This page is a ‘WORK-IN-PROGRESS’ and we welcome any serious input from people who may have and want to share their knowledge on Tommy's gear. We are kicking off with a detailed guitar breakdown c/o Stefan Olesinski – we can't thank Stefan enough for his time and effort to get to this stage. Please appreciate that Stefan is working on other guitars and gear also... we will keep you posted on our Facebook page re Stefan's updates/additions &/or watch this space here!
As Stefan readily admits, this may not be 100% correct and he (and we) welcome any suggestions/corrections, it's about trying to get it right.
Also a shout out to Scott McIntosh for allowing us to share details from his www.angelfire.com site, at time of going live we haven't totally utilised it yet, so we suggest having a look at his gear page...
This page will include Tommy's amplification, picks, strings... ANYTHING gear related, we just didn't have time to even consider these items at time of going live – so again, if anyone wants to contribute, please contact us, we appreciate your help and kindness...
... or actually the ‘Stratocaster AND Strat-like guitars of Tommy Bolin’
© STEFAN OLESINSKI (July 23)
Shots of Tommy's ‘Whitey’ are rare. (Left) a screen grab from Zephyr performing at Santa Monica, 1971. (Right) Energy, date & location unknown, probably 1972.
Poor quality screen grab from low-fi Zephyr video, but the enlarged images captures Tommy playing a black pickguard maple neck Telecaster (JUST visible). A ‘POSSIBLE’ origin for the neck on ‘Whitey’ or ‘Shoe Polish’. Unsure of exact date and location, but possibly Texas 1970.
FENDER STRATOCASTER with TELECASTER style neck AKA ‘WHITEY’
SPEC:
Body: Alder
Finish: White
Neck: Telecaster/ Esquire Maple one piece with Walnut ‘skunk strip’
Tremolo: Vintage Stratocaster with bent saddles
Pickguard: One piece white plastic
Pickups: 3 Stratocaster single coils
Controls: Volume/ 2x Tone/ selector switch
Scale length: 25.5 inches
GENERAL INFORMATION:
According to Dave Brown, Tommy’s longtime friend and tech, he and Tommy liked the feel of the Telecaster necks – (DavidEarl Brown message to Tommy Bolin Memorial Fund, 9th October 2019, “Well we both loved the feeling and the shape of a Telecaster neck...”) leading Dave to carry out some modifications for compatibility.
In order to fit a Telecaster neck to the Stratocaster body, either the neck pocket needs wood removed to make a square pocket or the square neck needs rounding at the butt end. From Dave Brown mentioning details of the construction of his own guitar of this type and looking at pictures of Tommy's two, it seems that the neck butt was modified. (David Earl Brown, January 14th 2019 "Here's my Blackie, with the Fender custom shop strat butt tele neck...")
Apart from the same Tele style neck / Strat body coupling as the ‘Shoe Polish’ guitar, the pickups and pickguard were from elsewhere too! Basically a 1950s Esquire neck/ 1960s Strat body (due to the extra pickguard holes) and 50s pickups and pickguard. (See above Zephyr video capture which may explain where the neck came from for either this guitar or ‘Shoe Polish’).
As a fan of the works of the present owner I reached out to him via Facebook. I basically spent hours scouring the internet and sending over any found images/ videos of this guitar, even submitting shots of it in the background on a stand, in it's job as (sometime) backup. I introduced the owner to Dave Brown on Facebook, who was delighted to see ‘Whitey’ (as he named the guitar) again. Further details to come.
Was sold prior to ‘Spectrum’ due to lack of funds. I would add my own 2 cents here and hypothesise that this guitar, as opposed to ‘Shoe Polish’, was sold due to it cosmetically appearing tidier and hence able to raise more money in a sale situation.
TIMELINE / APPEARS ON:
Appears in Zephyr video, also audible on some ‘Going Back To Colorado’ tracks and live CDs from that period, also appearing in Energy live pics and on one of the Energy Broadcasts CDs when Tommy breaks a string during the guitar solo of ‘Dreamer’. When the ‘Shoe Polish’ Tele-Strat came along it seems to have been relegated to back-up from photographic evidence.
The ‘Shoe Polish’ guitar was used extensively during Tommy's James Gang era.
FENDER STRATOCASTER with TELECASTER style neck AKA ‘SHOE POLISH’
SPEC:
Body: Alder
Finish: Stripped to natural wood, refinished in clear over a stain/ refinished with a darker coloured translucent finish
Neck: Telecaster/ Esquire Maple one piece with Walnut ‘skunk strip’
Tremolo: Vintage Stratocaster with bent saddles
Pickguard: One piece white plastic
Pickups: 3 Stratocaster singlecoils
Controls: Volume/ 2x Tone/ selector switch
Scale length: 25.5 inches
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The wood stained and varnished Strat-Tele hybrid was known as ‘Shoe Polish’ by Dave Brown.
According to Dave Brown, Tommy’s longtime friend and tech, he and Tommy liked the feel of the Telecaster necks – (DavidEarl Brown message to Tommy Bolin Memorial Fund, 9th October 2019, “Well we both loved the feeling and the shape of a Telecaster neck...”) leading Dave to carry out some modifications for compatibility.
In order to fit a Telecaster neck to the Stratocaster body, either the neck pocket needs wood removed to make a square pocket or the square neck needs rounding at the butt end. From Dave Brown mentioning details of the construction of his own guitar of this type and looking at pictures of Tommy's two, it seems that the neck butt was modified. (David Earl Brown, January 14th 2019 "Here's my Blackie, with the Fender custom shop strat butt tele neck...")
An anomaly was the upside down jack socket with the dished part standing proud of the front of the guitar. Van Halen also did this on a couple of his guitars, including the ‘Circles’ guitar, as in his case it stopped the tremolo arm getting jammed on and lifting up over the inserted jack plug.
TIMELINE / APPEARS ON:
This guitar was primarily used in the Energy and James Gang days (including the Don Kirshner Rock Concert) and I would guess (but unsubstatiated) for the ‘Spectrum’ sessions. In the Tommy Bolin ‘Guitar Player’ March 1977 interview it's mentioned as still being in his possession: "Ed. Note: Bolin also had two other Strats, one with a Telecaster neck".
It was not used after the aforementioned time period onstage, although it is in the background of some of the Pirate Studios Deep Purple rehearsal pictures, laid flat on the drum riser, in the role of backup. Looking at the heavy wear to the fingerboard lacquer, I would put forward that it was possibly in need of some work due to fret wear, thereby taking it out of everyday use by the later periods.
THIS USED WITH KIND PERMISSION FROM SCOTT McINTOSH – www.angelfire.com
Summer 2003: For the first time since 1976, the Bolin family has reunited Tommy's Hiwatt sound system with his original 1974 Stratocaster! Both were last played together on Dec. 3rd, 1976 on stage at the Miami Jai Lai!
The guitar is a black 1974 (since corrected to 1972) Stratocaster that David Brown remembers was purchased from Manny's Music in NYC using advance money from Columbia Records. Tommy sanded and oiled the 3 bolt maple neck. It has the famous fat headstock, bullet trussrod, chrome pickguard, and tremlo arm.
(Left) Although there is no evident proof that Tommy played the ‘Black Strat’ on stage with Deep Purple, here it can be seen backstage at Purple's Lakeland gig. (Right) Jai Alai, 3rd December, '76, Tommy's last concert.
FENDER STRATOCASTER Black, large headstock model 1972 (also sometimes referenced as 1974)
SPEC:
Body: Alder
Finish: Black
Neck: Maple (one piece with Walnut ‘skunk strip’ or with separate applied fingerboard?), large headstock, bullet truss rod
Pickguard: White 3 ply, later mirror (white single ply in recent years)
Tremolo: Vintage Stratocaster with cast saddles
Pickups: 3 Stratocaster singlecoils
Controls: Volume/ 2x Tone/ selector switch
Scale length: 25.5 inches
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The following is from https://www.angelfire.com/ny/bolinfan/gear.html...
“The Strat was given to guitar tech David Brown by Tommy’s family following his funeral in December, 1976, and later sold to a collector in Colorado.
The guitar is a black 1974 (AUTHOR'S correction: was 1972) Stratocaster that David Brown remembers was purchased from Manny’s Music in NYC using advance money from Columbia Records. Tommy sanded and oiled the 3 bolt maple neck. It has the famous fat headstock, bullet trussrod, chrome pickguard, and tremlo arm.”
The following is from Ernie Santella on Facebook...
https://www.facebook.com/tommybolinarchives/photos/from-ernie-santella1972-fender-strat-but-not-your-average-72-strat-this-was-the-/2983536305070578/
"1972 Fender Strat. But, not your average ’72 Strat. This was the only ‘Celebrity Owned’ guitar in my collection. It was formally (sic) owned by the guitarist Tommy Bolin (RIP). It was one of his backup guitars. I bought it here in Denver in 1987. It’s not original, but, had a complete late 1950’s Fender single-layer pickguard and pickups. It also had a sanded-down, un-finished neck.
I am a huge Tommy Bolin fan and got to see him about 3-4 times before he passed in 1976 at the way too early age of 25.
I listed the guitar for sale around 2001. I was contacted by Tommy’s brother Johnnie Bolin and he wanted to buy the guitar back. We chatted about it and he wanted to make sure it was the ‘real deal’ and was actually Tommy’s guitar.
So, Johnnie contacted Tommy Bolin’s old guitar tech David Brown (RIP) who happened to live in CO at the time. David came over to my house and in less than 5 seconds, knew it was Tommy’s guitar. He remembered there was one very slightly bent tuner peg from years of working with Tommy and tuning it every night. Bingo, it was there. I had a great time with David talking for hours about Tommy."
From Johnnie Bolin...
Re: pickguard assembly (please note at later shows this guitar had a mirror pickguard, so at some point this replacement pickguard was swapped out):
This pickup assembly was initially removed from another Fender Stratocaster owned by Tommy, and installed on the black 1974 Fender Stratocaster purchased by Tommy as a backup guitar in 1974-75.
After careful examination by a astute vintage guitar collector / dealer, the pick-guard assembly itself is consistent with Fender parts from 1957 with some early 1960’s replacements as detailed below:
1. The pick-guard itself is from the 1957 era.
2. The pickups have the original windings and are from the 1957 era.
3. The knobs, switch tip, and pickup covers are from the 1957 era.
4. ‘Phonebook’ capacitor from 1957 era.
5. The pickup selector switch is late 1950’s-possibly early 1960’s.
6. The potentiometers’ are date coded to 1962.
TIMELINE/ APPEARS ON:
This guitar was used in the James Gang, not onstage with Deep Purple (although there visual evidence of it being backstage at a Deep Purple show, as per backup use) and reappeared in his solo career, still in use at the end. At some point in time, between it's use in the James Gang and when it came back into use during the solo career (last lineup), it appears to have been fitted with a chrome mirror pickguard. In recent post 1980s pictures it appears to have had a white pickguard reinstated.
Tommy seen here with his iconic ‘Sunburst '63’ at Mile High Stadium with the Tommy Bolin Band & Radio City Music Hall with Deep Purple.
SUNBURST ‘1963’ Strat
SPEC:
Body: Alder
Finish: Sunburst: black/red/yellow
Neck: Maple one piece with Walnut ‘skunk strip’
Pickguard: White single ply
Tremolo: Vintage Stratocaster with bent saddles
Pickups: 3 Stratocaster singlecoils
Controls: Volume/ 2x Tone/ selector switch
Scale length: 25.5 inches
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Tommy always referred to this guitar as a 1963. Below are a couple of quotes from magazine features:
Guitar World November 1988 magazine: His main axe was a stock 1963 Strat.
Guitar Player March 1977 magazine: Tommy Bolin "The Stratocaster I use is a stock 1963. It's very hot, and I really don't know why. I use Ernie Ball Extra Super Slinky for the Strat, because my hands aren't very strong."
There are anomalies with this re: standard Fender vintage specs on this particular instrument. This instrument has a 3 tone sunburst body which was introduced in 1958, so that could check out. The problem with the 1963 dating are twofold. The first being the one piece, as opposed to 3 ply pickguard, to which it was changed in 1959. The second being that the maple neck had a ‘skunk strip’ (a darker walnut fillet) up the back of the neck as per the original one piece maple necks, these necks were replaced with the rosewood fingerboard necks in 1959. If you ordered a custom maple neck from Fender in the 1960s the fingerboard was glued on, ie: no longer a one piece neck (and hence no ‘skunk strip’), this was to follow the same manufacturing processes for the rosewood necks. Hendrix had at least one of this type.
The crux of this above paragraph is that I consider it to maybe be approximately a 1958 model (subject to a few months either side), but I could be wrong! Tommy was a player, not a vintage collector, so the possible confusion re: date is really not an issue.
As per the Tommy quote above I consider his ‘stock’ statement true. It appears to me that he preferred the maple one piece necks as per ‘Whitey’, ‘Shoe Polish’ and the ‘1972/1974’ Strats.
TIMELINE/ APPEARS ON:
This guitar was Tommy's main guitar from when he got it, his predominant live guitar, the iconic one! It first appeared in the James Gang days, was used throughout Deep Purple and for his solo career until the end.
Tommy playing the (possibly borrowed for the night) Univox Ripper alongside John Bartel at The Jet Bar.
Live at the Jet Bar 1976 Review by Greg Prato
Up to the very end of his life, guitarist Tommy Bolin continued to play at every given opportunity, as evidenced by the release of 2004's Live at the Jet Bar. Back home to visit his family for Thanksgiving in 1976, Bolin's younger brother, drummer Johnnie, was performing at a nearby bar in their hometown of Sioux City, IA, and Bolin was invited to sit in. The result was a set list of songs that have never appeared on any of Bolin's albums, including a standout track that was going to be on Bolin's next proposed studio album, the funky ‘Down in the Dungeon.’ Also included is another funk jam, ‘Mamba,’ as well as a jazzy reading of the oft-covered ‘Parchman Farm.’ Although he is joined by other guitarists throughout the set, Bolin's playing is both unmistakable and inspired... Sadly, this performance would turn out to be one of Bolin's last; he would be dead less than two weeks later.
UNIVOX RIPPER STRAT COPY
SPEC:
Body: Alder?
Finish: Natural wood
Neck: Maple with Walnut ‘skunk stripe’ (Due to lack of quality of images don’t know whether one piece neck or glued on fingerboard. Some copies have a non functional ‘skunk stripe’!) bullet truss rod
Tremolo: Vintage Stratocaster (STC type, a common 1970s offshore model) with cast saddles
Pickguard: 4 ply pickguard: white/ black/ white/ black
Pickups: 3 partially covered humbuckers
Controls: Volume/ 2x Tone/ selector switch
Scale length: 25.5 inches
TIMELINE/ APPEARS ON:
Played at the Jet Bar. Probably borrowed?
Links below to other samples of this type of guitar:
https://guitars.com/inventory/ez5696-1976-univox-ripper-stratocaster-copy
https://reverb.com/ca/p/univox-ripper-natural
Only known shot (that we know of so far) of Tommy with the Charvel.
CHARVEL STRAT
SPEC:
Body: Unknown ‘stripey’ exotic wood
Finish: Natural
Neck: Maple (unknown whether one piece with ‘Skunk strip’ or with applied fingerboard?), large headstock with curved Charvel logo
Pickguard: Mirror
Tremolo: Vintage Stratocaster style (can’t see whether bent or cast saddles due to image quality)
Pickups: 3 black Stratocaster style singlecoils
Controls: Volume/ 2x Tone/ selector switch
Scale length: 25.5 inches
TIMELINE/ APPEARS ON:
There is a picture of Tommy and Wayne Charvel, backstage somewhere (unknown date/ unknown location), on Wayne Charvel's Wayne Guitars site. Tommy is holding up an exotic wood Strat type with Wayne's name on the headstock.
On Wayne's site it mentions Tommy as a customer of his. Was this a guitar that ended up in Tommy's possession or was it just a tryout? Or did Wayne provide Tommy/ Dave Brown with parts or carry out any repairs?
NOTE: Stefan is still finalising this section, we will advise re changes/additions...
(Left) Zephyr, April 1970. (right) Zephyr, Denver Pop Festival, June 27–29, 1969, Mile High Stadium.
A PIECE OF HISTORY... DAVID GIVENS:
“On stage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. This was the last gig that I had my Telecaster bass and Tommy had his red Les Paul. Eddie Shepard, our road manager, lost them at the airport the next day. Both guitars were one of a kind and our sound was never quite the same. Karma, eh?”
GIBSON 1953-56 LES PAUL
Refinished in metallic red (maybe factory refin?)
2 x P90s
Stopbar bridge/ tailpiece combo either replaced with tuneamatic bridge and tailpiece, or possibly used as tailpiece with added tuneamatic bridge (tailpiece closer to bridge than stock position)
Appears Zephyr era
All three shots are Tommy Bolin Band era.
After years of tracking down Tommy's/dEB's Les Paul, Joe Bonamassa finally persuaded Dave Brown to sell it 2019/2020 (exact date not known).
(MEMORIAL FUND) AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Dave Brown spoke to me on the phone early 2019 and was deliberating re selling the guitar, but agreed that it would be in great hands and well looked after. I suggested that it would also possibly introduce Tommy's music to new fans. After a lengthy message, Dave ended with... “but it deserves to be played again, Peace out dEb”
GIBSON LES PAUL “dEb BURST”
With American flag painted on pickguard by Dave (Brown) himself.
Black tape covering over a “FUCK” sticker pre live TV appearance!
With Bigsby tremolo added by Dave.
String grounding wire from Bigsby attached to tone pot nut!
Appears on; Zephyr, Deep Purple and Tommy Bolin Band era.
Now owned by Joe Bonamssa.
Zephyr, Date & location unknown
GIBSON LES PAUL/SG STANDARD 1961
Cherry red
With infamous “sideways” vibrato, with cover removed.
2 x Gibson humbuckers.
Tommy at this time was using a Gibson SG to quote, “Get that sound”.
https://www.mrzeros.com/blog/tommy-bolin-complete-catalog/
Appears in live Zephyr pics with Bobby Berge on drums.
Possibly a replacement for the stolen red 1950s Les Paul with P90s?
(left) Date & location unknown. (right) James Gang era
GIBSON EDS-1275 “Double Twelve” doubleneck
Tobacco (?) sunburst.
Earlier hollowbody version [1958-1961/2] of the model popularised by Jimmy Page.
Hollow with a spruce top on a maple back and sides. 4 knobs/ 3 switches/ 4 humbuckers.
Appears with Tommy during the James Gang in a couple of live pics.
Energy, 1972
GIBSON 335 style 12 string
Cherry red finish.2 Gibson humbuckers.
Not sure if it was strung as a 12 string or used a 6 string?
Seen played onstage with Energy.
FROM SCOTT McINTOSH | 2003
SUMMER 2003: For the first time since 1976, the Bolin family has reunited Tommy’s Hiwatt sound system with his original 1974 Stratocaster! Both were last played together on Dec 3rd, 1976 on stage at the Miami Jai Lai!
The guitar and amplifier have been in the hands of private collectors for many years. The Hiwatt rig was purchased from Tommy’s parents in 1977 by Willie Dixon. The Strat was given to guitar tech David Brown by Tommy’s family following his funeral in December, 1976, and later sold to a collector in Colorado.
The guitar is a black 1974 Stratocaster that David Brown remembers was purchased from Manny’s Music in NYC using advance money from Columbia Records. Tommy sanded and oiled the 3 bolt maple neck. It has the famous fat headstock, bullet trussrod, chrome pickguard, and tremlo arm.
The 100 watt Hiwatt amp is a DR-103, made in England in 1972. It has ENERGY stenciled in gold on top of the head. The two 4 x 12 cabinets are made by Sound City, and are equipped with 12 inch Dallas-Arbiter speakers.
DEAN GUITARS TRIBUTE TO TOMMY
Dean Guitars released two tribute Tommy guitars in 2012, the ‘TEASER’ & ‘TOMIKAZI’ models. We will be doing a breakdown of these in the next couple of months. If you are the fortunate owner of either of these, feel free to let us know your thoughts and experiences...
We wanted to have this section complete for the launch of the website, but we simply ran out of time lol, so thank you for your patience and WATCH THIS SPACE!
The Tommy Bolin Memorial Fund was originally established by Johnnie Bolin in memory of his brother, in association with the Siouxland Community Foundation. The Ultimate mission is simple... To preserve the music, the memory and the legacy of Tommy Bolin.
