1966 Gibson 330

I had been shopping old and new 330s and Casinos for a year, maybe, when I found this nicely refretted ’66. Continue reading “1966 Gibson 330” →

2007 Fender 8502 American Ash Telecaster

Another 8502. It took me a while to find, but I wanted to try one with a neck humbucker. It turned out to be a lot more interesting than that. Continue reading “2007 Fender 8502 American Ash Telecaster” →

2004 Fender 8502 American Ash Telecaster

Another Ebay find: the pimary result of having learned how much I liked teles. This guitar was virtually unplayed when I got it, and I had both the single-layer pickguard and the bridge–a Callaham American Standard plate with three enhanced compensated saddles–ready for it when it arrived. Continue reading “2004 Fender 8502 American Ash Telecaster” →

2005 Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom

I found it on ebay with overwound Fralins and Sperzels already on board, so I bought it cheap and repeated everything else I’d done to it’s sister. This is John McCleary’s go-to guitar, or one of them. It’s a lot of fun. With this guitar, my search for a ’61 style SG ended. It was followed by a similarly abandoned search for a 60’s SG Jr a few years later. I don’t need a Special either: 2008 Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom II.

1979 Gretsch TK 300 Model 7624

The card stock shim keeps the neck pickup tilted the right way. — The cardstock shim keeps the neck pickup tilted the right way.

These are great rock guitars. I was still looking to fill that SG slot on the cheap, and I found this. They’re odd guitars, certainly. Small maple solid bodies that look a bit like an angular Les Paul TV Model with an even more angular tele style guard, the hockey stick headstock I love: gratuitously odd guitars. Continue reading “1979 Gretsch TK 300 Model 7624” →

2009 Don Grosh Electrajet Custom

I was looking around for an SG reissue but never found one. Instead, I found Mass Street Music, John Flynn, and Don Grosh guitars. I decided to buy this guitar instead of an SG, and specing it out was, at the time, both a lot of fun and a little intimidating. I learned stuff.

Continue reading “2009 Don Grosh Electrajet Custom” →

2008 Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom II

This guitar was the big turning point for me. It changed my idea of how to approach the selection and acquisition of guitars, and it steered me well away, for a long time, from any idea of preference for expensive vintage instruments, though I hadn’t been contemplating anything like that kind of purchase. This seemed like indulgence enough. I bought it to get acquainted with p90s, and it made me love them right away.

Continue reading “2008 Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom II” →

90’s Danelectro DC3 Reissue

I wanted a lightweight, cheap guitar that my (two year-old) son, Gus, could get his hands around as he got older. I jumped the gun on buying a minivan too. Continue reading “90’s Danelectro DC3 Reissue” →

1985 Rickenbacker 330

My first electric was a mapleglo ’85 Rickenbacker 360 I picked up for $500 brand new with hang tags and no case at a sketchy guitar store in a sketchy part of Metro-Detroit right after I got my driver’s license in ’85. Somehow, I never drew the obvious conclusion from that telling configuration of elements.

It was a great guitar, and I loved it. I drew it. I always regretted selling it, and when I started playing again, I missed it. I looked for, and eventually found, an ’85 jetglo 330 with a white on black truss rod cover to replace it, all the better for being a little roughed up.