1963 Gibson Barney Kessel Custom

Dutchbopper · 06-04-2016, 05:31 AM

Well, not really NGD since I bought it on april 25 last - have not posted for a while here - but it still feels kind of new to me. It's a 1963 Gibson Barney Kessel Custom. You can view in HD.

Anyway, my new baby on the Burrell classic "Midnight Blue" :

I'll post a Blog entry on this classic vintage guitar today too.

Regards,

DB

**Little Jay** · 06-04-2016, 05:50 AM

Saw it on FB already

Beautiful and sweet sounding axe! I think it suits your playing really well. Enjoy it!

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk

**old tube** · 06-04-2016, 05:54 AM

Lovely guitar, great demo and sweet tone.

**vinlander** · 06-04-2016, 06:24 AM

Great tone and playing DB, is that the custom model ? I dig the bowties on them

Dutchbopper · 06-04-2016, 06:48 AM

Thanks Vinlander. Yes, it's the Custom. It has a spruce top. It has the musical note in the headstock and the bowties.

DB

**Max405** · 06-04-2016, 08:13 AM

Wow.
Great sound. Beautiful guitar.
And your playing.. You put on a Bop clinic right there.
Thank you for sharing your talent and allowing us to hear the wonderful sound of the Barney. Awesome.

**Franz 1997** · 06-04-2016, 10:16 AM

Excellent tone; sweeter than your lam tops, to my ear.

As for the playing, could have been Kenny himself..

**Dennis D** · 06-04-2016, 10:33 AM

' Wow ' is right !

Like the playing and like the sound !

Enjoy and Thanks !

**jazz.fred** · 06-04-2016, 10:34 AM

Yes indeed! You and your new axe were swingin'.

**silverfoxx** · 06-04-2016, 12:02 PM

Good post DB,
that BK sounds remarkably good ,
Normally not my favourite Gibson
but in this instance you have put
paid to the doubters. It is different
to the standard model I see.
Congrats on another great post.

**MarkRhodes** · 06-04-2016, 12:24 PM

Great guitar and playing, DB. Saw this first on Facebook; thanks for posting it here.

**vinnyv1k** · 06-04-2016, 01:52 PM

Been following all your new videos with the BK on YouTube. As usual stellar playing and tone.
I hope your new BK doesn't make your TF too jealous. Congrats on the new beautiful axe.

**AlainJazz** · 06-04-2016, 02:13 PM

Well it doesn't get much more classic than that! Awesome guitar! Great playing too. Btw, where are you based in Holland? Just curious.

**citizenk74** · 06-04-2016, 07:29 PM

Excellent performance! Congratulations, and play it in good health!

**Klatu** · 06-04-2016, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Franz 1997

Excellent tone; sweeter than your lam tops, to my ear.

As for the playing, could have been Kenny himself..

I thought all Barney Kessels were laminates.

As for the playing, the picking and phrasing sounds more even than Kenny's. Love it.

What amp are you playing through?

**old tube** · 06-05-2016, 12:21 AM

[QUOTE=Klatu;658197]I thought all Barney Kessels were laminates.

I have a 1961 Standard and it has a Spruce top, but it's pressed, not carved.

Dutchbopper · 06-05-2016, 03:42 AM

Originally Posted by AlainJazz

Well it doesn't get much more classic than that! Awesome guitar! Great playing too. Btw, where are you based in Holland? Just curious.

Thanks Alain. Yes, I live in the Netherlands. Hence my nickname!

DB

Dutchbopper · 06-05-2016, 03:46 AM

[QUOTE=old tube;658241]

Originally Posted by Klatu

I thought all Barney Kessels were laminates.

I have a 1961 Standard and it has a Spruce top, but it's pressed, not carved.

Interesting. The top on mine feels rough on the inside. The guy that sold it to me told me it was carved because of that. I always thought all BKs had laminated tops. My BK has the best acoustic sound of all my archtops. It's pretty loud too.

So they are pressed? How do you know that?

Regards,

DB

**oldane** · 06-05-2016, 05:27 AM

It's nice to see that these Kessel models are gaining popularity after many years being frowned upon because of their looks. They are well made and great sounding instruments.

**Franz 1997** · 06-05-2016, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by Klatu

I thought all Barney Kessels were laminates.

As for the playing, the picking and phrasing sounds more even than Kenny's. Love it.

What amp are you playing through?

I should have said maple lam tops; I have found spruce lam ( e.g. on an x500) to be sweeter and more defined, altho' with less thick thunk.

Anyway, sounds like the BK may not be laminated after all

**old tube** · 06-05-2016, 06:53 AM

[QUOTE=Dutchbopper;658263]

Originally Posted by old tube

Interesting. The top on mine feels rough on the inside. The guy that sold it to me told me it was carved because of that. I always thought all BKs had laminated tops. My BK has the best acoustic sound of all my archtops. It's pretty loud too.

So they are pressed? How do you know that?

Regards,

DB

Ha! I read somewhere that the spruce tops were pressed and I just accepted that as I could see that the top was a uniform slim thickness, so very unlikely to be carved. I had a quick look on the internet this morning and ply seems to be the consensus; faced with spruce in the early models and later, maple.

So I decided to check the top on mine just now. I dropped a pot out and inspected the hole. It is a laminate! 3 ply. Thin spruce ply on top, thicker central ply then a thin spruce ply on the inside, like yours the inner spruce feels rough.

I really don't mind if it's ply as mine sounds very like yours (fantastic) and it is a great archtop to play.

**HighSpeedSpoon** · 06-05-2016, 09:24 AM

Once again ... Thank you Dick. I just read your blog post and enjoyed how detailed, effectively illustrated, well organized, and on point it was. As always, the clips were a treat!

**tgee** · 06-05-2016, 12:08 PM

Great sound! Is that through your Mambo?

**Flat** · 06-05-2016, 12:20 PM

DB, that was just plain badass! What a great, authentic tone! Like BK jamming with KB. Thanks for the vid.

**jads57** · 06-05-2016, 12:35 PM

Funny as much as I love Gibson archtops I'm so happy w/ my Elferink Tonemaster (Dutch Luthier) You are so lucky to have such a great guitar builder in your own back yard! I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the pond,LOL!