Who's got a copy of the Steve Miller Band's SAILOR album?

[Willie G. Moseley]

Need to know if the Gibson guitar Miller's got on th efront cover is a Barney Kessel or the fancier Trini Lopez. Have tried a couple of shots on the internet but they aren't big enough.

This is, of course, for a writing project. Thanks in advance.

[Bloozguy]

Need to know if the Gibson guitar Miller's got on th efront cover is a Barney Kessel or the fancier Trini Lopez. Have tried a couple of shots on the internet but they aren't big enough.

This is, of course, for a writing project. Thanks in advance.

It's a Kessel. The Trini Lopez Customs had the same body as a Barney Kessel, but they had diamond shaped soundholes instead of f-holes and a six in line headstock.

Used to have a Kessel and I want another one...just can't afford it right now!

[JohnnyB]

Yep. Definitely a Kessel. I looked at the album cover on Amazon and used the magnifier built into my mouse software. It definitely has f-holes instead of cat eyes and a 3+3 headstock as Bloozguy pointed out.

[Bloozguy]

Yep. Definitely a Kessel. I looked at the album cover on Amazon and used the magnifier built into my mouse software. It definitely has f-holes instead of cat eyes and a 3+3 headstock as Bloozguy pointed out.

I just took another look at the album cover and some old Kessel photos that I've got and I'm suspecting that it's not a Kessel at all. The headstock shape (what you can see of it) doesn't look like the monster Gibson jazz headstock and the inlays look like blocks and the Kessels were all fancier if I remember correctly. It's hard to tell, but it also looks like it might have three pickups and a whammy bar. I've seen some of the Japanese Kessel copies that looked like that.

[JohnnyB]

Used to have a Kessel and I want another one...just can't afford it right now!

Gruhn Guitars has a 1969 in real good condition right now here. Pretty reasonable price considering the condition and the market.

[Bloozguy]

Used to have a Kessel and I want another one...just can't afford it right now!

Gruhn Guitars has a 1969 in real good condition right now here. Pretty reasonable price considering the condition and the market.

You just had to do that, didn't you....Willie's here in St. Paul has a '66 in great shape for $3500 as well...need to confine my GAS to something more in my price range.

[JohnnyB]

I just took another look at the album cover and some old Kessel photos that I've got and I'm suspecting that it's not a Kessel at all. The headstock shape (what you can see of it) doesn't look like the monster Gibson jazz headstock and the inlays look like blocks and the Kessels were all fancier if I remember correctly. It's hard to tell, but it also looks like it might have three pickups and a whammy bar. I've seen some of the Japanese Kessel copies that looked like that.

The Barney Kessel Custom has bowtie inlays which would look like blocks in lower resolution. The Univox copy had block inlays.

It's probably not an Ibanez. Note the difference in the upper bouts and cutaway geometry compared to a Gibson.

Hard to say about headstock size as Steve's hands are resting on the headstock.

Anyhoo, it definitely isn't a Trini!

[tomteriffic]

Those are bowtie inlays, big headstock, rubber switch grommet and Grovers (a common mod back then). The third pickup is a P-Bass pickup in a custom housing (uncommon but not unheard of). The top probably had to be cut to accommodate it.

Edit: Come to think of it, I seem to vaguely recall some import basses of the era that put a P-bass pickup in a rectangular plastic housing. This may be one of those?

Boz's axe is a Guild Starfire. It has the added EB style bass pickup and the switch and controls for it are on the left of the guitar as you face it.