On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
"The Joker"
Not on view
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
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