Finally, I just said, ‘Garage sale!’ and got rid of a ton of stuff.”īy 2012, Bonamassa had pruned his collection to a mere 90 guitars, half vintage instruments and half recent models, mostly Gibson Custom Shop guitars that “sound and play killer and look just like the originals, if you saw them from row G.”Īt the heart of the collection was a trio of that most desirable of solidbodies, the sunburst Les Paul Standard, comprising two 1959s and a 1960 with a 1959 neck profile.
“I ended up with all these guitars I didn’t even play – a bunch of old Switchmasters and ES-350s and even four Trini Lopezes – guitars that were killer to look at but not useful to me on the stage or in the studio. (Image credit: Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Joe Bonamassa performs at the Paramount Theater in Denver, Colorado on January 8, 2012.
