J MASCIS
As the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of hard-rocking indie pioneers Dinosaur Jr, and with two Fender signature models to his name, J Mascis is perhaps better known for wielding a heavily fuzz-laden Jazzmaster in front of a wall of Marshalls cranked to ear-splitting volume than strumming a rare 1950s Gibson flat-top. Yet despite J’s punk-rock roots, he has long been renowned for his dynamic live solo acoustic performances, as captured by his 1993 debut acoustic recording Live At CBGB’s (released in 2006) and 1996’s live solo album, Martin + Me. Following the release of last year’s mesmerising acoustic LP Elastic Days, we caught up with J in the midst of a UK tour to find him playing an equally fascinating choice of guitars.
It’s unusual to see a Gibson CF-100/E being gigged. How did you discover them?
“Gibson made them in the 50s. It’s the same neck as a Goldtop – that’s why I got into them. When Gibson did their [centennial] anniversary series, they had a different acoustic every month for a year and I got a [1994 Gibson 1950 CF-100E]. That was the
