Jim Croce's Guitar

[Fatstrat]

I've just spent the last hour researching Jim Croce's guitars. While there is no definitive list, there are many pictures of him him playing various guitars. In which it would certainly appear that he owned several. All of them of identifiable common manufacture. There is not one pic of Jim playing or holding the guitar in question. Of which I also found several other pics. None of which ID the manufacturer. Interestingly, in none of them did I see a plaque or anything ID'ing the guitar as JIM's. It appears to be "just a guitar on the wall". That patron's might "presume" was Jim's.
I also found the aircraft in which he died. And while I suppose it could be possible that he had them all packed in it. It's really not that big of a plane. Especially if you figure in Maury Muehleisen's guitars. And that there were 6 people on board that were killed. All presumably having some luggage.
I think it's safe to assume that Jim left a few guitars at home. And that not all were destroyed in the crash.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Jim+...2F%3B575%3B383
(the twin tailed plane next to the pic of him & his wife)
Which begs the question. If his widow wanted to put out one of his guitars, why not one he was known to have? Instead of one that it's presence in the cafe is the ONLY connection?
I'm not saying that 100% it's not HIS guitar. Could be an old cheapie the had laying around. Just that I find it suspicious. I'm skeptical like that.

[Fire&Rain]

I believe this could be a TAMA model 3555 shown here:
http://www.hufschlag.info/html/my_collection.html

Made in Japan with a connection to Ibanez. In production 1974-79. One of the brochures lists an importer with an address in PA, which was Jim's neighborhood.

[Dreadfulnaught]

Interesting. It does look like a TAMA logo but according to the linked website they indeed did not start making them until the year after Jim's death. Maybe Ingrid did not want to risk displaying his actual D35, so they substituted this. The pickguard shape was throwing me but on close inspection it is a correct Martin shaped pickguard that has potato chipped.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by billgennaro

FWIW, Croce's restaurant/pub has moved recently out of the Gaslamp district in downtown San Diego to the Banker's Hill district in midtown. I guess the rent just got too astronomical. It seems weird to see it sitting kind of isolated where it is now, instead of snuggled deep in the heart of the Gaslamp with some 70 other restaurants around it. It was iconic in its old location and was there for decades.

That is a shame. I ate there back in 2000 when I was down there looking at Law Schools. (Decided that San Diego would not be particularly conducive to studying... <G>) Ate at a table on the sidewalk where we could people watch and also hear the jazz band in the bar. Great food.

Wound up having a drink with Sidney Pollock at the bar while we were waiting for a table, who what waiting on some friends he was going to have dinner with. When I asked what he was doing there he answered "well, I gotta be somewhere." Nice guy.

TW

[otis66]

Originally Posted by Ramesses

Looks like a 70's luthier called Petillo upon mucho image searches. Looks pretty similar logo-wise.

I stopped by Petillos shop in Jersey a few years ago, about a year before he passed, and his son adjusted my GC6 for me. He gave me a small ruler and showed me how to adjust my guitar. I still have a couple of packs of Petillo strings.

[lukegard22]

A couple images found online ... still no authoritative source on make/model.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by lukegard22

A couple images found online ... still no authoritative source on make/model.

Wow! Way to revive a dead thread. I wonder if anyone ever got a real answer. Unfortunately the move further uptown didn't work and the place was closed a couple of years back.

I'd been there and spoken to Ingrid and Jim (the "new" Jim....2nd husband). They were both super nice and new Jim doesn't worry about old Jim being discussed around him. Ingrid showed me some guitars and some of Jim C's artwork. It was a nice place that ALWAYS had live music (saw a friend play there). A shame San Diego is so pricey that it had to end.

[Tube Sound]

These two images show the same guitar. Look at the markers on the fretboard. Maybe someone will recognize the markers, headstock shape, etc. Should be able to figure out maker.

[Jackson T]

The guitar was built for Jim by Phillip Petillo. He also made guitars for James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen,Tom Petty and Johnny Cash. This guitar was played and prizes by Jim but was damaged in a house fire in 1987. Ingrid and her husband Jim#2 are good friends of mine so I asked and this is what I was told.

[PHJim]

Jim is pictured holding a D21 on the Operator LP cover. I believe Martin made a Jim Croce D21 with Jim's signature inlaid on the board.
I know that this is not the guitar pictured at the top of this thread, but I believe that question has already been answered by Jackson T.

[VJP5]

Originally Posted by Jackson T

The guitar was built for Jim by Phillip Petillo. He also made guitars for James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen,Tom Petty and Johnny Cash. This guitar was played and prizes by Jim but was damaged in a house fire in 1987. Ingrid and her husband Jim#2 are good friends of mine so I asked and this is what I was told.

Very nice of you to ask......and super cool for her to reply! I can only imagine the millions of questions she's been asked about her husband over the years.

He was absolutely one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to learn how to play the acoustic guitar.

[difalkner]

Jim Croce was definitely one of my favorites, and his music still is.

I was working in a plastics plant in 1973 and wanted to go to the concert at NSU in Natchitoches, only 60 miles to the south, but had to work a bit late that evening and be at work early the next morning, it just wasn't going to work out. I just figured I would catch him when he came to the Shreveport area. When I found out the next day that his plane went down it was like someone knocked the wind out of me - couldn't believe what I was hearing.

But I'm glad his music lives on. I wonder where his music would have taken him had the plane not gone down...?

David

[frances50]

Originally Posted by difalkner

Jim Croce was definitely one of my favorites, and his music still is.

I was working in a plastics plant in 1973 and wanted to go to the concert at NSU in Natchitoches, only 60 miles to the south, but had to work a bit late that evening and be at work early the next morning, it just wasn't going to work out. I just figured I would catch him when he came to the Shreveport area. When I found out the next day that his plane went down it was like someone knocked the wind out of me - couldn't believe what I was hearing.

But I'm glad his music lives on. I wonder where his music would have taken him had the plane not gone down...?

David

Jim Croce would have probably been as popular as James Taylor is today. Probably still playing to big venues into his 70's if he had lived.

[hairpuller]

Easy Frances! I appreciate all the love here for Croce, but he was no James Taylor, IMHO, of course.
<steps away from the forum quietly>

[frances50]

Originally Posted by hairpuller

Easy Frances! I appreciate all the love here for Croce, but he was no James Taylor, IMHO, of course.
<steps away from the forum quietly>

Yes, true. James has had many decades to build his reputation and fan base. I've seen James at least 5 times in concert and was fortunate enough to meet him three of those times and get his book and CD's signed. Croce died well before his time though. There is no way to really predict where his career would have taken him.