Eric Bachmann

Guitar built for amazing Eric Bachmann in, me thinks, 1997. In the background that's Miranda Brown, another golden throat. Photo is from a 2009 tour and here's a vintage video (VHS??) from olden tymes of the guitar in action in the mid-west: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cyciy9UV0g&feature=PlayList&p=C93B556C1533F10F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=25

Guitar is made of cherrywood which was given to me by Leon "Deadeye" Potts of Highlands, NC and was harvested near Bryson City, NC. When I was running the wood through the planer I found several specs of lead buckshot; presumably where some hunter was shootin' at some food. The neck is a CBS-style Stratocaster built in Canada by Brian Monte (Monty?) bought at Mojo Guitars on St. Mark's way back when. Brian, if you're out there, give me a call. Bigsby came from Matt Umanav Guitars and the pickups came from a couple blocks away from the compelling and creepy Music Inn. They're 50s or 60s DeArmond Dynasonics that they found after fumbling around the shop. I asked if they had any interesting pickups for sale and a drawer was pulled out, several fistfulls of plastic bags were cast aside, a medium-sized piece of Ivory ("You didn't see that") was found, and then the ratty DeArmond box was produced. $95 with wiring harness!

One of the owners of Music Inn was the go to guy in the 60s if you wanted to learn enough sitar to get your Norwegian Wood on. My brother took some lessons from him when he was doing his residency at Bellevue. I would often see him waiting for the bus at 9th st and Second Ave and I used to see his partner at the Chelsea flea market buying a beat up French horn or some bizarre oceanic instrument.

Eric's guitar has aged amazingly well considering the caustic sweat that drips from his body. -Was rewired and restored by Gil Divine a couple years ago (he said he found a grocery list written in pencil inside the control panel, hmm) and sounds better than ever. Perhaps this is the guitar that sired Emo. Quien sabe?? Eric is currently in Taiwan teaching English and recording new songs. We're all waiting for an Archers reunion but "Your Control" off his most recent record boggles the mind. One of America's great greats. Don't be a fizz, buy the records.