New Baby...

Well... she is on her way. My Versoul Raya 6-String guitar is on the way from Kari Nieminen in Finland.  She is only the 304th guitar this master has built... and he has been doing it since the 1990's!  He has also made guitars for Billy Gibbons (a 'Raya Blue Light' guitar), and some for Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones too!  He has also made two for me previously, including his Kenny Burrell Jazz model acoustic.  My current guitar was inspired by Brian Setzer's Champagne Sparkle Jet... here are the build photos of the guitar that is in transit... more info to come soon...  (also a photo of a Champagne Sparkle Jet by Gretsch).

Fires

We all do it... play the cruddy ones, and store the 'gems' away.  I always make the excuse that when my skills meet some as-yet-undetermined level, I will have earned the right to play my most valuable guitar... but until then, all guitars are the same... it's all in the set-up... right?  WRONG.  I decided (as the California fires continued their way towards my door) took out my most valuable guitar. I mean, if it might be going up in smoke, why not enjoy it a little first?  I got it second hand a few years ago, following two other previous owners (who also probably seldom played it either). We all felt it was just too expensive to play... unless of course you are Ronnie Wood.  The guitar in question is one of probably less than 30 Disc Front Zemaitis guitars (originals).  I traded up to it... using many old guitars I purchased before the Vintage Guitar boom a few years ago (think '58 Blond Strat, that Eric Clapton's tech said sounded better than Eric's).  After getting it, the 'Z' went into a closet, only to be taken out for brief viewings... like the Shroud of Turin.  Well... now I am playing it every day.  there IS a difference between this guitar and all the others I have played in my life...THIS one plays like a living thing, or maybe the way a custom pair of hand-made boots fits on your feet.  I am playing it... because if that fire comes, I will not have any regrets.  I do want to mention... if you are well known, or have connections, the Fender Custom shop could custom make you a guitar, like they did for other rock Gods... custom to you hands, desires, etc... but I tell you this... it could only be as good as this guitar is to play... (even if I am only using it for rhythm guitar!)

Feel Screwed???

I was just in contact with Nick, at AxetremeCreations, regarding Fender, Leo and Screws... there are many different screws on a Strat. The backplate screws (in case you don't know) are identical to the pickguard screws. They are #4 1/2" screws. The pickguard, backplate, jack cup and also string tree (on the round early models) are all the same screw in fact (says Nick, who specializes in aged parts for your Strat). The neckplate screws are #8 X 1 3/4". All have an oval head. This is important... since it makes it very difficult for someone to go to a hardware store and find these suckers. All this info, by the way, is (for some reason) really hard to find... even online! Leo seemed to be keeping his screw sizes a secret for some reason says Nick (tongue in cheek I am sure). Most hardware stores do NOT carry the combination screws you would need for your Strat (or Tele). Most were nickle plated according to Nick, which are rare to find. It is also very difficult to find slot-head screws... the oval head is nearly impossible as well. Although there is nothing overly special about the screws he says, they are just an odd combination. Maybe David Gilmour (or Pink Floyd) wished he had known of Nick when his beloved Black Guitar was returned to him... missing volume knob, tone knob, pickup selector knob, tremelo arm and knob, and strap button (with sheared screw)... the guitar is mentioned in the new book (The Black Strat) as having been returned in poor shape from the Dallas Hardrock Cafe in 1997, after hanging at eye-level over a table in the restaurant... Nick has all these replacement parts available at his site, and more... to put that old Strat back in shape. Next... The Black Strat Book!

Vintage Guitar Market

Has the Vintage Guitar Market gone up in flames? The urban legends of a Blackguard '52 Tele in mint shape going for $96,000 on EBay (actually, it might have been true... but maybe only once)... are probably all just a memory now... sort of like the finger someone supposedly bit into in a bucket of wings at the fried chicken place a few years ago. The Vintage Guitar stores don't seem to want to lower their prices yet, and admit to the recession... at least not officially. Going through my latest issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine, I saw the following listings: a 1953 Fender Tele, VG+ for $55,900 (page 68), a 1951 NoCaster with original case, $69,165 (page 133), and a 1953 Fender Tele, clean with case $59,500. All this reminds me of last night...I watched one of those Art & Coin TV channels, that sell you things all night... Greg "Hurricane" Thomas was on, taking over for Barry Chappell in the Art Hour. They were selling Haziza sculptures made of Acrylic for an opening bid of $700... the phones were dead for the first few minutes, and Hurricane finally had to open bidding on the first sculpture at $0, in $100 increments. (I think it finally went for $500). My first thought was that in this economy, those sculptures at the old prices of last year will be a hard sell. I might apply that to the prices on those Tele's... I don't know if anyone is buying $50K tele's right now, or if those prices are flexible when you call the dealers up, but my guess is... it's like the finger in the chick'n bucket... that puppy is gonna sit in the bottom of that bucket ...

Yngwie Malmsteen Strat!

Go here.

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....

My Vote

Schallers, Klusons... which is the better tuning machine for your Fender guitar?  And why does Andy Summers (and so many other guitarists) want Schallers on their guitars, instead of Klusons?  How about the difference between true Vintage Klusons, and the 'newer' ones, that still have that vintage look? Well.. let's start with three guitars I own.  My true '58 Esquire has original like-new vintage Klusons... turn the tuner a little, and the string goes 'out' a whole note.

The thing pops and slips like a '58 Ford without snow tires in San Francisco snow.  This is so bad, I don't generally play this guitar, even though the old wood sounds much better than any new guitar ever could.  I also have another tele with mini-schallers... and they are as tight as John Paul Getty was with money.  Set those babies, and it stays in tune for days, while my original '58 goes out in minutes or seconds.  How about the 'new and improved' Klusons?  Well, my Jeff Beck Esquire goes out of tune every day, and always needs retuning... sometimes twice an hour... so my vote... Schallers! (for me). 

Cracked Necks

So you want to be a rock and roll singer... and maybe a rock and roll star...well... maybe just have a collection of 3 or 4 electric guitars that a rock and roll singer would have...sitting in a stand at the back of the stage.  We get bombarded with advertising from Fender and Gibson... and... er...Danelectro...about which guitar some rock persona recommends. Truth be told, take a close look at say Keith Richard's collection (google it)...or even Brian Setzer's guitars.... you will not see a lot of new mid-range tele's and Strats, or new Les Paul Bursts.  You might see some eclectic stuff though... old Gretsch's... old Danelectro's that you can still buy on Ebay in like-new condition...and also stuff like Silvertones and (of course) older 50's and 60's Les Pauls and Strats/ Tele's.  Truth be told, these guys aren't buying on EBay though... unless there is a good return policy... which can be time consuming anyway.  If you must get something new, I lean towards the masterbuilt guitars (the ones with the numbers on the back of the headstock), from Fender's masterbuilders... I mean, they ARE good enough for the rock guys and gals to tour with.  Think Dennis Galuszka... I think he's the best masterbulder out there today.  Also try and find a 'Stinger' headstock Les Paul... those are neat.  As far as other choices... get some of the older babies at Pawn shops and guitar stores that sell vintage... or maybe from a garage sale down the street.  Most true working musicians play stuff that sounds 'right', plays even righter...and is also unique as far as looks... with time worn dents and bruises... just skip any cracked necks. 

Yes... She's Got All!

We've all seen 'em... those guitars for sale that do everything... except toast bread, make the bed, and jump start your car when the battery goes dead. The for sale ad generally reads something like this: "For Sale... Fender '65 Stratocaster. Don't miss this and kick yourself later! Here's the details; Original well worn finish. Monster tone! This guitar is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Fingerboard is superfast. Perfect medium C-Shaped neck. Pickups allow amazing Jimi Hendrix chords. Lay it down in your lap, and you will not believe the Jeff Healey bluesy notes that ring on this guitar. I played it the other day, and my friend told me what came out of it was pure Jimmie Vaughan! If you want a little Yngwie, you need look no further than here either... truly amazing guitar for finger tapping. Also just to show what this guitar can do..check out my youTube™ page for a shot of me playing EVH's Eruption. I am not going to let it go cheap though...".  All joking aside... a lot of what people say in ads needs to be taken with a whole salt-shaker full of salt... so as before... cool those hormones a minute, and look before you leap.

Unplugged.....

Some really resonant electric guitars spend a lot of their time being played 'unplugged'.... to those who love doing this sort of thing, the sound is every bit as enjoyable as playing an acoustic guitar.... you have all the comfort and familiarity of playing your electric guitar, and none of the hassles of carting around an amp and all those pedal boards and stuff....and cables.  How many people out there live with non-guitarists... who ask that the living room not become a permanent gig-room? We are quite happy to have pedals everywhere, amps on standby all day... their little red lights on, variacs dialed-in and on the floor, cables tangled everywhere, and loose picks and other paraphernalia as far as the eye can see.  Because we have to set up everything before we play... and then put it all away again afterwards (...people are coming over... and might want to use the room...as...er... a diningroom/ livingroom... or kitchen). Meanwhile it can take us ages to set up and then put it all away again. I start to feel like someone's roadie!  But my acoustic.... as great as it sounds, just doesn't have a neck I like to play for long periods of time, and even with the steel strings on it...it is NOT my electric... and it digs into my ribs. Let's hear it for being unplugged.... leave the acoustic in the corner, and forget being your own roadie.

Worth Saying Again...

It really is worth saying again.  Human nature has implanted in all of us the weakness to fall for 'The Deal That Is Just Too Good To Be True'.... (and actually isn't...true).  As you may have read in previous posts... I bought a 50's Esquire from a very well known, highly advertised guitar dealer.  He never put it in writing (maybe a warning to the wise)... but did tell me on the phone... that the guitar was totally original.  Yes... it was totally original... but assembled from 2 guitars of roughly the same year.  That alone was not enough... it also at one time, had another pickup installed in the neck position, and the screw holes remained.  The price was the hook that pulled me in... it was 66% of the price an honest and original one would have cost, at my 'high-priced-but-totally-honest' local dealer.  I fell for it by purchasing the lemon, and of course, have now found out that I will be lucky to get out of it without a loss. As of this post, I am still waiting for it to sell with my local dealer (after 3 months).  Can you avoid this... absolutely! Will you avoid it though... that's my question?

Know-It-All

Never assume that because you know all about 50's Tele's and Strats, and once owned a 1987 Reverse Headstock Jackson in Road Cone Orange, that you have any chance at knowing about Jackson guitars...  until you put in all the time to study them.  They ARE a different animal... not just because the guys that played them had big hair most of the time.  The bridges were radically new at the time.  Heck... you could even lock the strings at the nut, using a hex key that was (most of the time) bolted (eek!) to the back of the headstock (when not in use).  Not only this... but Jackson literally horsebranded his fretboards with the serial numbers most of the time... by stamping the numbers deep into the fretboards (no actual heat involved really... and no horses... as far as I know).  I had purchased a 'totally original 1985 Randy Rhoads guitar' on EBay some time ago.  I paid around $1500, and was told (by the seller in the listing) that the case was 'a rare original case'.  When I went to sell it last week... turned out the case, bridge (?), pickups (?) and electronics and also the switches all came under scrutiny and questioning.  Jackson guitar people had a lot of questions about originality... and many reservations.  Apparently, the case is definitely not original at all (being form fit plastic).  So be warned... I am also a relative expert in PRS guitars... but had to take a loss of around $1000 on this guitar, to learn my lesson;  Be well read and learn about what you intend to buy... thoroughly... before you go to buy it! (the scammers are out, and want your money).

Bollywood

Randy Rhoads Lives....

I am currently selling my Randy Rhoads V... Serial number 1130.  Up until I listed it, I really knew NOTHING about Randy Rhoads Guitars... other than that they are a cornerstone of the Glam Rock 80's equipment requirement for a guitarist.  At first I listed the guitar as a San Dimas guitar... only to have someone write and tell me I was lucky to have probably the 1st guitar off the Ontario assembly line.  My temporary muted excitement was destroyed by further news, from another Ebayer... that that is not true... that the guitar IS a San Dimas guitar... as the info on Jackson's site shows ...I have also copied the info from their site in the photo above (thanks Jackson).  I have yet to confirm the situation with the plastic vs. wood and tolex cases... but I think the originals did come with a black tolex & wood case.

Rob R.

Mr Rob R. wrote back... to tell me that the 'mystery guitar' I knew he could name might have been made at the Teisco factory (could be labeled anything from Teisco Del Rey, Conrad, Silvertone... and a few others).  Audition was one of their brands (he says)... but all made by the same folks.  Not a bad recording guitar according to Rob... twangy, surf-tones, and generally the neck plays poorly (he used a better word)... unless you have a real whiz set them up. 

Rob wants a Fender Jag with buckers and fixed/ addressed bridge... and pickups that split to single coil (just like MY Sadowsky Strat!).... sounds great Rob...!  Here's a 'Jazz' photo for you....

RAW BAR

Belly up to the raw bar.....raw necks that is. My love is completely sanded and oiled raw maple neck guitars.  Raw on the fretboard... and raw on the back.  Oiled doesn't mean oily though... one guy in a blog mentioned "Where's the oil in oiled necks?'.  People argue whether the nitro necks wear better than 'raw' necks.  Truth is... raw necks are pretty much ready to rock on... bend notes, do a Stevie Ray or Kenny Wayne... or whatever you do.  Nitro necks need a period to 'break in'.  Even after they are broken in, the two still feel different.  And raw necks have about the same life expectancy as nitro necks...I own a Sadowsky Strat (when he used to make them only for 'Big Stars'...)... it has the neck shown in the picture, and is a '80's '57 Reissue Strat, completely stripped and then given a beat up nitro treatment.  A lot of 'real' players love 'raw' necks... I never used to pay much attention to raw neck guitars... I thought they might wear out and stain and also (since they are not sealed)... be subject to humidity.  Not so!   So....Belly up to the raw bar....you WILL NOT be disappointed.... (just make sure you also own a nice Les Paul... for those Rosewood moments).

CASH

My perspective on how the 'recession' is affecting guitars is as follows....  every dealer I have called to 'trade' a guitar this month, has insistently said that the guitar I am offering to trade is 'not what he is looking for'... likewise, like the local car dealer... whatever he has for sale is a 'real gem'.  Ok... that's what capitalism is all about... whatever the store is selling is valuable, and whatever you have to trade is 'cr*p'.  But it has never (for my mind) been this difficult to trade... and I don't own lemons.  Dealers only want c$sh right now... NO trades (from my survey this month).  It used to be that they didn't want your lap harp... (not to keep picking on lap harps)... in trade for a Les Paul or Tele.  Now they don't seem to want your Tele in trade for a Tele.  I went shopping last night at 9pm, when the 'Valley' in California was still hovering at 94 degrees...  and the supermarket was deserted... I don't know if this was due to the weather, or the 'recession'... but for my mind... the supermarket was air conditioned.... so it must be the recession. I feel that is why the dealers need c$sh... c$sh for rent, c$sh for gas, and c$sh to buy new instruments from manufacturers... to generate more c$sh.  So folks... that 1993 Tele you want to trade may have to be put back in the closet... or just plain played. 

"Instant Collection For Sale"

Sounds great... right? Maybe not... Say you get a RR-1 Randy Rhoads, a Fender CIJ MIJ 62 RI Tele from Japan, a Sharpsicle 26 String Lap Harp, a rare Elvis Presley 4 String Toy Guitar, a Fender 1977 Sunburst USA Strat EC w/HSC, and an amp with no name....all for $6700. Do you even know if you got a bargain or not? Would you want all those instruments? Would you individually pay that much for all of them... or even seek them out if found one at a time? A dealer might buy the group if he wanted two of the guitars, and planned to discard the rest. The Strat looks nice to me... I don't really know what CIJ stands for with the Tele... I know MIJ stands for 'Made in Japan'...I've never played a 26 String Lap Harp... and maybe never will (my loss). Truth be told, unless you are a dealer, the fun is in the actual collecting (as a player too). I just saw a guy on EBay selling a prototype Les Paul so he can afford to pay off a newly aquired 1983 PRS (sound familiar....? Next year it might be reversed, when he sells the PRS to get back a Les Paul). The chance of two people on the planet having the same 5 dream guitars (in a collection) is pretty slim... probably over 10,000: 1. The amp though might actually work.....and I do like the sound of that Strat. (My safe money is on the bet that my friend Rob R. knows the name of the guitar in the picture above).

Nash Les Pauls...

Bill at Nash Guitars wrote to me... here is the full scoop on the New Nash Les Paul re-works...Bill says: "Yes, I finally caved in to the pressure from people wanting a “Nash” take in the Gibson arena.

These are real Gibson guitars that I purchase with the intention of doing a complete make over. There are a few models that make good candidates for this, depending on the final color (plain, flame or gold top). The faded standards, the classic standards and classic plus standards are all possibilities as a starting piece as long as they are in NOS condition when they land.

First step is to completely disassemble and separate the parts that will be aged and re-used, from the parts that we reject and replace. The “keeper” parts are then aged.

The finish, which is sometimes rather thick, is stripped off down to the bare wood. At this point some get stains applied, if required to get the desired color. Then the guitar gets re-finished in 100% nitrocellulose lacquer, keeping it as thin as possible to enable superior resonance. We do a variety of takes on the lemon, cherry, faded, un-burst, plain and gold top looks.

After curing, the guitar gets the complete aging treatment and then the frets are re-worked and dressed to our specs, then we are ready for re-assembly.

The pickups are replaced with what many of you may balk at as there are so many opinions about Les Paul pickups and tone out there. As always, I simply build a guitar that I would use and leave it at that. So, in my arsenal of personal guitars, my favorite and most versatile LP setup is using a DiMarzio Bluesbucker in the Neck and a DiMarzio Air Norton in the Bridge.

We re-wire the guitar so the pickups breathe better as well as use the neck pickup’s tone control as a coil tap for the Bluesbucker, which gives you an amazing strat-like sound from that pickup. Between 1 and 8 on the tone knob it works as a regular tone control, between 9 and 10 it shuts off the second/dummy coil. This gives you a tap without adding switches of push pull pots.

The Air Norton give you bigger output and rich harmonics without going over the top into the tone spectrum of faceless, modern, high output sound that so many specialized humbuckers are susceptible to. These pickups have a lower string pull and a much higher sensitivity to your dynamics and playing style.

If you care for more info on the pickup selection, setup etc., read on……

My problem with stock Les Pauls is that the pickups never seem truly matched to each other or the position that they inhabit. The neck pickup will sound to fat and lack clarity and character. The bridge will often sound harsh or weak. The middle position (both pickups together) has an incredible potential for sparkle and quack, but no stock Les Paul, I have had, other than an actual ‘59 burst had this. I always looked for a paul that could actually use the neck pickup for rhythm, but if I set my amps for that, then the bridge pickup sounded harsh and weak. If setting the amp for a smooth, but well driven sound from the bridge, then your neck pickup is overly thick and un-clear. Does this sound familiar?

Also, as many of you may have figured out, the method Gibson uses for wiring the pots is not optimum. The tendency towards the guitar getting muddy or sounding choked when anywhere but “10“. This gets re-worked when we re-wire.

Gibson installs frets on the fretboard prior to it getting glued to the neck and body. Maybe they do it as it is easier to do it that way, but it can really lead to all sorts of fret issues (buzzing, fret outs, high action, dead spots etc). What happens is the neck and body glue, moisture, and all of the underlying structure will shrink, expand and or settle. The fretboard (and frets) will now adjust itself to the changes and you end up with “lumpy gravy”. The most noticeable and common issue is the hump at about the 14^th fret, right where the neck gets really thick before it hit’s the body. So what we do is now re-work the neck and frets and take care of this to give the player better action, playability, sustain, bending etc." Tell me if this isn't a doppleganger for a '59 Burst!

Original With Mods

How many times have you seen a guitar advertised on Ebay as being "TOTALLY ORIGINAL, with upgrades/ modifications?".  Let's face it folks... if it's been "upgraded", "modified" or otherwise changed, it is no longer Totally Original.  It's an old adage... one man's pleasure is another's poison... well... same with those wonderful upgrades.  The thing is... I just saw someone (again) on Ebay, actually marking UP the guitar (over totally original) because he/ she spent money to upgrade it.  They wanted to find someone else who loved those upgrades the way they did... and also wanted to pay the extra amount for them.  True... Andy Summer's Tele came with "upgrades" that he just happened to love... but it is a rarity (see previous post).  Once again... word to the wise... before getting out the chisel and hammer to "customise" your little gem, ask yourself that important question... "Will I EVER want to sell this again one day?".  I can pretty much guarantee, none of us really know the answer to that one most of the time.

Kit-N-Caboodle

I can't confirm the sighting yet... but I think I just saw (online) a Nash Les Paul.  Apparently,

Mr Nash is now bowing to requests, and disassembling old Les Pauls, aging them, and then reassembling them again (minus any broken or damaged pieces)... into works of art.  He makes them look like '58- '60 Bursts.  He is also doing his own special wiring job (apparently), to go along with the whole kit-n-kaboodle.  I will write to him now and see if I can get the Low-Down directly from the master.....wow. 

Collectibles

What happened?  SRV #1 guitars rocketed up in price after they came out at the 2004 NAMM convention, and are now worth (arguably) anywhere between $42,000 (the one sold at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Auction on June 24, 2004), and in the range of $28,000 to $45,000 (at auction on EBay).  Meanwhile, the EVH Frankenstrats actually dropped in 'value', and I have seen them go unsold on EBay at $15,000 (they were originally sold for $25,000 by Guitar Center).  The Jeff Beck Esquires came out at $15,000, and now trade between $7500 and $9000... the $9000 for those buyers that want a brand new guitar, from a good source.  The Andy Summers Tele's are currently going as low as the high 6's, (with a man in Texas a few months ago on EBay with one at that price, due to a distressed sale).  Now the new 'Lenny' Replica's are out...I will say one thing... My Jeff Beck Esquire is about the best sounding guitar I have ever owned, and was built by Dennis Galuszka, who for my mind is the best of the best builders out there right now... hence why Andy Summers has been touring with a guitar built by Dennis, while on his Police tour.  If you can snag ANY guitar, built by Dennis (with the numbers next to his signature, on the back of the headstock... Not the ones that have just his signature) you are getting a guitar that would easily cost you $10,000 if ordered custom from the factory, by Dennis. So if you are a true player, I WOULD highly recommend you buying an Andy Summers Tele or Jeff Beck Esquire... if you can get one at a good price right now.  Also... the Andy Summers Tele's will come with a neat pre-amp, which I personally would love to try out. 

Andy's Tele

I was just watching the YouTube video of how Andy Summers came across his original Tele... he used to teach guitar in LA when he was here in the 70's, and a student brought it in for him to play... and he fell in love with how it sounded immediately.  The undeniable magic of the right instrument in the right hands took place.  The question begs to ask is... 'Why didn't the student who originally own it notice what a great guitar it was?'.  Andy said (by the way) that it came with the preamp (that includes a battery)... non-original switches, and a brass bridge (for tonal reasons).  He said it came in it's current incarnation, without him having to do any mods to it.  This is not the first time a guitar has been 'sheer magic' to one musician... an immediate extension to his (or her) body... just like a new limb...but maybe just an ordinary guitar to the person who sold it to them.  Maybe there is one great guitar out there for all of us... and our job is to find it languishing wherever it is, maybe in someone else's unloving hands. I myself had this happen to me... I had a really neat green Nash Tele, with white binding.  At the time I owned 4 Nash Tele's.. she sounded nice.. really nice... but it wasn't like I felt the guitar was any better than the other 3 Nash guitars I owned.  My friend Mick came over, and in his hands it sang... the look on his face was like someone had given him his long-lost soul mate... at first I thought he was kidding when he said he had to have it... and it only took him about 2 minutes to know this... Isn't love always like this?  Remember that girl (or guy) across a room at a party... the one you knew in a moment was for you...well a guitar can be just like that... only sight alone is never enough to close the deal (with the instrument). Check out the YouTube link here with Andy Summers.

Louise KR-12

My favorite (and only) amp is the KR-12 by Louis Electric... view a demo by another owner of one of the prototypes (Sturgis Nikides) here... (while the link lasts), and see how great these amps are to play through...  the KR stands for Keith Richards... who it was designed for.... mine also has a 100 year old, oiled-pine cabinet.

Zombies

Everyone here loves guitars... and the only thing we love more than guitars must be Keith Richards... who once pulled a gun on Ronnie Wood, over Ronnie's drug taking.  Ronnie was apparently freebasing, so Keith went off to get his gun, and Ronnie explains all in his memoir.  Keith had a derringer, and yelled "You f*cking b*stard Woody"... while pointing the gun at him.  Ronnie says he had a .44 magnum with no bullets in it at the time.  So he pulled it out.... Keith has to be one of the most famous Tele players in the world today... whether he is actually alive or not is in dispute, as another post I just read online puts forth the proposition that Keith is... a Zombie....

Supro Dual-Tone

Mr Rob R. of Desert Springs California correctly mentioned that one of the mysterious white guitars that David Bowie plays is a Supro Dual-Tone...  Guitar Player Online says it was originally designed as a campfire polka guitar (I am paraphrasing... read the article...love the polka bit)... but then people like Link Wray and Jimmy Page discovered them.  You can read all about it (I did)... it's the flagship solidbody electric of the Supro line, with 2 pickups and dual volume and tone controls (hence the name 'Dual-Tone').  It's art deco styling probably appealed to Bowie... if not also it's sound.  It apparently yields jazzy tones, and sounds best with the treble pickup selected, and tone control rolled off.  The article linked here says the guitar then sounds like a snarling pack of howling werewolves...enough for me... I am off to EBay.... Mr Rob R. of desert Springs receives a years supply of Lucky Charms for his answer....to my nagging question. (Thanks Rob).

Bowie, Rush and Lyrics/ Peter

 I just spent 20 minutes trying to find out what the white guitar David Bowie plays in some of his concerts is... whenever I go to a Bowie concert, it is really hard to read the name on the headstock.  I know there are people out there right now, who are saying 'Hey man... what's wrong with you... everyone knows that's a _______'.  I might have known once what the guitar was, but then quickly became distracted with another guitar, promptly forgetting the name again.  It's sort of like when you have been singing a song in your head, with all your own lyrics... like Geddy Lee's song with Rush... the one where he sings... 'Limelight... traffic light.....'... actually, the song is 'Fly By Night' , and the actual line is.. 'Moon Rise... thoughtful eyes...' ... I am sure listening to it on a state-of-the-art '68 Country Squire Station wagon radio didn't help... now off to continue my quest to find the maker of the Bowie guitar... promise not to buy it.... Rush rocks... glad they decided to have a few more 'goodbye tours'....

Neck Radius

What fretboard is right for you?  Are you a rosewood or maple man (woman)?  How about radius neck?  Do you want any 'curvature' at your nut?  Or do you want a fretboard that's relatively  flat (from High E to low E)?  I had a Charvel which I tried for a while, with a beautiful birdseye maple neck, and a compound radius neck... this means it had a curvature that was more round (like a baseball bat) on top of the fretboard, near the nut, and a more flat curvature near the body end of the neck.  Set up like this, the top of the neck is more suited to rhythm and chording, while the bottom of the neck is more suited to bending or lead playing... it's sort of like having your cake and also eating it too.  I still prefer the traditional neck that is the same radius all the way along the fretboard...  like my Jeff Beck Esquire, which has a curvature of  9.5" along the whole fretboard... remember, from my earlier posts, that the higher the radius number is, the 'flatter' the fretboard will be. 

Bet Guitar Performance

Tell me if you agree... that this is one of the best guitar performances ever (youtube)... it's Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits... and that is the title the clip was given.  You can think of blues greats, and many other amazing performances... that would compete with this... but I think it's definitely way up there... heck, I'm playing it again...

Great Screaming Bluesy Pickups with Lots of Funk

What's your pickup? I have boxes full of pickups in my closet... John Birch Humbuckers, re-wound GVCG tele pickups, wound by Lindy Fralin... brand new Lollar pickups... you name it... I even had some tv jones pickups, until I realized they were not my specific taste... but if I suddenly change my tune, and need them, I can always go to their website. Brian Setzer (who's music I really like), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Rocks), Brad Paisley (!), David Gilmour and Joe Walsh have been known to use them.  Also the Arctic Monkeys... my favorite pickups are Tele pickups wound by Abigail Ybarra (who has been at Fender since the 50's... initially she worked in another department, then went to pickup winding).  She does Tele pickups (currently NOT available except on John Cruz Tele's and also the Jeff Beck series.  She also does 60's Strat sets, which are available separately).  I also love Lollars... and if anyone out there has any crazy Texas pickups you want me to try, I'd love to give it a go... my Tele's love great screaming bluesy pickups with lots of funk...

David Gilmour, the Beatles & Other Guitar Groups

Do you categorize your current music groups into "Those with real guitarists" and "all others"? Seems like some groups (including David Gilmour) do a great job of still giving us "the licks we want"... whereas other groups (which will remain nameless, but many) seem to be totally lacking a guitarist.  Check out David's "On an Island"... from his album by the same name.  David loves Strats, and owns Strat #0001... nice to see a great instrument in so deserving hands.

Great Performances

How many guitars do you own?  How many of them do YOU think sound great?  How many of them do OTHER PEOPLE tell you sound great? I think only ONE of them matters... the one YOU like.  Most of my guitars are nice... play ok, look even better (sometimes).  There is one acoustic and one electric though that really RINGS (a Beck Tele & a Versoul Kenny Burrell). They are the ones that another musician would agree sounded great... that ANY musician would agree sounded amazing.  I have no idea what really goes into a guitar that sounds wonderful, and has sustain that lasts for ever... vs. one that is dead and has zero sustain.  It's all wood... and all the same pieces put together... from the same factory.... but like the great steak you had the other day on the bar-b-cue, something just went very RIGHT when it all came together... like a great performance. I have no idea what that unknown quantity is... and I never will... but I can still tell one from the other.

Case-In-Point/ Peter

How about all the things that can hurt your electric guitar (or Acoustic guitar)?  We all think of them, but we don't totally believe they are true.  I keep most of my blinds shut in my guitar room... since I have heard that direct sunlight hurts not only the finish on a guitar, but also heats the guitar up and hurts the overall guitar itself.  I opened my blinds today, and briefly was of the mind that Muddy Waters probably put his guitar down on his front porch, in direct sunlight... and it actually sounded better.  After this brief thought, I shut my blinds again.  ALL necks, for instance, end up with warps, twists and bows... most are easily fixed, with a minor truss rod adjustment.  More major repairs require heating and reshaping.  Wood is alive, and to believe your neck should always be razor-straight is incorrect.  Even if your guitar is kept in a good environment, these things can occur. Each neck is an individual... and that individual needs (along with the whole guitar) to be kept away from: direct sunlight, radiators, heating vents, attics, car trunks, damp cellars... and also away from direct sunlight when in their black cases (most guitar cases are black).... if unnecessary damage is to be avoided.  No... these things will not relic a guitar... they are more  likely to RUIN your guitar.

Firecaster

I Played the Nash Firecaster through my KR-12 amp... and she's fantastic.  True Tele vibe... pure blues.  There is nothing between your hand and the music.  From there, it's straight through from the pickups to the amp.  The neck feels fantastic, and Bill did a wonderful job dressing the frets.  I asked him to 'sand' my fretboard, similar to the neck on my Sadowsky Strat (this is the Sadowsky neck).  I also have to mention that the Lollars on the Firecaster sing. The only other thing I have is my trusty Variac, to turn-down the voltage on my amp to around 90V.... 

Update: Fralin Pickups

My Lindy Fralin rewinds came back. If you remember, Oliver Leiber brought them back to my house (after he had a problem with the Tele I sold him)... and I swapped them out for a brand new set of  GVCG Tele pickups that I had on hand.  The ones I gave Oliver were straight from Jonathan at GVCG... some aged Lollar AL3's... that have staggered poles.  The ones I sent to Lindy took a month or so for the rewind, and came back as good as new.  I haven't put Lindy's pickups in anything yet, but will keep everyone posted when I do.  

Firecaster by Nash

Well... it's about time to 'test drive' my brand new Firecaster from Bill Nash.  I have been playing it acoustically, and through a Rockman™ Metal Ace.  My amp has been under plastic wrap, for construction in my 'music room'... the amp is a Louis Electric KR12.  I'll keep everyone filled in... now if I can just find that electrical  outlet...

Steeltops

I like to keep all people reading this blog posted on 'new' things in the world of guitars... if it is not Versoul guitars in Finland (more on that later), or Linhof Guitars (as previously mentioned).. it must well and truly be James Trussart's Steeltops.  Just look at this beauty... this guitar takes a little bit of Resonator styling and adds some humbucker pickups, this... together with a lot of engineering and design input from James Trussart, means a brand new blip on the new guitar horizon.  Up until now, James was mainly building his line of 'Steelcaster' guitars.  Recently though, he has come up with this little beauty... the 'Steeltop'... and well-known artists (like Rich Robinson, of the Black Crowes) have not been slow to recognize this... so why should you?  Check it out... also check out their entire site...for roughly what you would pay for either a nice Fender Tele, or a New USA Made Les Paul, you can also have one of these...I have one, and one on the way... 

Fretboard Magic

The ebony fretboard on my new James Trussart Steeltop has a wonderful look to it, that I have only seen once before on another hand-made-in-small-batch instrument... made by Tony Zemaitis (who actually, James Trussart reminded me, turned out even fewer instruments per year than James does).  The wood has been hand detailed, and the binding actually has an ever-so-slight dip to it on the edge, just as it leaves each fret..to rise slightly again when it reaches the next fret.... it is so slight, that you can barely notice it...for me it is a sign of a truly hand-made instrument. In today's time of machine-made necks, it is truly a rarity... so get 'em while you can folks...

Prizefight

DING DING DING....Welcome to the champion fight of the year... in the left corner... those who hate relic guitars... in the right.... those who either love 'em, or try to just go by how they sound.  Imagine if you had picked up a Paisley Tele (in Pink) in 1968... 'Darn... I can't play this in front of anyone... I'm a guy'... but nobody is around you in the store... so you strum a few chords... and WOW... for some reason (as it sometimes is)... they just GOT IT RIGHT... and no matter WHAT color she is, you've got to have her.  Well.. for those who HATE relic guitars... they are probably here to stay for a while...  but if you find one that really rocks, don't miss the boat based on how she looks.  It's quite a topic of discussion I know... and it can get heated at times...  but it's about how they play, and how they sound.  I write about them here, because most of the Masterbuilders are putting their time into Relic's... because that is what SELLS... so if you want a great guitar, you might have to close your eyes when you play...

Another Pretty Head

Look at these three headstocks... just like a Fender headstock... timeless and beautiful.   Gibson also has a wonderful headstock... If you don't  get yourself a nice looking head... who's going to care about the body?

Love Child

I am still playing the Steeltop I just got from Mr James Trussart yesterday.  The steel-meets-wood tone of this guitar is reminiscent for me of the sound of 'The Black Keys'.  It's also very Black Crowes  in it's tone.  I cannot say enough... I have never really owned a metal-wood electric guitar, but I am SOLD on them now forever...  this guitar is sort of like if a Dobro had an illicit affair with a Les Paul... this would be the love child.  The finish on the ebony fretboard reminds me of the hand-detailing of  an original Zemaitis.  The workmanship is wonderful... you will NOT find any bad 'edges' on this guitar. It is totally small-batch, hand made... and I haven't even got to all the wonderful variations you can get out of the knobs and 3-way toggle switch... wow again.

James Trussart Workshop

I was lucky enough to visit the James Trussart guitar workshop, in Silverlake California today. After walking up some steps inside a private compound, I was greeted by Robert, (after pushing an antiquated metal doorbell).  The house is a California Craftsman... and inside you feel like you are in a movie.  Mr Trussart has a wonderful view of downtown LA on one side, and the Hollywood sign on the other.   I met Mr Trussart, and also William (on the left) and Robert... also another really nice guy, but I didn't get his name... who was also working away on guitar parts.  I picked up my new Steeltop guitar today (see photo).  I think most people are familiar with James' Steelcaster guitars, but just recently, he has added many new models...including this one,  and people like Rich Robinson and Billy Gibbons are already on the boat. The one I picked up today is a Paisley 'Steeltop', with one of James' custom humbuckers, (with it's own  serial number and all...).. not to get too excited, but I also saw another one while I was there....a Steelcaster, also in Paisley.. the first one he has done, and I had to stick my name on it.   Mr Trussart told me that he was inspired to do the paisley guitars while he looked into a store window, at some Paisley fabric...which reminded him of his childhood and his mother.  What a great idea... I'll also be playing this guitar, and reporting back on how it sounds... preliminary acoustic test;  ... very, very resonant, and full sounding..very balanced... so I am sure when I plug her in, it will only get better. Wow! (Go to James Trussart here).

Carlos

I bought this guitar from a guitar store in Miami some time ago.  It was sold as 'Almost definitely made for Carlos Santana'.  Well, I contacted customer service at PRS, and got the reply from Shawn in customer support that '...your guitar... was built for Carlos several years ago'.  I used to know Ralph Perucci, in the White Plains store in 1987, one of Mr Smith's good friends.  Ralph helped him get his guitar business off the ground in the early days, and has worked with many famous artists himself.  At the time, I had the chance to own many prototype PRS guitars, and luckily I took Ralph up on many of Mr Smith's offerings.  I turned down the chance to have Mr Smith build me a 'Signature Series' (1/1000) with a Floyd Rose bridge (which would have been wild), but I did get a nice one with the original PRS bridge.  Mr Smith offered to sign anything I wanted on the guitar, but I opted just to have him sign his name on the back of the headstock.  In 1988 I also bought two of the original 'prototype' bolt-on guitars, that had been shown at the NAMM show.  BOTH had the serial number '1988' (I think there where 6 in all).  I also had one of the very first sparkle-red Customs.  All where sold down the line... but... hey, I still have the 1989 Carlos. If anyone out there has an old bolt-on, with the serial number '1988'... yup, you didn't know it, but it's a prototype.

Dear Bollocks,

Yeh... you DO make me wanna puke.  You ponsy little stock trader...

Nick

Bread

People don't want the good times to end.  My issue of VGM (Vintage Guitar Magazine) mentions unheard of auction prices for vintage instruments (see 'The Value of Actual Sales Data', p.92)...that were achieved... in OCTOBER 2007. Vintage guitar prices hit (for my mind) an all-time high last October, then fell slightly in November, then fell sharply in December 2007.  The article mentions a 1955 Les Paul that sold for $70,500 (an all-time high, for my mind) on October 14th. Now, in April 2008, I feel we are sitting around wondering if the vintage guitar bubble has burst.  Apart from the dates mentioned... all this sounds a little like the current housing market.  Why am I, as a player, talking like this... will Nick write to me in my 'letter' section again, and tell me that I make him puke?  Of course he will... but a lot of musicians are not wealthy, and don't want their beloved guitar going from 17K to 8K.... and as everyone knows, most musicians keep their money IN their instruments..not under their beds.... some things near and dear to every musician's heart are women, guitars, booze, food and shelter... not all in that order, but close.  I feel if I continue to talk about how to tune your Floyd Rose and also my love of all things Charvel, I might be just a little in denial about what REALLY is on all our minds...... bread.  We all need a little bread to eat....man.... so this really hurts.  I still have one 50's guitar for sale at my local guitar store.. but she ain't movin' on down the road.... if she doesn't sell soon, I am tempted to sand her neck, give her jumbo frets, and do a Jeff Beck...hey... they were all meant to be played... and maybe I can find some bread somewhere else...

EVH (Again)

Why does EVH love his Charvel so much that I have seen and have photos of 57 EVH Art Series Guitars that I have personally seen sell on EBay.  I don't know what the total is, but someone online totalled up  the tally from the last time he did this a few years ago.  EVH loves and plays Charvel guitars... all of his custom guitars have a non-symetrical neck, made especially for Eddie, and so do all his Art Series guitars, (which are played by him in concert, and hand designed individually by EH).  They also have EVH specified humbuckers, and only a volume control (no tone).  EVH seems to derive most (if not ALL) his signature sound from what goes on AFTER THE CABLE leaves his guitar.  These guitars go for between 8K and 11K, with the occasional one going much higher (because it is one of the ones with a red background and white and black stripes... currently that's the one that goes for over double what other colors can go for.  What do you do with one of these?  If you have an office, I guess it goes in the case above the table where you serve coffee to future clients... if you're a crazy, you play it... 

EVH

When the EVH Frankenstein Strats came out... I ran down to the Hollywood Guitar Center like a kid to get the latest G.I. Joe...(in the late 70's).  It was in a big glass case... going round and around (where Blackie had been before... the REAL Blackie, that Hollywood Guitar Center owns).  It looked so lifelike, I had to have it.  I asked how many they had, and what the price was.  They said they still had a 'few' left (for advance purchase), and that it was $23,000.  (WOW... I thought... they are MEANT to be $25,000).  Tempting, but at the time, it was still better (if you had $23,000) to buy a Vintage Tele.  So I passed on the chance.  A few months ago, I came across one of the Charvel guitars that are HAND STRIPED by EVH himself, custom painted at the factory, and then played by EVH himself in concert.  (He seems to play each guitar for at least one song, and averages two 'sellable' guitars per concert).  The guitar comes with a photo of EVH playing YOUR guitar.  Anyway... I got one (see photo).  I got it for about 1/3 the price of the Frankenstein Guitar I had looked at in the store ... and guess what... my guitar was PLAYED by EVH... I think everyone who loves guitars is now must face this choice...do I save up and buy a great copy, that was never anywhere near a great guitarist... or do I spend a lot less, and get a little tiny piece of history that has been played by 'a master'?  Sorry to say, most people who bought an original Frankenstein Strat (Frankenstrat), at over $20,000, now are forced so sell them on EBay for much less... possibly due to the new choices out there from Charvel that are competing with them.