TG Matt: Tell me about the guitar that…
Tommy Emmanuel: OK. The Gibson that you bought. In 1999, I think it was, Mike Voltz, who was the arts relations manager and one of Chet’s dear friends, became a good friend of mine as well. Gibson were about to move the electric guitar factory to Memphis and they weren’t going to make electric guitars in Nashville anymore. They were going to do electric guitars in Memphis, acoustic guitars in Montana.
So Mike, at the end of the show on a Saturday night in 1999, which is when I got the certified guitar player on and everything… Mike Voltz came up and said: “This is the last guitar made here. We want you to have it.”
TG Matt: Wow!
Tommy: It was the last “Country Gentleman”. It’s orange and it plays like a dream. I’ve played it a bit when I first got it but then I had to leave it in England when I got divorced and everything. Everything was kind of tied up for a while and it was in storage and then I eventually got it back. Being in England, in storage, the case smells a bit musty but that kind of acts like…
TG Matt: It adds character to it, right?
Tommy: Yes. So, it smells a little bit musty but the guitar is in good condition and it sounds beautiful. There are no marks on it and it plays perfectly.
TG Matt: Is that the guitar? Because I watched a video of Chet playing the song that we talked about…
Tommy: It’s the same guitar.
TG Matt: It’s the same style of guitar.
Tommy: Exactly.
TG Matt: Wow. So, I’m going to have to learn this song, film it playing that guitar…
Tommy: Well, I’d film it for you today…
TG Matt: I’d like to see that.
Man 2: Oh man!
Tommy: …and then you can learn.
TG Matt: And then I’ll film it myself, playing that guitar, and I’ll send you a link to it.
TG Matt: All right. Thanks man. You are a legend.