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!

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