If you are like me, you are particular about your things?
I am especially particular about my musical equipments. Music being a hobby and not a profession, although I did play professionally for a number of years in the 90's, I carefully research and shop before I invest., especially for instruments. If chosen well, an instrument will appreciate over time, even when it is played. Below are some of my investments.
1993 Fender Strat Plus
I searched and played many. And then one day I was at Russo Music in Trenton, NJ. The salesperson asked if he could help me, I shared with him that I am looking for a non-specific strat that I would buy the moment I came across it. He asked me to wait a moment while he went into the back. He appeared in a few minutes carrying a black SKB style Fender case. At first glance, the guitar did not appear to be anything special. The look appeared plain and average. He asked me my amp preference, plugged it in and handed over the axe. As I played, I began to realize that I had found something very special.
It was equipped with three Fender Lace Gold pickups, one volume, two tone controls, and a five way pickup switch. The bridge is a tremolo type with 6 bushed offset saddles. Tuners are the locking Sperzels. Mid 1993, Fender introduced the LSR roller nut.
I played for a few minutes and knew it was coming home with me.
Features to love about this Plus:
Feel - Nothing feels quite like a Fender Stratocaster, but not all strats are equal. I have heard that is takes years before a guitar has that loose and comfortable feel. This one had that the moment I picked it up and has just improved over the years.
Tone - The combination of five way pickup switch, the fender lace gold pickups and the tone controls are open up a very broad range of tones. I know the only difference between me and Clapton when I play the 24 Nights version of Wonderful Tonight is skill because I can capture that exact tone.
Stays in tune - I did not use much wammy in my sets but there were a few tunes like the Toadies Possum Kingdom. Always stayed in tune through the set.
The only mod was the installation of the locking Schaller Strap Locks. I have it set up with 10s and usually play sets a half step down.
Like all of my guitars, this is a players guitar. I used this equally as much as my Les Paul in the band. The neck shows the ware with the finish worn off most of the high E and B.
This will never be the holy grail of Strats, but I feel confident that it I can get the dollars out of it I invested and it will continue to increase in value.
In 1978, I was in music store in Columbus, OH where I saw a 25/50 in the natural finish. It was displayed in a free standing glass case in the middle of the store floor. Beautiful but, I left without asking to play it as it was most likely the most expensive guitar in the shop. But as these things will, it worked on me. A few weeks later I went back and the guitar had been sold. Of well.
Months later, I was in Hollowood Music in McKees Rocks, PA where I saw the Tobacco Sunburst version. This was a real beauty and I did play it and discovered it was like no guitar I had ever held. I went to the bank, got cash and took it home. It is not 33 years and still my finest favorite.
It is the heaviest Les Paul I have every played. You don't play three set with this over your shoulder and not feel it later. But with the weight comes endless sustain. And combined with the superior materials and electronics, the sound of this guitar is incredible and it beautifully packaged.
On top is the "25/50" pearl and abalone headstock inlay and the silver buttons and gold Schaller style "Gibson" tuners, gold truss rod cover inscribed with "Les Paul Anniversary", brass nut on a five piece flamed maple neck. The body is also flamed maple with a coil tap mini-switch and Nashville bridge with TP-6 fine tuning tailpiece, black speed knobs and Series VII pickups.
At 10lbs 7 ozs.I have played it through Peavys, Crates, but it sounds its best through the Marshall 6101 30th Anniversary Combo which I will profile when I finally get to an amplifier page.
It is the finest Les Paul I have ever played and have heard not better tone from any other. You just can't image what it cranks out through that Marshall !
1996 Takamine NP-65C,
This is my one and only ebay guitar purchase. The photo at left is from that 2007 eBay posting.
In 2006, our church choir director approached me about doing a piece together over the holidays. I suggested a "What Child is This" arrangement I loved for guitar/recorder that my junior high school music director had put together. The choir director took it and embellished it and I loved it even more. For our initial performance, he loaned me his nylon string classical guitar and of course that placed the bug in me to begin looking. In March of the following year came across this Takamine on eBay.
It is a single cutaway country classic body shape. The soundboard was solid cedar, with 3 ply binding and a wooden rosette made from Paduk/Ebony/Maple. The back and sides and fingerboard were rosewood and the neck was made from mahogany. The tuners are Gold w/Pearloid.
The electronics include the Takamine GRAPH-EX Pre AMP which is a 9-volt powered three band eq with volume and an Exciter. It includes a battery test button. The electronics are activated with a chord is plugged in preserving battery life.
The guitar is has a beautiful appearance and a very comfortable feel when playing. The cutaway gives you access to the full neck and the electronics open up the door to amplification with my pre-CBS SWR California Blonde.
The electronics began to fail shortly after I purchased it. I was fortunate to find through eBay a NOS replacement that had been a part of a Takamine music store display unit.
The guitar is a pleasure to play. I have always liked a picking and plucking style of play but am not a classical style player. This is a wonderful alternative to the standard classical guitar for players like me. I have arranged many classic rock songs for this guitar such as Jesus by the Velvet Underground and Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan.
2006 175th Anniversary MARTIN D-35
I have a few steel string acoustic guitars including a 1970s Harmony 12 string, an Epiphone PR-5 six string, and a Yamaha 6 string. Each of these guitars were gifts.
I was asked by my wife, what I would like as a gift on my 50th birthday. Before responding I considered the significance of the milestone. After some thought and knowing this might be my one opportunity to splurge and finally get one, I responded a Martin. And this acoustic gift I decided I would choose myself. And so began my quest.
The first Martin I played was a 1970s D-28 which belonged to a neighbor. Absolutely loved that guitar. I played it a bunch. Over the years I had played dozens of others, never finding one that I liked as much. The problem I would have more often than not was the shape of the neck. The neck would feel unnatural or uncomfortable.The V neck was the worst of them.
Over the years I played many other brands of acoustics including, Taylor, Gibson, Guild to name a few. Wonderful guitars, great tones and feel but they never gave me that feeling or tone of the D-28.
On one hand, it was good fortune, on the other not so good fortune that led to gaining a good working knowledge of the Martin line and options. The pastor of our church, after 25 years was moving on to another church. As a gift, one of my favorite people at the church, suggested a Martin. Long story short, I found the perfect guitar for him after two visits to the Martin Factory in Nazareth, PA and also learned that I now favored a D-35 over the D-28. And it was the low oval neck that I had been looking for.
Its difficult to find a Martin that is not a terrific one but one by one, I played D-35s and finally came across this one on craigslist. The seller had purchased it new and had not played it so it was basically new. I liked the HD upgrade which included the better binding. Also the fact that it was an anniversary appealed from the investment perspective knowing that it would add that much more value. The tone was wonderful, all the paperwork was in order, included the original case, a set of anniversary picks and a third party humidifier. And it cost was less than a new one!!
I have been back to the Martin Factory since and picked up the leather strap button and while there found anniversary gift set which included the strings, picks and coffee mug.
With new strings, there is no finer sounding acoustic to me. You hear this tone on countless recordings. I love to play a song that was originally recorded with one and have that same exact tone coming from my guitar.
Of all my guitars, this one hangs closest to me on my wall and is the one I take down 9 times out of 10. My favorite. I like the bass-ier sound of the on songs such as Blood and Roses by the Smithereens.
No comments:
Post a Comment