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Joe Bonamassa now owns this ultra-rare electric guitar from Norman’s Rare Guitars
“This guitar represents the birth of the solid body electric guitar industry,” Bonamassa explains.
Image: Instagram via Norman’s Rare Guitars
Guitar virtuoso/connoisseur Joe Bonamassa just purchased one of Norman’s Rare Guitars’ most prized electric guitars.
Billed as “one of Norm’s favorite guitars”, the instrument in question is an original — and certainly pristine-looking — 1950 Fender Broadcaster once owned by famed studio guitarist Al Hendrickson, who during his life worked with the likes of Elvis Presley, Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee, Woody Herman and more.
“Big thanks to Uncle Norm for selling me his flagship 1950 Fender Broadcaster,” Bonamassa writes of his latest acquisition, adding that the Broadcaster is the “second nicest” he’s ever seen – the first being the vintage Broadcaster owned by Paul McCartney guitarist Brian Ray.
“It weighs 6.8 pounds,” Bonamassa adds. “If you know you know. That’s light for this era. This guitar represents the birth of the solid body electric guitar industry. It’s just as cool 73 years after it was made as it was on day one.”
In a recent episode of Norman’s Rare Guitars’ Guitar of the Day series starring the Broadcaster, founder Norman Harris says that “This is a guitar that really is painful for me to sell.”
He shares that Bonamassa has had “dibs” on the instrument for “quite a while,” and that as far as guitars go, “it doesn’t get any better than this.”
“This is one of the most important guitars I’ve ever sold. This is something I’ve had stashed for many years, and it’s just time to [sell] it.”
While the Broadcaster, indeed, marks an important acquisition for self-professed gear nerd Bonamassa, in the grand scheme of things it’s just one of many in his ever-growing collection; the blues maestro reportedly owns over 500 guitars and 500 amps at the time of writing.
“People come to my house and they are overwhelmed, and it is overwhelming,” Bonamassa told Kenny Aronoff in a recent interview.
“If I went into it blind – not knowing what to expect or just seeing a few pictures on Instagram – the sheer magnitude of it all, would overwhelm even the most jaded collector,” he said. “The difference is, I live there! So I wake up, I get my coffee and there’s hundreds of guitar amps around [me].”
Check out Bonamassa’s latest gem in action below.