Saint Blues Guitar Workshop
History
Early Years
Saint Blues Guitars was founded in Memphis, Tennessee by Mike Ladd and Tom Keckler. The “Bluesmaster” body was first designed at the legendary Strings and Things music store, built from a Fender Telecaster Tom Keckler was looking to change. In 1978, Keckler joined Schecter Guitar Research to help turn it to a guitar company from a parts supplier. In 1983 Tom Keckler moved back to Memphic to continue his guitar work, and formed St. Blues Guitars with the founders of Strings and Things in 1984. The first St. Blues model was created - the Bluesmaster - using the body shape that Tom had created some years prior.
Collapse
Saint Blues guitars quickly got into the hands of Eric Clapton, Bono, Albert King, Rick Derringer, Elliot Easton, Marshall Crenshaw, Glen Frey, Billy Gibbons and more. In 1989, St. Blues shut down due to an unauthorized advertisement which had Eric Clapton’s name.
Rebirth
In 2005 a private group relaunched Saint Blues under a corporate holding company called Legendary Gear with Tom Keckler behind the design and quality control. The company has a Pro Series built in Korea (sharing a manufacturer with Gretsch) and a Workshop series built here in the USA. All Saint Blues guitars are finished and set up in Memphis. They currently make many models including the Andrew Wells VanWyngarden (of MGMT) Signature Model. The Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum has a permanent exhibit to honor the 25th anniversary of the creation of Saint Blues Guitar Workshops.
Instruments
Pro Series
"61 South" - "the best bits of a Tele, an ES335 and a Les Paul Special in one affordable guitar"
"Mississippi Bluesmaster"
"Bluesmaster IV"
"Bluesmaster II"
"Bluescaster IV"
"King Blues Bass"
"White Lightning"
Workshop Series
"61 South"
"Blindsider"
"Bluesmaster II"
"Mississippi Bluesmaster"
Gallery
Artists Who Use Saint Blues Instruments
Albert King, Armando Cepeda Bb Cunningham, Billy Gibbons, Billy Squier, Buck Dharma, Buck Hutcheson Chris Henderso, Dave Edmunds, Dizzy G. Gillespie Donald "Duck" Dunn, Donnie Van Zant, Eliott Easton, Eric GALES, Dave Williams, George Kooymans, Glenn Frey, Harold Henkel, James Payne, Jasin Todd, Jeff Carlisi, Joe Walsh, John Roth, Jon Ashton, Keith Scott, Luther Dickinson, Marshall Crenshaw, Myles Goodwin, Nick Daniels, Phil Bogard, Reggie Scanlan, Rick Derringer, Robbie Shakespeare, Ron Butler, Shea Sowell, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, Tony Smith, Zach Myers, James Alexander, Tom Holland, Michael Powers, Hoddy Ridarick, Skip Pitts, Super Chikan, John D'amato, Dewayne “Blackbyrd” Mcknight, Ron Butler, Nil Jones, Olaf Hermann, Dann Glenn, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Kirk Smithhart, Cookie Chavis Cody Dickinson, Kai Kinos, Jeremiah Lipscomb