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Buyer’s remorse is a brutal thing, but it’s arguably worse when the guitars aren’t fully out of sight.
That’s certainly the case for Jeff Tweedy, who regrets selling two guitars in a pinch, only to discover the ZZ Top legend Billy Gibbons was the one to snap them up.
The Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, and alternate tuning maverick has credited his mother’s eye for a bargain when it comes to his greatest purchases, but for every dynamite deal he’s struck, he’s also lost beloved instruments along the way.
Speaking in the new issue of Guitarist, Tweedy says there are “tons” of trades he regrets, but one particular trade-off stung more than most, with his mom-found bargains – a ’56 Gretsch Duo and a ’50s prototype ES-350 – the collateral damage.
“Uncle Tupelo was going on the road, and Jay [Farrar]’s amp was broken,” he details. “We didn’t have time to fix it, so I traded [the Gretsch] for a Fender Twin for him. The other one, I think, was at the same place, but I can’t remember what I got for the 350.
“But I know where they are, because Billy Gibbons came through town in St Louis; I think it was at Silver Strings guitar store,” he continues. “They told me that he bought both of them. And I did talk to Billy, and he confirmed that he has those guitars.”
Getting those guitars off of Gibbons represents a pretty mammoth task, so they’re as good as gone. Yet it must feel worse knowing where they are, but they’re still out of reach.
In October, Tweedy teamed up with Martin for a new signature guitar, while also reintroducing a fan favorite 13 years after Tweedy helped bring it to life.
His full gear-centric chat with Guitarist features in the August ’26 issue. Print and digital copies, and subscriptions, can be found at Magazines Direct.
The issue also finds Brian Robertson discussing his doubts about Scott Gorham for Thin Lizzy, and trading guitars with Jeff Beck.
