SOLD!

I bought the Hallmark Deke Dickerson Model Two Prototype direct from Bob Shade. I was not fast enough to grab one of these fantastic limited edition guitars. Bob was kind enough to offer me the prototype as it was the ONLY one in red sparkle left.

This prototype does not have the Deke Dickerson – Model Two on the headstock. Bob Shade explained that when building the prototype the “Deke” logo was not yet designed. Bob was kind enough to sign the back of the headstock.

Marked PROTO

Always been a big fan of Hallmark guitars. I previously owned the original Hallmark Deke Dickerson Signature guitar and was dumb enough to have sold it. These are pretty hard to find now. This model two is quite a different guitar. Based on a rare Mosrite guitar that Semie Moseley built for Don Rich, who is one of my guitar heroes. Don Rich was seen playing this guitar on Hee Haw with Buck Owens.

Don Rich was a Telecaster guy in the early days following the lead of Buck Owens. I build a Tribute Buck Owens/Don Rich sparkle Telecaster and and even saw the REAL Don Rich Fender Telecaster at Songbirds museum in Chattanooga, TN. Later on Buck and Don would be seen playing some guitars other then Fender, once their endorsement deal ended. Mosrite and even Gibsons were seen being played by the Buckaroos. Don Rich, the Buckaroo mainstay who built his reputation on the Fender Telecaster, bought the first Mosrite to ever come off the assembly line – Serial No. 001. The Mosrite Don played on Hee Haw was the inspiration for Hallmark for this Deke Dickerson Model Two. Read more about Hallmark Guitar history here.

Buck Owens/Don Rich Tribute Sparkle Telecaster

From Hallmark website:
In keeping with the theme of the Deke Dickerson signature we introduced years ago that rivaled Joe Maphis’s famous double neck, this all new Deke Dickerson “Model Two” has the key components but has shed it’s skin of the ultra fancy ginger bread components for two very important reasons. We had inquiries from guys who could not afford the Deke 1 and also some who did not want all the ultra fancy components for their every day go to guitar, but wanted the sound and play of that guitar. Later I saw the video of Don Rich playing with Buck Owens with a Mosrite Semie Moseley guitar specially built for Don in 1968. It had the same shape and a tone chamber just like our last Deke Model 1, with a Mosrite/Dobro pickups and an “F” hole and larger pickguard. A light went off in my head and I immediately thought…… Deke Dickerson Model Two!! I contacted Deke and he loved the vision as well. One of Deke’s requirements was no “F” hole, so that was taken out of the design. I was able to locate a box of NOS Mosrite/ Dobro pickup surrounds in storage out in Bakersfield Ca. (flipped me out) just for this new project which gives the guitar the exact look while retaining the key ingredients of our JM-6 Pickup. The rest is now Hallmark history!!

Watch this video below from Hee Haw. See Don playing Johnny B. Goode on the Mosrite Custom. Starts @ 4:14.

Features

  • Colors: Candy Red Sparkle, Royal Blue Sparkle, Gloss Black
  • Scale Length 24+3/4″
  • Bone Nut
  • Shade Roller Bearing Vibrato
  • Shade Locking Roller Bridge
  • Custom wound Hallmark JM-6 pickups housed in genuine NOS 60’s Mosrite/ Dobro Pickup Surrounds
  • Hard Rock Maple Set Neck With Bound Rosewood Fingerboard
  • Tone Chambered Alder Body With Binding
  • SIT Tuning Keys
  • Weight 7-lbs 9.5-ozs

Hallmark Custom 60 and Hallmark Deke Dickerson Model Two Prototype

Hallmark collection – Custom 60, Swept-Wing and Deke Dickerson Signature Model

Some Custom Sparkle Telecasters with Hallmark “DEKE”

Fender FSR Gold Sparkle B-Bender Telecaster and Hallmark Deke Dickerson Model Two Prototype