Elvis and Scotty's guitars

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

First, let me say that I'll understand if there's absolutely nobody out there that's as trivia-obsessed as I am about this stuff, but here goes, anyway...

It's something that I've pondered for a long while. I've always wondered what guitar Presley played on those very first sessions at Sun Records. I know he was never a very advanced player, but he made a big contribution with his powerful rhythm playing on the Sun sides.

It's often quoted that his Martin D-18 was the guitar used, but this is surely impossible. He was almost a pauper at that stage, and I doubt that he'd been able to afford to replace the 'Sears/Roebuck' instrument his parents had bought him. Maybe he had a subsequent guitar, but I bet it wasn't a Martin! They would have been in the $80+ range in those days.

Secondly, there's a well-known photo of Elvis with Jimmy Day in the background (I believe Jimmy used to have copies of it that he'd sign at steel shows) and it's always been clear to me that, blurred as it is, Elvis is playing a Martin '000' - NOT a Dreadnought (D-1 Cool

. I always thought it to be a 000-18, but such an instrument has, until now, never been mentioned in connection with Presley.

As scrutinised as Presley memorabilia is, I find this odd, to say the least! His D-18, and his subsequent D-28, have been frequently described (the D-28 having the leather cover, but the rosette design proclaims it's a 28 and not the 1 Cool

, but a '000' never acknowledged.

By '57 he'd 'advanced' to a Gibson J-200 (that's a whole 'nother story, you'll be sorry to hear

!), and his guitar had become a 'prop', anyway.

I believe this is what happened: he bought his first Martin (the 000-18 - for those who don't know, the 000s have a pronounced 'waist', while the Dreadnoughts, or 'D's have straighter sides and are deeper) but quickly found it wasn't loud enough for his purpose. The 000 is almost a parlour guitar, and is better for fingerpicking. I bet there was a quick trade 'up' to the much-louder D-18. The next trade up (to the fancier D-2 Cool

was probably just vanity, and a reflection of his improved finances.

I wrote a letter to Scotty Moore in '95 posing these, and other, questions, and he was kind enough to write a lengthy reply. But - he couldn't remember what Elvis had when they first met, and he'd 'couldn't recall' a '000' Martin! Yet, I remained convinced...

At last Scotty Moore's web-site has been updated and there's another photograph of Presley with the 000-18! So, it's now a documented fact, and I feel unaccountably smug and pleased with myself.

Scotty's own instruments were always well-documented, and he provided all his serial numbers in his reply to my letter.

I still find myself wondering what the guitar is that we hear on 'That's All Right, Mama', though - it sounds a pretty good one, but that might just be Sam Phillip's expertise at work.

I know this is a long shot, but does anyone else have as much time on their hands as I do, and have you ever noticed all this stuff.....?

For anyone who cares, there's an excellent 'Guitar' page on that web-site.

If you got this far - thanks!!!

Roger Rettig
(Edited to remove the apparently inaccurate reference to Scotty Moore's death. I apologise that I didn't check my source. RR)

[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 20 October 2006 at 07:59 PM.]

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

"Recent death"? I can't find an obit and at least imdb.com has no death date. (But then, IMDB also refuses to change the "Oh Brother" entry about Doc Watson being the first townsperson to throw a rotten tomato at Homer Stokes--categorically untrue.)

Dave Van Allen · From: Souderton, PA , US , Earth

When did Scotty Moore pass away!? how did I miss that....

Terry Edwards · From: Florida... livin' on spongecake...

I was browsing a book of famous guitars and saw the D-28 and the D-18. I did not see a picture of Elvis with a 000, but that doesn't mean he didn't own one.

I did not know Scotty passed away!

Terry

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Scotty ain't dead!

graham rodger · From: Scotland

elvis's d18 used to record his early stuff at sun recently sold to a private collector for $200,000 dollars according to a book called "rock hardware"

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

How do you know he was playing his own guitar ? If a poor boy turns up at a recording studio without a guitar, or with a guitar that the engineer doesn't like the sound of, it's likely that someone will lend him a different one.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Allan - I don't KNOW anything for sure. I'm speculating. I think your suggestion is an unlikely one - that was an informal session, and no-one was there apart from Sam, Scotty, Elvis and Bill.

As for Scotty's 'death', well, I'll be very happy to learn that I've been misinformed. I read a small piece in a music magazine in Barnes & Noble one day recently, and that's what it said.

That is not pertinent to the issue, though.

The D-18 most certainly was used on some early Sun sides - it just wasn't on the very first ones.

Terry: You're making my point for me; the books DON'T mention a 000-18, but at least two photos confirm that he did have one.

I'm sensing a slight hostility in these replies. I just find this sort of detail fascinating and, given the scrutiny that has surrounded Elvis' guitars, I'm surprised that one had slipped through the net, so to speak.

RR

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Roger, the guitar in the photo with Jimmy Day is a D-18, I'm looking at the photo right now.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Jussi, I respectfully disagree - the body is too shallow.

RR

Jussi Huhtakangas · From: Helsinki, Finland

Hmmm, don't the 000-models usually have a slotted keyheads?? The one in that picture seems not, it's blurry though. However, when that photo was taken ( late -55 )Elvis was already an established star drawing big crowds around south and he sure could afford a more expensive guitar. Actually I've seen pics of him from -54 with a D-18. But I do somewhat agree that on the first recordings for Sun it probably was something less fancy than a Martin dreadnought. Ha, this is getting very geeky, but after all I wouldn't be here if at 10 years old my life hadn't been turned upside down by DJ Fontana's drumroll on Hound Dog

edited to get even more geeky: according to Peter Guralnick's book Last Train To Memphis Elvis bought a 1942 D-18 as a Xmas present for himself in late -54 from O.K. Houck Company for $142. He gave his old guitar in trade and got 8 bucks for it, the guy at the store threw the old guitar in the trash ( duh

, a mistake of the century, it probably was the guitar used on That's Allright Mama ) I'm not sure if it's mentioned in the book what actually was the guitar he had before that D-18. Even if it wasn't, I recommend this book, it's by far the most accurate written piece of Elvis' early years and gives a good insight of the music scene in the South around that time.

[This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 21 October 2006 at 09:21 AM.]

[This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 21 October 2006 at 09:22 AM.]

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Yes - the Guralnick book is a great effort, probably the best-ever Elvis tome.

No - post-war 000s do not have slotted headstocks. They have standard headstocks, and identical to 'D's.

I think a piece of the puzzle is missing - the $8 trade in was almost certainly for the 000-18. That's the point of my post - a lot of this stuff has been glossed over. PLEASE go to the Scotty Moore web-site and check out the Guitar page. There's geekishness to spare there (!), and the 000-18 is clearly pictured at a Texas gig. You'll enjoy that page and all the links as much as I did, I'm sure. See if you agree - that's where the 000-18 HAD to fit into the picture (right before the D-1 Cool

.....

RR

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