1 Topic by Dimitri92 (edited by Dimitri92 2012-05-14 16:25:45)

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Topic: Gigliotti guitars

First of all, a big hello to everyone reading and posting here on the JB forum. This is my first post as all of you can see. But I have been reading along for almost more than 2 years. I discoverd JB while watching one of his North Sea Jazz concerts here in Holland and it gave me goosebumps while watching. Eversince I have always been influenced one way or another in my own playing style.

Anyways, the gigliotti telecaster! I've been very interested in these guitars but couldn't find every answer about the specs on their website..

What I found out:
Mahogany body(hollowed) and neck, rosewood fretboard
Aluminium or brass top
Joe Barden pickups (?)

Does anyone have some more specs? And I'm especially interested in the metal tops. How are they glued?(Site says silicon?what kind of silicon glue? because I wouldnt chose a siliconbased glue for something that should resonate like crazy?)
And how thick are the tops? There should be some people with the answers  somewhere on the world wide web because I do have found some HNGD topics with these gigliotti's. 

Thanks in advance,
Dimitri

  • From: East Lancashire, UK
  • Registered: 2011-06-24
  • Posts: 3,019

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Hi Dimitri and welcome to the forum. I personally don't know but thought I would say hi anyway, lot's of gear heads on here so an answer should be forthcoming.

Come on the Blades (sorry Idolbone just had to borrow your line)
  • From: New Castle, DE USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
  • Posts: 1,256

Re: Gigliotti guitars

This is all from memory...one of the guitar mags did a review of these a few years ago, and as I recall the stock pickups are Lollars, not Bardens.  Hope that helps!

Terrance Shuman
New Castle, DE

4 Reply by Jimmy (edited by Jimmy 2012-05-15 14:13:32)

  • From: New York
  • Registered: 2011-02-13
  • Posts: 444

Re: Gigliotti guitars

I've had mine for about two months now. Huge neck, DiMarzio pickups. Sounds great.

Gibson Custom Joe Bonamassa Ltd Signature Les Paul VOS # 31
  • From: New York
  • Registered: 2011-02-13
  • Posts: 444

Re: Gigliotti guitars

P.S. The pickups that are in Joe's Sunburst GT (not the prototype) are Bardens.

Gibson Custom Joe Bonamassa Ltd Signature Les Paul VOS # 31
  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Thx for the replies guys, appreciate it.

Jimmy... may I be so unkind and ask you if you could measure the thickness of the top via the f-hole if yours has one?

So Joe's does have Bardens hmm... i read somewhere those pickups have lots of output, very much beefed up tele pickups?

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Joe has two or three of these.

I haven't seen his Joe Barden Gigliotti in years. I think the European Gigliotti has the Bardens and the one he plays on his US tours do not. The one I usually see him play has gold Seymour Duncan Antiquities in it as I recall.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

8 Reply by Jimmy (edited by Jimmy 2012-05-15 14:11:15)

  • From: New York
  • Registered: 2011-02-13
  • Posts: 444

Re: Gigliotti guitars

I'm pretty sure Joe has 3 GTs. He has the original tobacco burst prototype with the Fender-shaped head, the sunburst with the Bardens, and a blue burst one. All are Thinlines. I'm pretty sure he still has 2 GSs. The top is not that thick at all, approximately 1 mm.

Gibson Custom Joe Bonamassa Ltd Signature Les Paul VOS # 31
  • From: New York
  • Registered: 2011-02-13
  • Posts: 444

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Also, I asked Pat about using Bardens and he said he wasn't a fan of them. He was the one who recommended the DiMarzios.

Gibson Custom Joe Bonamassa Ltd Signature Les Paul VOS # 31
  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Jimmy wrote:

I'm pretty sure Joe has 3 GTs. He has the original tobacco burst prototype with the Fender-shaped head, the sunburst with the Bardens, and a blue burst one. All are Thinlines. I'm pretty sure he still has 2 GSs. The top is not that thick at all, approximately 1 mm.


Thx all.

1mm, that sound very thin? you sure? ^^   

About the pickups, bardens and those antiquities are completely different animals if I may believe the web. Bardens supposed to be beefed up more modern and antiquities moderate output with vintage tone? Makes sense Joe has different guitars for different sounds.

It would be great if Joe chimed in about his Gigliotti's, as in what he likes in the different ones he has. I was enormously pleasant surprised to see one of the gigliotti's on the beacon theatre dvd again!

  • From: New York
  • Registered: 2011-02-13
  • Posts: 444

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Dimitri92 wrote:
Jimmy wrote:

I'm pretty sure Joe has 3 GTs. He has the original tobacco burst prototype with the Fender-shaped head, the sunburst with the Bardens, and a blue burst one. All are Thinlines. I'm pretty sure he still has 2 GSs. The top is not that thick at all, approximately 1 mm.


Thx all.

1mm, that sound very thin? you sure? ^^   

About the pickups, bardens and those antiquities are completely different animals if I may believe the web. Bardens supposed to be beefed up more modern and antiquities moderate output with vintage tone? Makes sense Joe has different guitars for different sounds.

It would be great if Joe chimed in about his Gigliotti's, as in what he likes in the different ones he has. I was enormously pleasant surprised to see one of the gigliotti's on the beacon theatre dvd again!

Yes, roughly the thickness of two credit cards. It's not thick at all.

Gibson Custom Joe Bonamassa Ltd Signature Les Paul VOS # 31

12 Reply by Dimitri92 (edited by Dimitri92 2012-05-16 07:50:59)

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Jimmy wrote:
Dimitri92 wrote:
Jimmy wrote:

I'm pretty sure Joe has 3 GTs. He has the original tobacco burst prototype with the Fender-shaped head, the sunburst with the Bardens, and a blue burst one. All are Thinlines. I'm pretty sure he still has 2 GSs. The top is not that thick at all, approximately 1 mm.


Thx all.

1mm, that sound very thin? you sure? ^^   

About the pickups, bardens and those antiquities are completely different animals if I may believe the web. Bardens supposed to be beefed up more modern and antiquities moderate output with vintage tone? Makes sense Joe has different guitars for different sounds.

It would be great if Joe chimed in about his Gigliotti's, as in what he likes in the different ones he has. I was enormously pleasant surprised to see one of the gigliotti's on the beacon theatre dvd again!

Yes, roughly the thickness of two credit cards. It's not thick at all.


Ok! Thats pretty thin indeed. Thx a lot!  So what pickups for a telecaster would you people consider for a bonamassa sound?
Edit: crystal clean on a fender amp but also full out overdrive like Joe with something like a tubescreamer.

  • Registered: 2011-06-05
  • Posts: 2

Re: Gigliotti guitars

I have a Gigliotti and like it quite a bit.  Very unique tone.  I bumped into Joe at NAMM a few years back and asked him about it.  His comment was "It never goes out of tune."  I found it odd that he didn't praise the tone or playability of the guitar, just that it never goes out of tune.  Not sure that means anything, just found it strange.

  • From: braintree essex
  • Registered: 2010-02-22
  • Posts: 221

Re: Gigliotti guitars

I own one and it is a really great guitar , very unique tone got the tele vibe quite well but being I have owned a customshop tele it's very different!!  My thing is the gigliotti looks fantastic also it has resonant thing going which I like , the thing that won me over with the gigliotti over the fender is that the build quality is better also they don't  choke like the fenders every note is clear and Joe is very right on the tuning stays in tune better so I can't praise the gigliotti s enough, only thing is I'm thinking of changing the barden pickups but I don't know what!

15 Reply by Dimitri92 (edited by Dimitri92 2012-05-16 17:17:27)

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Well, I look at it this way: That big piece of aluminum glued in tightly doesn't let the wood move as much as it would normally. It keeps the wood together and doesn't let it react on temperature and such if you guys know what I mean.
That way the tuning should be a whole lot better.

But yes funny he didn't say anything about the tonal qualities. I myself too liked his Rockpalast sound ALOT with his gigliotti and as far as one can use youtubevids to judge they are great guitars!  I feel GAS building up for a gigliotti style telecaster build haha

I found out about Joe Barden Pickups listening to a belgium rocktrio called TriggerFinger, their singer plays gretsches with filtertrons offcourse or teles or even a sg melody maker with Bardens!
Here's a link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4aiDsu-4Vo

They play a cover here with another female artist, some of you probably know the song. That guy has great tone with those Joe Bardens through matchless/victoria/hiwatts boosted by a fuzz and overdrive pedal


Edit: Triggerfinger is pretty much a hard rock band but they also got really bluesy stuff and those bardens clean op great on his guitars.. so for that they're great. Wouldn't see why to remove them unless you are looking for a completely other sound   stevebonamassive ? Offcourse my example was maybe a bit on the edge from what Joe does but hey haha

  • From: Mesquite, NV
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 181

Re: Gigliotti guitars

My hubby, Lil' Eddie, and I own six Gigliotti Guitars in different configurations; with aluminum to stainless to brass tops; with several different types of pickups; different body woods; etc.  Two of our Gigliottis are made to Joe's exact specs (tobacco burst GT and the baby blue GS).  We actually have the world's largest private collection of Gigliotti Guitars (at the moment anyway--lolol).

Joe didn't have to say anything about the tone of the Gigliottis because the tone speaks for itself.  If you haven't heard Joe play a Gigliotti, buy and watch his Live at Rockpalast DVD.  He plays several songs on the Gigliotti in that DVD and just kills them all.  Also, you can't get tone like that if the guitar doesn't play easy.

You really should contact Patrick Gigliotti.  He is the owner and designer of the guitars.  He can build you a Gigliotti to whatever specs you want.  You can contact Patrick at GigliottiGuitars@comcast.net.

For my hubby's 60th birthday, Patrick built him "triplets" (started out to be "twins")--three white Gigliottis:  1 tele, 1 GS, 1 Esquire.  All of Eddie's white guitars have stainless tops.

If you want to see Joe's guitar and amp collection, maybe someone here on the forum can post a link to the picture.  I can't put my finger on it at the moment but Joe's collection takes up a whole stage!!!  His five Gigliotti Guitars are in the front row on the right in the picture.

I have an old picture of our Gigliottis on our website (which I need to update) home page:  http://whoodoovoodoolounge.com/WhooDooV … lcome.html

You can't go wrong with a Gigliotti!  Love, love, love those guitars and Joe really makes 'em sing sweeeet!  I want to buy Lil Eddie a "Flying V" Gigliotti so you may see that one in the rack next...

Bad Kitty  cool

"Joe Rocks!" -- You can quote us on that!
Lil' Eddie and The Baaaaad Kitty
WhoodooVoodooLounge 
JBLP #26 (aged)  cool
  • From: Vienna
  • Registered: 2010-01-16
  • Posts: 408

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Well, I have only two G's: Joe's specs GT and GS - love them - especially GT - such a warm, deep sounding guitar... and yes, it does NOT go out of tune. smile

18 Reply by Dimitri92 (edited by Dimitri92 2012-05-17 05:00:59)

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2012-05-14
  • Posts: 25

Re: Gigliotti guitars

Wow, I wasNt expecting this much replies. Thx a lot guys. Learned a whole lot more about these guitars! Nice collection bad kitty smile  stupid question maybe but why did I see carmine with an eyepatch on one of your pics on your website ?