JJ Cale's Guitar

thegummy

Anyone have any clue what this panel is on JJ Cale's guitar?



Looks like an incredibly complex system of switching.

Or is it something as boring as a wireless transmitter?

77ric

The guitar is a Casio pg380 midi guitar according to eqipboard

https://equipboard.com/items/1987-casio-pg-380-midi-guitar

https://equipboard.com/pros/j-j-cale

impmann

It is indeed a Casio midi guitar but afaik he never used the synth/midi aspect

thegummy

Ahhh nice, thanks.

I had ideas of him coming up with some elaborate system of switches or something.

I wonder if maybe he used the midi aspect for his songwriting but never used it live?

richardhomer

thegummy said:

Ahhh nice, thanks.

I had ideas of him coming up with some elaborate system of switches or something.

I wonder if maybe he used the midi aspect for his songwriting but never used it live?

If you want to see elaborate switching - check out the Harmony in this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IaHxPi9dM7o

pigface

I have the PG-310, which is essentially the same guitar but with a Strat-type trem rather than the Floyd-like one on the 380, plus a couple of other minor differences like fretboard wood, as I remember. Used to gig with it long ago. The control panel is largely for controlling the built-in synth sounds, some of which I used live, such as organ and flute. It also has a built-in tuner. Nice guitar.

thegummy

richardhomer said:

thegummy said:

Ahhh nice, thanks.

I had ideas of him coming up with some elaborate system of switches or something.

I wonder if maybe he used the midi aspect for his songwriting but never used it live?

If you want to see elaborate switching - check out the Harmony in this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IaHxPi9dM7o

That's funny that the one I saw wasn't that at all but the same guy does have an elaborate switching system on a different guitar!

richardhomer

thegummy said:
That's funny that the one I saw wasn't that at all but the same guy does have an elaborate switching system on a different guitar!

Cale did all those mods himself - shows you don’t need an expensive guitar to sound great - on his later tours he played a double cutaway Danelectro. 

sweepy

There is also the Casio MG510, basically a Controller version of the PG380 without the sounds and a standard Strat trem. Unfortunately both models suffer from poor electronics theses days and you’ll be lucky to find one where all he MIDI gubbins works correctly

Hydra19

Really strange to see him with this. I doubt he used the synth sounds but he was quite experimental in the studio and was one of the first artists to record a drum machine, which was as radical as a synth guitar back.

koneguitarist

Nice guitars, think they may have been made by Ibanez. 

pigface

Made for Casio by Fuji Gen Gakki who also built Ibanez guitars: https://www.guitar-list.com/casio/guitar-synths/casio-pg-310. This is the one I have. JJ's is the 380 with the Floyd trem.