GuitArcher

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

I haven't been able to obsess over guitars, amps, and pedals for the better part of the year so far, mostly on account of needing to obsess over fixing my car, which went from a minor annoyance to a full dose of OCD research, money, trial, money, error, money, time, money... You get the idea. Thankfully, and in no small part due to my father's willingness to trouble shoot problems over multiple weeks, I'm officially past these issues, and for the first time in a long time I've been finding myself coming back to Kijiji rather than researching some obscure automotive part or service procedure. I can't say there is a theme to all of these, but the Telecaster count is pretty high, and 4 Stratocasters and only  single Telecaster in one's collection seems woefully imbalanced. Also, and in case there was any confusion over this, I am unreservedly uncool, despite what might have been suggested. LTD EC-1000 Deluxe - $750 I don't really get on with L

I wish I had something clever to say, but I don't.

Fender recently announced the American Performer Series , a replacement for the American Special Series, and it may just be the most desirable series Fender has had in a long while.  Whether it's the excellent range of colors being made available, the subtle tweaks from their predecessor models, or the price point these will occupy, I'm convinced more than ever that the American Professional Series is going to get squeezed out in sales volume. Killer Colors OK, first things first: The colors are outstanding, and I have a feeling that the folks at Fender are just as engaged with guitar content on Youtube as the rest of us are. Lake Placid Blue with a red tortoise pickguard? The folks at Fender watch Andertons just like the rest of us do. Surf Green on the Telecaster? Weren't the Guitar Nerds just going on about how great the Squier Affinity Telecaster looked in Surf Green? The new finish is the most eye catching one though.  Dubbed "Penny", in some l

If I haven't written in awhile, it usually means one of two things... I've recently acquired an engrossing video game, which means I'll see you in 80-120 hours. I've recently acquired some gear that is taking my attention away from writing here. Happily, this time it's the second one.

I sold the Les Paul Studio for the princely sum of $800, exactly what I paid a few years ago. I could  do the responsible thing and bank the money, seeing how I just paid $300 on a barely used Ibanez JEM Jr., but I think we both know that isn't how this is going to work. I've had my eye on a Pink Jackson for quite some time, but now that I have the JEM Jr., and given that the absence of the Studio is not being felt, I can't help but wonder if I'd be better served with another amp or something else, to say nothing of my aversion to buying new (which the Jackson purchase would require). Eight hundred bucks goes a long way in the amp world.  On the other hand, there are a ton of other really good options on the market right now, and the sale of the Studio reminds me that if I play my cards right, I will experience zero depreciation on my money if I buy used. Here's a quick list of what I'm considering: Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb - $900 I&#

I'm not even sure how to artfully put this... I came across this Epiphone Nighthawk in purple quilt the other day, posted as "For Trade".  Not having anything I wanted to trade for this, I reached out after a few days, having noticed multiple posts, usually an indication of desperation on the part of the seller. "How much?" "$600" Wait, what? Better still, the seller had also posted their Roland Cube 80 for the low low price of $400. In case you're keeping score at home, that's a bit more than you could walk out of L&M with a brand new Boss Katana 50. With that in mind, I've decided to compile a list of all the other, and better, things, one could buy with that same $1,000 this seller is expecting for his/her rig. Genz Benz Black Pearl 30 - $600 A long time ago, in a town not so far away, I came across one of these in a little music shop run by folks eager to tell me how their stock of Blade guitars was easily better

PRS EG SE - $400 Isn't the internet great? John Mayer, having left Fender as a Signature Artist years before, finally asked Paul Reed Smith to make him a Strat. Despite this being likely the least surprising thing in the history of artist relations ever, the internet could talk of nothing else. The memes alone were getting tired by the next day. Of course, it didn't help that both Paul and John offered explanations generously described as contrived. If either had come out and said something to the effect of "of course I (he) wanted a Strat style guitar... My (his) career has been built round it", I can't help but feel the internet would have gotten over it. But here's the thing.  PRS was making Strat knockoffs long before Mr. Mayer came along.  No, there isn't a trem, and sure it's set-neck, but whatever.  Sport this and you can claim to be into PRS Strats way before this Mayer character ever came around... $400 for a guitar that ca

It might be time to sell some stuff, because in the last two months I've wanted a PRS CE 24 in Champagne Gold, a Gretsch 5420T in Fairlane Blue ( thanks bro...), and an LTD KH-2 in the new Purple Sparkle finish. The last two are close in price, but couldn't be more wildly different, and if I'm honest the Gretsch would get more love.  The PRS is the outlier, costing more than both of the others combined. I'm not sure I can justify that, especially given some of the questionable realities of the PRS. In any case, it might be time to sell some stuff.  The Fender Super Champ is the first major item to go ( I've already sold the boss wah and my old Korg AX10 ), although I'm a little reticent given how great my brother's 5420T sounded with it in a little impromptu Easter country jam. After that, the Jaguar is next, and I'm a little less dear about that.  Sure it's cool, but next to a Gretsch? No contest. If those two moved, I'd cover the rest

Funny how the attention you pay to certain kinds of gear comes and goes in waves.  One day it's all about pedals, next day amps, and then guitars. Guess where my head is at today? Bagels mostly...

Yeah, yeah... It isn't a very clever title. I was looking through my "favourited" list and noticed three amps listed consecutively that had quite a bit in common: Multiple channels, 1x12, higher gain, all effectively at the same price point. There's a big of a theme here I think - Wouldn't it be great to have a great vintage style low watt amp AND a more modern, higher gain amp? Seems like a good enough reason... Mesa Recto-Verb 50 - $1000 I've mention this amp more than a few times, and that is usually a pretty good indication that I'm destined to pick one up eventually.  I'll have to sell a few things to be sure, but this is a quality amp with a sound I'm familiar with.  I don't quite recall the settings, but the high gain sound on this that isn't the "recto" flavour is pretty amazing. Engl Thunder 50 - $950 I remember first reading about these amps in an interview with Richie Blackmore in the early nineties.

I've been heavily toying with the idea of selling the Super Champ XD, but I'm not going to give it away. I know, it might seem greedy.  I picked it up for only $120, so anything I sell it for is sure to be a win, but as I've said in the past, the real value can be in trading if you are patient enough... Well, a few days ago I got an email offering a Super Sonic 22 for my Super Champ plus cash on my side.  I'm usually wary of what kind of cash it might require, and I'm not looking to outlay unless it is a clear win for me, and I can recoup the money in the next cycle. Actual Amp Pictured This time though, the guy has mentioned in the offer than he NEEDS  a smaller amp because he's moving in with his girlfriend. Oh my. I explained to the guy that I'm not keen, but that it never hurts to offer, so he should hit me up with what he's looking for. A day goes by, and he's now come back with a number... Four hundred bucks. Ouch. In fair

I successfully exchanged the Boss BF3 Flanger for the TR2 Tremolo yesterday.  Unfortunately, while Drew got a pedal replete with box and manual, I only got a pedal. On the face of it, Drew got a steal of a deal. Truth be told, I'd had the flanger for much longer than I wanted to. There is a lesson somewhere in here, and it goes something like: "The list price of a piece of gear is not the only factor in determining it's value on the used market." With the in mind, I'm fairly satisfied with the trade... though a box would've been nice. Of greater concern now is incorporating the TR2 onto my board, becuase I've been very happy with the current setup, and worry that changing anything will throw the universe out of balance. Anyway... Peavey Bandit - Silver Stripe - $200 I can't ready the words "Peavey Bandit" without hearing the voice of Jay Cross of The Guitar Nerds in my head.  It's not just the voice that sticks like a bad

I've been having a really hard time with the thought of selling the Fender Super Champ XD I picked up a few months ago.  Truth is, I rarely use it, and the few times I do, I find myself immediately wondering if the Dr. Z Maz 8 will sound better and, whodathunkit, it does. But the Super Champ does have its qualities - mostly the plug and play nature of the thing - no pedalboards required for delay and verb and drive. With all the buzz around the Katana (which after two years doesn't seem to be going away), I can't help but wonder if THAT would be the amp that better fit the "plug and play" bill. There's something else though - there are very few pieces of gear that I don't regret selling, and somewhere along the line I feel like I'll have to revisit each and every piece that haunts me. Fender Classic Series 60 - $850 Fender Japan is amazing, and this isn't Fender Japan, but it's as close to the Fender Japan ST62-TX as you're li

Tell me if you've experienced this before...

After selling the Marshall DSL1-C, I was feeling pretty good about myself.  After all, I had managed to sell it for 10% more than I bought it for a few years back ($550 vs. $500), so I couldn't help but think that this was a pretty good deal for me over all. Better still, I had a pocket full of cash that was ready to be put towards the next great thing. Unfortunately, my GAS ( gear acquisition syndrome) went dormant, right around the same time real-life-big-boy-pants expenses appeared. They also involved gas, but honest to goodness natural gas rather than a made up medical condition, used to justify spending too much money on guitar stuff. You see, the brand new stove had finally arrived after a 6 month delay, unexpectedly on a Saturday, which meant they hauled away the loaner and we were left with a stove that wouldn't work unless it was hooked up.  Also, apparently that isn't like plugging in a lamp. A bunch of phone calls and $200 cash later, the stove was hooked u