Bob Meadows

[Jussi Huhtakangas]

Bobbe, that sure cleared the mystery. I do have a couple of questions though; is this the same guitar you're pictured with on your website? The b&w photo of a handsome young Mr Seymour with a doubleneck Bigsby, the name on the front covered with white "masking tape"? In that photo there's a cam lever on the front neck. It seems to be gone now. And Jim, if Bobbe made new endplates, that's why you don't find a date on the guitar. Bobbe, did the guitar have pedals ( as a triple neck ) when you got it? In the photo I have of Bob it has no pedals.

[Bobbe Seymour]

Jussi, When I first met Bob and saw this guitar in Ft.Worth in '57-8, Bob was playing at a club on Belknap Blvd. called "Rose's Western Club".
Bob had four pedals on it at that time (as a triple neck of course). All four pedals pulled and released from pickup end except one string that released from the keyhead end. (I even remember Bob's copedent!)
Bob had had these pedals added in '55 by PAB he told me. The guitar was played origianlly with no pedals. Bob was working making saddles at Leddy's Western Wear in Ft.Worth when I met him in '57.

I added the pedal setup it seems to still have now in '64, in the exact same style (cable-pully) that Paul Bigsby and the original MSAs that I had built.

Bob told me a story about driving to a job one night with the whole band in his light green '54 Pontiac. He said he had to tie the steel guitar case on top of the car with the bass fiddle to make room for everyone to ride inside the car.
On the way at about 55 MPH a dog ran out in front of the car, Bob hit the brakes and the bass fiddle and steel guitar slid off the roof, on to the highway, the bass was totally smashed, the Bigsby was perfect, just some scratches on the case, sliding down the road, STILL IN TUNE!!!!!!! (He claimed)

The end castings on the guitar now, you may notice, have an almost square bend at the corners where the original Bigsbys have a very round contour casting at the corners. The castings I made are also slightly thicker, about 60 thousandths.
The original serial number I(believe) was 2-4-50.
Bob drove from TX. to Philox St. in Downey CA. to pickup the guitar when it was finished but Paul wouldn't let him take it until the case was finished, So Bob waited another three days while Paul Bigsby (PAB as he liked to be called) built the case. Bob begged paul to let him have the guitar immediatly so he could get back to TX., but Paul would not hear of it. "My guitars only leave here with their cases",

I have many more great stories about this guitar, but space and time won't permit.

No Jussi, this is not the guitar in my website picture taken in '61 (or so), that guitar was originally owned by Marion Hall (Town Hall Party in LA) then was Billy Braddy's in Dallas TX, then mine, then it went to an unknown player, then Stevie Ray Vaughn and his brother Jimmy Vaughn, then to it's present owner, (famous guitar player star named "Jr. somebody" that recorded "Highway patrol") this guitar is also still in the same "Billy Braddy" configuration, 6 pedals, Herbert H. Hise tuner and all. Bob Meadows guitar never had a Hise hand tuner.

Bobbe Seymour

[John Rosett]

I'm dredging up this old topic because I'm trying to find out about the mandolin player, and his instrument pictured here with Mr. Meadows. His name is Buddy Wallis, and his Fender electric mandolin has five strings. I believe that the fifth string was added later, but I sure would like to know more.

[Jack Hanson]

Super photo Mister Rosett! And what a great continuation to this most interesting of threads. Most anxious to hear comments from Misters Seymour and Lucker.

[Jack Hanson]

And those amps! The one on the left is obviously from Fullerton. Is it a Twin? And on the right, is that a Standel?