Anyone know what this guitar would be?

JCP

I saw Steve Howe playing on an Asia reunion show on TV last nite. He was playing a Gibson 335 style guitar, but it had a pickguard mounted to both the bass and treble side, the fretboard inlays were on the low E side of the neck at the edge. I kept trying to get a good look at the headstock, but could only verify it was a Gibson, and was bound. It had a large inlay in the center of the headstock. Couldn't make it out, but almost looked like a seahorse?

Anyone know what this model might have been? Howe is known for having one of the largest collections out there, and many Gibsons. Could be a rarity...

ksdaddy · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:10 am Post subject:

I didn't see the show but I recall seeing Steve in guitar magazines in the early 80s playing an ES Artist, which (to the best of my recollection) is an ES335 style with no f-holes and Moog active electronics. I think he had the left handed pickguard added.... I don't think that was "stock". The Artist series (with Moog) was around in the late 70s/early 80s. Many models, the RD, ES, LP, and oddly even a Sonex came as an Artist model. I don't think they went over all that great.

JCP · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 10:29 am Post subject:

KS, that's probably it. There were a row of micro switches below the volume/tone controls that followed the curved line of the body. The Moog electronics would explain the switches. Thanks!

JCP · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject:

KS, you nailed it. ES Artist. I dug out my 335 book, and there it was, sans dual pickguards. (Someone must have added the second one, as you said)

Mystery solved..

Captain Bb · Little Guppy Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 32 Location: UK

Here's the man playing it in the 1980s: