Tool of the trade - a ‘55 Gretsch White Falcon for John Frusciante 💫

 

1955 GRETSCH WHITE FALCON

Vincent Gallo found this guitar for John to buy around 1998 - at the time it was valued at $17,000.00, as he himself stated in an interview with Total Guitar in 2004. When John was asked in an interview if his house was on fire which guitar he would save - he quickly replied "...I think it would be my Gretsch White Falcon" - he also stated that it is his most beautiful guitar. Vincent Gallo found several guitars for John, on this list are his Telecasters, a 1961 Rickenbacker used by James Burton, a Gibson 175 used by Steve Howe in Close To The Edge and the 1961 SG Custom.

"Yes, Vincent found it for me. It's a '55 that used to be his, but he had sold it to someone and he had to buy it back. He's a real handyman and a dealer, you know?" says John of his friend. "He's known as an actor and director, but his real profession is being a great handyman and a dealer!" he smiles. "He got into an argument with this guy and caused a huge fuss to get it back."

Did you want it because it looked good? "No, I wanted it because Matthew Ashman, Bow Wow Wow's guitarist, used one," says John. "His wasn't from the fifties, though, it was made in the seventies, but that's why I wanted one. Back then he and Bernard Sumner from New Order were the two guitarists I was really into." Guitarist Magazine - June 2003

Thanks to jfeffects for the info/text