Lou Reed's 1992 Fender Danny Gatton Signature Telecaster
Musician
Lou Reed
(American, 1942 - 2013)
Maker
Fender
(American, founded 1946)
Date1992
ClassificationsMusic
DescriptionLou Reed's 1992 Gibson Custom Shop Signature Artist Series, Danny Gatton Telecaster, serial number DG-0036, in frost gold finish. The guitar, nicknamed "Goldie" by Reed, features single cutaway swamp ash body, bolt-on maple neck, maple fingerboard with black dot inlays and cubic zirconium side markers, STB stainless steel bridge, and white pickguard. In a black Tolex fender case with tape reading, "Lou Reed Locker #15."According to Lou Reed's guitar tech, Stewart Hurwood, the standard Joe Barden pickups have been replaced with vintage Telecaster pickups, owing to Reed's interest in achieving new sounds. Hurwood further noted: "Lou played this guitar a lot! And loved it! It's a great guitar...with 'Goldie' Reed had an instrument that perfectly fit his style."
According to a January 1993 interview in The New York Times, Reed purchased Goldie in either December 1992 or January 1993. An early live performance with Goldie came several weeks later, when Reed played "Warrior King" on a February 16, 1993, appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Reed used Goldie throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, where it made appearances during his Ecstasy and NYC Man tours, last making the rounds in 2006. Reed's most notable performance with Goldie came during his rendition of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" at Radio City Music Hall for the October 2, 2001, televised tribute event "Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music."
Lou Reed (1942-2013) was an American musician and songwriter known for his work with The Velvet Underground and later as a solo artist. Reed began playing music at a young age, reaching the singles chart while still in high school with his doo-wop band the Jades. Reed came up in the New York City music scene of the early-1960s, where he helped form the band that became The Velvet Underground. The Velvets were adopted by artist Andy Warhol, who helped them secure a recording contract and insisted on bringing in German singer Nico to feature on vocals. The band's first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) was initially met with little commercial or critical success, but has since been considered a pioneering album in the psychedelic and art rock genres. Reed recorded four albums with the Velvet Underground.
Reed left the Velvets in 1970 over disagreements in the direction of the band. His second solo album, Transformer (1972) was written with the help of David Bowie and became his most commercially successful release of his career, thanks in large part to the song "Walk on the Wild Side." Reed continued to produce solo work throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with a brief reunion of The Velvet Underground in the early 1990s. Reed was a prolific songwriter, releasing 22 studio albums and several live and compilation albums across his career.
3D Model
