Steve Cropper’s Guitar

He wasn’t popular with the general music lover public because he always just wanted to be in the band,

but Steve Cropper was a legend among professional musicians.

As a huge fan of Soul Music, I loved Sam and Dave. The intro to Soul Man was so iconic.

The younger me always wondered who Sam was talking to when he said, “Play it, Steve.”

Now I know.

Steve Cropper was on so many of my favorite songs. He was the backbone of Green Onions by Booker T and The MGs. When the organ needed that structure, it was provided by Steve Cropper.

How many times have you heard Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding? That’s how many times you heard Steve Cropper play those guitar licks.

Wilson Pickett depended on him In The Midnight Hour.

Eddie Floyd had him Knock On Wood.

Johnny Taylor sang Who’s Making Love while Steve Cropper provided the groove.

The list is endless and goes past his early days at Stax Records.

But Every Guitar Has A Story must ask what guitar was he playing?

The answer is a 1956 Fender Esquire. It had a single pick up.

He had it painted Candy Apple Red, but people swore he had a purple guitar.

He played it until the frets wore down and moved on.

Those Stax Record days were magic.

Where is that guitar? The Smithsonian has it on display in Washington, D.C.

^{We met a 1957 Fender at the Indiana Guitar Show.}

1957 Fender Strat

^{Eddie will explain how it works and what it is worth}

^{https://youtu.be/rUAv3xOsfBo?si=PDzDqNvxKQ3XG45z}

Gordon Lightfoot’s guitar

^{It is always fun to talk about famous guitars. We all heard this one. A huge amount of people have seen it live over the years. It was a 1947 Martin D-18. It was played on stage and in the studio by Gordon Lightfoot.}

^{It had two modifications. One was a shield to protect the back as well as the noise from Lightfoot’s belt buckles. The other was a smiley face decal on the back from Lightfoot’s daughter.}

^{It sold for $380,000.}

^{This was the 50th anniversary of “Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.”}

^{Gordon Lightfoot passed away in 2023. He was 84.}

^{Old Martins tend to have interesting stories.}

^{Here’s one we found:}

^{https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmcKTWw082s}

Serious Changes in Electric Guitars

What happens when an airplane engineer starts designing guitars?

Hal Hammer shows us Hugh Norton's innovative genius that never caught on.

Very rare Norton Python guitar. Very Cool.

Very Rare Norton Python guitar

Watch this episode of Every Guitar Has A Story