Anyone ever own one of these?

Jerry Hayes · July 17th, 2010, 11:51 AM

It's a '68 Gibson Trini Lopez model. I owned this guitar for many years and used it professionally as my #1 instrument for at least twenty years. I sold it a few years back to raise money to buy back my old Telecaster which was a mistake. I really miss this guitar. I saw a rock group on Austin City Limits in which the lead singer had two of these in different finishes, I can't remember what their name was. These guitars were unique in that they had a 335 style body but the "F" holes were diamond shaped and they had a six in line headstock with Kluson tuners. The headstock was shaped like a Firebird but not reversed!........Here's a couple of old shots of me with my "Trini" which was one helluva guitar and I really wish I had her back!...........JH in Va.

Wally · July 17th, 2010, 12:11 PM

And...is that a Seth Lover Fender humbucker in the middle of that guitar? Adn a palm pedal.... IF it is still alive, that guitar shold be easily recognized. Put out an APB on her???? Are those original kobs on that one? IF so, those pre-date 1968.....or should according to all that I have seen and read. 'Witch hats' came into production in 1967.

indianation66 · July 17th, 2010, 12:52 PM

Mr. Hayes,
We can read it in your text, the desire is there to acquaint yourself with an old friend. It's just a matter of time; you'll have another one. Good luck on the hunt, no matter how long it takes!

Addendum: I dig the beehive chick in the photo behind you...yummy 60s! Also, do you remember what it said above your head in the first photo?

...wisdom

anfontan · July 17th, 2010, 07:36 PM

I remember the Trini Lopez quite well, Jerry. I had a jamming buddy and we tried to get a band going when we were in our late teens-and he played a Trini through an old blonde bandmaster amp.
With only an analog echo and the Bandmaster cranked up he could nail the Led Zepplin/Jimmy Page sound as well as the Yes/Steve Howe sound as well. The way he made it sound gave me a great respect for the Trini!

Search on Jerry, there is one out there with your name on it........

Jerry Hayes · July 20th, 2010, 11:29 AM

I know the guy who has my old Trini, his name is Jimmy Santos and he lives somewhere around Roanoke, Va. He was the one who I'd sold my old Tele to and he wanted the Trini so he gave me the Tele and $500 cash for the Gibson which seemed like a good deal at the time. Yes that is a Fender humbucker in the middle. The knobs were replaced with Radio Shack specials and I added a master volume knob close to the bridge to do some volume swells with my little finger. That second shot was taken in front of the Swizzle Stik in Huntington Beach, Ca. around '77 or so. The chick singer with the Beehive in the photo was Joanne Rinard (since deceased). I hadn't had the guitar totally rewired by then but you'll see the plastic plate on the 1st shot with the mini toggle switches on it. I had steve Soest in Orange, California put on that plastic plate and add mini toggles which were on/off for each pickup, a phase switch, and a coil tap for the bridge pickup. By that time I'd had a DiMarzzio Dual Sound pup added for the Bridge and added a Strat pickup in the middle shortly after the picture was taken. The neck pup was still stock and the Bigsby Palm Pedal removed but it's since been put back on and the guy who has the guitar has left it on even though he never uses it.............

Indianation66...........In that one shot the words you see above my head are the end of the word "Tennesseans" which was the house band at Bonnie Price's "Foothill Club" in Signal Hill (Long Beach), California. Musicians would come and go but no matter who was playing, you were still the Tennesseans........JH in Va.