44 - YAROL POUPAUD & JOHNNY HALLYDAY

YAROL POUPAUD & JOHNNY HALLYDAY Yarol Poupaud’s Gretsch, the stage guitar from Johnny Hallyday’s last major tours This Gretsch G6120 Brian Setzer 125th Anniversary guitar dates directly from the period of Johnny Hallyday’s final major tours, during which Yarol Poupaud served as guitarist and musical director. It is part of the “Rester Vivant Tour” era (2015–2016), which marked Johnny’s final chapter on stage in France and Europe, featuring a series of Zénith venues, arenas, and festivals that have become iconic for audiences. Associated with these late-career concerts, the guitar reflects an artistic phase in which Johnny revisited his repertoire with a contemporary rock energy driven by Yarol’s musical direction. First appearing on stage alongside Johnny Hallyday when Yarol Poupaud became one of his lead guitarists, this Gretsch gradually established itself as one of the musical director’s signature instruments during those years. With an aesthetic directly linked to Brian Setzer’s rockabilly world and the iconic image of Gretsch stage guitars, it fits perfectly with the sonic and visual image that Yarol crafted around Johnny: a blend of classic rock, modernity, and a distinct guitar culture. Over the course of concerts and recordings, this guitar became a recurring visual marker, recognizable in press photos, tour images, and live videos—to the point where, for many fans, it came to embody the stage setup of the “final Johnny + Yarol era.” The instrument is being offered for sale directly by Yarol Poupaud himself. Beyond its regular use on tour, this guitar stands out for its association with the particularly intense live performances of the “Rester Vivant” period, when Johnny, Yarol, and the band played one major venue after another in a near-constant “final farewell” atmosphere. On several key dates, particularly in major French arenas, this Gretsch accompanied Yarol during moments of high emotional tension: extended encores, drawn-out solos, tributes, and improvisations that left a lasting impression on the audience. Yarol recalls: “This Brian Setzer-model Gretsch, reminiscent of Eddie Cochran’s, accompanied me on stage throughout Johnny Hallyday’s ‘Rester Vivant’ tour in 2015 and 2016. I played it mainly during the rockabilly segment, on the small central stage: a moment of returning to my roots, of closeness with the audience, almost of intimacy. It also accompanied me on the *Vieilles Canailles* tour, alongside Eddy Mitchell and Jacques Dutronc.” Yarol’s central role alongside Johnny Hallyday—as guitarist and musical director—is extensively documented in the press, interviews, biographies, and audiovisual accounts. Several interviews reflect on how their collaboration profoundly shaped Johnny’s final years on stage, describing Yarol as a key musician in crafting the live sound and shaping the concerts of that period. Even though this specific guitar is not always named, these sources confirm Yarol’s central role in the stage setup and validate the sentimental significance of a working instrument taken directly from his set. The authenticity of the guitar, as an instrument Yarol used on stage during Johnny’s final tours, is reinforced by the existence of numerous images in which it is clearly visible. Concert photographs, press photos, live videos, and tour recordings repeatedly show Yarol with a Gretsch of this model on stage, as part of the full band lineup behind Johnny. Gretsch G6120 Brian Setzer 125th Anniversary model, a Nashville-style hollow-body guitar featuring a laminated maple body with “1959 trestle bracing,” bound F-holes, and a glossy flamed orange finish. The set maple neck features an ebony fingerboard with “Neo-Classic Thumbnail” inlays, a 24.6" scale length, and 22 frets, offering the signature Gretsch playing comfort. The electronics consist of a pair of TV Jones-style / Filter’Tron-style humbuckers, paired with a 3-position selector switch, individual volume controls, and a master volume control. The package is rounded out by a wood-mounted Adjusto-Matic bridge, a Bigsby B6 vibrato, and locking tuners—all designed for live performance and rockabilly/rock playing.