Iconic Denmark Street [London] guitar shop Regent Sounds has reopened after a major refurbishment that has restored the store to its former glory.
The guitar shop now includes a lounge dedicated to high-end and historically significant guitars, chief among them a 1949 Gibson ES-5N that belonged to legendary blues guitarist T-Bone Walker.
The guitar itself is one of only 22 that were made, with this one being the most notable due to its distinguished previous owner. Its historic significance is further underscored by the fact that it bears the mark of a shooting attempt at the Charlotte Armory Auditorium, with a repaired hole showing where the bullet entered and exited the guitar.
In a 1953 article in Jet Magazine's New York Beat column, the ordeal was described as, “T-Bone Walker is still nervous about his escape from death during a dance engagement in Charlotte, North Carolina. Two shots fired by a frantic chick at her boyfriend missed him and hit T-Bone’s guitar.”
Speaking about the refurbishment, Crispin Weir, co-owner of Regent Sounds, says, “Regent Sounds has always been a mecca for music fans because of our rich history. We’ve expanded the shop across two floors, including the addition of our Rare and Vintage Guitar Lounge, plus additional soundproof booths for customers to try out instruments.”
As for T-Bone’s historic guitar, he adds, “It's an honor to be the present guardian of this iconic guitar. Not only is it an extraordinary sounding instrument, it feels like its story is still being written – and to hear it played is a truly special thing.”
For more information, head to Regent Sounds.
The blues legend's onstage antics inspired those of Jimi Hendrix, who later borrowed T-Bone's tricks of playing his guitar with his teeth or behind his back.
