GuitArcher

I bought my Squire Vintage Modified Jaguar on a weekend while visiting my parents. I had decided that I needed to get out of the house for a little while. Aside from going to the mall, there's not much more to do than visit the music store, which is all the excuse I need to wander around Long and McQuade for an hour.  This was back in the day when I still knew most of the people who worked there, including the owner. Well, I say the owner; he wasn't the owner anymore, but he WAS the owner, and then the manager prior to his retirement retirement. At any rate, I went there with my wife and poked around. I saw these Jaguars and Jazzmasters that I had recently watched reviews for on YouTube. Lee Anderton and Rob Chapman had raved about them, except for the bridge, which was the same as the original design and didn't lend itself to bending. But they had a solution: if you ordered a Musicmaster bridge (I'm not sure if that's the model from Allparts anymore), it would fit

Years back, Boss did a run of pedals in partnership with Fender.  Two of them were "amp-in-a-box" versions of a '65 Deluxe Reverb and a '59 Bassman, but the third was a recreation of Fender's classic Spring Reverb unit, in the almost-as-classic Boss pedal format. The amp-in-a-box pedals aren't exactly coverted at the moment, and with the kind of modelling available these days, I doubt they ever will be, but hey, I've been surprised before... An aside... I really don't understand how we can go from used Digitech "Bad Monkey" overdrives going for $40 to seeing them command $200 nowadays. Josh Scott set this one off with his YouTube video on the subject.  I remember the first reviews of this pedal, and remembrer it doing well, but this was during a time where the TS9 was a pretty popular pedal on a bit of a resurgence (late 90's?) thanks to grunge leading to a wider aray of "guitar-music". Suddenly, Josh Scott says it's good an

I've been eyeing semi-hollow or hollow electric guitars for years now. I initially had my heart set on a Gretsch Electromatic in that awesome Fairlane Blue...  ... but my brother has great taste, and beat me to it. I tried other Gretschs, Epiphone, Godin, and Gibson hollow and semi hollow guitars, but none felt right. Specifically, I've tested a bunch of ES-335s over the last 10 years, both Epiphone and Gibson, and each time, I  was left unimpressed. The quality control seemed was never where I thought it needed to be, and I began questioning if this kind of thing was my jam. Something was missing, you know? Didn't feel right. But then, a glimmer of hope at Long and McQuade in Guelph. I stumbled upon a Satin-finished ES-335, gave it a whirl, and surprise, surprise— it didn't feel wrong . The two volume and tone controls were doing something cool, and while it didn't quite feel right, it was much better than others I had tried.. Eager to explore more, I went back to

In the ebb and flow of life, there are times when we find ourselves straying from the harmonious pursuits that once fueled our passions. The lingering shame of walking away from something we once held dear can cast a formidable shadow over our return. Yet, here I am, rekindling my connection with an old flame – my guitar. Admittedly, the pandemic played its part, introducing a discordant note into the symphony of my routine. However, the primary catalyst for my hiatus was the all-consuming allure of a newfound hobby that captured my unwavering attention. It lured me away from the strings of my guitar, steering me down an uncharted creative path. Recently, however, the familiar chords have begun to resonate once more. Intrigued by the realization that there are genuine readers, hailing from towns unknown to me – some entirely unheard of – I find myself drawn back to writing, if only to fill the hours. Venturing into the heart of my renewed musical enthusiasm, I've made a deliberate

Despite the fact that apparently I can't be bothered to write anything here, I haven't let the GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF DOOM AND ENDTIMES  put a damper on my desire to own as much gear as I possibly can. In fact, 2020 may represent the most significant run of gear acquisition, at least in terms of transactions. Here's a brief rundown of the gear I've acquired in 2020 so far, with my quick take on why I bought it and what I think of it. American Professional Jazzmaster - $1,200 Everyone has a price. Everyone. For anything. Really. Apparently mine is $1,200 and a few (too many?) drinks on a Friday night. For a Jazzmaster anyway. Truth be told, I'd been thinking about a Jazzmaster for awhile - it's the hole in my modest Fender collection, though I suppose a Squier Jaguar doesn't really count (or does it?).  I was browsing Kijiji on a Friday night while visiting with friends. I'm either a terrible guest or there was a lull in the preceedings. We both know it wa

In what is starting to feeling like a run of exceptionally good luck, I've managed to sell another guitar for more than I acquired it for, and like the Epihpone Les Paul, it only took 48 hours to get it to move for my asking price. This time, it was the 1988-89 Squier Stratocaster, which sold for $250. I've been keen on turning gear into cash after playing the Paisley and Blue flower Jazzmasters currently available at most Long and McQuade's across Ontario, but have been given pause after discovering a Made In Japan "Hybrid Series" 50s Stratocaster. Long story short, it was an amazing player.  Not being keen on dropping over a grand on a sunburst Strat that wont get any love, I'm trying to be patient and wait for the right thing to come along. So, what's it going to be... or not be? Epiphone Casino  (Sea Foam Green) - $650 with case A couple of weekends ago, I was at a shop that had a wide assorment of Epiphone hollow and semi-hollow guitars,

The guilt is overwhelming... I've never really bonded with this, or any, Les Paul.  I want to love them, but they're just not my bag.  Back when I picked this one up for a steal though, my daughter named  it. It's like animals - don't let the kids give them a name unless you're going to keep them. And for a long time I stuck to this premise, until I came across a Paisley Jazzmaster that gave me the fizzy feeling James May so often invokes. I needed to get rid of some guitars, and this one was near top of the list. Sorry Lassie, it's time to go out behind the shed and turn you into glue. I may have just confused 3 different animals and movies... At any rate, I posted locally and within two days I received a number of inquiries, the most promising of which was a gentleman from north of me who was willing to drive down (about an hour) to check it out "as soon as possible", but was also very clear on his desire to "do this at your ( my ) co

After a recent visit to a nearby Long and McQuade, I've come away convinced that I desperately need the MIJ Traditional Series Paisley Jazzmaster. The problem is I've decided that I have too many guitars, so something(s) gotta go first.

Take it from someone who has lived through this not once, but twice: No matter how much you try and tell yourself that your Les Paul Studio is every bit as much a Les Paul as a Classic or Standard, deep down you know you're lying to yourself. I'm not saying that Studio's can't sound great - they absolutely can.   When you want a Les Paul though, you want a something-burst, binding on the neck and top, full-fat Les Paul.  You want Jimmy Page, not Jimmy Eat World*. *This is pretty unfair to Jimmy Eat World, as a quick Google search yields pictures of them playing Les Paul Standards in various bursts. Are you a Dentist? At some point in the future, Gibson is going to abandon it's policy of only making guitar with "Gibson" on the headstock in the USA, move some production to Korea, and start offering Les Pauls with binding, bursts, and the big "G" on the headstock for under two grand.  Write it down.  It'll happen. Quality