My 70's pro-touring years were spent playing my old guitar 'companion', a sample Japanese Les Paul copy made by Greco for Summerfield – who were marketing CSL guitars. (It's pictured here n the right...)

I've owned it from new in 1970 and the only original parts are the neck and body. It's been re-vamped into working order numerous times. It's on its fourth set of pick-ups now - the USA Florida touring sweat used to rot coil windings. My family will hang this one on the wall when I'm gone! It has my DNA entrenched in it and I've literally worn the frets flat! It's now it's natural wood finish again following another recent revamp when my sound man John engineered a single pole pick-up into like Alvin Lee's famous 335 modification. There's an addition volume control for my 'violin' antics.

Today 'Lucille' (picture on the left...) has recently been reclaimed from a friend of mine who occasionally jams with the house band at 'Room 4 the Blues'. Ade Davies always wanted a BB King Lucille and jumped at the opportunity of a sale when gigging this marvellous guitar was giving me back pain! I gratefully accepted Ade's money but he found the guitar didn't quite suit his style and the music his band was doing so he asked if I wanted to buy it back!

To finance the deal I closed a dormant savings account and decided I'd put it back on stage instead of my Gibson 335 ebony dot - another classic guitar that like Lucille starts 'geeky' conversation whenever it comes out of its case! This guitar saw a lot of action at the '12Bar' and there are lots of pics showing me playing this beautiful Custom Shop instrument. Unfortunately it doesn't have the 'mojo' of Lucille – but Lucille won't be doing 3 hour set lists !

The Gibson 335 is up for sale and creating a lot of interest.

A prized possession, which is eminently suited to my hard rock, is my 'Rory Gallagher' custom shop Fender Stratocaster. I bring this into play with for my Rory tribute stuff and it features heavily in the TJ Band set material – particlularly where I mix clean sounds with rasping blues solos. Arguably the Strat is the most flexible of guitars ever produced so I'll probably die with it in my possession!

Read on...My most interesting and individual sounding guitar is one from the actual collection of Rory Gallagher himself…

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