Sweet little rock ’n’ rollerS
There can be little doubt that the sound of rock ’n’ roll began in the hands of Charles Edward Anderson Berry. Here we look at some of the guitars that helped him make history
When the Chess record label released Chuck Berry’s Maybellene in 1955 a new sound was born. Chuck Berry had cleverly melded an old country tune with some up-tempo rhythm and blues, introduced some lyrics involving a car chase and the deal was done. But it was 1958’s Johnny B Goode that changed the face of popular music forever, with a guitar intro that would echo down the decades, influencing generations of guitar players. Chuck had the pick of the guitar hardware from the 1950s, quickly showing a preference for Gibson’s thinline instruments…
1956 Gibson Es-350 Tn & (circa )1957 Gibson Es -350 T
Of all the guitars that Chuck Berry used in his lifetime, two are predominant: the Gibson ES-350T and ES-335. The evolution of the ES-350 really began back in 1940 with the introduction of the ES-300, a 17-inch-wide archtop with a carved maple top and ‘slant-mounted’ pickup – an elongated affair that traced a diagonal line between the bass and treble strings. By 1947, the ES-350 had appeared in the catalogue; this was essentially a cutaway version of the ES-300, but the somewhat unsightly, clunky pickup had been replaced with a P-90. In 1955, coinciding with the release of Chuck’s first single, Maybellene, a thinline version of the 350 – the ES-350T – was born into the new age of rock ’n’ roll (although it’s alleged that the actual guitar used for the recording session was a Gretsch Duo Jet). Sporting two P-90s, gold-plated hardware and a choice of either Sunburst or, in Chuck’s case, Natural, the model had a further upgrade in mid-1957 when it received Gibson’s brand-new humbucking pickups. Chuck has been pictured with both the P-90 and humbucker versions of the ES-350T and it should be noted that Eric Clapton, when appearing in the movie Hail! Hail! Rock ’N’ Roll, for which The Stones’ Keith Richards produced the music, allegedly went to great lengths to secure a 350T to play on screen.
Gibson Es-335/345&355
It soon became apparent that Chuck had a fondness for the ES-335, as well as its sister models, the ES-345 and ES-355. The release of the ES-335 in 1958 was the same year that Chuck had further hits with Sweet Little Sixteen, Carol and, of course, Johnny B Goode. Another thinline model, but this time with a double cutaway, the 335 took full advantage of the nascent humbucking pickups as well as offering added access to the guitar’s upper register with its 19th-fret neck joint. Chuck’s choice of colour was Cherry, which officially entered the catalogue in 1959, the original finishes on launch being Gibson’s standard of Sunburst or Natural. The ES-345TD followed its sibling 335 a year later, in 1959, and featured stereo electronics and Gibson’s infamous Varitone switching system, which offered the player six preset tonal alternatives via a series of capacitors wired into circuitry under the hood. The Varitone didn’t impress the guitarist fraternity as much as Gibson had hoped, many players adopting ‘Position 1’ (bypass) permanently or disabling the circuitry entirely. Chuck later used a Wine Red 1978 ES-355, the model that had become associated more with BB King, which was at one time stolen from his house and later returned to him by the super-efficient St Louis Police.
Gretsch 6130 roundup
In the 1956 film Rock, Rock, Rock, Chuck plays You Can’t Catch Me on a Gretsch 6130 Roundup, one of a number of Gretsch guitars that he used. It’s documented that he played Maybellene on a Duo Jet and that he owned a 6120 and a White Falcon (see below), but the Roundup, identifiable by its unique belt buckle tailpiece, is a curio. Introduced in 1954, the Roundup shared the body shape of the Duo Jet, with two pickups but with a distinctly Western theme decor, including tooled leather sides.
Gibson Flyin GV
Throughout Chuck’s career, he can be seen with models that fell outside the regimen of Gibson’s 3-Series guitars. One such interloper was another instrument that was introduced in 1958, the Flying V, although shipping records show that only 81 models were made that year and even fewer – 17, in fact – in 1959. The first Vs had korina bodies, but Chuck has been pictured with the post ’67 mahogany variety, with its distinctive shape, twin humbuckers, all frets clear of the body and chrome hardware.
Gretsch G6136dc White Falcon
Introduced in 1955, the White Falcon reigns alongside the 6120 as one of the most popular archtop models the company made.The Double Cutaway version followed in 1962, featuring the same deluxe appointments of its forbear, such as Gretsch’s renowned Filter’Tron pickups and optional Project-O-Sonic stereo functionality. The double-cut feature here means that this version of the Falcon shares a lot of visual characteristics with Chuck’s beloved 3-Series Gibsons, which may explain why he owned one.