If you say "BillyBo" I'll cry.
In 1965, The Innovator, his majesty, Bo Diddley appeared sporting a space age custom built guitar that drew alot of interest. Contrary to popular belief and incorrect information, it was NOT a Gretsch. It was built by a "former Gretsch employee". Many decades later Bo gifted that guitar to his friend and ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons. Because Billy didn't want to risk damaging the relic on the road, he approached Gretsch to make a "decoy". That resulted in the BillyBo Jupiter Thunderbird. A solid body approximation, mass produced and re-released. A bulky solid body replica. Can you say "corner cutting" ? Now I'm sure the versions Billy recieved were killer, but what you and I can get... not so much. Until now.
The RBG Jupe is light weight, oozing with style, and with 6 selectable pickup configs including out of phase parallel options, it can make some incredible tones.
A few years back, the hottest retro rocker on the planet, JD McPherson comissioned a custom build version of this legendary guitar. If you are interested, you can watch the video that inspired this design and build here: JD McPherson Rig Run Down
The Jupe is also available in any configuration
• Semi-hollow chambered body. Solid Mahogany center post
• Custom machined brass hardware switch and knob plates
• Spacely Sprockets fretboard inlays
•Steinberger high precision tuners allows a safer headstock angle
• twin carbon fiber reinforcement and dual action truss rod
• custom made Curtis Novak Hi-Lo Humbuckers with 6 position switch for series and parallel config
• NOS OEM Gretsch Tune-o-matic bridge
• Bigsby B5 tremolo
• custom herringbone purfling
