Comment of the Moment: Neil Young’s ‘Old Black’ Guitar

Neil Young’s ‘Old Black’ Guitar (Click photo to enlarge)

Universally amongst fans, Neil Young's guitar ‘Old Black’ is the stuff of legends.

From the crunchingly brutal Crazy Horse feedback fests to this year's solo electric, the Gibson Les Paul guitar has played witness to the full range of Neil's ragged glory. 

Here is our Comment of the Moment on Neil Young’s ‘Old Black’ Guitar by thatguitarguy:

I've recently read that the black guitar may be a prototype Custom- meaning made in '53, since Customs were first released in 1954. 

I don't know how this theory holds up with the trapeze holes, etc. Part of the reasoning probably has to do with the bound headstock, unusual headstock inlay, etc. 

Now- why I'm here: In 1988, my friend Kenny Aaronson was playing bass with Bob Dylan. I lived in San Francisco and they were doing the Greek Theater over in Berkeley. I went over and spent the day/night with them. Neil was there- he was going to sit in with Bob that night. So, after soundcheck, Neil was sitting with Ol Black in his lap. 

I mentioned a couple of mutual friends, and we got to talking. 

I asked about the guitar, since it's so unusual, and he gave me a mini-tour of the guitar. He's not really a "vintage guy" so we didn't really get into specifics. The thing that struck me most was the obvious thing that you guys don't mention. WHICH IS THE STRIPE DOWN THE BACK OF THE NECK! I think I saw a reference to it in a comment above, including the possibility of some derision. Well, I can take it, if it answers my question. 

I should have asked him, but G.E. Smith came over and started asking questions too. I assumed that the neck was a replacement- it appeared to have a herringbone, or some such, running down the back of the neck. As a 20- year veteran of the vintage guitar world [20 then, 50+ years now] that stripe could only mean a re-neck. Now, in the photo above, I see the stripe running through the body as well. 

Looking back, Neil was holding the guitar in playing position, and I didn't see the back of the body. This guitar has bothered me since that day in '88. Once in a while I go looking for information on information on it, but no one ever references the stripe. I was starting to doubt my recollection. WHAT IS IT AND HOW DID IT GET THERE? 

I was also good friends with Rick Rosas. He was a wonderful guy- very funny, smart, great cook, GREAT bass player. He also played with Waddy's band in LA. And, of course, he played with Neil. Neil had no problem with Rick running his video camera during rehearsals, or whatever they were doing. So I got to watch dozens of hours of their practices, jams, whatever. He would put them on as background whenever we were doing stuff at the house. I came to really like, and respect Neil through all of that exposure. 

So Thank You, Rick RIP 

Please help a vintage brother out, and tell me what you know. And Thank You so much!

Thanks for the comment thatguitarguy! Cool stories on Ol Black. Hope someone can help you out.

So if you're interested in the anatomy of Neil Young’s ‘Old Black’, check out Anatomy of Neil Young’s ‘Old Black’ Guitar.

Guitar Tech Larry Cragg with ‘Old Black’
More photos and articles on Neil Young's guitars.

Also, see "How I Came to Know Neil Young's Old Black Guitar" by Larry Cragg. 

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