
Jay Jay French and his daughter, Samantha, cradle the Gibson J-200 and Martin 000-18
flattops he commissioned to raise money to combat the rare eye disease Samantha has
suffered from since she was 6 years old.
If you’re a child of the ’80s or hip to
Reagan-era hard rock, John French
Segall (aka Jay Jay French) needs no
introduction. As co-lead guitarist for
Twisted Sister, he cranked out fistpumping
melodic anthems like “We’re
Not Going to Take It” and “I Wanna
Rock” that gave voice to the angst and
rebellion felt by whole swaths of youth
eager to indulge in everything their parents
feared and hated. Those anthems
brought French and Twisted Sister
worldwide album sales of more than 15
million units, in addition to 37 gold and
platinum awards from eight countries.
But even if you’ve never been into
that particular music scene, you can
probably relate to French as a gear nut—
he’s famous for his trademark “pinkburst”
Les Pauls. If you’re a parent, you’ll probably
also identify with what he faces as
the devoted father of a 17-year-old girl,
especially as you read on and try to imagine
what it was like when French and
his (then) wife learned that Samantha,
then 6, had uveitis—a disease that
causes inflammation of the middle layer
of the eye and that is the leading
cause of blindness among American
girls (see “What Is Uveitis?” sidebar on
p. 5). Regardless of your musical or
gear proclivities, you’ll likely feel pangs
of empathy as you contemplate the 11
intervening years of pain, uncertainty,
and heartache as French’s family learned
to live with the disease.
French didn’t want to just live with it,
though. As a restless rocker and a vigilant
dad, he wanted to do something to help
the cause. So three years ago he began the
Pinkburst Project—an effort to amass a
collection of one-off custom guitars and
amps that could be auctioned to raise both
awareness about uveitis and money to fund
research for a cure. French commissioned
Fender, Paul Reed Smith, Epiphone,
Gretsch, Martin, Gibson, Marshall,
Vox, Mesa/Boogie, Hartke, Diamond
Amplification, Finland’s Ruokangas
Guitars, and Orange to design a lineup of
25 exquisite guitars, basses, and amplifiers
to that end, while TKL designed one-of-akind
cases for the axes, Red Monkey created
customized straps, and Harley Hoffman
of Kayline Industries supplied the custom
vinyl covering for the amps.
We recently spoke to French about his
family’s struggle with uveitis, what led him
to begin the Pinkburst Project, and what
it was like selecting the gorgeous guitars,
amps, and accessories that comprise it
(we’re displaying selected portions of the
project here, but you can view the entire
collection at
pinkburstproject.org).

The Pinkburst Guitars – Front row (left to right): Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul, PRS Custom 24. Second row: Ruokangas
Duke Custom, Epiphone Jay Jay French Elitist Les Paul, Gibson Custom Shop SG, Gibson Custom Shop ES-335. Third row: Fender Custom Shop Telecaster,
Martin 000-18, Gretsch G6120. Fourth row: Epiphone Thunderbird, Fender Custom Shop ’75 Jazz Bass Reissue, Gibson J-200.
Can you take us back to what started all
this—Samantha’s uveitis diagnosis?
Samantha was examined at school by a very
young doctor who saw something unusual and
suggested we see another doctor. I live in New
York City, where Dr. Brian Herschorn looked
at Samantha and saw it in two seconds. He
said, “You’d better sit down.” Uveitis is an
autoimmune condition, and a majority of
girls with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis [JRA]
have uveitis. If you have JRA, you have a 75
percent chance of developing uveitis. If you
have uveitis, you have a 20 percent chance of
developing JRA. As a parent, you suddenly
find yourself learning about something you
never heard of.
How horrifying. What happened next?
With uveitis, all roads lead to Dr. Stephen
Foster at MERSI, the Massachusetts Eye
Research and Surgery Institution. We went to
Boston and he explained the prognosis. The
problem with this disease is that many doctors
throw topical steroids at it, but they can
cause blindness if they’re overused, because
they cause cataracts. Dr. Foster’s research said
that systemic chemotherapy drugs are the way
to go. Because of the connection to juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis, they had to do a lot of
tests to ensure that Samantha had nothing
else, so it was an entirely long-term thing,
with constant observation and multiple doctors—
including JRA specialists—to monitor
her while she was on medication. The two systemic
drugs are cancer drugs—Methotrexate
and Remicade. They use drops to lower the
inflammation immediately and systemic
drugs to hold back inflammation. A certain
percentage of girls between 17 and 18 go into
remission, because the body’s immune system
develops and the body stops it. You take your
child to checkups every three, six, and nine
weeks, and you pray that the cells did not
come back. And then come the drops to pull
them back, and how many cells and floaters
are in the back of the eye, and with every step
backward, your heart sinks.
Methotrexate and remicade are potentially
toxic, right?
Yes, absolutely. Methotrexate did not work.
Remicade is a wonderful drug with two
problems. First, it costs $20,000 a dose—or $19,700 if you have insurance—and is
administered intravenously in a cancer ward.
Second, it lowers the immune system so much
that you get sick all the time. But it holds
back the inflammation. Samantha went to
New York-Presbyterian Hospital for a threeyear
period for the monitoring of possible
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis complications
that come with uveitis. But she would look
around at kids with cancer and say, “They are
way worse off than me.” She went through
treatment, was clear for six months, and then
it came back with a vengeance and she had
to start on a new drug called CellCept. It’s
an organ-rejection drug that she took for
two or three years, and it held the inflammation
back. Her vision is 20/20 now with
contacts—she’s nearsighted, like her parents—but she has the beginning of cataracts because
of the eye drops.
CellCept is self-administered, so the
efficacy is debatable, because my daughter
had to take three pills twice a day and not
eat for two hours before or after taking
the medication. There had to be another
way. So now she is on HUMIRA, which is
injected every two weeks by a doctor, and
she has responded well. She’s been on it for
four months and her eyes are clear. She will
stay on it for two years and then wean off of
it and see what happens.

The Pinkburst Amps – Front row (left to right): Orange Rocker 30, Vox AC15C1, Fender TV Twelve,
Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb. Second row: Marshall JTM-45
Bluesbreaker reissue, Vox AC30C2,
Fender ’65 Twin Reverb reissue, Diamond Amplification Positron head and cab. Third row: Hartke
HA2500 head and 410XL
cabs, Marshall JCM800 head and 1960A 4x12 cab, Marshall 1959 Super
Lead reissue head and 1960A cab, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier head and 4x12 cab.
Does she still see Dr. Foster?
Dr. Foster sees her, as does Dr. C. Michael
Samson, of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary,
who was trained by Dr. Foster. Dr. Herschorn,
Dr. Samson, and Dr. Foster are in the loop
with Samantha, her mother, and me.
With your touring schedule, were you able
to attend her appointments?

Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
– “The color is custom hot pink with cherry
sunburst,” says Fender’s John Cruz. “The
body is mahogany with crème binding. It
features a tummy cut on the back, however
I did not include the arm contour found on
most Strats. The neck is pretty much the
same as the Tele, which features a mahogany
neck with Indian rosewood fretboard, large C
shape, 12" radius, and 6105 fretwire. It also
features a clear Lexan pickguard with my
custom-wound J.C. Limited pickups—which
are top mounted.” |
Twisted Sister stopped performing in 1988
and retired until 2003. My daughter was
born in 1993, and I was her nanny for four
years. For 10 years, I took her to school and
picked her up every day. My dad was a traveling
salesman, and I swore I would never
have a child if I was on the road. Samantha
and I are very close. I was still married, and
I had the luxury of being home all the time.
In 1999, the problem was discovered and we
were there. In September 2003, my wife and
I divorced and she moved four blocks away,
so Samantha stayed with me every other day
and I took her to and from school. By the
time Twisted Sister started playing weekends
again, we played June through August and
it was very easy to do. I was very fortunate
that my schedule allowed me to be on top
of this and never miss a doctor’s appointment.
My ex-wife is English, and the corporation
she works for moved her back to
the UK. So Samantha went to school in
England at 14 and we found a specialist
there. She will be back here to go to college
in the US in 2011. I traveled to England a
lot and went to her doctor appointments,
too. There was never a lack of maintenance
from her mother and me.
You were also lucky to have insurance—they
don’t give cancer drugs away as samples.
We are very lucky, because Remicade will
bankrupt you. It is the most expensive drug in
the world. When you’re a parent whose child
has a chronic disease, you have enough battles
to fight, and it becomes an even tougher challenge
due to the financial strain if you don’t
have insurance—which is another reason I
want to raise research dollars.
Which leads us to the Pinkburst Project. One day you woke up and thought . . .
I’d had my pinkburst Les Paul signature model
for a long time, and at a NAMM show I
was introduced to John Cruz from Fender.
I told him I had a pink Les Paul and asked
what it would take to build a pink Tele with
rosewood—a custom guitar. He looked at
me as if I were nuts. The guy who happened
to be standing next to him was someone I
hadn’t seen in 30 years—he was the kid who
delivered my first Les Paul to me. It was
eerie! I have an Epiphone Les Paul, and I had
a Gibson Les Paul painted pink by a local
luthier named Steve Carr in 1979. He’s the
same guy who made the Axe bass for Gene
Simmons. I had this boat-anchor, thousand-pound
guitar delivered to me in a parking
lot in Long Island, and there I was with the
same guy standing next to John Cruz. John said,
“Okay, I’ll make the Tele.”

Gretsch G6120 –
“The guitar is basically a stock 6120 made from
maple — top, back and sides,” says Fender
Master Builder John Cruz. “It also features a
maple neck and rosewood fretboard. It already
had the traditional thumbnail inlay installed on
the guitar. I did not want to try and change this
beautiful design, and I convinced Jay Jay that
he would love it the way it was. He agreed. After
the custom paint was applied, I installed the
Filter’Tron-style pickups, stock wiring harness,
Bigsby tremolo, custom-painted pickup covers,
and a clear Lexan pickguard. This guitar was
stunning to look at, as well as play. As with all
the other guitars, Jay Jay was speechless.” |
I wanted it to look like my Gibson, and
he matched it. The Tele arrived and I had the
two guitars on stands in my living room. I
thought, “Imagine if I could get other companies
to do this—and we could sell them and
donate the money to MERSI because they
have so few research dollars.”
Is this your first fundraiser for MERSI?
I’ve been involved in auctions for the hospital.
They do simple auctions where people donate
typical things, and I donated guitars. This
time, I wanted to do more.
How did you involve other manufacturers?
John was working on the Tele at his bench in
California, and people would see it in the factory.
I called him about a Strat, and then I talked to
Martin and Gibson. By then we were in our second
year of guitar models. And then came basses—and they all had to be pinkbursts. I could
have bought guitars and had them painted, but
the key was having the manufacturers make official
guitars. That’s what matters to collectors—that they get that official slip. Once I explained
the reason for this, everyone was onboard.
Did you request common features from all
the manufacturers?
My wish list included trapezoid fretboard
inlays—which we got on all but three of the
guitars—rosewood fretboards, and matching
colors. But, as Obama says, it involved the
art of compromise, to a degree. So I had to
compromise. Some of the guitars were made in
China and had certain set inlays, fretboards, etc.
After three years, I’d say this is quite a success
story, with 99 percent of my wish list fulfilled.
Does each piece have a unique serial number
or identifying stamp?
Every amp has a brass plaque with the Pinkburst
Project logo, and every guitar has a custom-made
TKL case with the project logo. Everything was
so disparately made that the custom shops put
their own numbers on them. All the serial numbers
are available on the website.
So you didn’t make any other special requests—
for instance, regarding necks, pickups, or frets?

Ruokangas Duke Custom and
Diamond Amplification Positron
– The Duke Custom from Finnish builder Juha
Ruokangas features a Spanish cedar body and
neck, an arctic birch top, and a calibrated set of
custom Häussel alnico 2 pickups. “I met Juha
Ruokangas at a NAMM show and fell in love with
his guitars,” says French. “I bought one for my
personal collection. I told him about the project
and he wanted to be involved. My girlfriend said,
‘Why would he not be included? You think his guitars
are the iconic guitars of the future!’ She was
right. Juha is a supreme boutique maker whose
heart is in the right place. So that also meant
we needed an iconic, futuristic boutique amp.
My friend David Wilson suggested Diamond. In
conversations about the project, they suggested a
new model, the Positron, and decided it would be
serial number 001 to make it special to match in
pairings with the Ruokangas guitar.” |
I left it up to the discretion of the builders. With
John Cruz, for example, he put in the Twisted
Tele pickups. That was not me saying, “I want
this fretwire and 400 windings on the pickups.”
All I asked for was the most iconic models, and it
was interesting to see what each company chose
as iconic. They are all beautiful works of art, and
I strongly doubt that any of these instruments
will be used. They will be collected and displayed.
Are there any other ways that you’re planning
to raise money year-round and from
musicians who would love to own a pinkburst
but can’t afford one?
Red Monkey made straps with the logo, and
they will probably make extra ones to auction
off and help the cause. They are affordable for
someone who just wants to do something to
help. The possibilities of other things are endless,
but we had to focus on the singular reason or
it would drive me crazy. I had to keep my eye
on the ball or lose my mind. People say, “How
much will this make?” It could bring in the
minimum bid or it could bring in way more. If
they’re all sold, it will probably make enough to
send a nice check to the hospital. If enough people
read about it and understand the uniqueness,
then it can appeal to the vintage guy, the collector,
the one-of-a-kind guy, someone who wants
a pairing. I tried to get gear that would create a
passionate connection to a broad base of people.
The guitar and amp companies were very fair,
and some didn’t charge me at all. I was surprised
at some of the largesse that was shown to me.
With this project, I found something that
is more important than my life. Putting myself
out there on my daughter’s behalf has been so
rewarding. It resonates with people. MERSI
needs research dollars. People need help. I can’t
thank all the manufacturers who participated
enough. It is one thing to sit at your desk and
dream of an idea, and quite another to have it
realized. In addition to the philanthropic aspect
to the Pinkburst Project, as a guitar player and
collector, this is a dream come true. Many of
these companies’ products have provided years
of pleasure and satisfaction to me through the
very same guitars, amps, and cases that are
featured in this collection. I will remain a collector
of many of the models represented in the
Pinkburst Project—as well as other fine instruments
and amplifiers—for the rest of my life.
The Pinkburst Auction
The Skinner Auction House in Boston
will host the Pinkburst Project auction May 1, 2011, to benefit ongoing work
at the Massachusetts Eye Research and
Surgery Institution on behalf of the Ocular
Immunology and Uveitis Foundation.

Epiphone Jay Jay French Elitist Les Paul (LEFT) and Thunderbird Bass (CENTER) – “When Jay Jay approached Epiphone about contributing a special guitar for
this project, we were more than happy to help,” says Epiphone’s Jim Rosenberg. “Jay Jay and Twisted Sister have been die-hard supporters and users of Epiphone product
for almost a decade now—not to mention that the cause is a worthy one. Contributing one of Jay Jay’s signature Les Paul pinkburst guitars was obviously a cornerstone of
the concept and a perfect fit. However, when I found out he was gathering an assortment of instruments and had not considered a bass yet, a Thunderbird in pinkburst immediately
came to mind.” The Les Paul features a Twisted Sister logo inlay on the headstock, Gibson-manufactured components, a long neck tenon, and a solid maple top.
Fender Custom Shop ’75 Jazz Bass Reissue (RIGHT) – “I took a little different approach in the construction of this bass, as I really did not want to steer too
far away from the original look of this classic,” says Fender’s John Cruz. “The body was again made of mahogany, but I decided to make the neck with quartersawn
maple for better stability, with a 12"-radius Indian rosewood fretboard, trapezoid inlay and Fender logo inlayed into the peg face. I used our medium
jumbo fretwire for this because I felt it worked better with the playability of a bass.”
What is Uveitis?
In layman’s terms, uveitis is inflammation of the uvea—the middle section of
the eye. The third-leading cause of blindness among girls in the US, uveitis
is rare and incurable, but with early detection it can be treated. Because there
are no physical symptoms, it goes unnoticed by the patient until their vision is
impaired.
Jay Jay French’s daughter, Samantha, now 17, was diagnosed at age 6 during what
her father describes as “a very routine, rudimentary eye exam at school.” Further
examination was recommended, which led the family to the Massachusetts Eye
Research and Surgery Institution in Cambridge, where Samantha came under the
care of Dr. Stephen Foster. “MERSI specializes in inflammatory diseases, and Dr.
Foster is the leading specialist,” says French.
Uveitis is often associated with other medical conditions, including infection,
trauma, and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis—and particularly
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with the disease, the immune
system attacks what it mistakenly perceives as foreign bodies, resulting in severe
inflammation that must be treated with pain medication, steroids, and, in
extreme cases, potentially dangerous drugs. “Behind the uvea lie hundreds of
thousands of capillaries, the smallest capillaries in the body,” says French. “If
uveitis is not caught quickly, the immune system kills the lens and causes glaucoma
and blindness. You can hold it back, and in some cases it goes away for
reasons that doctors cannot understand.”
According to French, who has immersed himself in learning about the disease,
little is known about uveitis. “It’s not a ‘sexy’ disease with hundreds of millions
of dollars in research. Lack of detection adds to our country’s medical costs.
As the parent of a child with a chronic disease, I know enough to explain to
people what they need to do. I also know enough to tell them that early detection
is the key. If treated early, chances are that a person will have normal sight
for the rest of their life. Samantha is still in treatment and has preserved her
eyesight, but had the cellular damage not been diagnosed, she could have been
blind by now.”
For more information on uveitis, visit
uveitis.org,
uveitis.net, and the
Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution at
mersi.us.

Gibson Custom Shop SG (LEFT) – “I worked with Jay Jay on three guitars,” says Gibson’s Steve Christmas, “the Les Paul Standard, the SG
Standard Reissue based on a 1962, and a ’63 ES-335 Block Reissue. All three were built in the Gibson Custom Shop by our Pro Shop luthiers. All three have a
slim-taper neck and are standard production models with the Pinkburst finish—which has never been duplicated on any other models in the Custom Shop.”
Marshall 1959 Super Lead Reissue and 1960A 4x12 (CENTER) – “Marshall has been my company exclusively for 35 years,” says
French. “When I told them what I wanted, they said, ‘You’re family. We’ll do whatever it takes.’”
Orange Rocker 30 (RIGHT) – The class A, 30-watt Rocker features two EL34-driven channels, a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and grill cloth
screen-printed by Jeron Moe at Eloquent Creative. “I spoke to Alex Auxier from Orange Amps at NAMM,” says French. “One day he called me and said, ‘What’s
the name of that disease again? My best friend’s girlfriend has it. We want to be involved.’”
Fender's John Cruz on Making Pinkburst Project Guitars, Basses, and Amps
Master Builder John Cruz from the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, California, first
met Jay Jay French at the Winter 2007 NAMM show. He was in the midst of conversation
with co-workers outside the Fender booth when the guitarist approached him.
“Jay Jay walked right up to me and joined in on our conversation,” says Cruz. “He was
telling me about this wacky dream he had about having a pinkburst guitar custom built
for him. He said he had a huge array of Gibsons but really had not had a great Fender
to add to his collection—especially with the left-field specs that he was thinking about.
He wanted a Telecaster in a hot pink color with a cherry-red burst around it. He wanted
most of the appointments that were on all of his Gibsons to be present, as well. He
sent me his Gibson Les Paul to use for reference, which helped a lot in getting the color
right. I told him, ‘Your sick dream is my pleasure.’”

TKL Cases – All Pinkburst Project guitars come with a custom TKL case adorned with the Pinkburst Project
logo (the one shown here holds a pinkburst Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul), and a Red Monkey Pinkburst
Project leather guitar strap in pink, white, or black.
The guitar was finished in February 2008, and by that time the Pinkburst Project was
under way. “I remember this guitar sounding incredible and really did not want to see
it leave my hands,” says Cruz. “Jay Jay received the guitar and was
very excited about
the whole vibe. He started showing it to other musicians and manufacturers, who were
blown away and really wanted to be involved.”
Next was the custom Stratocaster, which Cruz describes as “My favorite guitar in the
world. Jay Jay wanted the same appointments as the Tele to be present. It really seemed
weird to be putting trapezoid inlay on a Strat, but we are the custom shop, where your
dream is our specialty.” French’s next request from Fender was a ’75 Jazz bass. “He chose
that because he had a real ’75 and loved the way it felt, sounded, and played.”
The last guitar was a Gretsch G6120. “I really do not build Gretsch guitars, but I spoke
with our Senior Master Builder, Stephen Stern, about what I was doing,” says Cruz. “He
said he had a cancelled order for a 6120 in his area that needed a home. It just needed
to be finished up with detail sanding, and then to be painted and built.”
With the Gretsch complete, Cruz thought Fender had come through on everything
French wanted. Then came the final request: “Jay Jay said, ‘I gotta have matching amps
to pair with all these guitars.’ I said, ‘Dude, you’re killing me.’ So I spoke with [thenartist
relations manager] Alex Perez about his quest and he was glad to help out. I got
to see these beauties right before the chassis was installed. They stood out like a sore
thumb. The women here at the plant fell in love with them, as did everyone else. They
all knew I had something to do with this project and have since not looked at me the
same way. Thanks, Jay Jay, for tarnishing my reputation!”
Cruz looks back on the two-and-a-half-year undertaking with great pride and some
humor, but he also has quite a heart for the cause and obvious admiration for French’s
efforts and determination. “The whole idea gave me a great feeling about what this
long-haired, Twisted Sister-vest-wearing, thug-looking guy was up to,” he says. “I hope
whoever gets these babies will enjoy them as much as I did putting my all into them.”