Stephen Maycock
Specialist Consultant, Collectors, Popular Culture
Lot 106Y
Ronnie Lane: A Gretsch Sho Bro Spanish guitar,
1970,
15 December 2016, 12:00 GMT
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £8,750 inc. premium
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Katherine Schofield
Department Director
Claire Tole-Moir
Head of Department
Ronnie Lane: A Gretsch Sho Bro Spanish guitar,
1970,
serial number 20110, non-cutaway model, natural finish spruce top, sunburst mahogany back and sides, front with resonator and two meshed soundholes, mahogany neck with bound rosewood fingerboard and dot markers, headstock with Sho Bro and Gretsch inlays, in plush-lined, shaped case, guitar 41½in (105.5cm) long
serial number 20110, non-cutaway model, natural finish spruce top, sunburst mahogany back and sides, front with resonator and two meshed soundholes, mahogany neck with bound rosewood fingerboard and dot markers, headstock with Sho Bro and Gretsch inlays, in plush-lined, shaped case, guitar 41½in (105.5cm) long
Footnotes
Ronnie Lane purchased this guitar in America in the early 1970s while on tour with The Faces and it was subsequently used on some of the songs on the next Faces' album. On his return to the UK the instrument was taken to luthier Tony Zemaitis to have the resonator removed and replaced by a solid round piece of wood to alleviate feedback in large venues. After Ronnie left the Faces, he formed Slim Chance and the guitar was used on many performances for TV and live shows. These can be seen on various YouTube videos. Most of the songs that Ronnie wrote, including the hit singles 'The Poacher' and 'How Come', were written on this guitar.
Around 1984, Ronnie decided to have the resonator cone reinstated in the guitar and because of his illness, played a lot in open tunings, hence the guitar having 5 strings. The guitar was given to the vendor by Ronnie around 1986, with whom he was writing and performing at the time.