Hand-made Fender Super Strat

Hand-made Fender Super Strat

Yes, I’ve always wanted a Super Strat. They went out of production. One time I’m shopping Ebay and see Super Strat pickups. Won them for like $150. Then I found a Johnson maple neck, about $75. Got a gold bridge, push-pull pot. Took it to Guitar Electronics to wire (let the experts handle it) and I have a Super Strat for half of what they listed for. If you can find one used, you’re lucky. I had to build mine – but it is USA made, so it should be worth those expensive custom shop prices. Don’t be deceived. Many list “super strat” but it doesn’t have the pickups or push to get the bridge and neck pickups working together. Someone told me this gives a tele sound, not on mine. I leave all 3 pickups on. Sounds great that way.

" Fender Deluxe Super Strat® Review

The Deluxe Super Start has the classic Stratocaster body and plays much like the Standard Stratocaster, but there are some distinctions with this model. The first is the Super Fat "Super" Strat single coil pickups. The tones from these are pure blues and jazz. I don't think I would recommend this for heavy metal guitar playing, but it works great for blues. It really has some beautiful tones.

The other distinction is the 2 extra tones with this model. The Deluxe Super Strat comes with the traditional 5-way pick-up switch.

1. Bridge Pickup
2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
3. Middle Pickup
4. Middle and Neck Pickups
5. Neck Pickup

What is unique are the 2 extra pickup combinations that are activated when the button on the pickguard is pressed.

When the switch is in the 5 position and the button on the fretboard is pressed, the Bridge and Neck pickups are activated. In this position, you can attain the distinctive tone of the Fender Telecaster.

When the switch is in the 4 position and the button on the fretboard is pressed, all the pickups (Middle, Neck and Bridge) are activated.

This is a Mexican made guitar, which means its cheaper than the American models, yet with nearly the same quality (as far as I can tell). Priced around $500.00, which is an unbeatable price for this type of guitar. Very light and easy to play, stays in tune very well. I would definitely recommend this guitar for blues players at any level. "

From Guitar MX http://www.supersonic.net/guitar/lessons/lesson-40.htm

Epiphone Black Beauty

Epiphone Black Beauty

Okay, you can tell by the looks, this is my favorite guitar. Three pickups. Set Neck!!!! (lots of sustain).Sells for like $600, without case. Sure it was made in Korea. I’m suppose to pay $5G for a “made in USA” tag on a Gibson? Check this link and tell me why I should fork over $4,100 more just for the name Gibson. Same guitar: http://www.zzounds.com/item--GIBLPB3EBGH?em=99e8f38b5b5a50ab6bfdae8dea659066

Gin Blossom signed Epiphone Special

Gin Blossom signed Epiphone Special

Nothing special here. Just an inexpensive work horse guitar. Pete Townshend should be smashing these, not expensive Gibson SGs.

Signed by Scott Johnson and Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms at Long Wong’s in Tempe, where they got their start. Building that housed Long Wong’s is gone. Put on some stuff from an art store to preserve their signatures, since this is where my right arm goes.

Two humbuckers, dark wood neck, back of neck is painted white.

Ibanez RG 570 - Japan

Talk about a guitar! This was made in Japan; year ’93. It is an RG 570. Ibanez still makes something like it, but not quite. This has a Wizard neck, Gotoh tuners, imitation DiMarzio pickups – V2 and V7, plus an S1 in the middle. 5 way switching. Floyd Rose tremolo. It never goes out of tune.

The problem is, I’m the world’s second worst guitar player. I used to think I was the worst until Guitar Center’s grand opening in Scottsdale. This guitar beaches at me everyday. It wants a rock god playing it, not a word jockey. Remember, this was the poor man’s Steve Vai guitar. Sold new for like $700.

Fender Squier Jazz Bass

Fender at one point quit making the Squier Jazz Bass, then they started again. I bought this around 1997. I thought a bass guitar was like a guitar. It may as well be a tuba for the difference.

I’ve played it about 5 times. I have tried to sell it for $225, including gig bag. It’s like the relative who comes and stays and stays and you can’t get rid of it. I’d love to sell this instrument. The body is royal or navy blue, almost black. Photos make instrument looked damaged, but that is light reflection.

Fender Squier Jazz Bass photos

Fender Squier Frankenstein

The story behind this guitar is the Fender Ensenada plant burned in 1994. Fender was forced to assemble something like 78 Squier Strats in its Corona, USA, plant. Parts was parts. Whatever was laying around was used on the guitars.

This Squire distinctly has the Made in USA label. Pickguard does not lay flat. I was the one to paint it and pickup covers. Neck is good. Add to the fact that it is one of a handful of Squier’s made in USA, it was signed by Gin Blossoms’ Robin Wilson and Scotty Johnson at Long Wong’s in Tempe, where the band got their start, in 2002.

Long Wong’s is long gone, destroyed by some developer. It is now a vacant lot. There’s almost voodoo with this guitar.

Rosewood neck – 21 frets

Pickups – 3 ? single coil

Pots - ?

Tuners - ?

Anyone have an idea what this guitar is worth?

Made here:

Not here:

Fender Squier Frankenstein photos

Hand-made Electric

One of several guitars hand-made from parts. When I purchased the neck on Ebay, the seller said it was the best neck ever. That seller wasn’t kidding. I prefer maple necks, but this is wonderful. As good as any Corona-made.

I’ve had a picture of a Fender Strat on my wall for years. Ironically, this body matches it perfectly. You can see by light reflection how polished the finish is.

You’ll notice there are no guitar strap buttons. Oh well.

Now, let’s get into the meat of this. At the bridge there is a DiMarzio super distortion. Great pickup. Can’t knock Larry’s products. Full-bodied sound to punch through other band members noise. Yet, each pickup is unique.

In the middle is a Fender Lace Red. Crystal clear humbucker sound. I’d love to try the noiseless, but not on this guitar.

At the neck is a Fender Tele Tex-Mex. Don’t ask me where it came from. To quote an old TV ad, parts is parts. It is louder than the Fender Lace and has that Texas twang. Great for blues.

To sum it up, bottom pickup rock, middle clear or jazz, top blues. Guitar Electronics did the inside wiring. Pull the bottom volume and it makes the DiMarzio single pickup plus a combination of other sounds I’ve yet to figure out which pickup is which.

What I have found is you’ve got three guitars in one, but mixing the pickups is like mixing oil and water – it doesn’t work.

I’ve considered offers of $800 for this, but think of what a custom Strat would cost! I would be willing to part with this.

Hand-made Electric photos

Epiphone Del Rey

One of the most unusual and rare of all guitars made. A 24-fret Epiphone guitar made from late ‘90s to very beginning of 21^st Century. I’d love comments on production years for those who know, especially Gibson employees who could tell stories about this, and the Gibson double-cutaway, which is the same guitar at three to five times the price.

OBL pickups with distortion sound. I did not know until 2009, after nearly 10 years of having mine, that you can pull the tone knob and have single-rail, or Stratocaster, sound. I have a rare Ibanez RG 570 that plays two single rails, but has two humbuckers (can not be played at the same time as you can with Del Rey). Pulling the pot up on the Del Rey gives the Ibanez sound and I still have 24-frets like the RG 570. Wonderful.

What makes the Del Rey special is its finish. It has white binding, mahogany body, 24-fret rosewood fretboard with dot inlay, and a spectacular flame maple top. You can see by some of the photos how it reflects light, especially stage lights.

I’ve had this up on Ebay several times, but no one would pay the $500 I have in it. Since I found out about the push/pull feature, it has become one of my most used guitars. If anyone wants to donate a Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul case, I don’t have a case for this beauty.

Epiphone Del Rey Photos