy]

Cool!

And nice hair... :D

[esoteric pete]

where is it? it said no longer available...in fact...it said that about most of your vids...

ive seen the 59lp/trainwreck clips though...NICE! same 59' in the raven vids?

[Ang3lus]

jeez
your tone is ecstatic
and your blues stuff is awesome

[Geetarpicker]

where is it? it said no longer available...in fact...it said that about most of your vids...

ive seen the 59lp/trainwreck clips though...NICE! same 59' in the raven vids?

I just checked and all the videos seem to be playing ok now.

Yes it's all same Les Paul I've owned since '78. Damn, that's 3 fricken' decades. Our 30 year anniversary will be November 16th. You can even notice the color fade when you compare the videos.

Also you can really notice my hair is way shorter now, and back then I probably didn't weigh much more than the Les Paul. haha At least I still have hair!

GK

[esoteric pete]

cool that you've had it so long. ill bet you didnt think much back then about them being worth so much now!

ive played a real original 59' and it was quite a moving experience.

[neastguy]

that was great.. great playing .. it rocked...

[procos]

I thought Geddy Lee played bass not guitar? BTW the amp sounds awesome.

[Geetarpicker]

I'd really like to find this exact amp SN 5297A and buy it back somehow.

UPDATE: I've recently confirmed that the buyer of this exact amp in '04 did indeed sell it again more recently but he doesn't remember to whom. I'm still trying to get more leads on it, but I'm not holding my breath.

I know it's silly to seek out the exact same amp. But my leads aren't totally dead yet so I'm still on the hunt.

Wish me luck.

GK

[BryanMatthews]

10/10 for guitar choice and amps glen, that is the sound of rock guitar at its absolute best.

1/10 for that hair, oh dear, im sure you can have a good laugh at it even now.

59 lester in marshall,thankyou for sharing a great clip glen.

[turtleheadblues]

Pick slides on a half million dollar guitar, sweet.

[Geetarpicker]

UPDATE on the amp. I just talked with the last known seller. Even though we haven't turned up info on the next buyer he told me he had restored the cabinet. It had a fan cut into the side back in '04 (and I initially had posted pics of that) but he says he filled the hole in with plywood and recovered that end before he sold it. So, that identifier is now hidden a bit.

It still has the somewhat rare rotary ohms selector, and is definately serial # 5297A so folks check the back of your small box 50s!!!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1099486/a4_1.jpg

[corn husk bag]

Also you can really notice my hair is way shorter now, and back then I probably didn't weigh much more than the Les Paul. haha At least I still have hair!

GK

Glen,

Geez man here I thought you had a normal sheltered bible belt upbringing, my whole preconceived notion of you has been shattered! The old video is great! I can hear some of your signature nuance in there!

I think you should grow your hair back out, if you have it flaunt it! Also I think you would be much better off with a Strat, I will send you mine as an even trade for the 59'.

Best Regards,
Steve

[Denyle_Guitars]

Just yesterday I was wondering why you never see anyone use those acoustic guitar holders any more. :D

[Geetarpicker]

Just yesterday I was wondering why you never see anyone use those acoustic guitar holders any more. :D

I sold the Ovation long ago, but "just in case" I did keep the bracket. Later on I built a pedal to control it. Basically a momentary footswitch using those heavy grade cast iron switch pedals like you would see at the grocery store conveyor belt checkouts long ago. I would hook it up to my electric guitar and acoustic, and when I walked up to the acoustic I'd just stand on the momentary switch which would both turn on the acoustic and mute the electric. That worked well, and I liked the momentary switch action. I could hit an open note or two on the Les Paul, then reach around the acoustic and have a seemless transition.

Maybe it's kind of cheesy, but it really adds something.

I can tell in these old videos I hadn't built that switch thing yet . I did wrap the back of the acoustic stand bracket with foam so that I didn't harm the electric when it bumped the back of it. Good thing for the LP!

[GAD]

Cool stuff! I miss the 80s. :)

GAD

[fast ricky love]

Great!!!

[hbentley]

great clip and beautiful guitar!! the drummers cymbals are soo high!

[skydog]

I'm still trying to get more leads on it

Pardon the pun. By the way, aren't you the least bit freaked out about having such an expensive guitar about?

[Geetarpicker]

Back in '81 it wasn't a bid deal, these days it is an issue at times.

[blownirocz]

mmmm...Vintage LP into an A series Marshall Lead 50 stack...VERY tasty my friend! It's one of my current weapons of choice, so the sound lives on. Great playing too!

[Geetarpicker]

Thank you! And to think at the time that amp was cheaper than a new one.

[Geetarpicker]

Got a new lead on the amp. Wish me luck!

[Vibrolucky]

Always a real pleasure to hear the real deal ! Nice tone~

[Geetarpicker]

I was recently contacted by the owner of my exact old Marshall 50 I owned and played in these videos back in '80-'85! We are going to work a trade at some point so I'll get it back, however I need to find another VERY similar Marshall 50 amp to trade. I haven't seen this amp in person since '85, and I last saw it (but missed it) on ebay about 5 years ago and then knew it was still out there. It was very cool that the current owner looked me up.

Anyone with an A series small box Marshall 50 for sale to help a bro out?

Thanks!
Glen

[Bobby D]

wow, that's a beautiful les paul!

i remember 1981....i used to buy vintage early 60s strats for $600 :drool

my, how times have changed.....

great stuff though, i wish i had some videos from that far back in my career!

[dewman]

God those were the days.

[Geetarpicker]

Funny you mention it. I bought a mint '64 strat in '78 for you guessed it, $600. That was my first strat and I should have kept it! Pretty odd that back then even a 14 year old guitar seemed vintage as they were really that different than the current production. Kind of like buying a '95 strat today, which sure doesn't sound that vintage nowdays.

Yep those truly were the days for vintage guitars on a practical level. You could buy a '59 Les Paul Jr. in '78 for $400 (I had a nice one in High School) when a new Norlin standard was about $450.

That Marshall '70 50 I'm playing in the video cost me $325 at the time. Heck these days the gold face logo it had is worth more than that. EACH of the new 4X12s I had then were more expensive than the "old" Marshall head.

I'm going to trade back for it sometime soon, once I find a comprable '70s era Marshall 50 amp. Either way it will cost me way more than $325 to get it back this time around!

[dieselJosh]

Glen,

Have you found the amp and made the trade? If anybody deserves to get their own old amp back, it should be you!

To add to the karma if there's such a thing, my friend made a rash decision one day and traded his beloved first year Jem7PBK for an old Ibanez Concord acoustic. He instantly regretted it, but the other trader wouldn't budge. Some time later I had the chance to reacquire it in trade for a $350 debt. I immediately handed it back to him asking him to give me $350 when he could. He did, and he through in the Concord to thank me!

[Geetarpicker]

I know where the amp is, but have yet to find a suitable trade. My old amp is electrically perfect and original, but the front metal panel was swapped for an aftermarket plexi panel and the cab is somewhat hacked with a repair fan hole. So, I need to find a nice original amp to trade with some cosmetic issues of some sort that keep the collectors uninterested. Kinda tough so far. It seems most of them that have turned up lately are darn near perfect cosmetically and very expensive. I'll find the right amp eventually to make the trade. Also mine has the lead circuit and it seems most that turn up are the bass circuit. Thanks! GK

[charveldan]

I like your Marshall better than your Trainwreck which is an awesome amp, top notch playing, the Ken Fisher interview is priceless, i pretty much do what he suggested already.:bow

The female vocalist in Raven doing Heart is completly awesome, she wouldn't even be given a chance in todays music industry because she's not 109 lbs and got fake boobs, hair & nailz.:dunno

I'm grateful i got to grow up in teH 60's & 70's.:munch