Joe Doe Salty Dog with Case, Vintage White Overview
A classic shaped American Alder SSS body, finished in Albatross white and adorned with John Washington’s signature sailor tattoos, makes the Salty Dog immediately stand out from the crowd, but this guitar does way more than just look good. A one piece hard rock Maple neck, shaped into a classic Vintage ‘soft C’ profile, adds to the exceptional comfort and positive feel of this highly versatile guitar, while a 22 medium profile fret Maple fingerboard completes the ensemble to make an incredibly sounding, and playing instrument.
Easing the voyage from calm seas to mountainous waves are are a trio of Joe Doe custom designed Single Coil pickups with vintage magnets in the bridge, and hotter bars in the middle and neck; all easily manipulated via the single master Volume, two Tone controls, and five-way pickup selector switch. The tough and reliable Wilkinson WVC Distressed Vibrato bridge is made from hard dependable steel, while Wilkinson WJ55 E-Z-Lok machine heads provide simple and effective tuning action, which when combined with the smooth and friction free Graphtech nut, give a reliable and dependable tuning stability. Also included is a Joe Doe luxury hardshell case with case candy, and a Certificate of authenticity. Each guitar is also individually set-up by the Vintage ProShop team.
What Vintage say:
‘Salty Dog’ owned by Bill Downey
At age 17, Bill Downey started his career in the US Navy deep in the bowels of the USS America Supercarrier as a boiler technician. Over the decades and through numerous conflicts, the Vietnam War (1955 to 1973), the Lebanon Crisis (1983), the Persian Gulf War (1990 to 1991), Downey rose to the rank of Chief Engineer. Dedicating his whole life to the Navy meant forfeiting the chance to start a family, but Downey was not alone in this world - his faithful companion was a white electric guitar which he won in a gambling den in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam in 1963. As well as being a slick guitar player, Downey was also an avid collector of sailor tattoos, getting himself inked at every major port. When he finally ran out of space on his body, Downey used his trusty electric guitar to provide extra real estate. “My guitar’s been with me so long, it’s part of me now. If my ship ever sinks, that guitar will either be a paddle or a float.” In 1996 the USS America was decommissioned, which led Downey to retire and settle on land for the first time in his life where he formed blues funk band, “Howlin’ Albatross”.
