Gretsch Reissues Bo Diddley Rectangular Guitar

Fred Gretsch presents Bo Diddley with the first reissue of the rectangular guitar.

July 26, 1999 -- For five decades, there has been only one Bo Diddley ... the unmistakable beat ... the pounding rhythm ... the outrageous guitars. Yes, one of the most influential and colorful of the early rock guitar heroes will never be duplicated-but thanks to Gretsch, his signature square guitar will be.

Due to popular demand, Gretsch is reissuing "Big B," the famous rectangle-shaped guitar it custom built for Bo Diddley in the 1950s. Measuring 17.75" x 9.25" x 2" and made of alder and 5-ply maple, the Firebird red semi-hollow body features two FilterTron pickups, a Tune-O-Matic bridge, a "G" cutout tailpiece, and plenty of gold hardware. The 3-piece rock maple neck has an ebonized rosewood fingerboard with "dot" pearl inlays, a black 1957 Duo Jet headstock, and a special Bo Diddley signature on the truss rod cover.

"For Bo's 70th birthday last December 28th, we wanted to do something very special," said Fred Gretsch, President of Gretsch Guitar Company. "So my wife, Dinah, and I went to Gainesville, Florida to give Bo the first re-issue model of the custom guitar we made for him in 1958, 40 years earlier." Mr. Gretsch also added, "The original guitar is in the Hard Rock Cafe on 57th Street in New York City. We went there and duplicated the specs."

Born Elias McDaniel and raised on electric blues in Chicago, Diddley first took up boxing (where he acquired the nickname "Bo Diddley") then carpentry and mechanics before trying music, He cut a demo tape and signed with Chess Records. In 1955, Bo exploded onto the R&B scene with the startling two-sided hit "Bo Diddley/I'm A Man." The classic "Bo Diddley" featured Bo's signature "shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits" rhythm beat which borrowed heavily from African, Caribbean, and Latin-American influences. He had a string of R&B and pop hits through the 1960s, and toured Europe where he greatly influenced such British bands as The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones.

A pioneer guitarist, musician, and showman, Bo's legend grew even greater in the late '50s when he performed with a variety of custom-made guitars. In addition to his famous Gretsch square guitar, Bo had guitars shaped like Cadillac fins, triangles, and circles. He played guitars covered in rabbit fur, leather, and even carpet.

In addition to being a rock guitar pioneer and master showman, Diddley was one of the first to experiment with sound distortions, echoes, and feedback. He laid the foundations of rap with the 1959 hit "Say Man," a jive dialogue between Bo and his maracas player, Jerome Green. Bo has a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Although 70, Diddley continues to perform and record and was nominated for a Grammy in 1997.

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