The Bombora Guitar – The Atlantics

This iconic guitar is an early 1961 slab board Fender Stratocaster in original Dakota Red finish, serial number 69250. It is the guitar that was responsible for the fabulous sound of the classic song Bombora, Australia’s biggest ever No. 1 Instrumental hit which was released in 1963 by Australia’s greatest ever Instrumental Band, The Atlantics.

The guitar was purchased jointly by Atlantics Guitarist Jim Skiathitis and Drummer Peter Hood in 1961 from J Stanley Johnstons’ Music Store in Sydney.

Jim: “We had only just left school and obviously too young to take out loans ourselves so Peter’s father Alex Hood, who was also a drummer, went guarantor for us on the hire purchase agreement. That was really a big help for us. In those days not many parents would have helped their young kids get into music. It just shows what faith he must have had in his son and his friends”.

The guitar is a one owner guitar that has been Jim’s exclusive instrument on all live gigs and recordings during the band’s career. A majority of The Atlantics’ songs were also written on this guitar.

Supplement to the Australian Women’s Weekly
December 25 1963

Jim: “Peter and I wrote the majority of The Atlantics songs together and always on my red Strat. I guess we were sort of the Lennon/McCartney of the group. Bombora, Crusher, War of the Worlds, Rumble and Run and Come on were just a few of the many songs we composed on it”

Jim used the guitar on all the Atlantics’ singles they recorded in the 60’s as well as three exciting and now quite famous Long Play Albums. Namely ‘Bombora’ ‘Now it’s Stomping Time’ and, ‘The Explosive Sounds of The Atlantics’. In later years it was also used in five new CD albums recorded after Y2000. ‘Flight of the Surf Guitar’, ‘Atlantics The Next Generation’, ‘Point Zero’, ‘Collectibles’ and The Atlantics The Best Of’. All in all, a documented history that the Guitar has been a strong and reliable workhorse.

It is a great sounding instrument that has endured many tough performances and created some historic sounds and effects on songs such as Moon Man, Bombora, The Crusher, War Of The Worlds, Rumble And Run, Giant, Shark Attack, Come On, Hard Life, and many more.

Jim: I believe we were the first to experiment with sounds and sound effects on guitar. I used to do Sirens, machine guns, explosions, bird calls, space sounds and a lot more by using my pick, bits of metal or my teeth to hit, scrape, or scratch the guitar with. In one song, Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, from the Explosive Sounds Of The Atlantics album, there’s an eerie sort of breathing church organ sound effect on the song. That’s actually me blowing hard across the strings right above the pickups of the guitar to create that eerie breathing sound. It was all very innovative stuff at the time”.

Atlantics Long Way to the Top. 2002. Photo by Bob King

The guitar has travelled all over Australia and overseas on various Atlantics tours as well as major Australian tours with Long Way to the Top, The Beach Boys, and Chris Isaak.

It has also featured on many TV appearances such as, The Johnny O’Keefe Show, Something Else, The Jimmy Hannan Show, Studio 22, The Slot, Denise, Where Are They Now, Today, Long Way to the Top, The Fat and The Delightful Rain Project.

No matter where you look, that Red Strat is always in Jim’s hands.

At 57 years old, The Guitar is still in great playing condition, still tunes perfectly and sounds absolutely terrific. It’s a distinct instrument that has had a long and illustrious career and along with Bombora and The Atlantics, Is permanently entrenched In Australia’s folklore and music history.

Photos

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Specifications

American made at The US Fulerton Plant in California, in the 60-61 Pre CBS Golden Era with original rare Dakota Red finish.
Neck butt stamped 01/61 and serial No. is 69250.
It is an original Spaghetti decal headstock and maple neck with slab rosewood fingerboard.
It has twenty one frets, clay dot markers, synchronized tremolo and six nickel Kluson Machine heads.
It has a triple Layered mint pickguard, three single coil pickups, one volume control, two tone controls and a three way pickup switch.
The guitar has had a professional Refret, and the volume pot and the bridge saddles have also been professionally replaced.
The original bridge saddles are still with the guitar (see photos).