Fender story for Jody Carver

Tony Davis · Post by **Tony Davis** » 2 Mar 2003 3:21 am

Not sure where to put this so I'll try here.
Jody....at the Australian Steel Convention last Sunday....there was a Fender 800 on display......red and black one...and I think a Fender Super reverb....had four speakers in it.
The guitar looked familiar...so I wandered over to have a look and the guy who was displaying it had a book of photos and stuff in his hand.......opened the book and said..let me tell you about it......"It was brought over here sometime in the Sixties by Speedy West who was doing a tour here"...........so I said.."OK...and he sold it to the Late Norm Bodkin who was a friend of mine, who then sold it to a guy by the name of Tony Sweeney !"
He kind of looked a bit stunned and said"How do you know all that?"
So I just told him that Tony was a friend of mine.....and with that guitar he helped me get started......I used to take my guitar around to Tony's and we would put them face to face and he would spend ages showing me licks and runs.......mind you,it took me a long time to talk him into doing this as he reckoned nobody showed him.....but I talked him into it.....also taking a few beers helped !
I used to go watch Tony play every chance I got......but it finished up with him coming to see me......got a kick out of how I got along !
The Fender is in good condition......the plate that covers the changer is still nice and shiny....just some wear marks from the right wrist on the wood near the changer.
Tony used to tune it to D as it would not pull a third string up to G#.
I remember once going to a place where they were recording something.......I had broken my left ankle at the time so was going to play acoustic guitar,which I did........Tony's Fender was set up.......later in the evening after a few beers Tony said for me to play steel on the tape!...yeh! Right!!!!...well he reckoned he was past it......so I finished up doing it ......tuned down to D and using my right foot on the pedals......got by somehow!!!!
Tony now lives several hundred miles North of here and was too Ill to travel to the convention.....but his wife Glenda was there......great to see her after about twenty years...I got big hugs etc.....
Just thought you might be interested in the Fender........I suppose I should have looked for a number on it...just didnt think at the time.
Tony

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 2 Mar 2003 6:42 am

Great story Tony, Thanks. Sure wish you had gotten some pics !!!

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JUST 'CAUSE I STEEL, DON'T MAKE ME A THIEF

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 2 Mar 2003 9:10 am

Send me the airline tickets and I'll check it out

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 2 Mar 2003 9:14 am

Tony
Speedy did tour Australia many many times,so
I can say that your story is TRUE. He did most of that touring during the 60's and he
would have Leo & Don let him take off from his duties of managing the Fender Warehouse in Tulsa. I know because when Speedy was gone
we couldnt get the dammed merchandise shipped
till he returned. He did a few tours with Roy Lanham as well. I will e mail Speedy and tell him.

You should have snapped that guitar up.

I said "WAREHOUSE"

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 02 March 2003 at 09:15 AM.]</p></FONT>

Carl West · Post by **Carl West** » 2 Mar 2003 9:39 am

Jody,
I need your Email address you rascal .

mine is:

ubarndog@earthlink.net

Carl West

Tony Davis · Post by **Tony Davis** » 3 Mar 2003 2:08 am

Jody..
The Fender wasnt for sale...just on display.......Tony did offer it to me in the early seventies for about $500.....but I had just bought a heap of garbage other brand one.......the guy who had it on display paid $2000 for the guitar and the amp!
Tony