Jake E. Lee has joked that he regrets playing Kirk Hammett’s legendary Greeny Les Paul during Black Sabbath’s blockbuster bow out, because now it’s all he can think about.
While the onstage performances at Back to the Beginning were off the scale, backstage was also teeming with rock royalty. It provided many with the chance to rub shoulders with musicians they’d never met before, or, as was the case for Jake E. Lee and his former boss, Ozzy Osbourne, reconnect with those they had not seen in decades.
In fact, while backstage at the gig, Lee also got the opportunity to play a rather iconic electric guitar.
“Kirk Hammett let me play his Greeny Les Paul backstage. I can confirm that it's a magical piece of wood,” he tells Guitar World. “I didn't want to put it down – didn't want to leave it. I've missed it ever since! It's so resonant; it just sings.
“I almost wish I'd never played it,” he laughs. “Nah – I'm glad I got to bask in its magic, if for just a while.”
The Gibson Les Paul was first made famous in the hands of Fleetwood Mac founder, Peter Green, who insisted that Gary Moore took it off his hands when he left the group. The Metallica marksman is its third high-profile owner. It's heralded for its mythical middle position guitar tone, and though Hammett was reluctant to buy it at first, it's become one of his most important six-strings.
Lee, whose health issues forced him to pivot to plan B on the night, wielded another intriguing axe onstage. It was a Charvel with a gorgeous deep purple burst, and its origins were steeped in mystery. Thankfully, Lee was happy to spill the tea.
“In the Ozzy days, I had my white one, a purple burst, and a blue burst,” he explains. “Charvel reissued the white and blue ones, and I've been hassling them about getting the purple burst out there. So when this came up, I said, ‘What better promo would there be than for me to come out with a purple burst and have people start asking about it?’ So they made me one.
“It's a sweet guitar, and it's a little different from the versions Charvel has come out with,” Lee details. “It's a Gibson-scale length, with the jumbo frets up to the 12th and then thinner frets above that. I can get a little more meat on the string and a little more wood underneath. It's a roasted maple neck, and the body – I think they call it ‘cooked ash,’ so it's lighter, and they get all the moisture out of it.”
Lee goes on to say he hopes the “beautiful” guitar will receive a proper production run, and he won’t be alone in thinking that. For now, fingers will be crossed.
Jake E. Lee’s full interview with Guitar World features in the latest issue of the magazine, which has just been released. Head to Magazines Direct to grab a copy.
