Gateway Drug · from £1,875 · 12–16 weeks

The gateway drug to Blind John's guitars. Somebody suggested it, and it kind of works.

From

£1,875

A few questions about how you play, none about the spec, nothing to commit to. It ends in a build sheet you can send us, sit on, or walk away from.

Electrics	CTS pots
Board edges	Rolled, if it feels nicer, it plays nicer
Back of the neck	Bare wood, waxed, no gloss to stick to
Finish	Nitro, hand relic'd, in the colour and relic level of your choice

Deposit £938 at order, balance by invoice when it’s done. 12–16 weeks.

Hear it Watch it The whole spec

John, on the Gateway Drug

Meant as my entry-level line. They're cheaper than my normal guitars because you don't have a choice of timber: a two-piece mahogany body and a mahogany neck, set traditionally, pretty much the original Gibson specs on the two Juniors — my take on the appearance, with my own headstock, because Gibson don't like you copying theirs. The Esquire's a little more, because there's more timber and more in the electrics. They were meant as cheap student guitars when they came out and they're still played now; I don't think Gibson realised what they were creating, and I'd put my hand on my heart that Leo didn't either — he was trying to make functional guitars that didn't break, for the masses. I thought the SG Junior would be the least popular of the three. It's been the most popular. Apart from Telecasters, I've built more SGs than any other single model.

How it comes

Three classics. Basic, raw, unadulterated rock and roll.

An SG Junior, a Les Paul Junior and an Esquire. All single pickups. The timber is set, and that's what makes them the price they are.

1 of 3

The Gent

John, on the Gent

I don't think there is any doubt that Leo Fender was a god damn genius. Slab body, bolt on neck, one pickup and a revolutionary tone circuit.

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The Fender Esquire… what more do you really need? My humble tribute to this truly iconic and legendary guitar. What to me is the perfect illustration of blues heritage, punk history. Ash body relic'd to mimic the original pine Fender used, maple neck, period correct Kluson road worn tuners. Single ply pickguard, hand relic'd ash tray bridge with compensated brass saddles, hand relic'd control plate, Oak Grigsby switch with your choice of traditional or 'Eldridge mod' wiring. From £2,125.

2 of 3

The Rebel

John, on the Rebel

In 1954 Gibson introduced the Les Paul Junior to the world as an affordable entry level guitar. Little did they know the monster they had created.

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Meet the Rebel… my humble tribute to this legendary guitar. Mahogany body and set neck, ebony fretboard with mother of pearl dot inlays. Kluson double line hand relic'd tuners, jumbo frets. Faber aluminium compensated locking bridge. From £1,875.

3 of 3

The Kid

John, on the Kid

My tribute to a classic. The 1961 SG Junior. Basic, raw, unadulterated rock and roll. Stripped back and in your face… just as it should be.

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One piece mahogany body and set neck, ebony fretboard with mother of pearl dot inlays. Kluson double line hand relic'd tuners, jumbo frets. Faber aluminium compensated locking bridge. From £1,875.

More of it

Three bodies, one line: the Gent, the Rebel and the Kid.

The Rebel's body edge on the bench mat — **The Rebel**

The back of the Kid and its skull cover plate — **The Kid**

The Rebel on the bench: the body edge, the heel, the horn — **The Rebel**

The Kid's skull cover plate, close — **The Kid**

The back of the Rebel, Pelham Blue, its control cover — **The Rebel**

The Kid's headstock, front — **The Kid**

The Rebel Custom - Black LP Junior type - heavy relic black - single Nilsen Humbucker - hand cut pickguard — **The Rebel Custom**

The back of the Rebel's headstock and the neck's bare wood — **The Rebel**

The Gent - Esquire single pickup Tele style custom guitar - body close up — **The Gent**

The back of the Kid's headstock, Klusons and the date stamp — **The Kid**

The Rebel no 7 in Pelham Blue - transparent access panel — **The Rebel**

The Gent - Esquire single pickup Tele style custom guitar - Ad 2 — **The Gent**

Wear through the Rebel's Pelham Blue to the wood — **The Rebel**

The Gent - Esquire single pickup Tele style custom guitar - Ad 3 — **The Gent**

The Rebel's knobs and the checking in its finish — **The Rebel**

The Gent - Esquire single pickup Tele style custom guitar - ad 1 — **The Gent**

The Gent - Esquire single pickup Tele style custom guitar — **The Gent**

The Rebel's control cavity through its cover — **The Rebel**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar in positano yellow Ad 1 — **The Kid**

The Rebel's neck join and the checking around it — **The Rebel**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 — **The Kid**

The Kid's P90 and wraparound bridge, close — **The Kid**

The Rebel Custom - LP Jnr style single pickup set neck custom guitar in Red Sparkle over black metallic - Bareknuckle Mule Humbucker - Faber Bridge - heavy checked hand relic'd nitrocellulose paint - Ad1 — **The Rebel**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - heavy relic Positano Yellow - Bareknuckle pickups Mississippi Queen Dog Ear P90 full — **The Kid**

The Rebel Custom - LP Jnr style single pickup set neck custom guitar in Ebony - Bareknuckle Mule Humbucker - Faber Bridge - heavy checked hand relic'd nitrocellulose paint - full — **The Rebel**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - heavy relic Sonic blue no 2 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 - Body detail — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - heavy relic Positano Yellow - Bareknuckle pickups Mississippi Queen Dog Ear P90 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 - jack detail — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 in Pelham Blue — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar in Positano Yellow workshop sun — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar in Positano yellow - wiring — **The Kid**

The Rebel Custom - LP Jnr style single pickup set neck custom guitar in Pelham Blue metallic - Thomas Nilsen Soapbar pickup - Faber Bridge - heavy checked hand relic'd nitrocellulose paint - finished — **The Rebel**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar nom 3 in Pelham Blue — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar - Build shot 1 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar in Positano Yellow full guitar — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar no 4 rear headstock - satin Grovers — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 in Pelham Blue rear detail — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar in Positano Yellow No 8 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 arm relic detail — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 in Pelham Blue Build shot 2 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic guitar no 4 in Positano Yellow build shot 4 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green no 13 with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 - Build shot 1 — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - heavy relic Positano Yellow - Bareknuckle pickups Mississippi Queen Dog Ear P90 Relic detail — **The Kid**

The Kid - SG Jnr style double cut - set neck - relic surf green with Tort celluloid acetate hand cut pickguard - Thomas Nilsen Dog Ear P90 - build shot 4 — **The Kid**

Every photograph of the Gateway Drug

Hear it

In this body, through the shed amp.

A Vox AC4TV with a Celestion Greenback, at one watt, clean and dirty. Same mic, same hands. Same chickens outside.

The Rebel · clean0:35

The Rebel · clean · flamenco0:15

The Rebel · dirty0:26

The Kid · clean0:40

The Kid · clean · turnaround0:28

The Kid · dirty0:31

The Kid · dirty · low riff0:24

Fine for comparing guitars on most speakers.

On film

Dalston Sessions

Dalston Sessions Vol. 2

Looking at the Kid, Blind John's tribute to the mighty SG Junior.

All the films

The voice

One pickup. What more do you really need?

John, on the voice

One hand-wound pickup in each. Who winds it is John's call.

The Rebel in Pelham Blue metallic, with a Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen.

The look

The only option is colour.

John, on the look

If you want the Rebel, give me a colour. That's what you'll get. If you want the Kid, give me a colour. If you want the Gent, give me a colour — and the Eldred mod on the electrics or traditional, and everybody goes for the Eldred. Hand relic'd nitro paintwork in the colour and relic level of your choice.

The colours so far
Positano yellow, surf green, sonic blue, Pelham Blue, red sparkle over black metallic, ebony.

See the colours

Gateway Drugwhat's fixed, and what's yours
Electrics	CTS pots
Board edges	Rolled, if it feels nicer, it plays nicer
Back of the neck	Bare wood, waxed, no gloss to stick to
Finish	Nitro, hand relic'd, in the colour and relic level of your choice
Case	Gator hard case, branded
How it comes	The Gent · The Rebel · The Kid, your call
Lead time	12–16 weeks
From	£1,875

Deposit £938 at order. Balance by invoice when it’s done.

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