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POLL: Robert Johnsons guitar borrowed?


stein

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It came up in another thread, and I'm curious what poeple believe.

 

Lot's of rumors and mystery surround Robert Johnson, and of corse, some are actually stories. But in addition, there are always prevailing opinions, tidbits of info regarding legends, lore, or simply 'knowledge'.

 

Nothing wrong with having knowledge that isn't based on firsthand or is based on what you were told, or believing that "experts" have agreed on something that you yourself never cared to look into.

 

There's no right or wrong answer here, just curious on what most think is "common knowledge", or if some have opinions or not about the question. If you think you know, feel free to provide evidence or opinions why you think that way.

 

I'm curious, because of a recent WIKI article that states the guitar as borrowed, and presents it as fact. Last I knew, it was thought by most to be a rumor, or a possibility.

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I don't know really. One thing I do know is that the entertainment bizz is full of lots of shady thing's/people. Not to say it's more crooked then any other bizz in the world, it's just easier to be deceitful in a bizz that is based on stories and so-forth.

I don't see a vote.

 

It isn't a question of being right or not, it's a question of what the common knowledge is, or wether poeple believe what they do because they have an opinion, or just what they have been told.

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I don't know.

 

If put on the spot and forced to make a guess?

 

I suspect it might well have been his. It was a low-ish priced model and by the time the studio snap was taken he had been playing for a considerable number of years.

 

By all accounts in interviews with those who knew him and played with him he did fairly well, money-wise, both from 'busking' and more official performances and (obviously) needed to have a guitar.

Is it hard to believe he might have bought a reasonably good one?

 

P.

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If I remember correctly the liner notes of his complete recordings box set say that he bought a Gibson in the first opportunity he had money, I think this account comes from Son House who used to gig with Johnson.

 

Whether the guitar in the picture is the the Gibson he supposedly bought I do not know.

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I vaguely remember something about that it was known that he owned a less expensive Gibson - not sure which model - but that some people didn't think he ever owned an L-1 (or whatever it is in the photo.)

So what's your perception?

 

Yes, probrably, problably not, no?

 

I don't know if it's that I suck at making a poll. Maybe it should have been, "I feel strongly about.." type of thing.

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I don't know if it's that I suck at making a poll. Maybe it should have been, "I feel strongly about.." type of thing.

Damned if you do; Damned if you don't.

 

If you gave an "I really don't know the answer to that one, I'm afraid." option then it would have received 100% of the vote and, subsequently, the poll would have been a waste of time in any case.....

 

I like to hear peoples views, though. Even although by definition everyone here is just guessing. Hearing people's guesses can sometimes be more interesting than hearing the actual facts!

 

[thumbup]

 

P.

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At this point, does it matter?

Of corse it matters!

 

If I didn't care what you thought, I wouldn't have asked!

 

The ONLY right answer is to vote. I wants your opinion.

 

Like Pippy says, it isn't a matter of what's true or not, it's what poeple think.

 

Thread derails welcome.

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Best I can tell, after a little more looking, is that he was known to play a Kalamazoo guitar and that the one in the photo with the cigarette hanging from his mouth is his Kalamazoo but the L-1 in the other known pic is probably not his, but likely a studio guitar, according to his producer.

 

Story is that he recorded Crossroads with his guitar but then he got locked up and they had to borrow a guitar for him to finish up the sessions.

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