Springsteen's Guitar
Hero Dies
Man who customized the Fender Bruce loves most dies in Jersey.
Other guitar designers guys have gotten more recognition and press than
Phillip Petillo, but as far as Bruce Springsteen is concerned,
none had a greater instinct for getting the most out of a guitar. It was
Petillo that sold Springsteen the now iconic Fender guitar
The Boss considers one of the finest instruments on the planet.
Friday, Petillo, a musician, engineer and endless tinkerer, had just
finished working in his New Jersey shop when he died at 64. The 1953
Fender Esquire that Petillo sold Springsteen in 1969 for
$150 is considered to be worth a few million dollars today. To Bruce,
it's priceless. He frequently credits the Petillo custom neck, frets
and the re-engineered pick-ups for the great sound of the instrument.
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