• Libby
  • Libby
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  • From: Sunny Southern California
  • Registered: 2008-02-14
  • Posts: 1,551

Topic: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

What???!!!  Libby is posting on the GEAR thread?  Yes, I am.  Just watch me transform into a gearhead, before your very eyes!  (hmmm...well, it might be a slow transformation, but, I'll get there, eventually - lol)

I wanted to give those of you who are interested an opportunity to meet a really nice guy - Scott Platts, owner of Stonetree Guitars.  Scott built Joe's Baritone guitar which he is currently playing during his performance of the latest and greatest addition to the set list, "Spike Driver Blues."  Hopefully, the song will also land on Joe's new studio CD which should be out sometime early next year......

Earlier this week, someone spotted the video that I had posted of this song on YouTube, read a bit about it, and called Scott with an inquiry about the Stonetree Baritone.  Scott contacted me, to express his gratitude for mentioning his beautiful guitar, and to ask me if he could link my video to his website.  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!  But, of COURSE!!!! 

Scott and I have been emailing back and forth for several days now.  WHAT a NICE GUY!!!!  I wanted to give you the link to his website, give you a bit more info, and let you all know that not only did Scott link the video, but, I forwarded him some stills of Joe, playing the beauty in question and he posted one on the home page of his site.  Yes, that's right, a great BIG shot of Joe Bonamassa, gracing the Home Page of Stonetree Guitar's website.  We LIKE THAT!!!!  We like that a LOT!!!  Thank you Scott!

Here are the links:

http://stonetreeguitars.com/   the website
http://www.stonetreeguitars.com/home.htm  the home page
http://www.stonetreeguitars.com/sound_clips.htm   the YouTube video      (on the sound clips page)

Scott tells me that he has built Joe a total of four guitars in the time in which they've known each other.  He has TREMENDOUS respect for Joe, as a brilliant musician, a "music/guitar encyclopedia," a perfectionist, and as the down-to-earth, super nice guy we all know and love.  He says he is meticulous, and a perfectionist (we knew that).......and can also be very laid back.

I asked Scott to explain a wee bit about the "Strat" connection/confusion which someone had earlier about this guitar and to give us some details.  This was his response:
   
"The 'strat' connection is simply because the body is shaped like a strat and the electronics layout is similar too. The baritone is somewhere in between a guitar and bass, tuned a 5th lower (low B). Typical guitar scale length (distance between bridge and nut) is 24.625" to 25.5" and basses are typically 34" to 35". Joe's baritone is 27.8", has lipstick tube pickups and hardtail bridge."

I hope that makes sense to those of you who are in the know..... as for me, I have to go look up lipstick tube pickups and hardtail bridges now....... is there a book that someone can recommend for me, like "Guitars, Amps, and Gear for Dummies"?

I asked Scott what string guage the Baritone would require, and he said, that he "used the D'Addario .013" - .062" baritone set.....and can't say if Joe is using a different gauge."

Should you have further questions, I'm sure that Scott would be happy to answer them.  I've asked him to join us here, in the Forum - he's pondering that.  Wouldn't we like him here, with us???

Thanks for being patient with me.......in this thread.....sheeesh......how'd I do???..... I feel like I'm visiting a foreign country!!!!  LOL!!!



smile  Libby  smile


P. S.  Anyone interested in the 411 on the other three Stonetrees that Scott built for Joe???  Here you go:


Strat style with mahogany body, maple neck, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, Duncan Antiquity pickups and Callaham trem.

Tele style with mahogany body, maple neck, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, Lindy Fralin pickups and Callaham bridge.

Strat style with mahogany body and neck, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, Lindy Fralin pickups (blues special neck and mid, P-90 in humbucker box bridge) and Callaham trem.

I know that Joe could play one of those kid's guitars with the plastic strings and make it sound good-
Bill S.

2 Reply by fuzzy wuzzy (edited by fuzzy wuzzy 2008-08-22 16:38:57)

  • Registered: 2008-04-02
  • Posts: 671

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

LIBBY IS COOL cool

It sure is nice to read your words here in the gear thread. You don't need to buy a book
(unless you want to) to find out about a guitars "anatomy"-Just ask your questions right here, there's alot of very knowlagable people that like to hang out here.

Lipstick tube pickups=Pickups that literally look like an old lipstick tube as a matter of fact Danelectro guitars originally sold out of a Sears and Roebuck catalog did actually use lipstick tubes for their pickups and those original guitars today are worth alot of money.

Hardtail bridge=Very revalent term when talking about a strat, it refers to the fact that the guitar does not have the whammy bar option.

Now Libby lets see what I have learned from your post:

Baritone guitar=27.8"scale tuned one fifth lower. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a baritone guitar.

Thanks Libby-you just made me smarter,:)
Jack

PS- you did great!

PSS-Nice job with stonetree guitars as well.....I would have changed only one little detail.....
There should have been a picture of you holding that guitar on stonetrees website. lol

Rock On and Keep the Faith

Jack Loves Patty Loves Joe
  • From: Sandy Eggo
  • Registered: 2007-04-29
  • Posts: 1,369

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Thanks for including the bit about the string gauge Libby! Those Stonetree guys aren't messing around...all 4 guitars with Brazilian rosewood....wow.

"Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan
  • Registered: 2008-08-19
  • Posts: 32

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Thanks Libby that's great info!   Has anyone else seen the guitar he played the slide part of " One Of These Days" at the Fraze in Dayton last week?  It's a natural finish guitar shaped like a smaller Les Paul similiar to a Gibson Melody Maker, I imagine it's another custom job, but it doesn't match the description of the other Stonetrees.  Just curious.

Jeff

  • JBSRV
  • JBSRV
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  • From: Colorado Springs-Colorado
  • Registered: 2008-07-04
  • Posts: 1,047

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Very cool. Thank you. I might be mistaken, but are those "lipstick" pickups on Joe's stonetree baritone????

"It makes it sound like the amp is about ready to explode, that's because it IS about ready to explode." -Joe

"I've come all the way from Colorado... Long way from my home. Give me the hammer that killed John Henry..." The Ballad Of John Henry

6 Reply by Danny! (edited by Musicinmysoul 2008-08-24 00:38:13)

  • From: Sandy Eggo
  • Registered: 2007-04-29
  • Posts: 1,369

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

JeffDebOhio wrote:

Thanks Libby that's great info!   Has anyone else seen the guitar he played the slide part of " One Of These Days" at the Fraze in Dayton last week?  It's a natural finish guitar shaped like a smaller Les Paul similiar to a Gibson Melody Maker, I imagine it's another custom job, but it doesn't match the description of the other Stonetrees.  Just curious.

Jeff

That's a prototype that Joe is testing for Gibson...the name escapes me though...someone will chime in for sure. Electrosomethin? Skysomething? I dunno...

JBSRV wrote:

Very cool. Thank you. I might be mistaken, but are those "lipstick" pickups on Joe's stonetree baritone????

Libby wrote:

Typical guitar scale length (distance between bridge and nut) is 24.625" to 25.5" and basses are typically 34" to 35". Joe's baritone is 27.8", has lipstick tube pickups and hardtail bridge."

fuzzy wuzzy wrote:

Lipstick tube pickups=Pickups that literally look like an old lipstick tube as a matter of fact Danelectro guitars originally sold out of a Sears and Roebuck catalog did actually use lipstick tubes for their pickups and those original guitars today are worth alot of money.

smile

"Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan

7 Reply by CarljMD (edited by CarljMD 2008-08-24 09:23:21)

  • From: Frederick County, MD
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 857

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Musicinmysoul wrote:
JeffDebOhio wrote:

Thanks Libby that's great info!   Has anyone else seen the guitar he played the slide part of " One Of These Days" at the Fraze in Dayton last week?  It's a natural finish guitar shaped like a smaller Les Paul similiar to a Gibson Melody Maker, I imagine it's another custom job, but it doesn't match the description of the other Stonetrees.  Just curious.

Jeff

That's a prototype that Joe is testing for Gibson...the name escapes me though...someone will chime in for sure. Electrosomethin? Skysomething? I dunno....

Gibson Skylark

Looks like this:  http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/29 … good-times


Hmmm...baritone guitars?  Cool

CarljMD

Takers get the honey, givers sing the blues
  • Registered: 2008-08-19
  • Posts: 32

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Thats it thanks!  I've never seen the Skylark before.

Jeff

  • From: Sandy Eggo
  • Registered: 2007-04-29
  • Posts: 1,369

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Ha! I knew it was Skysomethin!

"Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan
  • JBSRV
  • JBSRV
  • BONAMETAL
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  • From: Colorado Springs-Colorado
  • Registered: 2008-07-04
  • Posts: 1,047

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Musicinmysoul wrote:
JeffDebOhio wrote:

Thanks Libby that's great info!   Has anyone else seen the guitar he played the slide part of " One Of These Days" at the Fraze in Dayton last week?  It's a natural finish guitar shaped like a smaller Les Paul similiar to a Gibson Melody Maker, I imagine it's another custom job, but it doesn't match the description of the other Stonetrees.  Just curious.

Jeff

That's a prototype that Joe is testing for Gibson...the name escapes me though...someone will chime in for sure. Electrosomethin? Skysomething? I dunno...

JBSRV wrote:

Very cool. Thank you. I might be mistaken, but are those "lipstick" pickups on Joe's stonetree baritone????

Libby wrote:

Typical guitar scale length (distance between bridge and nut) is 24.625" to 25.5" and basses are typically 34" to 35". Joe's baritone is 27.8", has lipstick tube pickups and hardtail bridge."

fuzzy wuzzy wrote:

Lipstick tube pickups=Pickups that literally look like an old lipstick tube as a matter of fact Danelectro guitars originally sold out of a Sears and Roebuck catalog did actually use lipstick tubes for their pickups and those original guitars today are worth alot of money.

smile

opps. didn't see that my question had already been answered smile

"It makes it sound like the amp is about ready to explode, that's because it IS about ready to explode." -Joe

"I've come all the way from Colorado... Long way from my home. Give me the hammer that killed John Henry..." The Ballad Of John Henry
  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: The Stonetree Baritone Guitar Joe uses for Spike Driver Blues

Look at the Libbster, runnin' with the gear dawgs. WAYYYYYYYYYYY COOL!!!!

                                                                                               J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint