guitar12 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Donovan was on Howard Stern yesterday and he was noodling around on a J45 (Catch the Wind, Dear Prudence, Yellow Submarine, etc). He said that he wrote all of his hits form 1965 - 69 on a J45 but that it was stolen out of his dressing room in 1969. He said Gibson told him that they would build him a custom one and that they have decided to release a version with his name on it. He gave #1 off of the line to Howard yesterday as a birthday present. I've not seen anything on the Gibson website yet but Donovan said that the guitar was just about to be launched. Great interview btw, lots of talk about being with the Beatles in India, his bohemian lifestyle, as well as the record business. Here is the interview in it's entirety: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fba1GjBcNc the quick little bit about the new J45 is at 33:15. Be aware, Howard Stern is on Sirius satellite radio so it is uncensored. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Thanks, guitar 12. That was a great interview. I'm old enough to remember Donovan's arrival and his music. I recall him deciding to setp back and it was cool (in this interview) to hear his reasoning for such. Haven't heard about the guitar. Saw him with a J-45 and a big Guild way back when. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I lOVE Donovan, especially his early records - Stern represents more of a problem for me. But that J-45 tale is a fine circle finding it self. We talked about it a few times here and I frankly thought the idea had stranded. Now let's see'n'hear that porcelain-saddled slope come true. And let me remind you Gibson/Donovan heads that there was a Mellow Yellow model before - in the 80's or 90's. . . Btw. just played 2 cherryburst 1962-64 J-45's two days ago. Both ceramics, seriously broken in and excellent sounding creatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Dave Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Saw this on Thomann a few days ago and your post reminded me of it... J45 Donovan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Saw this on Thomann a few days ago and your post reminded me of it... J45 Donovan It looks right - in all it's ordinary glory. Probably sounds the same. . . Still not to be seen on the Gibson slope-site ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Gotta admit I am not a big Donovan fan. I do like a couple of songs like "Catch the Wind" and "Season of the Witch" but even there I prefer various cover versions like those of the Blues Project (Danny Kalb's solo on Catch the Wind still can send chills up my spine) and Super Session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringTom Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I like Donovan's early solo/acoustic work as well as his Sunshine Superman album. After that he got a little too much into the Arthurian legend stuff for me--a bit sappy. I heard him at Carnegie Hall in about 1968 or 69. He sat alone on stage looking all flower childish, and I found it a bit embarrassing and disappointing. I guess he was wearing his love like heaven or something. Much later he came back with some good music. I would like to hear the interview, but I find Howard Stern so disgusting that I can't face it this early in the morning. Maybe late at night. Donovan's early acoustic work with the Gibson was very good--not fancy, but very supportive of his songwriting, which was his strength. The guitar could be very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I like Donovan's early solo/acoustic work as well as his Sunshine Superman album. After that he got a little too much into the Arthurian legend stuff for me--a bit sappy. I heard him at Carnegie Hall in about 1968 or 69. He sat alone on stage looking all flower childish, and I found it a bit embarrassing and disappointing. I guess he was wearing his love like heaven or something. Much later he came back with some good music. I would like to hear the interview, but I find Howard Stern so disgusting that I can't face it this early in the morning. Maybe late at night. Donovan's early acoustic work with the Gibson was very good--not fancy, but very supportive of his songwriting, which was his strength. The guitar could be very nice. Maybe you should give the whole Hurdy Gurdy album a chance. Hereby recommended. Stern !? What is goin' on behind the shades of this lad - he could be rather cüüühl, but insists on driving the Mercedes straight in the ditch every 5 to 10 minutes. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringTom Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Maybe you should give the whole Hurdy Gurdy album a chance. I appreciate the suggestion. I'll check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kebob Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I have a 60's reissue dubbed "Mellow Yellow" based off Donovan's 60's J45 (see avatar). They made a limited run of these in 2003. It's feather light mahogany and very open sounding. I'm not a big Donovan fan, but ran into this particular guitar 10 years ago and couldn't pass it up. I wonder if it's another run of these guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I have a 60's reissue dubbed "Mellow Yellow" based off Donovan's 60's J45 (see avatar). They made a limited run of these in 2003. It's feather light mahogany and very open sounding. I'm not a big Donovan fan, but ran into this particular guitar 10 years ago and couldn't pass it up. I wonder if it's another run of these guitars. Thanx for gettin' the year right - My theory is that the new ones will be slightly different. A lot of water has slipped through the stream the last decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar12 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Saw this on Thomann a few days ago and your post reminded me of it... J45 Donovan Thanks for that link. At only 65 guitars being made it will be quite a rare piece. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMELEYE Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Specks disheartening. 42,80 at the nut = 1.653543". In other words, looks like Gibson is reproducing their legendary pencil neck introduced in late '64. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Specks disheartening. 42,80 at the nut = 1.653543". In other words, looks like Gibson is reproducing their legendary pencil neck introduced in late '64. This would be just below the 11/16, wouldn't it. Remember old-day Gibsons went all way down to 1.625 and 1.5625 Talking bout pencils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Some of the other runs that were done late last year had these smaller necks too! It is somewhat off-putting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 If it is anywhere close to an accurate repro it will not only have the slim neck and narrow nut but headstock angle of 14 degrees instead of 17 degrees and non-scallop top bracing. I somehow get the feeling you are not going to see this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainpicker Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I wasn't that into Donovan back in the day but besides Catch the Wind I really like this song: I think he recorded it on a Gibson tuned down a bit. But it always reminds me of escape-from-winter trips to Mexico after ski season was over....before the drug cartels ruined the feeling of freedom those trips used to engender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Where Donovan really lost me was that Gift From a Garden to a Flower stuff. An massive dose of patchouli drenched lighweight pop that was the ultimate Valentine gift from a wannabe hippie to their sweetie in 1968. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Where Donovan really lost me was that Gift From a Garden to a Flower stuff. An massive dose of patchouli drenched lighweight pop that was the ultimate Valentine gift from a wannabe hippie to their sweetie in 1968. Hysterical ZW! What was that oil thing about and how did it get to all ends of the planet so quickly....there are still some errrrr 'Crafty' areas here where the smell........ At my very first outdoor event, I thought the oil smell was hooch. Soon enough it was Black Sabbath and black t-shirt....thank goodness for BS and Deep Purple. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I'm pretty sure Bozeman won't copy the exact braces of the Donovan 64/65 J-45, but rather make a 'picture of it' as we know from the TV's. Regarding head-stock angle, it's hard to say, but here is pic of a well know guy with the guitar http://31.media.tumb...a1n4fo1_500.jpg - still hard to tell. . . Agree, MP - Sand and Foam is a splendid acoustic ballad, but ! , , , isn't played on the J-45*. The tune is performed on a pretty famous J-200. The one seen/heard in that often seen Jimmy Page live-television clip. It was in the studio during the recording-session (perhaps owned by the producer) and the real interesting thing is that one ex-member here once tried that acoustic. No, , , unfortunately not me. Yeeees, sure BluesKing, , , Deep Purple and Sabbath were amazing when they arrived - but soft shows'n'needs hard and visa versa. *You can hear it's a 200 in the cans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Already got a J45 and the narrow neck would kill it for me anyways, however, Donovan was pretty cool back in the day. He was different. In the age of The Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, and 500 other R & R bands, this guy walked out on stage with just his guitar (maybe a harmonica on a rack) and sang his songs. Kind of like what Dylan did at the start and Cash did at the end. Saw him in the mid 80's at a park concert in Kansas City. Really enjoyed it. Pretty talented guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYN51Q1zGOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmonsh Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I seen donavnn back in the late 70,s/ early 80,s. he was the opening act for yes at cobo hall I beleave.. one of the best concerts I have ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 , , , isn't played on the J-45*. The tune is performed on a pretty famous J-200. The one seen/heard in that often seen Jimmy Page live-television clip. It was in the studio during the recording-session (perhaps owned by the producer) and the real interesting thing is that one ex-member here once tried that acoustic. No, , , unfortunately not me. Yeeees, sure BluesKing, , , Deep Purple and Sabbath were amazing when they arrived - but soft shows'n'needs hard and visa versa. *You can hear it's a 200 in the cans. I can imagine someone doing a tube search shopping for a J-200 landing on that video first, and how quickly that model would be deftly crossed off the list. What a recording, originally dubbed no doubt from a beta-max copy of the 17th copy off a first generation tape machine. Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Should the guitar not be a hideous green colour with a stag stuck on the front of it? I've never got (read 'liked') Donovan. I've often thought that if George and paul and buffy st Marie ,and all the countless others he sickenly namedrops throughout his career, hadn't been too loved up to tell him to go away , we'd never have heard of him. Guilty by association should be his motto. First there is a mountain then there isn't a mountain then there is. Good grief. Pseudo intellectualism. And now the poor sod believes his own persona. A walking talking singing characture of himself and ideas. I think dylan figured him out from the clip of the meeting he had in the hotel room. Still , fair play to the man . he's had a massive career. He's the scrappy doo of the music world :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I think dylan figured him out from the clip of the meeting he had in the hotel room. I used to work in that hotel for a few months. It was called the George Hotel in glasgow city centre. Once quite a posh joint by the 90's it was fairly run down and the hotel all but closed. It had 3 bars in it and a Charles Rennie Mackintosh staircase. (still there as it's a listed structure). A bit of a haunt for Billy Connolly as the clientel were mostly older Glasgow tramps and characters, perfect for gathering new material. The same hotel was used to film a lot of Trainspotting. I worked in the bar where Begbie throws the glass off the platform and it hits a girl. One of the best jobs I ever had actually, pay was rotten but I laughed from start to stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.