I bought a brand-new Fender P Bass in Englewood Colorado in 1977. I walked into the store, and it was the only Bass in a natural finish hanging on the wall amongst all of the others. When I inquired about buying it, I was told that I couldn't buy it because it was a special order (it was built with a Jazz neck, which made it even more appealing to me). Salesperson says, hold on a minute, and disappears... after one more attempt to make contact (and I was told there were many), they agreed to sell it to me. After many, many, many gigs.. I still own it to this day!
For being who he is and all he’s accomplished - it’s a beautiful thing how accessible he is and down to earth! The world is a better place with Bukovac living in it!!
He is a total class act. One the best players I've seen, period. Tasty, melodic, inventive, versatile. And humble. I guess the only other master player who can play like that is Tim Pierce, especially in improvising. Such tasty playing, damn. Been a fan of his channel for years.
We don’t know people not even ones we interact with. He backstabbed some guy online and that guy wants to whoop,his ass. The way you are easily fooled is how horrible politicians and leaders come into power.
This is why I don't watch much television these days. So much better content on TH-cam. This will be a great series to look forward to, Robert. This Deluxe is beautiful. I enjoyed his story and love for his instrument
10:40 I remember when I bought my first brand new Gibson, it was a 1977 Les Paul Deluxe, cost was $485 w/HSC. I had worked multiple Summer Jobs to save up enough to make the purchase, I was only 15 years old. A big thanks to my Parents for driving me back and forth from all my jobs that year.
@@reverandscales Oh yeah, the infamous Super Distortion, back in the late '70s a few of my guitars had those (I'd been consuming way to much Ace Frehley). I ended up trading my '77 Les Paul Deluxe because I didn't want to route it for a humbucker. I wish I'd known back then what I know now.
@@sneifert1968 I wish I'd kept my '77 Deluxe. I've had regrets trading away my '77 Deluxe ever since. Because of that I've kept every guitar I've acquired and stopped selling/trading them. Since 1985 I've kept every guitar I've purchased.
What's so cool about music is that it brings people of different backgrounds, ages, and abilities together. This is a great series idea, there's no shortage of stories around Nashville.
Omg I have the exact same Gibson - LP, black, deluxe, but built 139 days earlier (8-11-1978)! My bathroom scale says she weighs 11.4 lbs. The only thing wrong with mine is belt buckle rash on the back and I broke the toggle switch cap doing the Ace Freeley jitter sound! I’m the same age as Tom but nowhere near as talented as either of you two. What an awesome surprise- thank you for thinking of doing this series. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
I'm getting in to electric guitar now plus taking guitar lessons at the local music store. I purchased a used les paul Studio 16 years ago & USA Stratocaster, 2 acoustics ( Taylor and or Ovation) Leaning the scales pentatonic A minor and A major
That was such an intimate and great interview. Just sitting in the kitchen with a six pack on the counter. Felt like I was with buddies. Keep em coming. Excellent 👍 and relaxed
The best part of this interview is when Tom speaks about his son and his love for the guitar I’m 63 years old and have a son who is 34 who just didn’t connect to instruments so he is very proud and lucky to have his son who shares his passion. But as i also say the harder a dad works with his son the luckier he seems to get .
What a great story. I watch Tom's channel all of the time......love the guy. He's played with everyone who is anyone and has a great reputation in the industry. He doesn't have an arrogant bone in his body.
I’m 55 as well and still own the first really good guitar I ever bought. My wine red ‘87 Les Paul Standard. Bought it in Jan ‘88 with all the money I got that Christmas. Still love playing it whenever I can. Love the vid, really takes me back. 😊
I knew from the thumbnail it would be a Deluxe. I have a wine red '76 , which I love dearly. Uncle Larry was talking about Filtertrons the other day, which I'm also a big fan of, and those minis sound closer than anything.
Ha! Same here. 20th anniversary custom. Black. I’ll never sell it. Still gig it sometimes. I still remember the day when I bought it and brought it home .
This man’s amazing- he owns 2 of the finest examples of Les Pauls ever made, a 60 ‘burst and 57 gold top and then he has his deluxe. By his own admission, not their finest era of LP production (Norlin era). I have a 70’s and it’s indeed a boat anchor. But he’ll hang on it as it means something. Been following him since laid up with Covid and I’m convinced anything he does has meaning. This dude has accidentally become so much to so many. I continue to follow him for what he’ll do or say next as much as his guitar prowess. Great guest and video!
I have an '81 Standard, same exact color scheme. The binding is turning orange. I have the same exact same neck paint wear off, the inlays are not consistent in size, and sometime in the late 80s I somewhat foolishly swapped out the original pickups for (don't laugh) a George Lynch "Screamin Demon" n the bridge and some sort of "Pearly Gates" in the neck (both Seymour Duncan), trading the original pickups for the wiring job, lol. It has a replacement tailpiece and bridge, and has been refretted, oh yeah, also replacement tuning keys. It is total boat anchor for sure. But...people love it, it plays great! And I'll never sell it, never even considered it.
@@joelhague5515 I’ve done equally foolish things with guitars over the years too. How about routing out a 62 original Strat for a Floyd Rose, and doing such a bad job that it made the guitar useless!
How can you not love Uncle Larry. My first real guitar was a 1985 MIJ contemporary strat I got for my 18th birthday. That was my main guitar for 30 years until I gave it to my youngest daughter on her 21st birthday.
Hi Rob, great story on Tom with the black Les Paul. I actually was giving a 1979 Les Paul Tobacco Burst for my 16th birthday by my parents. I still have the guitar today, and is as close to mint as you can get. Never changed a thing, very rarely used live. I actually have a very similar purple case like Tom has in this video. My guitar however is a one piece body, not a pancake. Mini Humbuckers, big head stock, literally nothing ever change it's beautiful. The music story we got it from did not have an original gibson case and sold me a black case w/ purple inside just like Toms. The list price and the Store was 1,000. It sat for quite awhile and my parents got is for 500 on a sale and 75 for the case. This was a giant purchase by my parents, we did not have the money, but they managed somehow. To this day I still play and have been in many bands, so I made sure it didn't go to waste....
I moved to Nashville from Ohio myself and being a 4+ decades now guitarist and living here and following your channel for long time and love your channel and honesty & now you started this and exciting to see who you found for this as I have meet some incredible musicians since living here. Awesome dude and can’t wait for the next one! Keep rocking Robert🤘🎸🤘
I just saw a mirror of my childhood. Even your bands name. I called us “Vengence” because I had just seen the Judas Priest/Iron Maiden concert in the fall of 1982, and Screaming for Vengence was their big song then. I spelled it this way even though it’s wrong. My first good guitar was an early 80’s White les Paul custom. I played 75% of all those songs you just played. It’s amazing how infectious guitar was back then, the music was great. An entire generation of new young sprouting guitar players came out of that late 70’s/early 80’s era. Robert, Love your new series and Uncle Larry was the perfect person for your first episode. I think Tom took the Vengence name just before us, Dang! Thanks you guys.
This was phenomenal - when I saw you had a crossover with Uncle Larry it was a must-click. Loved hearing all about this guitar, the stories surrounding it, and the songs and rigs from the "Boy Wonder" years - I'm 36 but thought my classic rock knowledge was decent - I couldn't name a couple of those riffs though and have to go back to school. I remember I too was obsessed with Les Pauls, having spammed the Song Remains the Same videos all through my early teens. My first electric was a Korean-made Tokai Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" style, sans the white binding and with a presumably rosewood fretboard instead of Ebony as it was a lower-end model. Looking back, a pretty underwhelming instrument, but to me it meant the world when my dad (who passed in 2009) accompanied me to the music store and surprised me by talking the salesman down in price then said we would buy it, him "topping up" my pitiful savings to pay the cost. I'm not ashamed to say I cried like a baby that day, remembering how when I first told him I was going to take guitar lessons he thought I'd never stick with it and would drop out when my "fingers got sore". I knew he'd seen how persistent and dedicated I'd become after years of borrowing other peoples guitars, and I knew I had made my old man proud. Thanks for this and much love to both you and Uncle Larry!
This hits super close to home for me. We're a year apart, I also grew up being absolutely mesmerized by The Song Remains the Same. I watched it more times than probably any single live concert I've seen, and Jimmy was such a huge inspiration and motivation for me to practice endlessly on my Dad's old acoustic. My first electric was a Lemon Drop Epiphone Les Paul I saved up for, and by the end of high school I saved up enough money from mowing lawns and selling my childhood game collection that I got myself a real, Honey Burst Gibson Les Paul Standard. My Dad also passed away since then, have his old BOSS Super Overdrive. To this day it sits on my pedalboard. I've grown more accustomed to playing Super Strats since those days, but I will always cherish the Les Paul and everything it represents. Thanks for sharing your story man, keep on playing!
Man, I really enjoyed this video! Loved seeing the sentimental memories, the humor, the great stories. It's awesome that Tom asked you about living in Nashville 🙂 Rock on Robert!
I worked at Gibson from 1976 to 1979 and likely had my hands on that guitar in final assembly. Our plant manager's background was managing a furniture factory, and Norlin's goal was profit, thus the quality drop off. The body of that guitar is mahogany with a maple top. The body blanks with slight cosmetic imperfections got painted black. I liked the black and creme color scheme, some creme P90's would make that piece of furniture honk! Hearing you play that guitar takes me back there, thanks for sharing.
Amazing my 1979 Les Paul deluxe is my one first guitar I got it from Cairo Egypt 2007 from the original owner, the guitar can tell stories something about it, even though I have done changed the pots refret 50s wiring and 1961 mini PAF from Epiphone sorrento now in the bridge, great episode
So many parallels here. My first real guitar was a ‘69 Les Paul Deluxe goldtop. I got it for Christmas is 1975, when I was 12. It was $500. I initially started playing because of my brother Doug. I am the youngest of 6. There are 6 years between me and the next youngest.
I love these chill environments of 2 dudes talking shop. We all love this. Keep this going Robert. We are all music lovers at the end and that shines through in this format.
A few years ago I came to realize that I wasn't a guitarist, but just a guy that owns a few nice-looking guitars. But I still plug along and manage a few nice sounds here and there. But, once in a while, I'll be playing something and think, "Man, I've never heard anyone do this. The world needs to hear!" Then reality sinks in, and I'm just glad a guy like Tom feels like sharing his world to a plug like me! Appreciate you, Tom.
The first studio I recorded in Heartwood Studios I used a 3203 Marshall. Still have it with the matching 4 x 10 cab, recorded with an old Kramer, all bought used. Worked great and did a pile of gigs with it and never let me down. I don't play it often but one amp I will never sell because of so many memories. Tom is so great, just love his videos too. Great video, thanks for posting!
Bro, I totally appreciate this episode. We all have that 1 guitar that means something even if it isn't the best, it's sentimental. Keep these stories coming and well done on this episode.
Love the set list. All Those tunes flooded the rock and roll airwaves. Glad you hung onto the deluxe. Great stuff. Like your guru bubba story. Nice to get the ship pointed in the right direction. Again great stuff.😎✌️
Ever since discovering Tom from some of his incredible gear videos, I've grown to have a massive respect for Uncle Larry. So awesome to see you guys hanging out here!
I have a 1979 Gibson RD Artist bass. The neck is about 3 miles long and has that giant Volute. With the Moog electronics, it is still the best sounding bass I've ever played.
Thank you Robert ! That was an awesome start ! Tom is a fantastic player and very cool cat. I’m also from northeast Ohio and I was particularly amazed when he mentioned Mike Szuter and plugging him … I’m 51, but used to go watch Mike and his brother CJ in their band Outta the Blue …
Beautiful, Robert! Like you and Buk, I was a rocker who came to Nashville in 1998 from California and was welcomed and got a lot of work - road and studio in no time. I'm glad your experience has been positive. I had a black 1977 Les Paul Standard that I paid $600 for with case with money from my first job at Pizza Hut. Wish I still had it.
I have a 79 blck lp standard, w/reg sized Humbuckers, and its heavy as well, but it's a great guitar. Nothing wrong with that year. I love the mini buckers! Sounds great!
Great episode. I actually bought one of Tom's amp years ago, a Dr Z Carmen Ghia combo. We met at a hotel in Nashville and did the deal. BTW, I am 6'1", but I was looking up to Tom; he is a big guy.
I enjoyed this video and can relate to it. My dad bought me a 76 Les Paul Deluxe when I was 14. Mine is a cherry sunburst model with a maple neck. It weighs 11 lbs! I remember having lots of microphonic squeal feedback with the original mini-humbuckers. I had mine routed eventually to accommodate regular sized humbuckers. These days the guitar has Fishman Fluence Classic humbuckers in it. It was my first good guitar. I don’t ever want to sell it. Mine could really use a fret job.
Hi Tom, great story of a great guitarist, thanks Robert. Once we get older that's all we have and remember and that's our life, amazing man. Peace guys, thanks again 🙏
Cool to see an Norlin-era LP getting some love. My first guitar was the one he was talking about, a '78 Pro Deluxe in the same black, with the cream P90s. I got it in 1987 at the age of 7. My dad actually bought it for the family, but I was the only one who took interest. It is still my main guitar today, almost 40 years later. Today, it sports DiMarzio PAF '59s and medium jumbo frets.
That was AWESOME! I could have listened to that all day long! Nothing better than sitting and talking gear, gear stories and sharing memories with someone who appreciates it as much as you do! As you look over to see your significant other sound asleep on the couch....LOL! Loved this.
I got into Tom relatively late, well REALLY late. But the guy just exudes class and normality. He brings everything down to earth. Great interview Robert.
I have a '74 Deluxe in cherry burst that was passed down to me by my uncle who recently passed away. It was bought new back then and stayed in the family. I've owned/sold dozens of guitars and worked on hundreds more, but I've never seen a black finish. These models are truly special LPs, love the pancaked body and mini humbuckers.
Totally normal-looking kitchen... except for the half-stack tucked behind the island/counter. That gave me a chuckle. Fun visit overall, too. Keep up the good work.
What a great freakin video! Keep these coming, man. And Buk is the real deal. Just a dude that hasn’t lost his original love for the guitar after all the years. Too cool.
My buddy still owns the 79 Les Paul Standard he bought new. It weights almost 11 lbs, pancake body, 3-piece maple neck. All original except for a refret. Plays and sounds heavenly 😎
I think all of us can identify with the moment we got our first real guitar. I remember plugging it in and hearing the distortion from the fender frontman that came with it. It was life changing. The chill that started in my brain and went through my spine and body. I wish I could bottle that. My friends son started playing recently and I asked him what it felt like when he hit his first chord through the amp and he described the chill to a t. Guitar is the best.
At 7:13, I recognized that aqua blue/orange box immediately! That's a Rema Tip Top bicycle innertube patch kit. Went through many of those, over the years... Funny, Uncle Larry and I are the same age, and I'm also the youngest of five kids. Never got a Les Paul for Christmas, though...
Those 1979 Les Paul Deluxe's also has two other colors Wine Red and Natural plus the other's Tom mentioned. My first guitar was a Cort Effector Explorer with built in effects and my first amp was a Gorilla GG-20 amp.
I can certainly relate, still possessing my '79 3-Color Burst and Rosewood American Standard Strat. And still having her to this day. I put her down to raise a family, or two, yet she is the One who got me back into playing and now building guitars as the day job as well. My own Guitar Guru had his original prized guitar, I think a '74 Custom LP, Tuxedo and Gold, and we used to tease about owning the two heaviest guitars in the world. Robert and Tom, a very nice Episode 1. Folks, hang on to those "first" guitars!!! And vintage instruments, with all the 'unique' traits of their era, do age the best.
Great story. Christmas 1984. I was taking lessons at Royal Music in suburban Detroit. They had a bunch of Heritage guitars and I would lust after a cherry H150. I was playing acoustic at the time and didn't own an electric and would point out the guitar to my mother after every lesson. Christmas came and I was disappointed there was no guitar when my mother asked to get my father his work coat. This perplexed me as it was Christmas day. I went to the laundry room and grabbed it not noticing it was somehow floating in mid air against the side door. Underneath it was an electric guitar case and a Gorilla Amp. It wasn't the Heritage, too much money, but decent Laguna LP copy. I still have both. Best Christmas.
Thanks guys ! I totally get the back ache thing (less the wallet in the right back pocket) ! Proud owner of 2 x 1972 Cherry Sunburst LP Deluxes, both have been modded, one by me (hey, I was 19, wth did I know) and the other used to have a Bigsby on it from a previous owner. Thank you guys again ! Cheers from Thailand ! 😎🇺🇸🇹🇭🇺🇸⚓️🎸✅☕️🤠😎
My first real guitar was a 1972 Gold Top Les Paul Deluxe that I bought from my cousin for $400 in 1975. I still have it and it's completely original except for one refret that it finally had to have about 7 years ago. I absolutely love how the mini HBs just sing in this guitar. I picked up a closet queen 79 Cherry SB Les Paul KM about 15 years ago, with the cream uncovered bobbins. It is still almost immaculate and is a rock machine. No flies on these Norlin era Gibson Les Pauls!
I was looking up the Joe Perry Boneyard recently and 10ish years ago he was using then new Tributes on stage, in the mix with his "real" guitars. If it's right in your hands, that's all it needs to be.
Oh my God ... did you take me back with the Fayreweather antidote. Me and my girl would never miss that band when they came to Chicago. That band was so good .. their version of Squonk was worth the price of admission. This was in '77 and '78 when our number one pastime was going to see live music. Cheap Trick was a bar band. Any way thanks for the trip down memory lane. On another note ... did either one of you know Mark Selby?? He used to play my blues club and he was one of the sweetest people to ever come through my club. Thanks again .... awesome idea for a youtube show.
Great episode. Tom is great and love hearing the stories. I had a '69 Deluxe that I got for my graduation in 1974. It sat around a few years. I wrote to Gibson to verify the serial no. It was pretty bright red, not cherry. I butchered it and put three DiMarzio pickups in it and ended up selling it. It was very weighty also, and the head stock broke when it was knocked off the stand. Got it repaired by Virgil Let's in Ahron, OH. I loved ARS and Barry Bailey had one in gold.
A Big thank you to Unc Larry for being in Episode one . What was your first real guitar?
such a great series to start maan, i got my first 85' strat given to me by my mentor. and i still loved it until now.
My first real guitar was a 77 tobacco sunburst... And of course I had to hack the bridge pick up for a PAF.
Hahaha Jackson Randy rhoads white pinstripe 😂
80's kramer Striker
I bought a brand-new Fender P Bass in Englewood Colorado in 1977. I walked into the store, and it was the only Bass in a natural finish hanging on the wall amongst all of the others. When I inquired about buying it, I was told that I couldn't buy it because it was a special order (it was built with a Jazz neck, which made it even more appealing to me). Salesperson says, hold on a minute, and disappears... after one more attempt to make contact (and I was told there were many), they agreed to sell it to me. After many, many, many gigs.. I still own it to this day!
For being who he is and all he’s accomplished - it’s a beautiful thing how accessible he is and down to earth! The world is a better place with Bukovac living in it!!
He is a total class act. One the best players I've seen, period. Tasty, melodic, inventive, versatile. And humble. I guess the only other master player who can play like that is Tim Pierce, especially in improvising. Such tasty playing, damn. Been a fan of his channel for years.
@@EdBender like way bacl since 2009 wayyy back lol
We don’t know people not even ones we interact with. He backstabbed some guy online and that guy wants to whoop,his ass. The way you are easily fooled is how horrible politicians and leaders come into power.
what has he accomplished? he's just another fake YT creator
Just the look on his face doing this. Man, you made him feel like a kid again. Awesome.
This is why I don't watch much television these days. So much better content on TH-cam. This will be a great series to look forward to, Robert.
This Deluxe is beautiful. I enjoyed his story and love for his instrument
10:40 I remember when I bought my first brand new Gibson, it was a 1977 Les Paul Deluxe, cost was $485 w/HSC.
I had worked multiple Summer Jobs to save up enough to make the purchase, I was only 15 years old.
A big thanks to my Parents for driving me back and forth from all my jobs that year.
Had a shot at a 79 deluxe in tobacco burst. Passed on it for $2500 😢
I had one like his except someone installed a DiMarzio Super distortion in the bridge. It had a switch to make it single coil.
@@reverandscales Oh yeah, the infamous Super Distortion, back in the late '70s a few of my guitars had those (I'd been consuming way to much Ace Frehley).
I ended up trading my '77 Les Paul Deluxe because I didn't want to route it for a humbucker. I wish I'd known back then what I know now.
@@sneifert1968 I wish I'd kept my '77 Deluxe. I've had regrets trading away my '77 Deluxe ever since. Because of that I've kept every guitar I've acquired and stopped selling/trading them. Since 1985 I've kept every guitar I've purchased.
i'll give ya $500 for it
Tom is the ultimate sweetheart and a pro’s pro. Thank you for featuring Uncle Larry.
Tom Bukovac is an historical musical treasure. May he live forever!!! 🙏😁 Great series Robert. This should be fun!! 🎸
I see Tom I click the thumbs up. You gotta love the guy.
What's so cool about music is that it brings people of different backgrounds, ages, and abilities together. This is a great series idea, there's no shortage of stories around Nashville.
Great hang with Tom. That story about his son treasuring that guitar is beyond classic.
Omg I have the exact same Gibson - LP, black, deluxe, but built 139 days earlier (8-11-1978)! My bathroom scale says she weighs 11.4 lbs. The only thing wrong with mine is belt buckle rash on the back and I broke the toggle switch cap doing the Ace Freeley jitter sound! I’m the same age as Tom but nowhere near as talented as either of you two.
What an awesome surprise- thank you for thinking of doing this series. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
I'm getting in to electric guitar now plus taking guitar lessons at the local music store. I purchased a used les paul Studio 16 years ago & USA Stratocaster, 2 acoustics ( Taylor and or Ovation)
Leaning the scales pentatonic A minor and A major
That was such an intimate and great interview. Just sitting in the kitchen with a six pack on the counter. Felt like I was with buddies. Keep em coming. Excellent 👍 and relaxed
The best part of this interview is when Tom speaks about his son and his love for the guitar I’m 63 years old and have a son who is 34 who just didn’t connect to instruments so he is very proud and lucky to have his son who shares his passion. But as i also say the harder a dad works with his son the luckier he seems to get .
Awesome video, Robert. Tom’s set the bar high for your next interviews. Amazing to see his first real guitar. Looking forward to seeing more of these.
How effing cool was that! Sensational vid and great to see Uncle Larry's LP and hear the story. Love your work man.
That's cool, man. I love how the stories of instruments are the stories of their players
What a great story. I watch Tom's channel all of the time......love the guy. He's played with everyone who is anyone and has a great reputation in the industry. He doesn't have an arrogant bone in his body.
he is our mentor about guitars and amps and music and the humanity in between
I’m 55 as well and still own the first really good guitar I ever bought. My wine red ‘87 Les Paul Standard. Bought it in Jan ‘88 with all the money I got that Christmas. Still love playing it whenever I can. Love the vid, really takes me back. 😊
I knew from the thumbnail it would be a Deluxe. I have a wine red '76 , which I love dearly. Uncle Larry was talking about Filtertrons the other day, which I'm also a big fan of, and those minis sound closer than anything.
I still have a 1974 Goldtop Deluxe I bought new for $354 when I was 16yo. All original except the tuners.
Ha! Same here. 20th anniversary custom. Black. I’ll never sell it. Still gig it sometimes. I still remember the day when I bought it and brought it home .
Got mine used for $125 at Buckhead Pawn. It was a mess but had all the electronics. Just missing a pick guard and needed a setup.
This man’s amazing- he owns 2 of the finest examples of Les Pauls ever made, a 60 ‘burst and 57 gold top and then he has his deluxe. By his own admission, not their finest era of LP production (Norlin era). I have a 70’s and it’s indeed a boat anchor. But he’ll hang on it as it means something. Been following him since laid up with Covid and I’m convinced anything he does has meaning. This dude has accidentally become so much to so many. I continue to follow him for what he’ll do or say next as much as his guitar prowess. Great guest and video!
I have an '81 Standard, same exact color scheme. The binding is turning orange. I have the same exact same neck paint wear off, the inlays are not consistent in size, and sometime in the late 80s I somewhat foolishly swapped out the original pickups for (don't laugh) a George Lynch "Screamin Demon" n the bridge and some sort of "Pearly Gates" in the neck (both Seymour Duncan), trading the original pickups for the wiring job, lol. It has a replacement tailpiece and bridge, and has been refretted, oh yeah, also replacement tuning keys. It is total boat anchor for sure. But...people love it, it plays great! And I'll never sell it, never even considered it.
@@joelhague5515 I’ve done equally foolish things with guitars over the years too. How about routing out a 62 original Strat for a Floyd Rose, and doing such a bad job that it made the guitar useless!
How can you not love Uncle Larry. My first real guitar was a 1985 MIJ contemporary strat I got for my 18th birthday. That was my main guitar for 30 years until I gave it to my youngest daughter on her 21st birthday.
Thank you @RobertBakerGuitar! I have the utmost respect for @501ChorusEcho and you, so it is wonderful to see you feature Uncle Larry.
Hi Rob, great story on Tom with the black Les Paul. I actually was giving a 1979 Les Paul Tobacco Burst for my 16th birthday by my parents. I still have the guitar today, and is as close to mint as you can get. Never changed a thing, very rarely used live. I actually have a very similar purple case like Tom has in this video. My guitar however is a one piece body, not a pancake. Mini Humbuckers, big head stock, literally nothing ever change it's beautiful. The music story we got it from did not have an original gibson case and sold me a black case w/ purple inside just like Toms. The list price and the Store was 1,000. It sat for quite awhile and my parents got is for 500 on a sale and 75 for the case. This was a giant purchase by my parents, we did not have the money, but they managed somehow. To this day I still play and have been in many bands, so I made sure it didn't go to waste....
i'm 1 year younger than Tom...i wish i could go back to the 80's and 90's knowing how special that time was.
Great video! I love Tom and it was great to hear the story about his guitar! I can't wait to see more of these Guitar Stories videos!! 🙂
I moved to Nashville from Ohio myself and being a 4+ decades now guitarist and living here and following your channel for long time and love your channel and honesty & now you started this and exciting to see who you found for this as I have meet some incredible musicians since living here. Awesome dude and can’t wait for the next one! Keep rocking Robert🤘🎸🤘
I just saw a mirror of my childhood. Even your bands name. I called us “Vengence” because I had just seen the Judas Priest/Iron Maiden concert in the fall of 1982, and Screaming for Vengence was their big song then. I spelled it this way even though it’s wrong. My first good guitar was an early 80’s White les Paul custom. I played 75% of all those songs you just played. It’s amazing how infectious guitar was back then, the music was great. An entire generation of new young sprouting guitar players came out of that late 70’s/early 80’s era. Robert, Love your new series and Uncle Larry was the perfect person for your first episode. I think Tom took the Vengence name just before us, Dang! Thanks you guys.
Oh man please please please keep this series going. Love the stories and guitar knowledge, it's a privilege to be able to listen.
This was phenomenal - when I saw you had a crossover with Uncle Larry it was a must-click. Loved hearing all about this guitar, the stories surrounding it, and the songs and rigs from the "Boy Wonder" years - I'm 36 but thought my classic rock knowledge was decent - I couldn't name a couple of those riffs though and have to go back to school.
I remember I too was obsessed with Les Pauls, having spammed the Song Remains the Same videos all through my early teens. My first electric was a Korean-made Tokai Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" style, sans the white binding and with a presumably rosewood fretboard instead of Ebony as it was a lower-end model. Looking back, a pretty underwhelming instrument, but to me it meant the world when my dad (who passed in 2009) accompanied me to the music store and surprised me by talking the salesman down in price then said we would buy it, him "topping up" my pitiful savings to pay the cost. I'm not ashamed to say I cried like a baby that day, remembering how when I first told him I was going to take guitar lessons he thought I'd never stick with it and would drop out when my "fingers got sore". I knew he'd seen how persistent and dedicated I'd become after years of borrowing other peoples guitars, and I knew I had made my old man proud.
Thanks for this and much love to both you and Uncle Larry!
This hits super close to home for me. We're a year apart, I also grew up being absolutely mesmerized by The Song Remains the Same. I watched it more times than probably any single live concert I've seen, and Jimmy was such a huge inspiration and motivation for me to practice endlessly on my Dad's old acoustic. My first electric was a Lemon Drop Epiphone Les Paul I saved up for, and by the end of high school I saved up enough money from mowing lawns and selling my childhood game collection that I got myself a real, Honey Burst Gibson Les Paul Standard.
My Dad also passed away since then, have his old BOSS Super Overdrive. To this day it sits on my pedalboard. I've grown more accustomed to playing Super Strats since those days, but I will always cherish the Les Paul and everything it represents. Thanks for sharing your story man, keep on playing!
Man, I really enjoyed this video! Loved seeing the sentimental memories, the humor, the great stories. It's awesome that Tom asked you about living in Nashville 🙂 Rock on Robert!
So glad Uncle Larry is your #1 Episode.
Are you going to have Austin submit a story?
Great Content Robert, Thank You
And I got to learn Stop Draggin’ my Heart Around from the maestro, fantastic. You’re onto a winner with this serious lad, outstanding.
What a great idea. This was really good. Good luck on this Robert.
🤩YES! I have my uncle's 1971 Les Paul Deluxe - still rocking it!
Enjoy it
I bought a LP deluxe in 1973 new in 73. That thing has been solid and traveled all over the northwest and into Canada.
love that guy and his Yuenglings
I worked at Gibson from 1976 to 1979 and likely had my hands on that guitar in final assembly. Our plant manager's background was managing a furniture factory, and Norlin's goal was profit, thus the quality drop off. The body of that guitar is mahogany with a maple top. The body blanks with slight cosmetic imperfections got painted black. I liked the black and creme color scheme, some creme P90's would make that piece of furniture honk! Hearing you play that guitar takes me back there, thanks for sharing.
❤ this is a wonderful comment
Amazing my 1979 Les Paul deluxe is my one first guitar I got it from Cairo Egypt 2007 from the original owner, the guitar can tell stories something about it, even though I have done changed the pots refret 50s wiring and 1961 mini PAF from Epiphone sorrento now in the bridge, great episode
So many parallels here. My first real guitar was a ‘69 Les Paul Deluxe goldtop. I got it for Christmas is 1975, when I was 12. It was $500. I initially started playing because of my brother Doug. I am the youngest of 6. There are 6 years between me and the next youngest.
This was great, Love Uncle Larry and having him on your channel is awesome.
I love these chill environments of 2 dudes talking shop. We all love this. Keep this going Robert. We are all music lovers at the end and that shines through in this format.
A few years ago I came to realize that I wasn't a guitarist, but just a guy that owns a few nice-looking guitars. But I still plug along and manage a few nice sounds here and there. But, once in a while, I'll be playing something and think, "Man, I've never heard anyone do this. The world needs to hear!" Then reality sinks in, and I'm just glad a guy like Tom feels like sharing his world to a plug like me! Appreciate you, Tom.
The first studio I recorded in Heartwood Studios I used a 3203 Marshall. Still have it with the matching 4 x 10 cab, recorded with an old Kramer, all bought used. Worked great and did a pile of gigs with it and never let me down. I don't play it often but one amp I will never sell because of so many memories. Tom is so great, just love his videos too. Great video, thanks for posting!
Bro, I totally appreciate this episode. We all have that 1 guitar that means something even if it isn't the best, it's sentimental. Keep these stories coming and well done on this episode.
Love the set list. All Those tunes flooded the rock and roll airwaves. Glad you hung onto the deluxe.
Great stuff. Like your guru bubba story. Nice to get the ship pointed in the right direction. Again great stuff.😎✌️
Ever since discovering Tom from some of his incredible gear videos, I've grown to have a massive respect for Uncle Larry. So awesome to see you guys hanging out here!
I’ve got a black ‘78 Deluxe just like this. It’s my favorite guitar.
That’s a great story, thanks for sharing. My ‘77 Special double cut came with a case just like that.
I have a 1979 Gibson RD Artist bass. The neck is about 3 miles long and has that giant Volute. With the Moog electronics, it is still the best sounding bass I've ever played.
Thank you Robert ! That was an awesome start ! Tom is a fantastic player and very cool cat. I’m also from northeast Ohio and I was particularly amazed when he mentioned Mike Szuter and plugging him … I’m 51, but used to go watch Mike and his brother CJ in their band Outta the Blue …
I love that he kept that one guitar! Thanks for sharing
Beautiful, Robert! Like you and Buk, I was a rocker who came to Nashville in 1998 from California and was welcomed and got a lot of work - road and studio in no time. I'm glad your experience has been positive. I had a black 1977 Les Paul Standard that I paid $600 for with case with money from my first job at Pizza Hut. Wish I still had it.
So cool how an instrument brings out so many memories!
Great first episode! And God Bless Uncle Larry, what a wonderful Christmas story for 12 year old Tommy B.
GUITAR SOUNDS GREAT....!! GREAT VIBE BECAUSE TOM AND ROBERT ARE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE. I love my early to mid 70's LP Customs....they sound killer!
I have a 79 blck lp standard, w/reg sized Humbuckers, and its heavy as well, but it's a great guitar. Nothing wrong with that year. I love the mini buckers! Sounds great!
Great episode. I actually bought one of Tom's amp years ago, a Dr Z Carmen Ghia combo. We met at a hotel in Nashville and did the deal. BTW, I am 6'1", but I was looking up to Tom; he is a big guy.
I enjoyed this video and can relate to it. My dad bought me a 76 Les Paul Deluxe when I was 14. Mine is a cherry sunburst model with a maple neck. It weighs 11 lbs! I remember having lots of microphonic squeal feedback with the original mini-humbuckers. I had mine routed eventually to accommodate regular sized humbuckers. These days the guitar has Fishman Fluence Classic humbuckers in it. It was my first good guitar. I don’t ever want to sell it. Mine could really use a fret job.
Off to a great start! Cheers Robert and Tom!!
Hi Tom, great story of a great guitarist, thanks Robert. Once we get older that's all we have and remember and that's our life, amazing man. Peace guys, thanks again 🙏
This is the series that people never knew they needed! Yes!
This is awesome. Love stories like these, and how can you not love Uncle Larry? Looking forward to more in this series!
Cool to see an Norlin-era LP getting some love. My first guitar was the one he was talking about, a '78 Pro Deluxe in the same black, with the cream P90s. I got it in 1987 at the age of 7. My dad actually bought it for the family, but I was the only one who took interest. It is still my main guitar today, almost 40 years later. Today, it sports DiMarzio PAF '59s and medium jumbo frets.
That was AWESOME! I could have listened to that all day long! Nothing better than sitting and talking gear, gear stories and sharing memories with someone who appreciates it as much as you do! As you look over to see your significant other sound asleep on the couch....LOL! Loved this.
I got into Tom relatively late, well REALLY late. But the guy just exudes class and normality. He brings everything down to earth. Great interview Robert.
Love hearing these stories.we all wish we still had are 1st guitar.
Awesome series Robert👏🏻👏🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 Bukovav is so amazing!! Thank you for this !!
Have owned a 1979 custom for 30+ yeas now. Love that guitar. Amazing pickups and feel.
Robert,
This series is going to explode! Thank You very much.
I really enjoyed watching this!!! I love anything guitar and any kind of guitar documentary!!! And this way right in my lane! Thanks for sharing!
I have a '74 Deluxe in cherry burst that was passed down to me by my uncle who recently passed away. It was bought new back then and stayed in the family. I've owned/sold dozens of guitars and worked on hundreds more, but I've never seen a black finish. These models are truly special LPs, love the pancaked body and mini humbuckers.
I have a '71 Cherry Burst LP Deluxe from my uncle too. These old Deluxes are like an accidental masterpiece!
Totally normal-looking kitchen... except for the half-stack tucked behind the island/counter. That gave me a chuckle.
Fun visit overall, too. Keep up the good work.
It’s weird seeing Uncle Larry’s kitchen from a different angle! 😂
What's awesome is that he's playing guitar in the kitchen....next to the fridge! The half-stack is in the kitchen!! Fantastic.
This was great! Good guitar talk, and getting to know Tom!
Great interview .. love the kitchen setting .. Tom is so chill .. great guy
Great new series and you hit a home run with ep1!! 👍👍🤘
Such a great presentation. Thanks for this, hope the series continues on for many episodes!
Such a GREAT episode! Not only do I enjoy both of you guys as players and speakers, but the history is so cool. Well done and thanks! 👍🏻👍🏻
i knew it was stop draggin my heart around instantly. good shit man. love the channel. The uncle i never had but always needed hahaha. cheers!
What a great freakin video! Keep these coming, man. And Buk is the real deal. Just a dude that hasn’t lost his original love for the guitar after all the years. Too cool.
My buddy still owns the 79 Les Paul Standard he bought new. It weights almost 11 lbs, pancake body, 3-piece maple neck. All original except for a refret. Plays and sounds heavenly 😎
Wow. What a shocker. I have a 1977 model exactly like that one.
I love 70s LP Deluxes and have never seen a black one. I'm in love. 😍💯👍
I think all of us can identify with the moment we got our first real guitar. I remember plugging it in and hearing the distortion from the fender frontman that came with it. It was life changing. The chill that started in my brain and went through my spine and body. I wish I could bottle that. My friends son started playing recently and I asked him what it felt like when he hit his first chord through the amp and he described the chill to a t. Guitar is the best.
At 7:13, I recognized that aqua blue/orange box immediately! That's a Rema Tip Top bicycle innertube patch kit. Went through many of those, over the years...
Funny, Uncle Larry and I are the same age, and I'm also the youngest of five kids. Never got a Les Paul for Christmas, though...
Those 1979 Les Paul Deluxe's also has two other colors Wine Red and Natural plus the other's Tom mentioned. My first guitar was a Cort Effector Explorer with built in effects and my first amp was a Gorilla GG-20 amp.
my first guitar was also a cort effector explorer in white from sears...first amp was a peavey backstage plus...wow, what memories!!! cheers all!!!
I can certainly relate, still possessing my '79 3-Color Burst and Rosewood American Standard Strat. And still having her to this day.
I put her down to raise a family, or two, yet she is the One who got me back into playing and now building
guitars as the day job as well. My own Guitar Guru had his original prized guitar, I think a '74 Custom LP, Tuxedo and Gold,
and we used to tease about owning the two heaviest guitars in the world. Robert and Tom, a very nice Episode 1.
Folks, hang on to those "first" guitars!!! And vintage instruments, with all the 'unique' traits of their era, do age the best.
The joy on Uncle Larry’s face when playing those old riffs…takes him back!
Great story. Christmas 1984. I was taking lessons at Royal Music in suburban Detroit. They had a bunch of Heritage guitars and I would lust after a cherry H150. I was playing acoustic at the time and didn't own an electric and would point out the guitar to my mother after every lesson. Christmas came and I was disappointed there was no guitar when my mother asked to get my father his work coat. This perplexed me as it was Christmas day. I went to the laundry room and grabbed it not noticing it was somehow floating in mid air against the side door. Underneath it was an electric guitar case and a Gorilla Amp. It wasn't the Heritage, too much money, but decent Laguna LP copy. I still have both. Best Christmas.
Thanks guys ! I totally get the back ache thing (less the wallet in the right back pocket) ! Proud owner of 2 x 1972 Cherry Sunburst LP Deluxes, both have been modded, one by me (hey, I was 19, wth did I know) and the other used to have a Bigsby on it from a previous owner. Thank you guys again ! Cheers from Thailand ! 😎🇺🇸🇹🇭🇺🇸⚓️🎸✅☕️🤠😎
My first real guitar was a 1972 Gold Top Les Paul Deluxe that I bought from my cousin for $400 in 1975. I still have it and it's completely original except for one refret that it finally had to have about 7 years ago. I absolutely love how the mini HBs just sing in this guitar. I picked up a closet queen 79 Cherry SB Les Paul KM about 15 years ago, with the cream uncovered bobbins. It is still almost immaculate and is a rock machine. No flies on these Norlin era Gibson Les Pauls!
My first "Real Guitar" was and is a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Tribute in Satin Honey Burst. Love that guitar will never sell it .
I was looking up the Joe Perry Boneyard recently and 10ish years ago he was using then new Tributes on stage, in the mix with his "real" guitars.
If it's right in your hands, that's all it needs to be.
Oh my God ... did you take me back with the Fayreweather antidote. Me and my girl would never miss that band when they came to Chicago. That band was so good .. their version of Squonk was worth the price of admission. This was in '77 and '78 when our number one pastime was going to see live music. Cheap Trick was a bar band. Any way thanks for the trip down memory lane. On another note ... did either one of you know Mark Selby?? He used to play my blues club and he was one of the sweetest people to ever come through my club. Thanks again .... awesome idea for a youtube show.
Love this! Casual and honest Interview. Also alot of info in there also 💪
This video is how I found Tom's channel, Thank You, great theme...
Great episode. Tom is great and love hearing the stories. I had a '69 Deluxe that I got for my graduation in 1974. It sat around a few years. I wrote to Gibson to verify the serial no. It was pretty bright red, not cherry. I butchered it and put three DiMarzio pickups in it and ended up selling it. It was very weighty also, and the head stock broke when it was knocked off the stand. Got it repaired by Virgil Let's in Ahron, OH. I loved ARS and Barry Bailey had one in gold.
Great vid Robert! Tom Bukovac (and the host of this vid) is a class act. Thank you!