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Teamwood

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 9:22 pm
by Russ Gannicott
I have a bit of interesting news - I have just purchased 'Teamwood', Jeff Beck's Telecaster that he used on the Guitar Shop album. The guitar was built by Steve Acworth - the electric guitar equivalent of Rob Armstrong - back in 1988 and is revolutionary in it's design and construction. It features a set neck with a carbon fibre bar set into it rather than a truss rod and has hand made noise free pick-ups. The body was made from some old pine out of a skip! What is even more amazing is that Jeff used three Acworth's on that album, and it looks like I might have got hold of the back-up to 'Teamwood' as well! These guitars are mind blowing - I can totally understand why JB wanted to use them in the studio......even if he didn't credit Steve with his contribution to either Blow by blow, or Guitar shop. Have a look here for more details if you are interested; http://www.btinternet.com/~sparkspin/jeff.beck.htm

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:45 pm
by GORDON
Russ you devil you!

How did you manage to get hold of such an iconic instrument?

If it was his guitar and you say it is, it must be worth a fortune!

Can't wait to see it when next we visit.

Why did he decide to part with it?

Be Well guv...LTTF.

G.

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:53 pm
by Roger
How do you do it Russ :shock:

If you haven't already have a look at http://www.btinternet.com/~sparkspin/guitars.htm - it's there in all it's glory :wink:

Roger :)

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 12:12 am
by Russ Gannicott
Ha ha!! Thought you guys would find this interesting. Sadly, the story is far too complicated to reiterate here, but, Gordon I assure you I will give you the full story when I see you. It was never really Jeff's guitar rather something he asked to have made to use on an album - a common event I believe. It then took several years for him to give it back.:) It (and it's back up) is a truly amazing instrument, breaking all the conventions and in my opinion raising the bar of electric guitar design to a level that still hasn't been matched. OK, the guitars look really rough - re-cycled wood, rough hand made parts etc, but that is not the point, they play and sound like nothing else. The really weird thing when you play one is that you get the impression that all the tone/sound is coming from your left hand. It is almost as if the pickups are in the neck! Talking of the pickups, they are unbelievable. Hand made lumps of orange perspex wound to 10K - and guess what.....they don't hum, buzz or feed back. The reason is that they have six alnico magnets, each with it's own counter wound earth shield before the main pick up winding...brilliant!

Steve Acworth offered this guitar to Ash as he thought he was a worthy successor to its history and the first guitarist since Beck to be such. What more can I say?

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:31 am
by GORDON
Russ Gannicott wrote:Ha ha!! Thought you guys would find this interesting. Sadly, the story is far too complicated to reiterate here, but, Gordon I assure you I will give you the full story when I see you. It was never really Jeff's guitar rather something he asked to have made to use on an album - a common event I believe. It then took several years for him to give it back.:) It (and it's back up) is a truly amazing instrument, breaking all the conventions and in my opinion raising the bar of electric guitar design to a level that still hasn't been matched. OK, the guitars look really rough - re-cycled wood, rough hand made parts etc, but that is not the point, they play and sound like nothing else. The really weird thing when you play one is that you get the impression that all the tone/sound is coming from your left hand. It is almost as if the pickups are in the neck! Talking of the pickups, they are unbelievable. Hand made lumps of orange perspex wound to 10K - and guess what.....they don't hum, buzz or feed back. The reason is that they have six alnico magnets, each with it's own counter wound earth shield before the main pick up winding...brilliant!

Steve Acworth offered this guitar to Ash as he thought he was a worthy successor to its history and the first guitarist since Beck to be such. What more can I say?


Russ, this sounds like my kind of guitar, I like rough looking instruments, they have more character for me.I WANT ONE. Will call you to chat further. Would be great to use one on a track of the new Wakeman/Giltrap album!

Now then, where did I put that lemon oil... :D

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:39 am
by GORDON
Russ,

I think I know the man. I think it was he who refurbed my double neck John Bailey and it's quite possible that his pick-ups are still in there. I lived in Grove Park, south east London then and used Wing Music ALL the time. Barry the boss was a friend. Small world eh. And you know it makes sense that there was a Beck connection with him living in Kent. Correct me if I'm wrong,but didn't he do work for the Quo boys as well?

Thanks Roger for the link...great looking guitars...love that brown one, but yours is the one. I just love Telecaster shaped guitars.

LTTF Russ.

G.

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 11:15 am
by Roger
Just spotted a Session amp in there too :D

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 6:33 pm
by Paganwolf
GORDON wrote:
Russ, this sounds like my kind of guitar, I like rough looking instruments, they have more character for me.


You'd love my Hamer Vector then Gordon, Think Rory Gallaghers Strat but ten times worse! :lol: I don't think it has more than 2 square inches of paint at any point, chunks missing out of it, visible repairs to the wood, warped pick up surrounds, worn and scalloped pick up bobbins, odd control knobs, unmatched screws (if indeed they are even present), and as for the metalwork, has that really aged and used paterna to it, mind, I bought it in 1989 and it was as rough as a dogs proverbial doo-dah even back then and was a steal at what I paid for it but love the thing as it is and I think a complete refinish would detract from its character.

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 11:16 am
by GORDON
I agree sir. Leave it as it is.

Those marks are all part of the guitar's history.


I love great character in instruments.

Thanks for your postings sir.

Be Well.

G.

Re: Teamwood

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:47 pm
by Jon G
Gordon -

Just to reply about the Bailey Doubleneck - the pickups should indeed be the same. I did swap the bridge pickups around when I had it, so you could always reverse the procedure if it's still playable...

Jon