I  first came across the Gibson Johnny A by accident about 18 months ago on an EBay posting – I was looking for a Gibson CS 336 and a Johnny A came up in the search – and I was fascinated. It was just so different. Of course, only seeing a photo didn’t really give me too much of an idea about size, colour etc but it was enough to get me looking on the net to find out more, both about the guitar and Johnny A himself, and I was even more intrigued. Guitars like that don’t make it to Australia much unless they are specially ordered, and then they are expensive – and ordering one without seeing it face to face is a bit daunting, even though I have never seen a Gibson that I don’t like! 

So I tucked all that away at the back of my mind. Then about a year ago I was in a music shop, Kosmic Sounds, here in Perth and what was on the wall but a Johnny A – and it was everything I expected and more. I was particularly taken with its size, it was just so neat and comfortable to play. It was also huge dollars, partly because there are probably only two in Australia, and partly because this was 008

 So for ages I just kept going back and playing around with it and agonizing over it and waiting till someone else bought it and put me out of my pain. But they didn’t and finally, I think just to get rid of me, Kosmic made me a fantastic offer - and it is now mine.

 I’m a pretty ordinary guitarist, but I play a lot. I have quite a few guitars, mostly Gibson's which I think are the best in the world, but others too. I take great care of them.  I only have American guitars and they each have something a bit different about them. Johnny A 008 fits right in there with them.   Tim