A fixture on the New York Metropolis music scene within the ’70s, Binky Philips rattling close to made it. His band, The Planets, shared payments with The New York Dolls, Kiss, The Ramones, Tv, Blondie, and others. A file cope with Warner Brothers was proper there on the desk earlier than being quashed by a dishonest and incompetent supervisor.

Earlier than all that, although, Philips was simply an keen music-loving teenager who spent greater than slightly time at Guitar Lab on West forty seventh Avenue, the place workers cherished speaking about cool outdated devices and amps.

“In 1970, throughout the biggest summer season of my life, I used to be their gopher,” he laughs. “I bought to know Carl Thompson, who’d employed me that June, co-owner Charlie LoBue, and Bruce Hoeb, who fastened every thing on guitars besides the electronics, which had been dealt with by Steve Blucher.”

At some point, after Philips had delivered lunch and the boys gathered to eat within the break room, he handed Hoeb’s workbench and seen a well-recognized guitar case. Although he didn’t have permission, he opened it to sneak a have a look at its contents – a Les Paul Normal that belonged to Rick Derringer, ready for Hoeb to restore a 1″ crack on the bass facet of its headstock.

“That was the primary time I’d ever held a sunburst Les Paul,” Philips recollects, and although he didn’t dare play a observe on it, “It glowed with vibe! I simply held it and stared at myself in a mirror hanging within the hallway. I had it out of the case for perhaps 60 seconds, however I’ll always remember the way it felt.”

A fan of Johnny Winter And, Philips was significantly keen on Derringer’s taking part in, which is why his jaw dropped when he walked into Guitar Lab on Could 2, 1972, and noticed the Les Paul hanging on the consignment wall with a price ticket that mentioned “$650” – $100 above the going charge for a ’Burst. Reflexively, Philips shouted towards the counter, the place Thompson stood, “Bought! Carl, please take it down now!”

The primary particular person to see the guitar on the wall (Thompson had hung it simply quarter-hour earlier than), Philips was 19 years outdated on the time, working two jobs and dwelling at house. He occurred to have $652.80 in his financial savings account, and from that second, the Les Paul dutifully served as his important stage and studio axe as The Planets chased stardom.

“If I performed 100 gigs, I used it by way of my 50-watt Marshall on not less than 90 of them,” he says.

For many years, Philips believed the guitar was a ’58 as a result of a tiny black blemish within the wooden distorted the 9 within the serial quantity, however…

“Somebody jogged my memory that there have been no double-cream PAFs in 1958,” he says. “So, I despatched photos to Vic DaPra and George Gruhn, and each decided it was a ’59 not just for the pickup, however the small heel, neck profile, and the wider-flamed maple on its high.

“I seemed extra fastidiously and eventually noticed the blemish within the 9.”

At a look, it’s apparent the guitar is high-mileage.

“The highway rash is 50 p.c Rick’s, 50 p.c mine,” he says. “It’s on a fourth set of frets, and the tuners had been modified to Schallers just a few months earlier than I held it that day in 1970. The one different non-original gadgets are the jack plate – I nonetheless have the half-destroyed authentic – and the G-string saddle.”

He provides that with age the guitar has subtly turn into extra crimson because the clear coat ambered and the brown dye pale.

“With the pickguard eliminated, you may see a strip of ruby crimson operating across the edge and the way the brown began out nearly black. After I purchased it, you couldn’t see the flame on the cutaway bout or by the toggle until you had been in direct daylight. Now you may.

“The double-black bridge pickup has the basic Jimmy Web page PAF snarl – razor-sharp and clear at decrease volumes. And the neck pickup doesn’t sound like every other humbucker I’ve ever heard – it’s a lot glassier than you’d count on, and ultra-articulate. And there may be distinctive acoustic rumble on the low finish, nearly like a J-200. Cranked, it’s so scrumptious that it’s generally tough to modify to the bridge pickup, however if you do, in case you have each pickups in ‘Goes to 11!’ mode, if you bang the toggle down, you get a severe decibel kick.”

After nearly 5 a long time within the music biz as a participant/author in bands, record-store supervisor, unbiased radio promotion man, artist supervisor, file producer, and label proprietor, Philips is now, “…fortunately retired and taking part in guitar on my sofa.” He tends to a group of classic gems that features a ’57 Strat re-fretted by Hoeb within the ’70s (“His work on it nonetheless thrills me greater than 50 years later,” Philips says), a ’54 goldtop, ’61 mono ES-355, ’61 SG Customized, ’61 Strat, ’64 Esquire, ’62 Dwight, and a ’65 Rickenbacker Mannequin 1998. He performs principally by way of a ’66 black-panel Vibrolux Reverb. “I crank it in my windowless storage room,” he says. “I like its super-rich tone and scrumptious breakup – and that basic Fender reverb. Yum!”

Even with all of his goodies, there’s by no means been a second of doubt about which guitar would stay if he may have just one, and few days have handed the place Philips didn’t ponder how destiny introduced it into his world.

“I’m conscious about my success and memorable timing,” he says. “I really feel honored to have 9 0714. It’s the very best electrical guitar ever made.” – Ward Meeker

Binky Philips is the writer of You’re A Liar, Binky Philips, set for launch in September ’25.

This text initially appeared in VG’s August 2025 difficulty. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.