"The Joker"
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.This ornate Telecaster-style guitar pays tribute to “the Joker,” the masked alter ego that Steve Miller created for his breakout 1973 album of the same name. Custom built by luthier Jim Triggs, this instrument features a highly unusual yellow-green pearloid inlay over the entire body and neck and is dotted with plastic gems. It sports a decal of the mask that Miller wore on the album’s cover.
Technical Description:
Maple body, neck and fingerboard; 25½ in. scale; full-body green-yellow pearloid burst inlay; bolt-on neck with full-fret yellow and green pearloid inlays; plastic gems and green pearloid inlay covering headstock; two active EMG single-coil pickups, three-way selector switch, volume and tone controls; chrome bridge, Schaller tuners, and knobs; “The Joker” mask decal on lower bass bout and "The Joker Jim Triggs 1996" decal on upper bass bout
Technical Description:
Maple body, neck and fingerboard; 25½ in. scale; full-body green-yellow pearloid burst inlay; bolt-on neck with full-fret yellow and green pearloid inlays; plastic gems and green pearloid inlay covering headstock; two active EMG single-coil pickups, three-way selector switch, volume and tone controls; chrome bridge, Schaller tuners, and knobs; “The Joker” mask decal on lower bass bout and "The Joker Jim Triggs 1996" decal on upper bass bout
Artwork Details
- Title: "The Joker"
- Artist: Triggs Guitars
- Artist: Steve Miller
- Date: 1996
- Geography: Fullerton, California, United States
- Medium: Maple, plastic, metal
- Dimensions: Length: 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm)
Width: 13 in. (33 cm)
Depth: 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Weight: 7-9 lbs. - Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
- Credit Line: Courtesy of Steve Miller
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments