Vince Gill Shares the Story Behind His Iconic White Telecaster
Fans know Vince Gill as a top-tier guitar player, often seen with his white 1953 Fender Telecaster. In a recent interview with Robert Baker on YouTube, Gill shared how he got this iconic guitar.
Gill got his white Telecaster in 1978. “They say it’s really rare for it to be a white one. There weren’t but a handful of those”, he said. He didn’t know it was special at the time since he had never owned a Telecaster before.
Vintage guitar dealer
Gill recounted how Larry Briggs, a vintage guitar dealer, traded the guitar at a music store in Del City, Oklahoma, owned by Bob Woods. “I just happened to be in the shop that day with my friend Benny. And I watched this white Telecaster go from Larry Briggs’ possession and Bob traded for it”, Gill recalled.
Magic
Feeling the magic of the guitar, he asked Woods if he would sell it. Woods agreed, and Gill bought it for $450.
Getting a great deal
“This guitar kind of helped make my career”, Gill said. He added that Woods often joked with him about getting a great deal on the guitar. Over the years, Gill has only had to replace the neck pickup and do a few fret jobs on it.
For more details, read the full interview by Clayton Edwards.
