Contents

Foreword by Richie Sambora

Preface by Joe Bonamassa

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Let’s Make a Deal

1. Miami Daze

2. Draft Board ’69

3. Moving to California

4. The Hendrix of the Electric Bass

5. Union Dues, Music Stores, and Buying Strategy

6. Encounter with a Beatle

7. A Gentleman Named Robbie

8. Eddie’s Custom Strat

9. Crash Corriganville

10. Norm’s in Hollywood

11. Plan B

12. Founding Fathers of Fender

13. The Right Time to Sell

14. King of the Swaps

15. The Elusive ’Burst


16. Advertising Pays

17. World Famous Tinkerer

18. The Ones That Got Away

19. Mysterious One-Offs

20. The Greatest Unknown Guitarist

21. Fogerty’s Rick

22. Scary Situations

23. Killer Basses

24. Playing for Laughs


25. A Really Good Guy

26. REO Dave

27. A Piece of the Magic

28. Unexpected Gifts

29. A Mission

30. Shaking All Over

31. You Can’t Do It Alone

Conclusion: Wisdom

Photographs