Raya by Versoul...

Here is one more mock-up of the Raya guitar I have ordered from Versoul. People who love custom shop guitars
generally aren't purists... there are other guitars in their rack too...! (and this one also comes in both a Baritone version, and a 12-string version too).

New Champagne Sparkle on Order...

New Champagne Sparkle Versoul Raya 6-String on order... same finish as Brian Setzer's Gretsch....go to Versoul for more info (heck... Keith Richards can't be wrong... he owns a few Versouls). ** Note:  These are my photoshop mock-ups I made for Kari Nieminen at Versoul.

The Thirteenth Floor Elevators

The Thirteenth Floor Elevators... my current pick for band of the Week... (courtesy of NPR)... especially their rendering of G L O R I A.... also Livin' On....they also have a website also... learn more about The Thirteenth Floor Elevators here.

Question from Rockin' Rob R.

"I'm thinking of treating my beat to sh*t 1969 Tele, which I love, to a refinish for its 40th birthday!  Since it's already non-original (had been routed with a P90 when I got it, so I've never cared if it was pristine or factory original)...and now has a DeArmond Silverfoil in the neck...anyway...there's an early 60's Fender Custom color that's a sort of Granny Apple Green that would look great on this one...

2 Q's: 

1) Do you know any local techs who would/could do a great job on it?

2) It's kind of stripped bare at places...should I just leav it...would the paint do anything to the tone?

Thanks for any opinions".

You could contact Shooz Matthews across from the Hollywood Guitar Center... his EMail is shoozguitars@rock.com

The paint definitely effects tone... 

I have a 59 Esquire I was trying to sell to raise $$$... it had a pickup in the neck position once... then it was 'restored'

and original wiring put back.

It is amazing... you can definitely tell older wood when playing it... also older paint.

Do you have a photo of the guitar? Sounds like Seafoam Green....

I would contact Shooz Matthews in Hollywood; get him to shoot it your color, and then buff off some of it... then you throw it around a bit

for real dings. Leave it by the stage (under watchfull eye... give it a little beer... sort of like the way some

Rocker's treat their groupies...

Would love to see photo of the guitar to talk about it.... if Shooz doesn't work, then Performance Guitar down the hill

from me would 'shoot it' with nitro... they do a lot of glam rock bands stuff... work(ed) for Steve Vai and probably

'Rat Poison' (haha).. (cool on the Silverfoil pickup Rob!).

Let's see a photo of that pup....

Glitter Paint, Chuck Berry and Rewinds

Beautiful, retro, wacky or tacky...all words people have used to describe Sparkle Finish guitars.  Personally... I love 'em, even though they're a little tacky.  A few guitars I found on-line that have come in sparkle finish are: Green Sparkle Les Pauls, a 1962 Jaguar in Pink Sparkle (indeed a retro favorite), and of course, Brian Setzer's Champagne Sparkle Gretsch.   It's also called 'Glitter Paint' and is found as drum finishes too.  Sparkly guitars are definitely as much of a contention as our current election process... one person's dream guitar in Sparkle Gold finish (think late 50's, and some Chuck Berry-type gathering)... is another person's train wreck.  As it happens, I am having a Versoul Guitar built in Champagne Sparkle... with a humbucker from Jonathan of GVCG fame... I got it off one of his old guitars, when it needed a rewind... and Lindy Fralin did the work on it.  More on this little number later... Versoul guitars are the new weapon of choice by none-other than the likes of Mr Keith Richards himself....