10/4/2023 0 Comments Fender duo sonic whiteThe original model evolved to the standard scale Duo-Sonic II in 1965, but was discontinued in 1969. And one that, a decade later, became the favourite of the burgeoning US punk scene - Patti Smith, David Byrne, Television - and then again to later generations, including John Frusciante and Damon Albarn. So, a pioneering guitar in its own right. The 22.5" scale, the rosewood fingerboard, the single-ply white scratchplate, and the two black single-coil pick-ups that in middle-switch position created an early humbucker effect - something not missed by Gibson when this guitar first came to market in 1956. of course, upside-down for the left-handed Jimi.īut his was the same spec, same era model as this one. There are pictures of the young Jimi and the Duo-Sonic with The Isley Brothers' support act, The Turkords, in that year. And, as the story goes, he got that one for free from O'Kelly Isley, one of The Isley Brothers, when he joined the band in 1964. That one sold for a cool $246,000 in auction in 2010. No, it's not the guitar Hendrix owned and played. A shorter scale guitar marketed for the "student", not a bad place to start if you're on the way to rock legend status. The model was also played by Mike Bloomfield with the Group in 1964, and both original and longer Duo-Sonic II models were hoisted by Rory Gallagher, Walter Becker, David Byrne, Liz Phair and Dweezil Zappa.Not only a fabled Pre-CBS Fender, but the first Fender that a stage-named Jimmy James, aka Jimi Hendrix, is pictured with. Jimi Hendrix was photographed playing two different late-’50s or early ’60s Duo Sonics, in Desert Sand and sunburst, respectively, while backing both Curtis Knight and the Isley Brothers. Underneath those plastic pickup covers lurk single-coil pickups that are similar to Stratocaster pickups of the era, but with flush pole pieces.ĭespite its diminutive status, the Duo-Sonic racked up quite a roster of pro players over the years. In addition, the model’s toggle-style pickup selector was swapped for two slider switches, one above each pickup, as found on the Mustang. The Duo-Sonic II also gained the option of a somewhat longer 24-inch scale length, although 22.5-inch versions remained available for a few years. Jimi Hendrix was photographed playing two different late-’50s or early ’60s Duo Sonics, in Desert Sand and sunburst, respectively, while backing both Curtis Knight and the Isley BrothersĪs a result, many such models from the mid ’60s and after are even heavier than their larger-bodied, 25.5-inch-scale siblings. In later years, particularly when the Duo-Sonic II arrived in late ’64, Fender switched to poplar for most of these, including the Mustangs that would join them. Like Fender’s other notable guitars of the period, early Duo-Sonics had bodies made of ash and alder. A sunburst finish was available around 1960, by which time a rosewood fretboard had been added and the aluminum pickguard switched out for white plastic. The ’50s maple neck with an integral maple fretboard is an unusual thing on any student-model Fender, and the white plastic pickup covers and anodized aluminum pickguard present some tastefully contrasting styling.įender offered the Duo-Sonic only in Desert Sand finish for its first few years of production. Fender 1957 Duo-Sonic in Desert Sand (Image credit: Tom Dumont)Įarly examples, like the ’57 displayed here, carry the features collectors and many players most like to see in these guitars.
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