My guitars are varied, but I have 3 primary uses -- heavy metal, electric blues, and acoustic blues. For my electric blues guitars, I prefer single coil pickups and play mostly on the neck pickup. For heavy metal and rock, I use humbuckers and exclusively use the bridge pickup. My strings are 10-52 GHS, and haven't really changed in the last 20 years. I used to use slightly lighter strings, but found a good combination with the 10-52, and I don't change brands because every brand has a different composition and the intonation would have to be set up again. Playing the same guage and same brand, intonation is pretty consistent. On acoustic, I'm not as picky about strings, since the intonation can't be set accurately, and use whatever decent strings I can find at a good price.
Below are short descriptions of the guitars I have owned, or still own. There have been a few other cheapies that don't warrant a mention because I only had them briefly.
SG Copy (no name)/Frankenstein guitar
This guitar started out as an SG copy that I got new for about $149 in 1978, but rapidly turned into a homemade Frankenstein guitar. First, the SG body went through a number of weird modifications that are best not described. I scalloped the neck for better playability (this was before Yngwie) and made a brass nut for it. I added a new pickup (DiMarzo Super Distortion). Finally, I scrapped the body and made my own out of a chunk of fibreglass that came from the factory where my dad worked. I sawed the shape into an original design that a friend of mine came up with and routed all the necessary cavities. I kept the Bigsby-style whammy bar from the SG, and added my own homemade locking nut mechanism, as they were not commercially available at the time that I knew of. Eventually, I made a brass bridge for it at the factory where I worked and ditched the whammy. The guitar played fine, but was very heavy due to the material I used. It was a back breaker when standing playing live. Total cash outlay for this was $200. When I got my next guitar, this one ended up in the trash. The background in this picture is snow, right before I tossed it. I wish I still had it. It might be worth a laugh or two. :-)
G & L F-100
G & L F-100 series II, circa 1982. This was my first "real" guitar, and I got it new for about $520. It was one of the earlier Strat-style guitars with humbuckers, after Eddie Van Halen made the style popular. The guitar did not have a Van Halen tone, however, and sounded somewhere between a Strat and a Les Paul, but unlike either. The F-100 was nice in that the pickups had the coils split, so by flicking a switch you could play single coil pickups and get a Strat-like sound. Another small switch put the pickups out of phase, giving interesting tonal variations that sounded almost like a wah-wah clicked on and stepped down. The main 3-way toggle switch for the pickups was Les Paul style. The 3 knobs were for volume, bass, and treble -- unusual on a guitar, but made it very nice for getting different sounds. After playing it a few years, I scalloped the fretboard and changed the bridge pickup to a DiMarzio humbucker soap-bar pickup. I was never fond of the dual fulcrum tremolo, because of tuning problems, so I bought a Kahler unit that didn't quite fit. From here, the guitar rapidly turned into another Frankenstein guitar. I used a circular saw with a metal blade to hack the tremolo unit in half, leaving only the front side that rests against the pivots, and bolted the Kahler to the remnants of the unit. I also had to hack a hunk out of the wood where the Kahler unit sat in the body. Despite the look, the guitar played well after this. The resale value went down to about $0, however. But I'm not in this for resale...only playability. Too bad, as the early F-100s are rare these days. The finish is now cracked from age, as well, in addition to all the bumps and bruises from years of gigging. The guitar weighs 9 pounds 3 ounces.
Recently I sanded and finished the fretboard a little, replaced some of the mismatched screws, and replaced the mismatched knobs, as it was looking pretty ragged. I'm not super-fond of the road-worn look, even if the road wear is from my actual road wear.
Update: I eventually found a replacement bridge on eBay and installed that to bring it closer to original. It plays very nicely now.
Charvel Model 6.
These were Japanese versions of the Jackson Soloist, but were also pricey and very well made. I got this around '86 to become my main guitar for about $1100. I have always wanted a real Strat, but didn't want to get one at this time because I wanted a humbucker for the kind of music I was playing (heavy metal) and couldn't afford more than one guitar after I fell in love with this one. The Model 6 is a hybrid -- humbucker in the bridge and single coils in the neck and middle positions to give it that Strat sound when using the neck pickup, but the Les Paul sound when playing the bridge pickup. I loved almost everything about this guitar -- 24 frets, Kahler locking vibrato (the flat-mount unit without the Strat-style springs and body cutout), solid one-piece construction with a neck-thru-body. The neck is unbelievable -- great feel, big frets, super low action, wide but not too fat. This guitar almost plays itself. I've played on many guitars, but nothing comes close overall. I did make a few changes, though. The Jackson pickups were a bit too distorted, and I hated the 3 individual switches for the pickups, so I replaced them with a set of EMG active pickups with a Strat-style switch. The humbucker is much smoother and warmer than the Jackson, and the single coils had a much more Strat-like sound. The guitar was great for rock or blues, as it is now. The only other modification was to replace the locking nut with a flip lever-type locking nut from Kahler that is much quicker to use. I recently had to replace this again, as the old unit broke. The guitar still plays like a dream, even after 12 years of hard playing in a band every weekend, although the frets are very worn and the body has a few noticable dings. The guitar weighs 8 pounds 8.8 ounces.
Yamaha Acoustic
After years without having an acoustic, I picked up a cheapy Yamaha used for $165 in around 1991. I think the model is an FG-300. The guitar actually sounds great, and has individual bridge saddles, unlike most acoustics. The neck leaves something to be desired, though, as the frets are small and the fretboard is hard to finger chords. The neck snapped off (long story) and had to be glued back on, but since then I have not had any problems with it. Lately I keep it tuned low, like Robert Belfour, and play old blues songs on it.
Update: Sold on reverb.com for $225, didn't play it much needed to fund another guitar!
Harmony
My Harmony hollow body electric was made in around 1950 and is a great guitar for slide -- electric or acoustic -- but not much else. I got it around 2000 for $250. The action is too high to play without a slide, but for slide playing it sounds great. I wouldn't give it up, despite being a cheapy guitar. The old wood gives it a really warm sound. An opportunity presented itself for the purchase, but it wasn't something I was looking for at the time. It was more like an additional toy to play certain songs with. You can still get these for about $250 on eBay. When plugged in playing through a good tube amp, the guitar has incredible sustain/feedback control and a great bluesy vibe.
Update: Sold on eBay for $405 to make room for other guitars. I decided that if it wasn't good enough to take to a gig, it wasn't worth keeping.
Taylor 415
My Taylor acoustic is another dream guitar. I got it used in 2005 for about $900, but it was essentially a Christmas present from my wife. After years of suffering with my crappy old Yamaha, I decided to get a good acoustic guitar. It's a 415, which is a jumbo bodied acoustic that sounds great. I had searched for months and played everything, and I was leaning towards a Taylor 214, which is a bit smaller, but the night we went to pick it up the store was out of stock. As luck would have it, a used 415 had just come in, and was for sale for about half of the retail price, with a case AND a custom-added pickup. I had wanted one more like this (jumbo body), but I thought they were out of my price range. It looked brand new, so I got it. It sounds awesome, and is a pleasure to play. Up until then, I had never played a nicer sounding acoustic guitar, even at 2-4 times the price. The jumbo body gives it a really deep sound on the low notes and when muting, which is great for playing the kind of blues that I play.
- Type/Shape 6-String Jumbo
- Back & Sides Ovangkol
- Top Sitka Spruce
- Soundhole Rosette Wood Fiber
- Neck Tropical American Mahogany
- Fretboard Ebony
- Fretboard Inlay Large Pearl Dots
- Headstock Overlay Indian Rosewood
- Binding White Fiber
- Bridge Ebony
- Nut & Saddle Tusq
- Tuning Machines Chrome-plated Taylor Tuners
- Strings Elixir® Medium Gauge Strings with NANOWEB® Coating
- Scale Length 25 1/2 Inches
- Truss Rod Adjustable
- Neck Width at Nut 1 3/4 Inches
- Number of Frets 20
- Bracing Scalloped, X-Brace
- Finish Satin with Gloss Top
- Cutaway None
- Electronics None
- Body Width 17 Inches
- Body Depth 4 5/8 Inches
- Body Length 21 Inches
- Overall Length 42 Inches
- Case Taylor Hardshell
Epiphone Les Paul Custom
After a long hiatis, I decided to buy a new electric guitar (2007). I've always wanted a Les Paul, but didn't want to spend the money on a real one. After seeing Joe Bonamassa a couple times, I decided I should get one for the different tones that I couldn't reproduce well with my current guitars. I found what was a pretty nice compromise in a Epiphone Les Paul Custom in black with gold hardware for about $525. I literally shopped around for months looking for a new guitar, and played virtually everything in the price range and tonal range I was looking for. I almost got a Fender Strat instead, but at the last minute I went for the Les Paul with a new amp as well -- a Fender Blues Junior. Between the two, it inspired me to play seriously again. The guitar weighs 8 pounds 2.6 ounces.
Update: Added a P-90 pickup to the front, making the guitar overall much nicer for blues. It's become one of my main guitars since then.
Update: Sold on eBay for $350 with original pickups.
Fender American Strat
Finally, after many years of desire, I picked up a Fender American Strat on eBay, also in 2007, for about $600. The Les Paul was great, but still left me with an itch that needed to be scratched. It's not in perfect condition, but it plays great and sounds great and is my new favorite guitar. Mine is from around 2000, cream colored with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. The neck is satin finish, which is what I prefer, despite not having that finish on any of my other guitars. It was the luck of the draw on eBay, because I have played on many Strats in many stores and some are great and some aren't, but this one ended up being exactly right. So after almost 30 years of buying guitars, I finally got the one I originally wanted but couldn't afford.
Update: After getting a new 50th anniversary Strat, I sold this one on eBay for $600. I would have liked to keep both, but I can always get one like this again if I want. The new Strat was too good of a deal to pass up.
G & L Legacy
I picked this one up on eBay shortly after the Strat purchase for $460. They sell in the stores for about $1000. The Strat is great, but left me wanting another one. I have always loved G&Ls since I got my first, and decided to go for one of their hand-made Legacys. This one is from the early 90's and is in almost perfect condition -- the blue color shows the wood grain through. It's a beautiful guitar and plays and sounds great. I prefer the whammy on this to any of the Strat whammys, although it does not have a locking mechanism. It stays in tune pretty well, provided that the strings are installed correctly and you don't go crazy with it.
It came stock with Seymour Duncan Vintage single-coils, but I replaced the bridge pickup with a Texas Special and the neck pickup with an American Vintage Strat® Single-Coil 57/62 pickup. The middle pickup is reverse wound in the G&L strat-style guitars so that positions 2 and 4 on the 5 way switch have hum cancelling.
- Glossy translucent blue finish
- Rosewood (slab) fingerboard
- Pearloid dot markers
- G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato
- 22 frets
- Scale Length: 25 1/2 inches
- 12 inch diameter neck
- 1 and 5/8 inches wide at nut
- Single ply white plastic pick guard
- Schaller/G&L, sealed, chrome tuners
- Seymour Duncan Vintage single-coils
- 5-position pickup selector, PTB system
- 9 pounds 0.2 ounces
Update: switched out all 3 pickups for more recent G&L Legacy USA pickups and sold on Reverb for $550.
Fender American Strat 2007 50th Anniversary 1957
| Model Name | American Vintage 1957 Commemorative Stratocaster® | In late 2007 I purchased a brand new Fender Strat -- a 50th anniversary model of the 1957 model. This one has a much nicer sound than my previous Strat. The playability is a little different, as the frets are smaller, the neck not as wide, and the fretboard radius a little more rounded. It has taken some getting used to, but the action is great. I love playing this guitar. The sound is incredible, too. Paid about $1000 for it. Update: switched the neck for a Mighty Mite aftermarket neck for bigger frets. Update: original neck back in place! Update: Sold on eBay for $1200 to pay for another guitar. |
| Model Number | 017-1957-(801) | |
| Series | American Vintage Series | |
| Colors | (801) White Blonde, (Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish) |
|
| Body | Comfort Contoured Alder | |
| Neck | 1-Piece Maple, “V” Shape, (Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish) |
|
| Fingerboard | Maple, 7.25” Radius (184mm) | |
| No. of Frets | 21 Vintage Style Frets | |
| Pickups | 3 American Vintage Strat® Single-Coil Pickups | |
| Controls | Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup) |
|
| Pickup Switching | 3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup Position 2. Middle Pickup Position 3. Neck Pickup (5-Way Switch Included in Kit) |
|
| Bridge | American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo with “Ash Tray” Bridge Cover | |
| Machine Heads | Fender/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines | |
| Hardware | Gold | |
| Pickguard | 1-Ply White, (8 Hole) | |
| Scale Length | 25.5” (648 mm) | |
| Width at Nut | 1.650” (42 mm) | |
| Unique Features | Commemorative “1957 to 2007” Neckplate with Embossed Stratocaster Guitar, Gold Hardware, Alder Body, “V” Shape Maple Neck, Vintage Styling |
|
| Strings | Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel, Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046), p/n 073-0250-006 |
|
| Accessories | Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable, 5-Position Switch Update Kit | |
| Introduced | 3/2007 | |
| Weight: | 7 pounds 15.8 ounces |
Playboy Guitar
Guitar Center had one of their yearly sales, and I happened to notice a guitar for $99, so I tried it out -- a Playboy (?) guitar. It actually played well -- much better than anything I saw in the store for $500 or less, including the Fender standard Stratocasters (made in Mexico). I didn't think much of it, though, but when I went home I looked it up. It turned out to have a list price of $700 and some quality hardware. I went back to get the display model, which I thought was the only one that was $99, but they actually had a brand new one in a box. Aside from being about the tackiest guitar I've ever seen, the thing plays great and has a single-coil tap on a switch for Strat/Tele sounds. It feels like a Telecaster, and has a great satin finished neck. I love to use this for fingerpicking old blues songs and hill country blues songs, as it has that plank feeling and sound like a Tele.
- Tribute to twelve classic covers
- Playboy "Bowtie" styled headstock with Mother of Pearl Rainbow inlaid Playboy logo
- Mother of Pearl "Bowtie" inlay at third fret and position dots
- String-thru body bridge design
- Contoured body for comfort
- Grover tuning keysGenuine EMG-HZ pickups
- Coil tap for humbucker or single coil configuration
- Two volume and master tone controls with 3-way toggle
- Unique serial number is individually printed on back of each headstock
- Includes Playboy Collage guitar strap, limited edition Playboy covers pick, Playboy Rabbit Head Design gig bag.
- Each guitar comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity, Playboy covers collage map and limited lifetime warranty registration.
- 7 pounds 14 ounces
Update: Sold on eBay for $299.
Bruce Wei Indian Rosewood Classical guitar with MOP Inlay
I found this one on eBay -- there are three guitar sellers from the far east (Taiwan/Vietnam) who specialize in hand-made guitars with intricate mother-of-pearl inlays. The guitars have high shipping costs of $120-$150, and usually start out at low bids. This particular seller had over 13,000 positive feedbacks, so I thought I was pretty safe, although there were some Web sites out there that had stories of bad experiences. I picked this one up for $70, with $130 shipping (2008). I was not expecting much, but thought it would be an interesting novelty, and I have been wanting a classical guitar after a trip to Spain and seeing all the great flamenco guitarists playing in the streets.. I was wrong -- the guitar is beautiful and well-made. It has a few flaws, but I would expect that in a hand-made instrument. The inlay work is nothing short of spectacular, and it plays and sounds unbelievably well. After I put a decent set of strings on it, the guitar sings. It's solid rosewood with a spruce top and a bone nut.
CUSTOM MADE, ALL HAND-CRAFTED WORK !
The "Indian Rosewood Classical Guitar w/ MOP Art Inlay " was made of solid wood, with abalone and mother of pearl.
The inlay work is hand-crafted ( no CNC machine cutting )
Top board: Solid air-dried Canadian Spruce
Side and back board: Solid hand selected Indian Rosewood
Headstock: Solid Rosewood
Fretboard: Solid Rosewood
Nut: Real Buffalo bone
Bridge&Saddle: Solid Rosewood bridge with real Buffalo bone saddle
Truss Rod : Two way adjustable truss rod inside the neck
Dimensions:
Overall length = 39 3/8 "
Body width = 15 "
Body depth = 4 5/8 "
Width at nut = 2 "
Scale length = 25.75 "
Antonio Tsai Solid Maple Electric Cutaway Acoustic Guitar
I went to one of the other eBay sellers who have the hand-made solid wood guitars and got a hollow-body electric with f holes made of solid maple, with an exquisite dragon inlay on the back. Some of the hardware is not great on it and may need to be replaced, but it sounds good both acoustically and electrically and plays well. The guitar weighs 5 pounds 4 ounces. Cash outlay -- $51 plus $155 shipping.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Side and backwood: *Solid Maple
Top board: *Solid Maple
Fingerboard & bridge: *Rosewood
Neck wood: *Straight maple
Steel strings. 21 Frets
*Neck width at nut: 1 3/4"
*Total length: 41 3/8"
*Width: 16 1/4"
*Depth: 3 1/4"
*Scale length: 25.5"
Update: Added a pickguard from Bruce Wei with a dragon inlay.
Antonio Tsai Solid Mahagony Parlor Guitar 
I got this one because I have been wanting a small body acoustic similar to a Gibson L-1, and this one seemed to fit the bill -- solid Mahagony. It's a bit smaller than the L-00 or L-1 and looks like a baby next to my Taylor, but sounds rich for the size. It has beautiful inlays on the neck and a big butterfly inlay on the body. Even the tuning pegs have individual inlays in them. The dark wood is impressive looking in person. Cash outlay -- $48 plus $130 shipping.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Side and backwood: *Solid Mahagony
Top board: *Solid Mahagony
Fingerboard and bridge: *Rosewood & bone saddle
Neck wood: *Straight maple
Nut & saddle material: *Bone
Steel strings. 19 Frets
*Neck width at nut: 1 3/4"
*Total length: 36 3/8"
*Width: 13"
*Depth: 3 3/4"
*Scale length: 23.5"
Update: great sounding guitar, but developed two small cracks. Still, nice guitar for the money -- very loud for a small-bodied guitar, which I can only attribute to the solid mahagony.
Bruce Wei F5 Archtop Guitar
This guitar has to be seen to be believed. It is absolutely beautiful. It looks like an F5 style mandolin, but is a full-sized guitar, again from Vietnam. It was hand-made with solid maple and a spruce arch top, with even more elaborate inlays on the back than any of my previous far east purchases. Again, when I received it the action was not great and the frets needed dressing, but after a few minutes of work and new strings the guitar plays and sounds great. I may put a pickup or archtop microphone in it, but I don't want to make any modifications to the wood if I can help it. Even the pickguard on this one is solid wood with a mother-of-pearl inlay. It sounds good acoustically as it is. Cost from eBay was $89 plus $145 shipping. Quite a bargain, I think.
Specifications:
- Top board : Solid air-dried Canadian Spruce
- Side and back board : Solid hand selected Maple
- Headstock : Solid Rosewood
- Fretboard : Solid Rosewood
- Nut : Real Buffalo bone ( buffalo bone nut is almost best quality for the musical instrument )
- Bridge&Saddle : Solid Rosewood bridge with adjust real Buffalo bone saddle ( buffalo bone saddle is almost best quality for the musical instrument )
- Truss Rod : Two way adjustable truss rod inside the neck
- Truss Rod Cover : Solid Ebony
- Neck Finish : Satin
- Body Finish : Gloss
- Overall length = 41 "
- Body width = 15 1/4 "
- Body depth = 4 1/4"
- Width at nut = 1 5/8 "
- Scale length = 25"
Update: Body developed big cracks in the back, which I was able to fix, but decided to dump the guitar to make room for some new ones. I didn't play it much. I got $50 back from the seller for the cracks (guitar was only $89 to start with) and sold for $122 on eBay. Not much, but I made some room and don't have to look at the cracks any more.
Telecaster copy
This is a red solid alder body from eBay (fully loaded) that I fitted with a custom hand-made neck (cherry with wenge fingerboard and brass inlays), Wilkinson tuners, and a Wilkinson bridge. This is a great playing and sounding guitar that cost a little over $200 altogether. The build was easy, since the body was already fully loaded. Pickups sound surprisingly good.
Update 11/22/2010: Sold on eBay with a different neck.
Strat Copy
I have wanted a Strat with a humbucker, so 
put this one together with parts I had laying around and a humbucking rail Dragonfire pickup, which sounds pretty good. The body is transparent red finish over bass wood (lightweight wood). The neck was purchased from a custom neck builder on eBay who builds necks by hand. The fingerboard is wenge with a beautiful grain with brass inlays, and the neck wood is limba. The neck has a great feel and came off the Tele body that I decided to put a more traditional tele neck on. The front pickup is a Fender '57/62 vintage, middle is a Seymour Duncan vintage SSL-2 bridge pickup from a G&L guitar, and the bridge pickup is a Dragonfire hot rails pickup, with coil taps. Tones are wired as bass and treble for all pickups. Bridge is a Wilkinson with a solid steel block. Cavities and pickguard were lined with copper sheeting. Tuning pegs are Fender American vintage style. Guitar weighs 7lbs 9oz, and is one of my favorites to play.
Update: Changed the neck to an Yngwie clone aftermarket Strat neck for bigger frets and scalloping. The original Limba neck was too soft and bowed from string tension. I've gotten two necks made of cherry from the same neck builder that are much better.
Strat Copy
I picked up a nice loaded body with a quilted maple top and hand-wound Vintage Vibe pickups that are wound to mimic a P-90 in a single coil. The guitar sounds great and plays well, with a Musikraft neck (rosewood fingerboard). The one feature I'm not too fond of is the TremKing whammy mechanism. It's nice in that it does not go out of tune if you break a string or change tunings, but the feel is not quite as nice as a regular G&L or Strat spring-loaded whammy bar. The guitar weights 7.7 pounds.
Kokocaster
I found out about Charvel Surfcasters recently and fell in love with the look -- it's retro, but had a modern look at the same time, with a slim neck, whammy bar, and 24 frets. The original Surfcasters made by Charvel and fetch a good buck, but a company in Wisconsin called GRB Guitars has come out with a Surfcaster tribute model, called a Kokocaster. I had to have one. The guitar has become my main axe, with great look and feel, and tremendous sound -- surfy and ringy, like a Tele.. (2009)
Mahogany Chambered Bound Body
Bound Slash Sound Hole and Headstock
Bound Hard Rock Maple Neck
Highly Figured, Quilted Maple Top
Transparent orange finish
Rosewood Fingerboard, Pearl Shark-fin Inlays
Hand Polished Frets
Graphite, UREA Resin or Bone Nut
25 1/2" scale bolt on neck, 23 1/2 medium vintage frets
1 5/8" nut width; 1 11/16" on the 12th fret
1 volume, 1 tone control
3-way pickup selector switch
2 single coil lipstick pickups
Vintage Tremolo
Weight is 8lbs 12oz.
Charvel Surfcaster
I picked up a beautiful sea-foam green Charvel Surfcaster on eBay for about $780 (2010), including shipping. It was a real bargain, as I've seen them go for double or more. I think this one was made in 94, but haven't been able to pinpoint it. The good ones were made between '91 and '95, but the humbucker was not added until '94, I believe. The sound and playability are amazing, much like the Kokocaster tribute guitar. The solid color Surfcasters have basswood bodies, making them a little lighter. The color is gorgeous (called "turquois" in the catalog).
Specs:
Model: Surfcaster HT
Body: Basswood
Neck: Eastern Maple/Bound Rosewood
Pearl sharkfin inlays
Pickups: Neck Chandler LST, bridge Jackson J-92c
Bridge: J-390 (les paul style) with trapeze C-cutout
Weight is 7lbs 10oz.
UPDATE: Sold it on eBay for about $1300.
Tele copy from Guitarfetish.com 
I found this light (2 pound) body on Guitarfetish.com for a cheap price, and loaded it with some awesome pickups (p-rails in the neck and Rio Grande Dirty Harry in the bridge), and a Bigsby-style vibrato with a roller bridge. The neck is made of cherry with a wenge fingerboard. Guitar weighs about 6 pounds and sounds amazing.
ESP LTD MH-350FR. 
Next to my old Charvel model 6 that I've had for almost 30 years, my best playing and sounding guitar. I got this for the ridiculous low price of $330 shipped (2012).
Recording King Tricone Resonator 
I've been wanting a resonator for blues slide playing, and found this reasonably priced (at about $500) tricone on eBay (2013).
UPDATE: Sold on Reverb.com for about $500 after I got my National resonator.
Gibson Les Paul Studio 50's 
I've been wanting a real Les Paul, and found this Studio Series (made in USA) Gold top with p-90s pretty cheap ($599) at a Guitar Center closeout (2013). Pretty much the perfect Les Paul -- I would only want one with P-90s.
UPDATE: Sold on Reverb.com for $700
Recording King ROS 16 
Great sounding low-budget guitar with a solid spruce top. Picked it up for $280 shipped (2014). This is made by the same company that made my resonator. I'm pretty impressed with their instruments, especially for the price. From the web site: The ROS-16 is a solid top 12-Fret OOO-style guitar crafted from a vintage 1902 design. With a solid AA-grade Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides, this guitar has the warm intimate sound you would expect from a classic 12-Fret. The 1-13/16" nut with is a fingerpicker's dream, and professional appointments like the one-piece neck, rosewood fretboard, ebony pyramid bridge, bone nut and saddle insure the guitar sounds as great as it looks. Herringbone purfling and grained ivoroid binding give a nod to this guitar's historic heritage.
Old 1939 Stella 
This old Stella was found on ebay for about $250 shipped (2014). All these old Stellas sound great, but the string tension is sometimes too much for the ladder-braced top, so I keep it strung loosely in open G for slide tunes. Made by Oscar Schmidt company, name on headstock is Marcia.
Sold on eBay for $250, wasn't playing it much and have another parlor guitar.
Xavier XV-910 
I've always wanted a semi-hollow body guitar, like an ES335, so I picked up this low-budget version from Guitarfetish.com on sale for about $360 shipped, 2015. Plays and sounds great.
Martin CEO7 
The CEO7 is a Martin with the soul of a Gibson L-1. I've wanted a Gibson for a long time and finally sold my Strat to pay for one, but then I heard this guitar and thought it was the best sounding acoustic I've ever played. Paid $1800 shipped in 2015, plus it had a nice pickup installed and end-pin jack.
Reminiscent of models from the ?Golden Era", the CEO-7 features a sunburst finish, golden age tuners and authentic headplate lettering. This model 14-fret short scale 00 ?sloped shoulder" features a solid Adirondack spruce top with solid genuine mahogany back and sides for complex tonality. A K&K Pure Mini Pick-up and a strap button have been installed.
Other features of the Martin CEO-7 include:
Construction: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
Body Size: 00-14 Fret (Slope Shoulder)
Top: Solid Adirondack Spruce
Rosette: Single Ring
Top Bracing Pattern: Standard ''X'' Scalloped
Top Braces: Solid Adirondack Spruce 1/4''
Back Material: Solid Genuine Mahogany
Back Purfling: none
Side Material: Solid Genuine Mahogany
Endpiece: none
Endpiece Inlay: none
Binding: Grained Ivoroid
Top Inlay Style: Black Boltaron
Side Inlay: none
Back Inlay: Black Boltaron
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Neck Shape: Modified V
Nut Material: Bone
Headstock: Solid/Square Taper
Headplate: Solid Black Ebony
Heelcap: Grained Ivoroid
Fingerboard Material: Solid Black Ebony
Scale Length: 24.9''
Number of Frets Clear: 14
Number of Frets Total: 20
Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1-3/4''
Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2-1/4''
Fingerboard Position Inlays: Old Style 18
Fingerboard Binding: none
Finish Back & Sides: Polished Gloss
Finish Top: Polished Gloss w/Autumn Sunset Burst
Finish Neck: Satin
Bridge Material: Solid Black Ebony
Bridge Style: Straightline w/Drop-In Saddle
Bridge String Spacing: 2-5/16''
Saddle: 16'' Radius/Compensated/Bone
Tuning Machines: Golden Age Relic Nickel 2517 w/Cream Plastic Buttons
Recommended Strings: Martin SP Lifespan Phosphor Bronze Light Gauge (MSP7100)
Bridge & End Pins: White w/Black Dots
Pickguard: Delmar Tortoise Color
Case: Included
Tech Specs
- Body Length:19.43"
- Body Width:14.75"
- Body Depth:4.12"
- Overall Length:39.81"
- Manufacturer Part Number:10CEO7
Eastwood Surfcaster 
Eastwood has a unique concept -- they post a concept for a guitar, usually an exact copy of some classic guitar, then ask for down payments for a certain number of instruments that would make the production run worthwhile, usually arount 50-100 units. Once that is achieved, the guitar goes into production. I got in on the Surfcaster project and ordered a surf green one like my old Charvel that I had sold. The guitar is really a nice copy, with details like the binding and color absolutely perfect. The tremolo is a little disappointing, being a Fender-style arm, but other than that the appointments on this thing are perfect.
- Body: Bound Tone Chambered Mahogany with Maple Top
- Colours:Flamed Cherryburst, Black and Seafoam Green
- Pickups: Dual EW Vintage Lipstick
- Switching: 3-Way
- Controls: 1 Volume 1 Tone
- Bridge: Tremolo
- Neck: Bound Maple, Bolt-on neck
- Finger Board: Rosewood, Sharks Teeth Markers
- Scale Length: 25 1/2" scale
- Width at the Nut: 1 5/8"
- Hardware: Gotoh style Style Nickel/Chrome or Gold
- trings: #10-#46
- Case: Hardshell tweed Included
1930's Kalamazoo KG31 
This is an old KG-31 archtop probably made by Gibson for their lower-end Kalamazoo market. Robert Johnson likely played one of these or smaller KG21 on his Dallas sessions. The guitar is beat up and looks 80 years old, but it sounds amazing and plays well. I replaced the bad tuners with Stewmac vintage-style tuners. Paid $500 total, including tuners.
1928? Gibson L-4 
I have been looking for an old Gibson round or oval hole archtop for a while, and finally found this one on Reverb.com for a semi-reasonable price of $1600. I offered $1000 and the guy accepted. The guitar is not entirely original -- tuning machines are newer -- but it plays and sounds great. It has become one of my main acoustics now. It was advertised as a 1920's L3, but upon investigation I'm thinking it's closer to a 1928 or so L-4.
1930's Kay Kraft Venetian 
These guitars have an adjustable neck using a big wing nut on the back side that you can use to set the neck angle. This one has very low action for the age of the guitar, and sounds like a typical blues machine from the early 30's. Many of the Piedmont players like Josh White and Buddy Moss are seen in photos holding one. Paid $550 shipped. Spruce top with mahogany back and sides.
Late 1930's Kalamazoo KG14 
This is the low-budget version of the Gibson L-1 or L-00, made by Gibson for the Kalamazoo brand. Robert Johnson is seen holding one of these in the famous photo of him with the cigaratte in his mouth. This one sounds amazing, but could really use a neck reset and some body work to remove the bulge on the top by the bridge, but as it is now it's a great guitar for slide. I keep it tuned to open G. Paid $1000.
UPDATE: Picked up another one of these in much worse condition, but sold this one for $1000 (got my money back) and kept the one in worse condition.
Approximately 1933 Kalamazoo KG11 
This is a low-budget guitar, made by Gibson for the Kalamazoo brand. This one sounds amazing, and has had a neck reset and top x-braced at some point by the previous owner. Almost identical to two Carson Robison guitars I also owned, probably made in the same factory.
Approximately 1999 National Tricone 
I shopped around for a while trying to find a decent price on a National Tricone, and found this one from 1999 for about $2300. After purchasing this one, I got rid of the Recording King knockoff. Plays great, sounds amazing. UPDATE: sold this for $2300 to free up some money and picked up a Republic Tricone to replace it.
Republic Model 300 resonator 
After getting the tricone, I decided I wanted a single cone resonator to keep in open A. I didn't want to spend a fortune, and I heard great things about Republic. It did not disappoint. Love this guitar, small bodied and great sound. Paid $600 shipped. Update: I was becoming dissatisfied with the tone and tried to sell it, but then I decided to change the cone to a National cone and the sound really imrpoved. It really rings now.
Schecter KM-7 
I've been looking for a KM-7 (Keith Merrow signature model) for a while, just to dip my toes into the 7-string world. I was hoping to find a white one, but I also wanted a Floyd Rose on it, so was limited in color. Still, love the Lambo Green color of this one. Paid $850 shipped.
Guitarfetish Slick SL-57 
I heard good things about the Slick guitars, and we bought one for my nephew, so I decided to get one for myself in 2017. Amazing Strat copy, has become my main blues guitar. Plays and sounds great. Paid $228 shipped. This is the description from the website:
Want a guitar with the traditional Strat layout... but with more Sustain, Balls and Tone? You want the SL57!
What's the formula for incredible Strat sound?? Oh how about using the BEST wood... The BEST hardware...The BEST tuners....The BEST pickups...And finish it off with the thinnest finish, hand massaged to give you the warm, silky, old-school feel of a guitar that's been on tour for a while.
Yeah that's how we do it.
Look- I know it's hard to believe a really professional quality instrument can be bought for under $300- DO NOT underestimate this guitar just because it's so ridiculously affordable. Look- This is the real deal. Designed by Earl Slick in his New York studio. Each body is SOLID swamp ash. Necks are SOLID Canadian Hard Rock Maple. Fingerboards are Indian Rosewood. This is a serious recipe for tone.
Hardware? You want Hardware? Solid Steel baseplate with SOLID MACHINED BRASS sustain block and six bent BRASS saddles. What a combination! The clarity and transparency of steel with the warmth and sustain of brass!
We put a vintage 3 ply pickguard that we have painstakingly aged so your skin NEVER touches bright shiny plastic- it feels warm and worn and "broken-in". Same for the pickup covers and knobs.
The tuners are our own design, with a bronze crown gear and bronze pinion gear and SOLID BRASS knob- the result is a tuner with basically NO backlash. It's smooth and very accurate, and you'll stay in tune!
We put a graphite nut on every neck, hand slotted. The tilt-back headstock allows us to get the exact correct string break at the nut for ALL SIX STRINGS, and no string trees mean better tuning stability.
We're running a Fender-Standard 25 1/2" scale length, a 42mm wide nut and a 12" fretboard radius. The neck has twenty two nickel-silver 6105 profile medium jumbo frets, leveled, crowned and polished.
Where the Slick SL57 really distinguishes itself is with the PICKUPS. We use a complete full-retail set of Slick "65" Alnico Pickups. Slick 65's use "hotter than" Surf-era winds- Bridge is 8.6K, Middle pickup is 7.6K and RW/RP for noise cancelling performance in positions 2 and 4, and the neck pickup is wound to 6.7.0K. The pickups are not just built from the right stuff, but we hand age them- both cosmetically and magnetically. They look like old pickups... they feel like old pickups... they sound like old pickups.
The feel and vibe is enhanced and preserved by the completely unique way that we finish Slick guitars. The solid ash body is NOT wood grain filled. It is NOT sealed. NO Polyurethane fillers. It's raw. We spray a single coat of old fashioned automotive paint and sand it back. The pores don't get clogged so the wood can breathe. It works. It sounds better. Louder. Fuller. You can feel it instantly.
The SL57 is a unique guitar, with a tone, feel and sound unmatched by anything under a grand out there. Try one. We think you'll be hooked!
Approximately 1927 Stromberg Voisinet 
Stromberg-Voisinet started putting these out in the late 20's. It's a flat top Venetian model, and are pretty rare these days. They later put out the Kay Kraft Venetians that were archtops, but this earlier one is smaller and has a different sound. I did a neck reset on it myself and it plays well and sounds great. Paid about $250 for the guitar total with repairs.
Yngwie Strat copy 
This is a copy of an Yngwie Strat, with full neck scallop. Always wanted one of the real ones, but this is a nice substitute, paid $190. Plays ok, not great. Action is high.
Andrew White Eos 1012-c 
Great cedar top guitar from Andrew White. I've been looking at these a while, and bid on one at White's auction -- won it for $550. Plays and sounds great.
| Body | |
| Shape | EOS |
| Soundboard | Solid Red Cedar |
| Sides & Back | Solid Indian Rosewood |
| Bracing | Andrew White Scalloped X |
| Rosette | Zebra Wood Circle |
| Pickguard | None |
| Binding | Curly Maple |
| Bridge | Andrew White Custom Bridge |
| Nut / Saddle | Graphtech Nubone |
| Construction | |
| Neck joint | Dovetail with Round Neck Heel |
| Head | |
| Head logo | White Pearl |
| Headmachine | 18:1 Ratio Machine Heads / 3D Oval Button |
| Neck / Fingerboard | |
| Neck shape / material | C-Shape 1-Piece Angle Neck (Spanish Cedar) |
| Fingerboard | Pau Ferra |
| Frets | 20F |
| Position mark | None |
| F/B Binding | Pau Ferra |
| Truss rod | 2-Way |
| Finish | |
| Head top | Gloss |
| Neck | Satin |
| Finger board | Oil |
| Cutaway | |
| Type | Venetian |
| Electronics | |
| EQ / Pickup | None |
Fender 2020 HM Strat 
This is a made-in-Japan reissue of the famous Fender HM Strats of the late 80's. Plays and sounds fantastic -- one of my new favorite guitars. Paid about $1100 shipped.
The limited-edition HM Strat sports the same unique look and specs that helped the '88-92 models compete with the hot-rodded Strat impersonators of the day. Built in the same factory as the original, the HM (for Heavy Metal) Strat features a narrow "C" neck, with unique 25.1" scale, 17" radius maple or rosewood fingerboard with 24 Jumbo frets for nearly effortless bends and technical fretwork. A Floyd Rose Special recessed bridge keeps everything perfectly in-tune even after the deepest dive-bombs and the high-gain HSS pickup configuration delivers hot humbucker tones in the bridge that can be split for more traditional Strat sounds when combined with the single coil neck and middle pickups. Other features include Gotoh tuners, molded 'F' logo knobs and black headcap with highly stylized '80s-era "STRAT" silk logo.
Available in four original era-correct Day-Glo colors ? Frozen Yellow, Flash Pink, Ice Blue and Bright White.
FEATURES
- Basswood body
- Custom high-gain pickups
- Maple neck with maple of rosewood fingerboard
- 25.1" scale with 17" radius and 24 jumbo frets
- Floyd RoseŽ Special tremolo system
Republic Tricone 
I bought this Republic Tricone to replace the National Tricone I just sold. Less than half the cost at $1000, and sounds equally as nice, if not nicer. The copper clad gives it a warm tone. For the amount of time I play these days, this suits my needs.
Oahu Square Neck 
I got this nice example of a 30's Oahu square neck guitar from eBay for about $260 shipped. Needs a neck reset and some small repairs, but sounds nice. UPDATE: Sold to a friend for cost.
Kalamazoo KG-21 
Small-bodied archtop, made by Gibson in 1938, with a pressed rather than carved top. Has a very nice sound -- 14.5" lower bout, like a Gibson L-00. This is the little brother to the KG-31, and possibly the guitar Robert Johnson used in his Dallas recordings. Picked this up on eBay for about $750 shipped.
Les Paul Custom 
I got rid of the black Epiphone Les Paul Custom a few years back, replaced it with a Gibson Studio series, sold that, but had an itch for another. This one plays and sounds great.
Update: I tried the guitar through a LOUD amp and microphonics were awful, so I put in a Seymour Duncan P-90 (Phat Cat) in the neck and a Guitar Fetish VEH- Vintage Extra Hot pickup in the bridge. It is much better now, although the bridge pickup is not as high-output as I would have liked.
Tony Iommi SG 
My first guitar was an SG copy and I've always liked them, so I got the Tony Iommi replica with the iron cross inlays. Plays and sounds great.
Flying V
I've always loved Flying V's, and especially Michael Schenker's, so I got a replica.
Kalamazoo KG-11F tribute guitar
The guitar on the right is the tribute guitar put out by Paul Fox of Fox Guitars. The one on the left is my original '33 KG-11. Great sounding guitar, plays like a dream. One of my favorites, reasonably priced and high quality. From the website:
Fox Guitars and the author of the book "The Other Brands of Gibson" presents a brand new tribute to the legendary pre-WWII Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-11 flat-top acoustic guitars. Construction features include: solid red spruce top with spruce x-bracing; solid mahogany sides and back; spruce ladder-braced back; spruce kerfed lining; 3-ply top binding, single bound back and sound hole; solid mahogany C-shaped neck profile with volute and truss rod (adjustable inside the body below the fingerboard -- wrench included); Glossy lacquer sunburst top, brown back, sides and neck; high quality 18:1 individual tuners with black buttons; solid Indian rosewood fingerboard with MOP dots, solid rosewood bridge with bone saddle and black pins; bone nut; fire stripe pickguard. Every guitar is set up at our facility before shipping. Guitar has a warm and full-sounding tone akin to guitars with larger bodies. Great for strumming or finger-picking. Its compact size makes a great campfire/travel guitar, but also a beginner student instrument.
Kalamazoo KG-14F tribute guitar
After putting out the KG-11f, Paul Fox put out a KG-14f. This time, it is made of all solid woods. As good as the KG-11f sounds, the KG-14f sounds better. It's close in sound to a Gibson L-00, and even close to my Martin CEO-7. I can't say enough good things about this guitar. It was about $550 shipped, so a bargain. The following is from the website:
Fox Guitars and the author of the book “The Other Brands of Gibson” presents a brand new tribute to the legendary pre-WWII Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-14 flat-top acoustic guitars. Construction features include: solid red spruce top with spruce x-bracing; solid mahogany back (ladder-braced), sides and neck; mahogany kerfed lining; 3-ply top binding and 1-ply back binding, 3-ply sound hole binding; C-shaped neck profile with volute and truss rod (adjustable inside the body below the fingerboard ? wrench included); Glossy lacquer sunburst top, dark brown back, sides and neck; black head stock with white Kalamazoo logo; high quality 18:1 individual tuners with black buttons; solid Indian rosewood fingerboard with MOP dots, solid rosewood bridge with bone saddle and black pins; bone nut; celluloid fire stripe pickguard. Every guitar is set up at our facility before shipping. Guitar has a deep body that produces a fat resonant tone with plenty of punch akin to guitars with larger bodies. Great for strumming or finger-picking. Comes with custom printed padded case.
- Dimensions:
- Weight: 3 lbs. 9 oz.
- Overall length: 37”
- Lower bout: 14 1/2”
- Upper bout: 10 1/8”
- Waist: 8 1/2”
- Body Length: 19 1/4”
- Body Depth: 4 1/2” at tail, tapers to 3 3/4” at neck
- Sound Hole Diameter: 4”
- Scale length: 24 3/4”
- String Spread Bridge: 2 5/16"
- Nut Width: 1 3/4”
- Materials:
- Top: Solid Red Spruce
- Back & Sides: Solid Mahogany
- Neck: Solid Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
- Fingerboard Dots: Mother-of-pearl single dots 3rd, 5th, 7th & 9th frets, double dot at 12th fret.
- Bridge: Indian Rosewood
- Nut & Saddle: Bone
- Side dots: White ABS
- Strings: 11-52 D’Addario Phosphor Bronze (wound 3rd)
- Tuners: 18:1 ratio individual nickel with black buttons
- Bridge Pins: Black ABS
- 2 Black Metal Strap Buttons
- Celluloid Fire Stripe Pickguard
- Finish:
- Glossy Nitrocellulose Lacquer Sunburst Top; brown back, sides and neck; black head stock with white printed Kalamazoo logo.
