Electric guitar
Maker
Viễn Phương
Date1965
Place MadeSaigon (Ho Chi Minh City), South, Vietnam, Asia
SignedWritten in black in on white piece of paper on underside of shielding foil inside pickup cavity: Tuesday on 21st[superscript] September / 1965 / 114, Bùi Viện Street SAIGON / Southern part of ViêtNam / Viễn-PhươngWritten in blue ink on end of neck at contact point with body: V P
DescriptionTo help improve sagging troop morale during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Armed Forces created an Entertainment Branch in the 1960s that encouraged the organization of GIs into travelling music groups. Unlike USO shows that could tour only in the rearguard, military entertainers could “go where the pros can’t” to bring entertainment to troops near the front lines of battle. As a result, GIs were encouraged to learn to play electric guitars like this one, built in South Vietnam. But, “the approach of the soldiers to the music mirrored also the differences between Vietnam War and other conflicts, such as the World War II. The latter was seen as a unified mission of fighting Fascism and Nazism. Alternatively, with the Vietnam War, there was no such unity of purpose, especially in the later stages of the 1970s. The Vietnam War was the first in which the combat soldiers listened to antiwar and protest lyrics while fighting in the conflict."
This guitar was made by a Vietnamese craftsman, Viễn Phương, for sale to an American service person. It has no signature on the outside, and the identification of the maker can only be made as a result of them putting the year, the address of the shop, and his name on a piece of paper on the underside of the shielding foil inside the pickup cavity, where it would only be seen by a fellow craftsperson opening up the guitar for repairs. It is a well made instrument, and unlike the general Stratocaster model it is patterned after has four pickups!
ProvenanceGift of Lynn Wheelwright, 2015
Credit LineGift of Lynn Wheelwright, 2015
Object number14999
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