ELP Pictures at an exhibition, The Sage on Fender El Rio guitar by JamBones

The 1971 video performed by ELP is in four parts on YouTube. This is the accoustic guitar piece from the beginning of part 2/4 using my Fender El Rio. I hope you like it. JamBones

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The Sage
• guitar accoustic the gnome

[davesoroka]

cont...One day two of these girls asked if I could show them this guitar, so we went looking and found one in a store, I think it was the Guitar Shop, on Melrose. I took it down off the wall and held it, played it a little bit. The girls asked me if I was sure this was the guitar of my dreams, and I said yes it was. So they said well, it's yours. They bought it for me right then and there. $650US with case. These were hardcore fans.

[imd12c4funn]

That's a great story.

So you are original owner...nice....

Those girls are a saving grace to human nature.

Are they still fans? That was in the 80's..

[imd12c4funn]

I stumbled to a UK blog

El Reo'ers weighed in-they wouldn't sell at $2500 LBs

Curios, I listed on eBay for $3500. some said I am crazy.& El Rio=POS.

I was intrigued. Americans hate El Rio whereas Brits glorify El Rio eager to lay prostrate in it's presence

Adjsted: Truss rod, fret, nut saddle, El Rio is fav accoustic (stolen 101 ann. Gibson J-200 Birdseye Maple #1 of 250, S/N 90125001-REWARD, notwithstanding)

Well? Your story?

[davesoroka]

Very cool. I've only ever seen two El Rios, and up until now I've never heard of anyone besides me who owned one. I got mine in LA in 1986. There's a bit of a story behind how it came into my possession that I won't get into here. When and where did you get yours? And what kind of strings do you use? I use silk and steel.

[imd12c4funn]

I ran into a guy that used to be on our crew when I toured in the 80's about 2004. I hadn't seen him for 20 years and he told me how I inspired him and he now played drums..

One day he came over with the El Rio and was hurting for cash and asked if I was interested.

I just moved back from out of state, just opened a business and $ was tight.

All I had was $50.

He would take $50 and know I had it rather than the cash he wanted.

Suprised, I bought it then and there

more? see comment

[davesoroka]

@bustacapinlutha My info is that they didn't start making El Rios until 1980. What you got in 1962 must have been something else...

[bustacapinlutha]

@davesoroka I got an El Rio in 1962 while living in San Fernando Valley. Awesomest accoustic ever.

[davesoroka]

I lost track of them in the '90s. One got married and changed her last name, the other moved away and just disappeared. A friend of mine heard this story a few years ago and tracked down one of them, her name is Jan, and when I was doing a show in LA back in 2004, she was there. As part of my show I told the story of my guitar and had Jan stand up a take a bow, to great applause. That was a special moment for me, to be able to thank at least one of those girls and see her acknowledged like that.

[Toxiccheese1990]

hi man nice gutiar playing, could you or some one please help. I own one of these Fender El rios and am wondering how much it is worth. Thanks

[davesoroka]

Well, I was in LA in the mid-'80s, used to hang out at this little sidewalk patio cafe, me and a friend would plug in an amp and sit there, write a song, play for hours. After a few months we had several folks, mainly a certain few girls, who came down night after night to sit with us. I had an old Yamato model 118 folk guitar with a pickup stuck on it. I was always talking about this mythical guitar, this Fender El Rio, I'd seen in a music store up in Vancouver, Canada. cont...