NEVILLE’S ADVOCATE

This month Nev Marten struggles to convince himself that he doesn’t need a new Les Paul. He could be crumbling...

Funny how things go when it comes to gear. I know some people think I’m a GAS freak (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), but in reality that’s not actually the case. I don’t amass guitars. And I rarely ‘buy’ anything new. I prefer to trade up to the next best thing (or just as likely the flavour of this particular month). Guitars, amps and pedals do certainly go through my hands, but I currently own just 11 instruments: six electrics, four acoustics, including a nylon-string and a Martin Dreadnought Jr that I keep at my sister’s abroad; and a Fender Jazz bass.

I’ve been very settled with the stuff I own, to the extent that I was talking across the desk to editor Jamie about it just the other day. “I’ve got all the guitars I need and I’m not using amps on stage, apart from a Fender Deluxe for pubs and my Blues Junior ‘Woody’ for home,” I said, with absolute certainty. “If anything I’m more likely to scale back further, as there’s nothing on my radar that I particularly want, or need.”

Cut to later that same day (I kid you not!), and I return to the office having taken a trip to World Guitars, just a 40-minute drive away, to wish my mates Smiffy and Jules a happy Christmas. In my hand I’m carrying a brown Lifton-style Gibson case. Looks of resignation drift across the faces of the assembled guitar journos, but they’re all keen-as-you-like to taste a bit of what’s inside.

Now, I’ll just backtrack here and say that I’ve only rued the sale of one guitar recently, and that’s an aged ’56 Reissue Goldtop with P90s. I let it go for a True Historic ’57 Custom in black with which, while it’s a stupendous thing, I’ve never really bonded. The thing is, the P90s in the ’56 were fabulously good, and it seemed to do so much more than the Custom which, truth be told, is a bit of a one-trick pony. Okay, a thoroughbred one-trick pony! The P90s will clean up beautifully, go coarse and wiry, bloom into delightful jazziness, or roar like a demented tiger when you want them to. The Custom, on the other hand, just wants to leap out of the trap and bolt for the finish line. Being hugely generalistic it’s built for rock – Thin Lizzy, The Sex Pistols, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde – and that’s not really me.

Anyway, back to my arrival with that case. I open it to reveal another Goldie, this time a non-aged True Historic ’56. Almost out of politeness I’d asked what WG had in stock that might interest me. Among all the figured maple tops and other amazing axes on show I almost didn’t spot the plain Jane in the corner. Lamenting with Jules about my own departed ’56 he pointed this one out and suggested I try it. It was early and the shop was quiet so I took it down, nipped into the demo room and plugged into a 30W Matchless head and cab and a row of DigiTech Hardwire pedals.

Instantly it did all those things above and more. It was the most resonant Les Paul I can remember playing – a real Schwang machine if I can borrow one of That Pedal Show’s pet terms (T-shirt to the usual address, Mick!). Acoustically it would have made Nigel Tufnel proud, but plugged in it sang like a bird. And when everyone else tried it, they affirmed my beliefs that it was indeed a bit special.

All that said, I’m still humming and hawing about it. Even with a trade-in it’s a substantial outlay. However, our friend and music editor Jason Sidwell works by a very sensible tenet: “Is it a ‘desire’ or a ‘require’ thing?” If it’s solely the former, possibly think again. If it’s the latter, then it’s a no-brainer. If it’s a bit of both then you have to weigh things up. Well, you know where I stand in the ‘desire’ camp, but what about the ‘require’?

Well, as it happens, my main gig is with rock ‘n’ roller Marty Wilde, whose first serious guitarist was the marvellous and late lamented Big Jim Sullivan. Now, when the early British rockers made it their Hofners and Dallases gave way to Gibsons and Fenders (concurrent with the end of the UK’s embargo on ‘luxury’ goods). Marty bought a Les Paul Goldtop from Sister Rosetta Tharpe and that was what Big Jim used until he could afford his ES-345. So there it is: the perfect guitar for my actual gig. Desire and require fully requited.

You see, I’m doing that thing we all do: convincing myself that I need it. I’ll let you know next month what I decide, but for now that small brown case is sitting at the side of my desk. I’m sure it just winked at me!