Making Something Your Own

It has been going on since time began... a caveman gets his first toga, and has to make it his own. So he modifies it to suit his taste. Trouble is, there is always a few cavemen who later become famous...er.. rock stars, and so the legacy of making something your own goes forward. SRV (Mr Vaughan) had his 'Lenny' Strat, given to him by his wife. He cut out an old piece of inlaid wood and implanted it into his Stratocaster™. John Lennon had his scrunchie hat, worn low and off to one side (circa 1965, around the time he made Help™ ). Brian Setzer had his Gresch 6120, with Black Cat, Horseshoe and Yellow Skull stickers on it (self applied). How about all those who remained in happy obscurity (and never became RFM... Yes, RICH, FAMOUS and MISERABLE)?. How about the guy who finished off (literally) the 1953 Sparkle Green Tele I bought 6 years ago. I got it for five thousand dollars.... However, it was mint... totally original, apart from being totally refinished in someone's garage with sparkle green paint... the type that never totally comes off. I used to play that guitar with my eyes closed... (the fretboard was luckily unsprayed). It felt just like it should have... a 1953 Tele... with your eyes closed. The guy who sold it to me told me said it was '... a totally original 1953 Tele, without case... that some idiot has covered in the most ugly green paint'. The store even included a modern form-fit case for me to go with it... boy... I wish I had never sold that guitar..it was worth more then, and a lot more now. But someone (other than Kurt Cobain) painted it, in a moment of inspiration, even though he probably had little or no skills in a paintbooth... but you see.. I don't think Brian Setzer had experience decorating with stickers either. So what are we to do? My solution... leave your guitars alone... if you need one with a humbucker, trade for one. If it sounds too good to trade, then add the humbucker... but please, don't paint it sparkle green.