What happens when two iconic guitarists meet at an airport? They trade signature guitars, of course. While it might sound like the plot of a movie, it’s exactly what Vernon Reid and Jack White recently did after crossing paths at an airport, on the way to their next tour stop.
“What do you say when you meet Vernon Reid by chance at the Memphis airport and he suggests you swap signature guitars? You say ‘Yes sir, coming right up,’” White posted on Instagram.
“What an honor to trade axes with such a virtuoso guitarist that I remember listening to on a Walkman cassette player while roaming the halls of my high school in Detroit.”
At the time, Jack White had partnered with Fender to launch the Jack White Collection, which included the off-kilter TripleCaster – a more accessible version of his wild custom TripleCaster Telecaster.
On his end, Reid had teamed up with Reverend Guitars for his visually striking Reverend Totem Series Vernon Reid signature models, which feature graphics on the guitar bodies inspired by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Romare Bearden, as well as Carl Jung’s Collective Unconscious Theory.
White showed off his new acquisition, the Vernon Reid signature guitar in a Mystery Tramp graphic finish, on social media, and revealed that he had requested a special mystic symbol to be added to the already symbol-laden guitar.
“This one has the amazing name of ‘Mystery Tramp’ complete with hobo secret language symbols on the neck inlays,” he wrote. “The eyes were sent by special request and I couldn't help putting my III three line signature above each pickup to stare down all enemies and future comrades.”
The TripleCaster, having arrived safely at Reid’s home just in time for Thanksgiving, received the unboxing video treatment – complete with some backstory.
“While on tour with Living Colour, we ran into Jack White in Memphis at the Memphis airport, and we started kicking it. So we started talking, and we decided to trade signature models, so I sent him a Mystery Tramp, one of the three of the Totem Series. And, I have in here [referring to the package] his signature instrument,” he explained, before proceeding to open it.
“Ho ho ho! Pretty awesome. Look at that case! It's fantastic,” he exclaimed. “Super cool tremolo alarm, crazy pickups. I love this thing right here. Very cool. So this is the Triplecaster and Jack has the Mystery Tramp. And this is a trade that came about from a chance meeting, and it's really cool!”
Speaking of Jack White, The White Stripes guitarist recently joined Paul McCartney and St. Vincent on stage for a raucous rendition of The Beatles’ The End at Mexico’s Corona Capital Festival.
