GuitArcher

No, "Straturday" isn't particularly original, but it's about as good an excuse as I can come up with to post random pics of my Stratocasters... I promise to try and have a point. Each of these guitars is blue, albeit very different blues. From left to right: A Made in USA Aqua Lucerne Firemist Eric Johnson Stratocaster, a Lake Placid Blue Made in Korea Squier Stratocaster circa 1987, and a Made in Mexico Sonic Blue Blacktop Stratocaster.

Last week was spent in Boston, which is a great city (especially for the Fourth of July).  I was disappointed to find that the Guitar Center near Berkley College of Music was pretty small, but pleased to discover that there was a larger one in the vicinity of Fenway Park. I managed to snap a few pics of guitars that caught the eye. Ibanez Artcore Ibanez's Artcore series has always struck me as a bit off - the not-quite-traditional shapes are just off enough to leave me disinterested.  Maybe it's because they've tried to match the slightly different shapes with traditional colors.  Not here, which is probably why it caught my eye.  Once again and Sonic Blue with a Tort pickguard...  I really need to swap out that Blacktop guard. Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster This particular Stratocaster sports a Surf Green finish over a pink paisley.  Though it's hard to see here, it's definitely got a great vibe.  Too bad it costs about as much as a small Korean autom

I was beginning to think that there wasn't going to be anything worth writing about this week.  Last night saw an explosion of interesting listings, so here we go...

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. 

Here's a roundup from about 2 years ago that for some reason went unpublished.  What interests me the most is the SGJ, which go for much more than $400 currently. Fender Esquire GT w/EMG 81 ($450) I'm not including this because I think the price is particularly good (it isn't).  Still, this (along with the Esquire Celtic) were very cool Korean variants with a single volume/humbucker set necks with unique finishes (the GT had the Shelby Cobra finish, the Esquire some inlay that the Lilith Fair crowd goes for).  Made in Korea - not that it matters.  People ascribe too much value on place of manufacture rather than the quality of the instrument itself. I don't feel one way or the other about the EMG 81 - they're good pickups, but they're a one trick pony... They're really good at that one trick, but still.  That finish is killer though, with the matching headstock, and $100 less would be a steal.  I'm watching this one carefully. Digression:

I've been thinking a lot about a major shake up to my collection, and this time it isn't about guitars... it's about amps.  My recent obsession with That Pedal Show, along with the appearance of more than a few PRRI 68 reissues online have got me thinking about having that clean platform to play with. Besides, pedals ARE cheaper than guitars. For the majority of my guitar playing life, I've been a pretty pedal heavy player, relying on all the usual suspects from Boss and Fulltone to create sounds through some type of clean amp (Blues Junior, DRRI, Pro Junior, Supersonic, Ampeg Jet II, Dr. Z Maz 38). Then I acquired my wee Marshall DSL-1C, and the pedals went away.  Most were sold, and the ones that weren't went into storage.  Guitar - Cable - Amp... that was putting a smile on my face.  I recently pulled out my trusty Fulldrive 2 (the 10th Anniversary Edition) and started to play around with it a bit.  Didn't love it with the Marshall at any setting, but t

I found some pictures of my first electric guitar the other day, one that I've mentioned in earlier posts. Behold, the late 80's/early 90's MIK Squier Stratocaster.  Photo is circa 1993 or 1994. Discreet Metallica/Evil Santa.  Also Golden Buds. Yum? Here's what I can remember about it: The intonation was a mile out, but I was too stupid to know how to fix it at the time. It weighed a ton.  I remember removing the guard and finding plywood under the finish. I don't recall it being that white, more yellowed.  Whether that's the flash on the pic (which was the scanned) or a faulty memory is beyond me at this point. The neck and middle pickups were reversed in the wiring. Wouldn't that look better with a white nut? The bridge saddles were stamped "Fender".  The guitar was bought used, so not sure if this was typical or modifications had been done (which explains the wiring) The back of the guitar had a big symbol painted on it. Think a

For years, I considered myself a rosewood fingerboard guy.  More than an actual preference, it was familiar.  All of the guitar I owned had rosewood fingerboards.  Simple. I think it was more a product of my limited experience with maple than anything else.  But experience with something new quickly makes it familiar. This was the case with my maple boarded Eric Johnson Stratocaster.  Strange became familiar, and I learned to love maple. Travel is a lot like that; things that are foreign become familiar, and the familiar fades to foreign.  Just like travel though, you eventually go home... Fender Eric Johnson Rosewood Stratocaster How many Fender artists have not one, but TWO production signature instruments? Not Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck. They each have a production and custom shop version. Need a hint? Assuming you didn't read the title? Excuse for pic Only one artist has two production signatures - Eric Johnson. A Rosewood Strat and a Maple Strat...  W

Went to the local Long and McQuade during lunch this week, and apart from a couple of cool Gretsch Electromatics and an Epiphone Dot in CAR rather than Cherry, there was something special in the "expensive" section. Side note: Played one of those Charvel San Dimas Guitars.  Maple fingerboard GLUED to maple neck?!?!?!  That aside, not for me by a long shot. A Fender Custom Shop '57 relic with "Ancho Poblano" pickups.  Yes please. Oh my.... Couple of comments and then I'll leave you to oogle. "Ancho Poblano" Pickups  - Fender's attempt to replace Abigail Ybarra? Yes I understand "Ancho Poblano" isn't a person - probably by design.  Also, if you don't know who Ms. Ybarra is, you should . Revisionist History - Paisley was introduced in the 60's, not the 50's.  Painting over a paisley would mean solid pink at the edges.  Does any of this matter?  Not. One. Bit. No Rust - the bridge saddles were pretty clean,

I've written previously about how I believe the Blacktop Stratocaster represented great value, but the universe seems to be taking my opinion a little too seriously.  In the past few days, I've noticed a handful get posted, some with that ubiquitous "hard to find/rare" description. This one is mine, there are many like it...

Here's the problem with buying a "new" guitar, under the premise that you are going to sell others to make up the difference: You inadvertently start "guitar shopping" again, looking for trade opportunities which might yield better sales results. If you're not sure what I'm on about, think about this: If you're having trouble selling your guitar, look for a trade opportunity that might benefit both of you.  I've found that one-for-one trades, or even those involving cash going one way or the other,  can often result in better luck - certain guitars just need a change of geography to get sold... so it goes without saying that you shouldn't look to swap with someone in the same geographic area, and you should look for older postings. This is pretty much the situation I'm in.  Not sold on selling the Les Paul Studio, but not committed to keeping it either, I began looking for interesting trades.  Basically, search outside your area fo

After a weekend of deciding whether or not I could live with or without the rosewood version of the Eric Johnson Stratocaster, I went ahead and pulled the trigger.  What. A. Trigger. Buick Lucerne Aqua Firemist? Apologies for the pics. I'll get around to proper pictures this weekend, along with a review. This is probably the first time ever that the purchase of one guitar has made me appreciate another guitar more. Unsurprisingly, the subtle differences between this and my maple board version seem to compliment each other perfectly. One is not really an better than the other, but variations of the same excellent theme. I'll get into that more in a future review post, but suffice to say if you love one, have both. Decisions, Decisions Hindsight is 20/20.  I wasn't immediately sold on the purchase. With the posting of this guitar having caught my attention like few others have, I struggled with the idea of another major guitar purchase.  Buying bargain

A few weeks ago, I came across a 1989 Made in Korea Squier Stratocaster for sale or trade,  nearly identical to my first electric guitar.  Like so many other guitar stories you read on the internet, I sold it in pursuit of something more, and have regretted it ever since. It did get me thinking about why I sold it though, and it's something I need to remind myself of on a near constant basis - If your guitar is not agreeing with you, the problem is your maintenance of the guitar, not the guitar's relationship with the magical voodoo fairies. This one is listed at $425. Let Me Count the Reasons I really did love that Squier Stratocaster, right up until I started to get "good enough" to notice some problems.   First and foremost, the guitar wasn't in tune up the neck.  With new strings it was barely noticeable, but as they aged, it became maddening.  For a 13 year old playing "Nothing Else Matters" over and over again, it was unacceptabl

...If I had a million dollars...  I'd continue to buy used guitars.  It's just more exciting than new if you ask me.  Scouring Kijiji and having that great piece of gear pop up like a light in the fog. I'd probably look to bigger things first, but once the house and car and family were taken care of, I'd probably spend my days driving around buying cheap gear and writing about it.  Once the guitar room was full, I'd sell them all, and write about that too.  I promise I wouldn't mark anything up... too much? Until that day, window shopping will have to do. Marshall JCM1-C - Swap/Trade I'm not sure that I could be any happier with my DSL1-C.  A perfect little practice amp, it sounds great at just the right volume for late night playing with kids sleeping two floors away.  Better still, with the attenuator off and the amp cooking at a FULL ONE WATT, it's enough to keep up with my daughter's junior drum kit. This version is the JCM 800 ve