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Heritage Owners Club

Leon Rhodes Style Tele?


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Posted

MAybe I made this up but I thought I saw a Leon Rhodes Heritage on here before the site went down last week. I did a search and could not find it. Does anyone remember it? I had never heard of this guitar but I love Leon's playing and would love to know more about it or if it sold.

thx

rick

Posted

John had his for sale: I think we lost a few days of posts

 

Here's mine. Several passed though HOC member's hands; John's is the blue one, there was a white one, Tulk1 had one, and I ended up with the red one. I'm not sure how many more there were. This was a very limited-run guitar; set neck, mahogany, three split pickups with three three way switches. I had hopes of working with Tom Short on reworking mine to have an Epi-style minibucker up front in a Brent Mason-style three pickup configuration, since Rhodes use to play a red Epi hollowbody and then went to teles. (I'm a big Leon Rhodes fan myself.) Just at that time, however, Tom had health problems and stopped winding, and I've never picked up the project. I guess I'm sort of hoping against hope that he'd get back to winding. I've never heard a mini I like as much as his. Oh well.

 

The guitar pictured with it is an employer one-off, mahogany backed eagle. Most of my Heritage guitars are limited runs or one offs --although only one ordered by me.

 

010-4.jpg

Posted

John had his for sale: I think we lost a few days of posts

 

Here's mine. Several passed though HOC member's hands; John's is the blue one, there was a white one, Tulk1 had one, and I ended up with the red one. I'm not sure how many more there were. This was a very limited-run guitar; set neck, mahogany, three split pickups with three three way switches. I had hopes of working with Tom Short on reworking mine to have an Epi-style minibucker up front in a Brent Mason-style three pickup configuration, since Rhodes use to play a red Epi hollowbody and then went to teles. (I'm a big Leon Rhodes fan myself.) Just at that time, however, Tom had health problems and stopped winding, and I've never picked up the project. I guess I'm sort of hoping against hope that he'd get back to winding. I've never heard a mini I like as much as his. Oh well.

 

The guitar pictured with it is an employer one-off, mahogany backed eagle. Most of my Heritage guitars are limited runs or one offs --although only one ordered by me.

 

 

 

Some excellent historic intel here....thank you!

Posted

Yep, I had a blue one. Got it from Brent. Sold it to John Coach a few years back. Is that the one that was for sale? Again?

Posted

Yep, I had a blue one. Got it from Brent. Sold it to John Coach a few years back. Is that the one that was for sale? Again?

 

Yes, I think so. I did a quick search and saw an old add from Brent that said 4 were made. Seems like I remember there was a white one, That's about all I know.

 

I did take mine to a rehearsal of the geezer band I used to play in, and I actually enjoyed playing it --plays well, light, just not crazy about the pickups and switching.

Posted

BTW, I had typed John Covach. Auto correct kicked in and I didn't catch it.

 

Anyway, yeah, agreed on the pickups. I was just unable to coax a sound out of them that I was happy with.

Posted

IMG_0147_zpsbydvach5.jpg

 

Didn't mean to hijack the thread --important thing is John's guitar. The Eagle and my Rhodes ended up in the same pic because I bought both through Brent during a semester when I was teaching abroad, and he held both until I got back and then shipped them out, so, a unique two-new guitar day, four or so years ago.

Posted

Damn! I am thinking that the prophecy may not be fulfilled until I own one of these!

Posted

Damn! I am thinking that the prophecy may not be fulfilled until I own one of these!

Hey, why stop now?! You are on a roll, man! DOOO IIITT!!

Posted

Damn, I just pulled up a youtube of Rhodes-Bud Boogie, is that ever sweet. Never heard of Leon Rhodes until now, but I think I am hooked as I love this kind of country music. I just found Townes Van Zandt a couple months ago too, and been listening to him.

Posted

Damn, I just pulled up a youtube of Rhodes-Bud Boogie, is that ever sweet. Never heard of Leon Rhodes until now, but I think I am hooked as I love this kind of country music. I just found Townes Van Zandt a couple months ago too, and been listening to him.

 

If you like TVZ you might also like Steve Earl.

Posted

 

If you like TVZ you might also like Steve Earl.

I like Steve Earl, Copperhead Road, correct? I met his niece when I took a trip to Nashville, she was a budding young picker who took the stage in a local Honky Tonk showcase

Posted

Leon Rhodes rules for swing music! I think it is cool that Heritage's founders thought enough of him to give him a model.

Posted

Leon Rhodes is one of Rendal's favorite gui-tar pickers. He was the one who arranged this model. The pickup placement was something Leon had specified. Unfortunately Leon never approved of the overall guitar. The ones that do exist are sort of like prototypes.

Posted

The Willy/Leon video....that must be ET's band backing Willie. That is Jack Greene on Drums before he was a C&W star

Posted

I imagine the original plastic and bill lawrence pickups would be desirable on one of these guitars. There are probably four or five. They were all probably sold or traded through j.p. It is personally my favorite heritage model. I love the pickguard shape and the sound of the pickups. Its like a set neck all mahogany tele, bw a middle pickup. To me this guitar represents the best of the early experimental slab body heritage models and really captures the vibe of the company, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the american eagle. I think it wasnt ornate enough for leon. Its too bad. I believe rendal put a lot of love into this model.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pP9mDEri85o

The four owners are and were real people in the world of manufacturing, but rendal has always been the heart, soul, and sound of heritage. ...and jack too. who here has heard jack sing? Those two are the sweetest.

 

 

...and then theres bill...

Posted

Damn, I just pulled up a youtube of Rhodes-Bud Boogie, is that ever sweet. Never heard of Leon Rhodes until now, but I think I am hooked as I love this kind of country music. I just found Townes Van Zandt a couple months ago too, and been listening to him.

Give Whitey Morgan a listen, old school outlaw country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHhZO21SGI4

Posted

I imagine the original plastic and bill lawrence pickups would be desirable on one of these guitars. There are probably four or five. They were all probably sold or traded through j.p. It is personally my favorite heritage model. I love the pickguard shape and the sound of the pickups. Its like a set neck all mahogany tele, bw a middle pickup. To me this guitar represents the best of the early experimental slab body heritage models and really captures the vibe of the company, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the american eagle. I think it wasnt ornate enough for leon. Its too bad. I believe rendal put a lot of love into this model.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pP9mDEri85o

The four owners are and were real people in the world of manufacturing, but rendal has always been the heart, soul, and sound of heritage. ...and jack too. who here has heard jack sing? Those two are the sweetest.

 

 

...and then theres bill...

 

The Texas Troubadours video you included in that post is terrific!

It's nice to read up on some of the the back story of how Rendall and Leon worked together on this particular model.

 

Just curious....are you who I think you are???

 

If so, big smiles and a hi five......I hope your well!

 

If not, big smiles and a hi five......I hope your well!

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