Jimi Hocking

Jimi: My main guitar for so many years! 'Goldie', originally a Deluxe, is highly recognisable to anyone who has seen me play at just about any stage of my life — I have used her in virtually every band I have ever played in. She has standard wiring; however that's a real 1959 PAF in the neck!

Her sound and playability are still the yardstick for any other solid body guitar I look at. This was the main guitar used on the infamous No Turning Back album in 1989, and again on my 2010 album Electric Mojo Machine.

Jimi: This is the guitar that started my obsession with this model, my first Les Paul. I paid $625 for this guitar around 1983. Originally a deluxe with mini humbuckers the old faithful has seen many changes and repairs, including radical weight reduction surgery!

She is loaded with an old set of Seymour Duncan SH-1's and has a coil tap switch for the neck, a mod I had done many years ago, and still favour.

Jimi: When I got my first Les Paul I had a beat up SG as my backup guitar... they were considered a good budget instrument. I have owned a number of them over the years, but they lack balance. However, I like their sound and neck access... and, like a 335, they are great to sit down to play in the studio.

This '87 has the deeper neck join and a wide neck; I traded my '71 SG for it and have been very happy with it. The white finish is reminiscent of the SG LP that Les was photographed with in the 60's ... although Les did not like them one bit!

Jimi: This non-cutaway 125 is an absolute killer, and is one of my most important instruments. During the Give Jimi Some Love! period, I was playing in a lot of 'outside' keys for a guitar player (B, C, Ab), so I really didn't miss the cutaway.

I ended up playing her full on for some time, when a health problem had me searching for a light weight guitar with a big sound. She really challenged many of my construction preconceptions... I mean she is completely hollow but I can get everything from T Bone to Hendrix out of her! I always thought you needed solid wood for that. Somehow in my mind my the 175 and 125 are the Uncles of the Les Paul-shaped top, good balance (with a single cutaway), traditional Gibson neck and thick harmonic tone.

Jimi: While recording the World Gone Crazy album with the Jets, we really wanted a Telecaster. Fender sent some over but they were all 'hot rodded'. Grubisa put together this vintage replica for me from swamp ash, and rewound some old pickups, even the correct cloth wire was used internally.

The result was spectacular, a completely authentic sounding Tele. It's the first thing you hear on that album ... my Scotty Moore impersonation on 'Elvis'. I then went on to use this guitar for my first blues album Blue Guitar, the Tele through a Boss SD-1 into a little 'Goldentone' amp. I still have people ask me about the guitar sound on that record.

Featuring P90 Pickups and Gold Top Finish Jimi:"And so it begins again. Screaming Jets rehearsal. See you at Blues On Broadbeach."

Jimi:"That aint no vintage guitar ! Yep, but I sometimes get the urge to play this thing. Yamaha RGX A2... Apparently one of the lightest guitars available. The sound might surprise you, I'm taking it along to The Catfish Fitzroy tonight to play with the house band."

Jimi:Got out the '56 and the vintage MXR pedals out, we must be recording.

Jimi:My butchered/modified 1976 Gibson Explorer. Big fat tone machine. It is a legit '76 but somebody did a number on it, I had a new bridge fitted to fix the harmonics.

Australian guitar legend Jimi Hocking will embark on a series of guitar clinics for Yamaha in March and April, in which he’ll demo the great new Revstar guitar range, Vox amps and show you a thing or two about guitar playing.

Jimi:I've been experimenting with a 'mini rig' for the Blues Train this Saturday night, I hope it sounds as good there as it does at home ! Vox Pathfinders, Carl Martin, '71 Deluxe.

**Jimi: **I then went on to use this guitar for my first blues album Blue Guitar, the Tele through a Boss SD-1 into a little 'Goldentone' amp.

Jimi: Got out the '56 and the vintage MXR pedals out, we must be recording.

Jimi: Got out the '56 and the vintage MXR pedals out, we must be recording.