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 Houston guitar
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Tony Cochran Guitars Custom #52

I cleaned up this old electric guitar as best I could. It was pulled from an M2 tank found in a bone dry cave on Guadacanal. I had to Shop Vac 73 years of rock dust from it. Note the amazing resemblance to a Stratocaster. Weird until I heard the story. A GI named Swanson Houston had returned from WWII with wild tales of an electric guitar he built from radio parts, an old bench, and sleeping bag khaki. He carried it with him everywhere in the Pacific, but lost it when his tank was disabled and the crew bailed fearing fire. He even claimed his name was on it. In 1953 he was blabbing about it during a poker game in Fullerton. A young Freddie Tavares called him on it. Swanson smirked and said he even had an old photo of him with it and all the old diagrams. Sixteen beers and all of Friday's paycheck later, he put the photos and diagrams up to cover Freddie's $20 raise and lost. Seemed a tall tale until I looked up all of the back stories and did the math. Has newish stings.

Absolutely true - part of this guitar actually was at the Invasion of Normandy. I believe in preserving historical materials by passing them on in society through creations people will treasure. I will inform the new owner of the full background.

Specifications

- High output GFS Grey Bottom Pickups

-  Wilkinson Locking Tuners

- New Ernie Ball Slinky Strings

- String Block has been switched over to high sustain steel

- 8 1/2 lb

- Design Elements - Highly Reliced w WWII Canvas, Faux Rust