“It’s funny,” says Farris, “I survived the
Northridge [Los Angeles] earthquake. I
survived ripped off guitars in LA. And I was
reminiscing yesterday with [Lynyrd Skynyrd
drummer] Michael Cartellone about years
ago when I took guitars and stuff to his
apartment because fire was coming up the
hill in Woodland Hills and he lived over in
Sherman Oaks. And I never put guitars all
in one place, but I thought what the hell,
I’ll move away to my ranch and put them all
in [Soundcheck]. And Mother Nature finally
caught up.”
Gone But Not Forgotten
By Thomas Scott McKenzie
In fact, she took a toll on instruments and
gear all over Nashville. The Gibson manu-
facturing facility took water and had to be
shut down for an undisclosed length of time.
(Fortunately, the Gibson Custom Shop was
not flooded.) Home and professional studios
suffered, like the one owned by Americana
and rock producer Ray Kennedy. Kennedy
says he saved his guitars but that he lost
some vintage recording gear. And the inun-
dation at the riverside complex housing the
Grand Ole Opry House and the Opryland
Hotel simply defied belief. The Cumberland
River overtopped a dike built after a 1975
flood of what was then Opryland USA. By
the time it was over, two feet of water cov-
ered the Opry stage and soaked the lock-
ers and offices of the Opry administration
and musical staff. Musicians and employees
waded into the water in the dark to remove
instruments from the Roy Acuff Museum and
backstage areas. The losses there—poten-
tially devastating—have not been disclosed.
Corporate owner Gaylord Entertainment
imposed media silence on employees until
restoration efforts and a full accounting had
been completed.
9
When stories of this flood are told years from now, however, most of the heartbreak and loss will be
symbolized by Soundcheck. Opened in 1993
by Glenn Frey, of the Eagles, and his roadie
Bob Thompson, Soundcheck Nashville was
an offshoot of their Third Encore rehearsal
space in Los Angeles. About six years ago,
Ben Jumper, a long-time road production of
his instruments and his band’s entire road
rig were affected. Peter Frampton had vast
amounts of gear underwater, as did John
Fogerty, John Hiatt, and rock journeyman
Steve Farris.
Gone But Not Forgotten
By Thomas Scott McKenzie
Luckily, the type of immense guitar destruction seen in Nashville is a rare occurrence. Guitar catastrophes don’t happen often, and in the rare event they do, they
can be related to industrial tragedies, natural disasters, or more mysterious causes.
Here are just a few sad examples.
Mosrite Factory Fire, 1983
California guitar maker Semie Moseley came to prominence in the 1950s and ’60s with
his unusual-shaped guitars and multi-necked instruments. His Mosrite brand is perhaps
most well known for being played by the Ventures and Johnny Ramone. After a series of
setbacks, Moseley re-located his factory to Jonas Ridge, North Carolina. In late 1983, the
factory caught fire and burned extensively. Lost in the blaze were not only the production
models being built, but also Moseley’s personal collection of triple-necked instruments.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, instrument loss was the least
of anyone’s worries. More than 1,800 lives were lost and tens of billions of dollars in
property damage occurred. Unlike in the Nashville flooding, there weren’t any single
warehouses or storage facilities affected. Instead, the hurricane’s devastation was so
widespread that putting a single dollar amount on the loss of instruments is almost
impossible. “For months, people were bringing in instruments to save,” says Dave
Newman of International Vintage Guitars in New Orleans. “But we’re guitar technicians,
not miracle workers.” Music Rising, a non-profit organization founded by producer Bob
Ezrin, U2 guitarist the Edge, and Gibson chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, provided 2700 replacement instruments to affected musicians in the short term after the
catastrophe. Since then, the group has restored gear to tens of thousands of people.
Southern California Wildfires, 2008
Just about every year wildfires threaten the cities and suburbs of Southern California.
With the high numbers of musicians in the area, it is in some ways a pleasant surprise that
more wildfire-related guitar loss doesn’t occur. However, the Los Angeles Times did report
the sad story of Roger Heath’s experience in 2008. A 20-year resident of Twin Lakes,
California, Heath thought he had more time before the blaze would reach his home, but
then he was suddenly surrounded by smoke and gray ash. He managed to save his 1959
Les Paul but lost 24 other instruments when his house burned to the ground.
Gretsch Factory Fires, 1973
In 1973, a disastrous fire halted production at Gretsch’s Boonville, Arkansas, factory for
three months. Another fire would follow in December of that year. The Booneville chapter
of Gretsch’s storied history is largely forgotten by most connoisseurs of the brand and is
even downplayed with a bit of embarrassment in the company’s own annals. This is due
to what is widely regarded as a period of questionable quality control during the company’s Baldwin years. The Baldwin Piano company bought Gretsch in 1967 and moved
guitar production from New York to Arkansas. As QC slipped, Chet Atkins withdrew his
endorsement and Baldwin eventually shut down guitar production in 1981. To this day,
rumors persist that disgruntled employees sabotaged operations during the Baldwin era.
Robert Keeley Electronics Fire, 2009
Luckily, the type of immense guitar destruction seen in Nashville is a rare occurrence. Guitar catastrophes don’t happen often, and in the rare event they do, they
can be related to industrial tragedies, natural disasters, or more mysterious causes.
Here are just a few sad examples.
Mosrite Factory Fire, 1983
California guitar maker Semie Moseley came to prominence in the 1950s and ’60s with
his unusual-shaped guitars and multi-necked instruments. His Mosrite brand is perhaps
most well known for being played by the Ventures and Johnny Ramone. After a series of
setbacks, Moseley re-located his factory to Jonas Ridge, North Carolina. In late 1983, the
factory caught fire and burned extensively. Lost in the blaze were not only the production
models being built, but also Moseley’s personal collection of triple-necked instruments.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, instrument loss was the least
of anyone’s worries. More than 1800 lives were lost and tens of billions of dollars in
property damage occurred. Unlike in the Nashville flooding, there weren’t any single
warehouses or storage facilities affected. Instead, the hurricane’s devastation was so
widespread that putting a single dollar amount on the loss of instruments is almost
impossible. “For months, people were bringing in instruments to save,” says Dave
Newman of International Vintage Guitars in New Orleans. “But we’re guitar technicians,
not miracle workers.” Music Rising, a non-profit organization founded by producer Bob
Ezrin, U2 guitarist the Edge, and Gibson chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, provided 2700 replacement instruments to affected musicians in the short term after the
catastrophe. Since then, the group has restored gear to tens of thousands of people.
Southern California Wildfires, 2008
Just about every year wildfires threaten the cities and suburbs of Southern California.
With the high numbers of musicians in the area, it is in some ways a pleasant surprise that
more wildfire-related guitar loss doesn’t occur. However, the Los Angeles Times did report
the sad story of Roger Heath’s experience in 2008. A 20-year resident of Twin Lakes,
California, Heath thought he had more time before the blaze would reach his home, but
then he was suddenly surrounded by smoke and gray ash. He managed to save his 1959
Les Paul but lost 24 other instruments when his house burned to the ground.
Gretsch Factory Fires, 1973
In 1973, a disastrous fire halted production at Gretsch’s Boonville, Arkansas, factory for
three months. Another fire would follow in December of that year. The Booneville chapter
of Gretsch’s storied history is largely forgotten by most connoisseurs of the brand and is
even downplayed with a bit of embarrassment in the company’s own annals. This is due
to what is widely regarded as a period of questionable quality control during the company’s Baldwin years. The Baldwin Piano company bought Gretsch in 1967 and moved
guitar production from New York to Arkansas. As QC slipped, Chet Atkins withdrew his
endorsement and Baldwin eventually shut down guitar production in 1981. To this day,
rumors persist that disgruntled employees sabotaged operations during the Baldwin era.
Robert Keeley Electronics Fire, 2009
On a cold afternoon in January 2009, employees at Robert Keeley Electronics were
hard at work on their popular pedals when a fire broke out in the company’s Edmond,
Oklahoma, factory. “It was a scary moment for everyone,” says company vice president
Jacob Adams. “All of us were out there watching, and we didn’t know what the future
held for us. We didn’t know how bad the fire was going to be, what all we were going
to lose.” The firm lost the bulk of its inventory, as well as a large supply of vintage parts.
A year and a half later, the company has moved into a brand new facility and is back to
full capacity—with more employees than before the disaster.
www.premierguitar.com
PREMIER GUITAR JULY 2010 161
