Jeff Carlisi Custom guitar question

[bruce919]

I know this was asked one in the past but I do not remeber what the answer was.

Jeff Carlisi of 38 Special used to play a Custom made Explorer shaped guitar. Who made that guitar?

& does any one know what effect he used in the early 80's?

Thanks,

[silentman]

This one?

[bruce919]

Yep. I look on his web site but could find no info on it.

[MCChris]

Great player. Great tone and very lyrical, melodic solos.

[Steve Haynie]

I met Jeff Carlisi back in the early 80's and asked him about that guitar. It was made by an individual or a very small company. I cannot remember the name.

A few years later I saw Max Carl swing a mic stand and accidentally hit that guitar, knocking a piece of binding off of the fretboard.

[Rockola]

Maybe the guys from Strings & Things/St. Blues ??

I remember him in a St. Blues ad at one time. Perhaps there is some history there.

S.

[Turdus]

The photo on the back of the first 38 Special LP ('77), shows the band sitting/standing in front of some road cases. If I recall correctly, there is a open flight case, where you can make out what looks like part of a bound explorer. Wonder if it is the same one on the pic above?

[serial]

I remember that guitar. He discussed the builder (yes, it was a small one-man shop thing as Steve H said) in (ok, call me a freak here) I want to say the GP with Charlie Christian on the cover and Def Leppard inside, maybe Sept. 82-ish? Bro Chris probably would remember more accurately...

[bruce919]

I think I have that GP I will look it up tonight.

[silentman]

I remember that guitar. He discussed the builder (yes, it was a small one-man shop thing as Steve H said) in (ok, call me a freak here) I want to say the GP with Charlie Christian on the cover and Def Leppard inside, maybe Sept. 82-ish? Bro Chris probably would remember more accurately...

That did it for me... freak

[serial]

I can't remember what I had for lunch, but I have this bizarre recall of this stuff from 20-30 years ago. Is that early indication of dementia?

[tomteriffic]

I can't remember what I had for lunch, but I have this bizarre recall of this stuff from 20-30 years ago. Is that early indication of dementia?

If so, Steve, we're in the same boat. I seem to recall that too. Up until I moved, I had every issue of GP from June of '76 to about 2003 and I finally chucked 'em.

My red Eclipse makes me break out in .38 Special licks.

[Willie G. Moseley]

The guitar was made ca. 1975 by Jay Rhyne, a luthier north of Atlanta. Carlisi is a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in architecture. The template for the Rhyne Explorer was made by tracing the body of the original Explorer owned by Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Carlisi noted when he parted ways with .38 Special that he wanted to stay in music; noting "I don't want to have to dig out my t-square." He stays busy these days with the "Camp Jam" summer camps for kids and his venture was profiled on "NBC Nightly News" when Tom Brokaw still anchored. In that story, Jeff was purveying his Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop with replacement full-size humbuckers (PAFs if I remember correctly; I'm not in my office as I write this so I don't have access to an interview that is specific). Other cool guitars Jeff's owned have included a '59 natural ES-335, a black (non-listed custom color) '60s Gibson Firebird VII, a Schon, a Buscarino Nova, etc. He's also back on board with the revitalized St. Blues venture as an endorser.

The notion that a rock star can actually transition to a successful alternative career that's still in music but doesn't involve incessant touring will be the subject of an extended profile of Carlisi called "Life After Platinum" that's being planned for an upcoming book.

[Jeff R]

Good job, Willie G.!

And he didn't even have to go dig in the closet for the back issue LOL

[cmatthes]

Dang. Willie G. beat me to the punch on that one (I actually DID remember). I talked to Jeff last fall in Cleveland at the Fortune Magazine "Battle of the Corporate Bands" finals (spelled out only because MCC needs to get the Playboy band together!!!), and asked about that guitar. He said it is in "semi-retirement" - basically off the road, I gather. I also recall that he mentioned that Mr. Rhyne has since passed away.

He and Liberty DeVito were doing a "Camp Jam" clinic at the RnR HOF that was pretty interesting - looks like a great program. Jeff WAS sporting a HB-equipped Goldtop for that, Willie!

[Willie G. Moseley]

Fine-tuning (or maybe I'm too meticulous for my own good): I found the Nov. '91 interview w/ JC----those WERE original PAFs in the Deluxe Goldtop seen on NBC (unless it's a '58 Goldtop that he also owns/owned); the nickel covers on the Deluxe w/ PAFs were a gift to Carlisi from Jefferson Starship's Craig Chaquico.