Muddy Waters guitar ID...

[GaryG]

Anyone know what the guitar Muddy is playing here could be, believe the photo is from '79 if that helps:



Cheers.

[pekbro]

It was custom made and given to Muddy by Billy Gibbons apparently.
Probably made by this guy: http://bolinguitars.com

[GaryG]

Wow, that's a positive ID for sure.

Thanks, much appreciated.

[BertKoor]

Then the pic should be dated after 1985, since that's when Bolin began making guitars for Billy Gibbons.

[pekbro]

Yeah, I dunno. I didn't read through the site which is why I said "probably".
The guitar was definitely commissioned by Gibbons, I was unable to find
any definite info on the luthier. Of course, I only spent about 10 mins
searching before getting bored and giving up...

-Cheers

[BertKoor]

Dunno if it's worth something, but Google found an uncropped version of that first pic on Bob Margolin's site, with caption:

Muddy Waters, Bob, and Pinetop Perkins 1978

So based on that all, the luthier of that guitar is back to Unknown...

Paired with this little quote, it's questionable whether you'll ever find out:

People were always asking Muddy how he got this particular sound on a record and what instruments they were playing. Muddy’s answer was usually “Anything we could afford to get our hands on.” And sometimes they couldn’t afford it but they took it anyway.

[BertKoor]

This guitar has surfaced again quite recently:

A guitar commissioned by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top for Muddy Waters and presented to Waters as a gift in 1977

Is that how it came to your attention, GaryG?

[GaryG]

Just somebody asking on Facebook and I was intrigued for some reason (always like a good mystery ). I knew people here can be quite knowledgeable regarding guitars.

Thanks all.

[BertKoor]

Worth a shot maybe: https://billygibbons.com/ask-bfg/