Hi Folks, it was my friend Ray Russell who was working with George Harrison on the film Water in 1985, that’s when George gifted the Bartell Fretless to Ray. Ray is a very fine musician, composer and a brilliant guitarist who has played with or for some of the biggest names in the industry, think Bowie, Tina Turner, Hendrix, Gary Moore.........the list is endless.
In 2019 he asked on Facebook about the Bartell company, he didn’t know much about them.
I did the research, we took it to the BBC Antiques Roadshow, there were two programmes it featured on, both Ray and myself were on the show
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p096stz7
At the time it was believed that Lennon had the fretless first, subsequent research proved it was in fact given to George Harrison during the first week of August 1967, Al Casey ran a music shop in Hollywood, it was in fact his wife Maxine who took it up to George on Blue Jay Way.
It’s an incredible story in its own right but furthermore it helped me discover the life and times of Paul Barth, the Bartell company and so much more. I have spoken to the friends, family and co workers of the Bartell company owners, Ted Peckels and Mr Barth.
Anyway, it all lead to a book, ‘Finding Fretless’ will be published this summer, it is filled with lots of new discoveries, joins the dots in old stories and proves that Paul Barth’s contributions to the development of the electric guitar is just as influential as his friends and peers, Rickenbacker, Leo Fender, Les Paul etc....
https://thisdayinmusicbooks.com/product ... -fretless/