GuitArcher

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.

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

Cats Suck (Unless You're Convinced Otherwise) They're sneaky, shifty, lizard-tongued devils who train their owners to think that their selfish behaviour is "cute" and their bad behaviour is "personality". With razor sharp claws and needle teeth, they are, in my humble opinion, nothing but a prescription for minor lacerations and the inescapable smell of cat litter. My personality can taste your sadness. Like the people who enjoy that sort of thing, the people who seem to be drawn to Fender Jaguars are a similarly masochistic lot who seem uninterested in owning a great guitar. Instead, they would like a guitar that oozes "personality" by way of unstable tuning, convoluted switching, and not-quite-Strat-but-not-quite-Tele sounds. Sounds like a winner to me... Except everyone has got a price, and for me it was $299.99, back when the Canadian dollar was strong and the guitar industry had adjusted pricing accordingly ( which typically ta

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

Despite the fact that my eye has been firmly locked on a thing that costs as much as a used car ( well, a shitty used car ), it may seem strange that I'm so focused on cheap guitars. Here's the thing... Cheap guitars are fun. And cheap. So cheap in fact that every single guitar on this list could be purchased for LESS THAN that PRS I want so badly. Squier Cyclone $150 There is a cartoon on the headstock. Do you need another reason at this price? The bridge is probably crap, the tuners questionable, and the frets only just serviceable. It doesn't matter. There is a cartoon cyclone on the headstock. I repeat: A cartoon on the headstock. Yamaha Pacifica $140 I'm a huge fan of the Pacifica, because every time I pick mine up, I'm surprised at the quality of the critical construction elements: the neck, the body, the neck joint.. Not sure if this example will be as good as mine, and I'm certain that a new bridge block would be in order, but

If there has been a theme recently, it has to be something about how nostalgia drives more guitar gear desire than anything else out there.  Why else would Van Halen still be such a force in the business, despite not having anything meaningful to say musically since the eighties? I'm terrible for this.  Every few months, maybe years, I pull my Korg AX10G out of the closet, convinced that there are great sounds contained inside, and that if I was only patient enough, I could pull them out... And each and every time, I give up after 20 minutes, mostly disappointed. Look, if you can pick this up for twenty bucks or so, and you aren't expecting much, then this is a great buy.  the 70s Marshall sound, set to low gain (less than 1/3rd), is the best clean sound in there, and the tremolo (which is harmonic I think), is pretty great sounding. The entire thing is plastic though, so the effects selector is dodgy, and the whole thing feels like a toy. In short, it's bullshit

Well I'm excited...

Ran into this post this morning and just can't get over the value.

I'm really enjoying the Maz 8, although I'll admit to being frustrated for quite awhile as I searched for a great combination of pentode/triode, attenuator setting, volume/master, and cut settings. Despite the Maz seeming like a pretty simple amp, there's an awful lot going on in the interaction of these elements, and unlike other amps, there are definitely some bad sounds that can be coaxed if one isn't careful. What I'm not currently loving is how the Fulltone Fulldrive 2 or my Noah Sark "Green" react with the amp.  Instead of more of a good thing, there is a shrillness that I can't quite seem to get away from. Winding down the tone tames it, but also saps clarity. The obvious solution is more gear... Sigh. I'm considering two steps.  First, the OCD.  I've had a V1.4 in the past and loved it with every amp I've used it with. The problem is that they're virtually absent from the used market, which means buying new, which means ab

After picking up the Squier MIK Stratocaster, and the Maz 8 shortly before that, I'm going to have a hard time justifying another gear acquisition without moving something.  There's a Fender Princeton Recording, mentioned in a previous post, that is on the radar in exchange for the Marshall DSL1, but the owner seems a bit flaky in terms of meeting times.  We'll have to wait and see if that comes to fruition. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe - $600 Hard to argue with that finish, and the unique headstock combined with the Grover Imperial-esque tuners really make this guitar one classy looking axe. $600 is probably a fair price with a case (these list for around $1K), but the seller notes that they are moving across country, which means they're probably on a schedule. Combine the potential necessity of sale with the fact that this instrument is extremely local to me and I'm inclined to throw out and offer of $400 and move the Squier vintage Modified Jaguar to cover the

My first guitar was a Made in Korea Squier Stratocaster.  My parents got it for me sometime around 1993, and I remember being completely in love with it... until I wasn't.  You see, like most young guitar players, I noticed shortcomings that I didn't know could be addressed with a little know-how. 

I'm really tempted by this, as this is from the same period as my first electric guitar.  $200 is an absolute steal, but I'm having a hard time justifying ANOTHER Stratocaster. I really want to add something like Lake Placid Blue to my collection though. Update: This one may be coming home with me this weekend... Sigh... Update 2: This one DID come home with me. This is exactly the kind of find that would make a pretty outstanding gift for someone who knows a thing or two about guitars. Just a really great looking guitar that probably doesn't sound half bad either.

There's lots of gear out there that, while interesting and/or alluring, would end up collecting dust in my collection.  Whether it's motivated by nostalgia, desire for change, or something else, there's always gear that says "yeah, you want me, but you don't really have a good reason to want me." Here's a quick rundown of things that I think I want, but seriously don't need. Boss Metal Zone - $40, maybe? No pedal, since the inception of pedals, has gotten more flak than the Boss Metal Zone.  You know who doesn't care?  Boss.  They hit it out of the park with this one, and an entire generation of guitarists put these on their first pedal boards, including me. Does it sound good?  Not really, but I guess what it does it does reasonably well.  In high school I built my rig around this sound ( kids, right?) , thrashing about all day and night.   WANT IT : Nostalgia, combined with the fact that this is super local. Seller is offering this

Someday, when my oldest daughter asks me what the first song was we ever played together, I'll get to tell her it was "Another Brink in the Wall, Part 2." I think we could have done a lot worse. Truth be told, the first song she ever sang along to while I played was "Let it Go", from Disney's Frozen, because of course it was.  That doesn't count though.  She was just singing.  This time, she was actually playing drums... Kind of.  She was hitting various drums and cymbals to the rhythm, so in my book that counts. Seriously though, everyone should go out and buy a TC Electronics Ditto.  For such a low price, you can have a creative tool that allows for jamming all by yourself as well as layering opportunities that might arise when you've got a 5 year old eager to become a rock star. Why so Angry? Years and years and years ago, I remember going into the local music store and asking my favorite guy for a recommendation.  It was probably one tha