Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

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Desert Surfer
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Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby Desert Surfer » Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:08 am

[I have moved my previous post in "Mosrite guitars Vintage USA" section to here]

Nokie Edwards was the one who inspired me to play Ventures tunes some 50 years ago. Never be able to master my guitar skill but at least I can say that I have met the "Maestro" himself who inspired me.

I had the great pleasure and honor to meet with Nokie in 2007 at his 72th birthday party in a small town called Florence near Salem, Oregon and many more times later. After our 1st meeting, I started to collect some of his personal guitars.

Nokie loved to try different guitars / basses during his career. He was a Telecaster guys when he played lead with other bands or his. He used a Fender P-Bass when he was asked to join The Ventures Band. Most of his previously used guitars were long gone when I met with him in 2007. But I was fortunate to get a few from him.

He was busily involved in his own creation of "HitchHiker" guitar when I met him in 2007. Normally, when we talk about Nokie Edwards' HitchHiker guitar, we all think of the electric guitar he currently play on stages or at concerts like this one.

Image

But actually there are three types of HitchHiker guitars:

1)Electric guitars: It has three generations. Started with Chavel Custom Shop (before they were bough out by Fender), then made by Rock Creek Guitar Company in Oregon, and now made in Japan by Aria. Not sure how many HitchHikers were made. My guess is between 50-100, maybe more.

Chavel model (the one is S/N #002)
Image

Rock Creek model (this one is the prototype)
Image

I do not own an Aria HitchHiker model but played one once. The one with whammy bar is really nice.

2)Steel string acoustic guitar: Made by Santa Cruz (based on Santa Cruz FS Model but with HitchHiker head stock). I believe only 3 have been made. Nokie has one (unless he sold it later on), I've got one and he sold one to someone in Japan. Nokie used this guitar for recording quite often.

Image

3)Classical nylon string guitar: Made by a guitar luthier Roger Stuckless in Canada. I believe only this one was made.

Image

How do they sound? I will let you judge yourself.

Santa Cruz FS HitchHiker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrd7tfDL30g

Chavel Electric HitchHiker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QD7Pp- ... ARfw2htuCe

Here is the photo of Nokie played Rock Creek prototype. Unfortunately, there was no recording of the playing.

Image

I am not sure the HitchHiker Nokie played at Mark Moseley's recording studio was made by Rock Creek or Aria Japan. (Probably an new Aria?) I think Mark is nephew of late Semie Moseley. Nokie uses his studio for most of his recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHg5qijLFK8

HitchHiker Nylon Classical:

I don't think Nokie ever performed Roger Stuckless HitchHiker Classical on stage. That guitar is way too valuable to carry on the road.

Image

Very old Brazilian rosewood
Image

Guitar case alone is a piece of art:
Image

For nylon classical guitar, Nokie performed with a 1980 Gibson Chet Atkins Custom shop classical which I am very lucky to own:

Image

Ventures Concert in Japan 1984: "Yesterday" with Jerry McGee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... -QAByOpjjo

Ventures Concert in Los Angles 1984: "El Bimbo"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU6PunMlr2Y

More about Nokie Edwards' other personal guitars later.

:)

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby Desert Surfer » Wed Dec 02, 2015 12:00 am

Correction:

1)Electric guitars: It has three generations. Started with Chavel Custom Shop (before they were bough out by Fender), then made by Rock Creek Guitar Company in Oregon, and now made in Japan by Aria. Not sure how many HitchHikers were made. My guess is between 50-100, maybe more

It should be Charvel not Chavel. Sorry for the typo.

The video link for Nokie Edwards / Jerry McGee's "Yesterday" should be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... -QAByOpjjo

:?

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby Desert Surfer » Sun Dec 06, 2015 9:13 pm

Tony Hunt Guitars

This photo appeared in September 1981 Guitar Player Magazine had caught some Ventures fans' eyes.

"What's that strange looking guitar Nokie Edwards held in the picture?" They wondered.... :?

Image

That was a guitar made by Tony Hunt; a small luthier in Arkansas. Tony knew and worked with Semie Moseley in Mosrite factories.

Here is a catalog sheet from Tony's short lived guitar company; "Pro Classic". (Bob Shade sent this photo to me. Thanks, Bob)

Image

Tony made two guitars for Nokie Edwards.

One is the one in the above photo. It has a Scruggs tuning peg on low E, Bigsby palm pedals on 2nd and 3rd strings. Nokie played that guitar at 1984 Ventures concert in Japan with Gerry McGee on bass.

Tequila
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGgDDiCfXDk

That guitar was sold to the lead guitarist of "Tokyo Ventures"; Mr. Okamoto

Image

The other is the guitar Nokie played and recorded for this CD in 1990 with a well known Japanese guitarist; Terry Terauchi. (CD title: "Guitar war between US and Japan") It also has a Scruggs tuning peg on low E, but no Bigsby palm pedals on 2nd and 3rd strings.

Image

Image

My Japanese friend Ten provided the above info and was kind enough to send me the above CD. Domo, Ten San.

Listen to Nokie played this guitar:

The House of Rising Sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4iATND3Inw

Pipeline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgFaM_Kr_IU

Blue Star
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWh_-vC4SMk

Caravan (Japanese pronounce it Caraban)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCSa83bHlE0

I am very lucky to have this guitar in my collection directly from Nokie. Here are photos of this guitar.

Image

Image

Image

:)

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby LASSurf » Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:01 pm

Great info Desert Surfer!

LASSurf

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby mosriteer » Thu Dec 10, 2015 11:05 pm

Excellent - Please keep these coming!

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby Desert Surfer » Thu Dec 10, 2015 11:20 pm

Thanks, LASSurf & Mosriteer.

Many more to come!

:)

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby Desert Surfer » Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:31 am

Tony Hunt guitar on eBay

There is a Tony Hunt guitar for sale on eBay right now. (sale ends 12/22/15) The seller included some of my posted photos on his listing. I guess he is trying to tell potential buyers that Nokie used to play Tony Hunt guitars.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TONY-HUNT-CUSTOM-GUITAR-Mosrite-luthier-VERY-RARE-COLLECTIBLE-ASTOUNDING-/141835125850?hash=item210608445a:g:NccAAOSw8-tWUhre

He did the same thing three years ago, this time he did not mention my pen name "Desert Surfer".

See this old post:

http://www.mosriteforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5130

Many of my friends know that I collect a few Tony Hunt guitars and have read my posted articles. This may confuse them that I am the one who is selling that Tony Hunt guitar on eBay. So, let me clarify again: :?

I am not the seller nor have any relationship with this eBay seller.

:)

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Re: Nokie Edwards Personal Guitars

Postby Haole Jim » Sat Dec 19, 2015 10:03 am

Thank you for the pictures; Nokie has long, long been deeply respected and admired, from the.


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