The 2007 Dallas International Guitar Festival was proof positive that things are indeed bigger in Texas. Held at the Dallas Market Hall April 20-22, exhibitors came prepared to buy and sell vintage guitars at one of the nation’s top shows. Dealers seemed serious about doing business this year, and prices reflected this. Many dealers we spoke to seemed to be there for specific pieces, and judging by the amount of cases exchanging hands, few were disappointed. Great weather, great music, and – most importantly – great guitars, stretched as far as the eye could see.
Greeting visitors to the right of the entrance was the Holy Grail Guitar Exhibition, sponsored by PRS Guitars. With security in full force at the entrance, festival attendees knew they were in for something special, and the exhibit didn’t disappoint. Highlights included the first electric guitar made by Lloyd Loar – an electric harp guitar, no less – on loan from Skip Maggiora’s collection. Other great pieces from Skip’s collection included a gaggle of Les Paul Goldtops, V-front Fender Pro and Super amps, and some amazing early Strat examples. Guitar Center’s Hollywood Vintage Room supplied the holiest of grails in the yes-it-is-the-original Blackie, flanked by Stevie Ray Vaughan’s celebrated Lenny and Clapton’s Cream-era cherry ES-335 all sitting in a display case together. Having three of rock’s most iconic guitars together in one place was almost too much to digest, and it really did take a moment to fully absorb and comprehend what you were seeing. Other rarities included a split headstock Explorer, Tiny Moore’s Bigsby electric mandolin, and several guitars from Paul Reed Smith. For even the passing fan of vintage and rare guitars, it was truly spectacular.
Exiting the Holy Grail Guitar Exhibition brought attendees to the main floor of the Dallas Market Hall, where all of the dealers, manufacturers and massage therapists were set up, with the latter being greatly appreciated by the time day two rolled around, owing to the size and scope of the show. Amazing guitars and amps were everywhere, with the Vermont Collection, Olivia’s Guitars, Fuller’s Vintage Guitars, Dave’s Guitar Shop, and, of course, Jimmy Wallace Guitars, all having their breathtaking wares on display. Fuller’s, Dave’s and Jimmy Wallace all vied for the “hugest booth” award, having what amounted to goodsized stores within the hall. The breadth of exhibitions was such that if you couldn’t find what you were looking for, you weren’t looking hard enough. Gibson was also there in full force, demo-trailers in tow, offering patrons a respite from all of the commotion of the hall and a welcome chance to chill with a nice Gibson and a Line 6 POD. The performance stages were located around the perimeter of the hall, both inside and out, with music scheduled all day, every day. Highlights included Bugs Henderson and Bernie Marsden, formerly of Whitesnake, tearing it up Friday night on the Jimi Hendrix Liquid Experience stage. Bugs egged Bernie on, with Bernie returning the favor, resulting in one of the tastiest and most electrifying Texas blues jams in recent memory, each solo surpassing the next. Saturday afternoon saw Johnny A. take the Samuel Adams stage, located inside the Dallas Market Hall. The dark lighting in the room lent itself perfectly to that thing that Johnny A. does so well, which is a unique combination of beautiful textures and smoldering chops. His ability to effortlessly switch between the two in compositions also showcased his band’s great command of genre-hopping chops and wide dynamic sensibilities. Rick Derringer played both Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, we missed his Friday performance, but his Sunday afternoon show demonstrated that Rick hasn’t given anything up since his early days with the McCoys. Playing in a three-piece format, Rick fired off one tight, explosive riff after another, with his voice sounding as strong and clear as ever. His band didn’t miss a beat and kept the energy level building throughout the set. It was great to see him so happy and successfully conveying his joy through his music and performance.
Chris Fleming from Fender’s Custom Shop gave daily demonstrations on relicing guitars. I’ll spare the details and ensuing grief that a partial and brief explanation would cause in relicing efforts, but I definitely suggest checking out Fender’s relic clinics if the opportunity presents itself. It was extremely interesting, and there are certainly some new tricks to be learned for people interested in doing their own relics. Also interesting was Chris’ response to a question of where he learned his relicing techniques. It seems this relicing business is anything but new and has been used for quite some time in stringed instrument repair to match repairs on vintage violins and cellos to the instruments’ original weathered and aged finish. Cool stuff, indeed. 
We also met Texas’ own Ace Pepper from Thunder Tweak amplifiers. Keep an ear out for this guy’s amps, and if you get a chance to play one, don’t miss out – they will amaze you. Teye Guitars was also in attendance, with Teye eager to get people playing his amazingly crafted guitars. St. Blues Guitars was in full force and had some great new guitars to show, as well as about the coolest vibe of any booth. Keep checking their website as new developments are on the way. We ran into the good people from Godlyke Distributing who were there with some new Tokai models bound for the U.S. market, which were fantastic. They also had the new Guyatone Optical Hybrid effects on display, which sounded incredible. A couple of the more notable non-industry exhibitors included Samuel Adams brewery (go with the Boston Lager) and the Invisible Children Movement, who provided a screening of their documentary film, Invisible Children on Sunday. There were almost too many standout vintage guitars to list, but some notable ones were a nice selection of Wandres, a couple of custom color Esquire Customs, many slab-bodied Les Paul Juniors and Specials, several SG-shaped variants of the same, and lots of nice SG Standards and Customs, including a couple of ebony-block Standards. The selection was truly amazing, and if you could think of a guitar you wanted, odds were there were at least two or three to choose from, which is one of the many benefits to attending this show. Another benefit is that if and when you couldn’t see straight from all of the eye-candy, a good band and nice cold beverage were waiting just outside the hall, providing a great way to rejuvenate.
All in all, it was a perfect way for guitar fans, or music fans in general, to spend a weekend. Our thanks go out to all of the exhibitors, attendees and especially Mark Pollock and Jimmy Wallace for making this year’s Dallas International Guitar Festival so special.
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Dallas Intrntl Guitar Festival 30th Anniversary
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Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as you’re able to find today. “Why?” you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ’56), the Longhorn 4623 (’58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (’58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses “baritone guitars,” to add to our confusion today. But these vintage “baritones” were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the “tic-tac” bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the “click-bass” tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
“When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye.”
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button “Tone Selector Switch” that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
It’s sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
It’s sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? That’s because the model’s single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul ’Bursts. So as people repaired broken ’Bursts, converted other LPs to ’Bursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a “Golden Era” sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isn’t original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesn’t have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald City’s $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Bacon’s “Danelectro’s UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Basses” Reverb News article, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheeler’s American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
