The

jamatorium2014 STUDIO GEAR RENTER’S GUIDE

Version 5.3

Updated 7/29/2014

Welcome!!!

My personal goal has always been to find “that perfect guitar…” My continuous search has left me with a collection of what I consider to be true “player” guitars – the ones you want with you on your special studio day. Some happen to be great makes and models that we all know… some are not so familiar. Some are truly surprising!

I make available my personal collection of musical instruments to regional professional recording studios. I have much to offer your studio in providing added value to your clients – perhaps the one piece of gear that will alter or inspire a project!

Let’s enhance your clients studio experience with the option to use alternate gear!

It happens all the time – you’re reading the liner notes on an album and it reads, “…we used a ’63 Tele’ on that song to get a different feel…”

As a collector and a musician, I am continuously amazed at how profoundly one seemingly simple piece of gear can change, inspire or add to the creative thought process of a musician…

Inside...

Terms

Guitars

Amps

Miscellany

Rock’n Rich 1984 “Amnesty”

SIMPLE Terms… We rent to studios for studio work only!!! Our gear is not permitted to be used for

performances, “gigs” or any thing not studio related!

You may set-up the guitars to your liking (actions, strings…)Please reset the instrument to original actions prior to our retrieving the instrument (except for strings). Please off-set customized tunings to reduce stress on the neck and return to standard when done.

Do not make gear alterations other than set-ups! Do not change tubes in the amps, remove parts, disassemble or attempt any gear repairs! Do not install strap locks –please use the plastic ones included with the strap from the case.

We deliver to and retrieve from your studio. Keeping it easy…

50% of replacement cost deposit required. Frequent renters may agree to a fixed deposit.

Flat rate: $75 per 24hr period, per item (guitars and amps, $20 per day for effect pedals and misc.) Total Minimum $225/DAY. Minor travel fees may apply - I will tell you this when we talk. There are no surprises.

Renters are responsible for the care of the instrument. All items featured here are considered one of a kind. This includes theft prevention. Inspect the instrument for general condition upon receipt. Renter is responsible for any damage, complete replacement costs or repairs by authorized repair facility only.

If you have questions regarding any terms or general equipment concerns, PLEASE CALL or email!!! 585-727-0765 sales@pickflip.net

Guitars“Each guitar offers the player a distinct,

rich sampling of yet another way by which tone may be found. Enjoy!!!”

-Rock’n Rich

Fender stratocaster

I played 6 of these specific types of

Strats and bought this one near

2004… I was told that the acoustic

tones married to the most robust

pickups that Fender had built in years

made these Highway One guitars feel

and perform far better than the new

Standard Stratocasters. It was true – I

bought three! I really love this guitar

and respect the risk that Fender took

when they created this line. Even

unplugged, this Highway One

Stratocaster USA sounds like a baby

grand! It has no lacquer finish.

Probably the most playable Strat I

have ever touched. All stock. First

year issue. Nothing can touch this

nicely worn-in mojo groove maker!

Fender stratocasterGreat find - USA Standard Stratocaster

brought back from the dead – by me!

The original bridge pickup was in the

case, and had been replaced by a

poorly installed EMG – OMG! Found

an NOS USA pickguard from same

vintage and a vibrant, new USA Strat

emerged, ready to defend the free

world one more time! So freak’n easy

to play and has a gentle “C” neck that

is medium radius. Twin post pivot

bridge (instead of six screws…) Distinct

fender tone on each position of the 5-

way switch. The pickups are the stock,

no-fuss, Fender Classic pickups and

deliver what you would expect from

one of my guitars – perfect tone.

Fender stratocasterI purchased this one used in Rochester

NY. It features a big headstock,

standard configurations and is a mix of

USA and import Fender parts. It plays

fantastic. Perfect weight and feels so

tight – as if it was a well-loved custom

order. Like I mentioned in the beginning

– I have only PLAYER instruments here.

When I thinned-out my Strat collection, I

could not let this one example go. The

maple neck is a satin finish with an

amazing rosewood fretboard, medium

sized frets with no inlay along the back.

I had reverse wound pickups installed –

it is super quiet and so easy to play. This

is my “surf Strat” – match it with the ‘59

Bassman and the Holy Grail Reverb

pedal – wow.

FENDER standard

TELECASTERLeo got it right the first time… True Tele

lovers should perhaps start with this

one and move on down the line from

here! This Fender USA Vintage ‘52

Standard Telecaster reissue features a

gentle “C neck (not as thick as the

“No-Caster” and a little more than that

of the USA Highway One, both

featured here as well, of course)

Though it has the wear indicative of

fairly steady use, the prior owner

claimed that it was “hardly ever used

and just sat”. Hmmm. Somewhere a

very sad nephew or niece is looking

for that missing tweed case from under

the bed or in that guest-room closet…

Fender 1951 “no-caster” vos

Custom Shop ’51 “No-Caster” built

especially for the 2009 NAMM Show! This

vintage neck pickup is killer. Also killer is

the radius of the neck: lets just say

baseball bat cut in half. No joke - this is a

rare Custom Shop production and it really

shows off the stellar capability of the

Fender Custom Shop luthiers. Nobody can

put this one down – even if you dislike fat

necks! There are no real specs listed on

this other than it is everything you ever

read about in a 1951 “No-Caster”. Oh – it’s

PINK! Ash-tray cover is easily removable -

snaps on or off… might even just fall off

when you are playing. Loves county,

blues and VOX amplifiers!!!

Fender esquire telecasterSimple, vibe-laden, and LOUD! C-neck

shape. Custom-Wired at the factory 3-

position blade:

Position 1: Volume control & no Tone

control w/ capacitor activated for darker

tone.

Position 2: normal Volume/Tone control.

Position 3: Volume control only.

Alnico vintage single-coil Tele-Bridge

pickup is stock. It may appear to be a

one-trick pony, but that pickup is ROBUST.

It is a bit heavier than most other Telies,

making it feel like the serious guitar that it

is. It is just another great guitar where tone

starts with the amp cranked, guitar

volume control for output control until you

find your sweet spot! Loves a VOX amp!!!

Fender telecasterMy Highway One Telecaster

USA… Again – I played a

bunch of these, and selected

this one based upon it’s perfect

neck (hot knife through butter)

and ability to deliver true Tele

tone with no fuss. It has no

outer finish – the tone really

lives through the wooden

body. All stock parts. This one

is a first year Highway One with

the medium jumbo frets and

gentle medium-radius neck

making it very easy to play.

Another favorite of regional

studio musicians.

It even smells good.

Fender 1972 telecaster

deluxeWith the successful re-launching of Gibson’s

Les Paul several years before, Fender

decided to compete in the humbucking

world with this entry (and several prior): the

1972 Telecaster Deluxe. This re-issue features

an alder body, a C-shaped maple neck,

bullet truss rod, ‘70s vintage hardtail strings-

through Strat bridge, three-bolt neckplate

with micro-tilt adjustment. ‘70s Strat

headstock, two Wide Range humbucking

pickups, traditional three-way switching and

four skirted amp-style knobs. Wears nicely

too since it features a contoured body – odd

for a Tele. Great jazz guitar with it’s creamy,

deeper tones and easy to play neck. It

leapt out at me in the store because it was

so business-like and lacked any eye-candy.

Plays so fine.

Fender 1969 thin-line

telecasterTo spicen-up the Fender Tele line, the

brains at CBS (then owners of Fender)

decided to “pick on” the pick guard

and pick ups while making the body

semi-hollow. This Fender reproduction

of the ‘69 Thin Line accurately delivers

the goods with a raspy bold tone in a

feather weight guitar. Surprisingly

resilient to feedback despite its semi-

hollow body and acoustic sound

“f”vent. Comfy, easy neck – thin and

narrow when compared to the ‘72

Deluxe and ‘50 No- Caster. While an

overall joy to play, the tone with a

slightly overdriven tube amp is

inspiring, to say the least.

Fender jaguar In 1962 Fender targeted high-end Gibson users with the

Jaguar. Having never found the popularity of the

Stratocaster, and discontinued from 1975-1985, the

slightly bigger and bolder Jaguar will always be known

for it’s killer looks and successful countless surf tunes,

hard rock and punk rock tunes which emerged from

the fret boards of this innovative line of Fender guitars.

From early surf to late seventies punk and indie tunes,

so many amazing genres have been plucked from the

strings of the Jaguar. Hard to put down, even when

staring at a 68 other guitar options. Some called it the

“improved Strat.” Use mine as part of the creative

formula to build your own tune - your own

interpretation of genre. For me, it’s the authentic early

1960’s style Maple neck - super comfortable and easy

to play. Numerous tone options make this a great

guitar for exploring the tune that you have not

perfected yet – the one that may otherwise get away.

And, nothing sounds like a clean Fender Jaguar –

except for a slightly distorted one!!! The trem has such

a great surf bend to it!

Fender Jazz bassClassic Jazz bass – no wonder this model was a

favorite of so many great artists… Love the

narrow/micro-small radius neck toward the nut

end – so easy to play. Easily the most playable

bass here, in the full-size department. First

introduced in 1960 as the “Deluxe Model Bass”

(as was the 1960 Jazzmaster guitar, later to both

receive their own identifications and also

featuring an a-symmetrical body design) No

selector switches - tone changes are just a twist

away with two pickups, each having two pole-

pieces per string to produce a punchier sound,

controlled by two volumes and a master tone. A

“go-to” guitar for anything bass related. This

approximates what a 1964 model would have

looked and played like. One of Leo Fender’s true

contributions to the music world was the electric

bass guitar – some say this is the cream of the

crop in electric basses. So innovative…

professionally, he wasn’t even a musician – just

an innovative electronics repairman!!!If you don’t like the pickup covers on my Fenders… take them off! (just don’t lose them!)

Fender precision bassNice playing very straight-forward Fender

Precision Bass… Love the discoloration of the

aged wood on the neck and the diminished

appearance of the tarnished nickel bridge and

tuners – it really puts you in the mood for making

music. This is not a “distressed” guitar – the wear

is from normal use. Unsure of it’s year of

manufacture, I bought it used in 2002 and it was

built in Japan. Though this particular design does

not represent the initial style of the “P-Bass” line, it

has certainly been the most enduring, largely

unchanged since 1957, when it departed from

the original Telecaster-inspired appearance and

took on the more Stratocaster-like image that it

retains today. The key physical changes were to

the headstock, a new contoured body, and the

pick-guard. A technical change was to the

pickup, which was changed from a single-

piece/single-coil to a staggered two-

piece/single coil. This is what a P-Bass from about

1955 would have looked and played like…

If you don’t like the pickup covers on my

Fenders… take them off! (just don’t lose

them!)

Fender Tele Bass

Butterscotch BlondeSaw this from outside the store, stopped

the car and went inside to see what it

was… It was UNREAL. If you like the

standard P-Bass design, you will love this

because it is easier to play, boasts more

tone options and is LOUDER. Fender

approached the modern take on the

original “P-Bass design” – with features

that include an alder body, C-shaped

maple neck, maple fretboard with 9.5"

radius and 20 medium jumbo frets, dual

Modern Player Wide Range humbucking

Precision Bass pickups, vintage-style

bridge with four (not two) brass saddles,

open-gear tuners and nickel/chrome

hardware. This Butterscotch Blonde is so

rich and looks so killer with the darker

maple Tele neck. Basically, it’s a 1951

with a whole bunch of upgrades.

FENDER ‘53 PRECISION BASSIn 2005, Fender released the Limited Edition “Sting”

’53 P-Bass as a tribute to the musician and his

trusty aged instrument… As you can see from my

other selections in this document, I am not a

“signature model” kind-a guy. I bought this was

because I sold my ‘51 P-Bass reissue in 2004 (idiot,

idiot… uh..! It WAS perfect and in butterscotch,

black pick guard. It is too painful to look at the

photos…) and this was the only thing available

presently, locally, that would come close to

making me almost want to smile again. It plays

significantly better than my ’51. It features a single

coil Fender Vintage Re-Issue pickup, right under

the pickup cover. The ‘53 is fun to play and instills

that early rock ‘n roll feeling that the greats must

have felt when they were getting down to work on

the stuff we still love today. You will get past that

“Sting” logo on the neck – just don’t look at it…

like you are now. Stop it. Seriously.

If you don’t like the pickup covers on my Fenders… take them off! (just don’t lose them!)

Gibson firebird v

Not really finding much to say about this

guitar… This one took me 25 years to

find. This is a crazy-perfect guitar in

every respect. Perfect neck and tone

accompany this masterpiece of

workmanship. There is nothing like a real

Gibson Firebird for your recording. The

flat, medium radius neck is super-smooth

and easy to play. This is probably the

best session guitar made anywhere and

is a favorite of several east coast artists. I

like the basic or standard models of a

particular issue of any guitar – less the

afterthoughts and mods. This is about as

much as I would want in an instrument –

though I would very much like to find a

Jr. version of this exact model. It’s just so

perfect, there is nothing else to say…

Gibson explorerRetro Explor-dinaire!!! I haven’t found another

one like this on the net or in any stores that I

have visited in the past 30 years. The vibrato

throws all searches off… The Explorer model

has such an interesting history as one of

Gibson’s least understood black sheep

children – having no future or hope when it

was not well received by the conservative

late 1950’s market.

This one is a re-issue of the 1958 model. Only a

few were released with the vibrato (then and

now…) A pair of ’57 humbuckers, short vibrato

and rock-solid playability make this classic an

easy choice for those who need a reliable

piece of gear for capturing that special blues

riff. Medium-slim neck means super fast, easy

and fun to play! The people who helped me

find this really know what I like!

How to enjoy: get over the looks, get beyond

the shape… Then, hear and feel a real

instrument in your hands.

Gibson les paul special jr.

Nutty fluke in somebody’s ordering

landed this instant classic into my

personal inventory! Apparently, a

custom order from Gibson for a retail

entity abroad was cancelled… This

fine instrument and it’s siblings

ended up for sale in the US! I

snagged one and love it for it’s

simplicity and P-90 tonal color.

Brighter than a standard Les Paul Jr.

with P-90s, this one offers a super

clean play-to-dirty with the roll of the

volume. Besides, you gotta love the

reach into the upper neck regions

with the double cut body. Attitude

sometimes makes a session – this will

help you get there. So many great

designs came from the 1950s…

Gibson les paul special

This model was the result of

Gibson trying to make an

affordable classic to compete

with the deluge of mid-priced

imports between 2002-2009.

Super light weight, tune-a-

matic bridge with stock P-90s.

Tone gem – perfect sound. The

body is thinner than the

original issue guitar of the

1950s so it is ideal for players

who are of small to medium

frame. This is a “Worn” series

guitar, though much of the

wounds are from me since it

was my personal go-to guitar

at home for years. It is a first

year issue of it’s type.

Gibson les paul special vos

Fell in love with this guitar… four years

after I bought it!!! I like how it sounded

and loved the amazing woodwork –

just couldn’t get it to PLAY the way I like

them to FEEL. My guitar tech (Rob) did a

set-up… and wow! The synergy of killer

craftsmanship and my playing finally

met. P-90s rule!!! This Custom Shop

favorite of mine (they are ALL favorites

of mine!!!) is the real deal and works

fine as a jazz or rock platform. All you

have to do is to not drool all over it,

stop staring at it and just play! Full size

body and thicker neck (not quite

baseball bat though…), unlike the

“worn” series. Nothing more needs to

be said here… it is a real privilege and

pleasure to play.

Gibson les paul deluxe

Loved by Pete Townshend of the

Who and used heavily following

his SG years of the late 1960′s, this

Les Paul model is stock (unlike

Pete’s, where a full-sized

humbucker was installed between

the two mini-buckers) and features

a mid-sized Les Paul neck – not

too thin, not too thick! Crisp and

distinctively brighter tones than the

standard humbucker, much like

the Firebird. The gold is so gold!

Originally built between 1968 and

1974 in an effort to spicen-up the

newly rejuvenated Les Paul line of

guitars, mine is a recent 2003

Gibson reissue of a 1969 model.

Gibson les paul 1952

tributeWhen ol’ Les died, Gibson cranked out

564 of these beauties. As a tribute to him,

Gibson finally got this model built

correctly to the specs that Mr. Paul demanded: the strings go OVER the

bridge and the tail-piece features a nicely

sculpted plate. The neck is fat, but not the

fattest I’ve seen on a Les Paul. The guitar

arrived ungrounded, so I grounded it. The

stock P-90 pickups are the best matched-

to-body I have ever seen from Gibson.

Tone and playability are best described

as “If the world melted away today, all I

would want to take with me is this guitar!”

It is the king of all Les Pauls and makes

everything else not matter. Like 99% of my

guitars, this one is in near perfect

condition in all respects and just loves to

be played.

Gibson early ‘60s les paul

tributeIn 2010, Gibson announced plans to

recreate several lines of SGs and Les

Pauls with the early 1960s thin

tapered necks... This 2011 Gold Top

is the result on the Les Paul side of

things. Satin finish gold paint with no

lacquer equals unparalleled sustains.

Super easy to play guitar with that

great P-90 tone. The neck is medium

radius, so I am not sure why they call

it an “early 60’s style guitar (not thin,

like the Sunburst LP Classic also

featured here) This is another true

“can’t go wrong” guitar when going

on an extensive search for tone is not

an option. The more it gets played,

the better it feels and sounds… such

a player axe – it just keeps wanting

for you to play one more song.

Gibson les paul pro

Super player guitar – 1978 Les

Paul Pro! Heavy, nicely aged

body and worn-in (not out!)

neck channeling through two

incredible stock P-90s make this

a favorite amongst regional

players who have used it. This

Les Paul was my fourth or fifth

and has been a go-to guitar for

my own work when I want the

job done with no fuss. Focus on

the art in your music with this

wonderful creature… This is one

of the heavier Les Pauls that I

have ever owned, but

absolutely a must try as it is a

classic Gibson – you will know

why after striking your first chord.

Gibson les paul classic

customA true time machine - when you

finally put it down, you will notice

that 5 hours have just gone bye

without you in them. Ridiculously

cool looks only to be eclipsed by

the smokey-smooth tone of

single coils on this Classic

Custom Les Paul. The amber

binding only makes the black

body and gold hardware speak

bolder as you slowly dial up the

volume knobs to find the sweet

spot on the tube amp that

matches the ambiance of this

magical guitar. The pickups are

matched so nicely… wow.

Gibson les paul classic

Super thin 1961 neck, two

Gibson Classic ’57s pickups

(replaced the wimpy stock

humbuckers) make this a

classic in it’s own right…

Extreme playability with the

weight of a standard Les

Paul. The thin neck radius is

the big difference between

this and a Les Paul Standard.

This was my first “new” LP

(non-yard sale) and has

many hours of play time on

it, and thousands more to

go…

Gibson les paul studio

Another one for a bargain – this

1995 had EMGs installed, missing

it’s pickguard and heavy wear to

the armrest area. Returned

pickups to Classic Alnico ‘59s, did

a thorough cleaning of the entire

guitar and added the Gibson

pickguard to bring her back to

spec. The neck is a medium

radius with lots of life remaining in

the frets. This is a favorite of

several area rockers – why I am

not sure… I think it delivers the

vibe and tone of hard rock. It has

some really amazing wear to the

body that just makes people

smile when they put it on.

Awesome…

Gibson les paul studioThis 1983 LP was another great find –

Nobody wanted it! The selector switch

wasn’t functioning properly and the frets

are worn way down. It also had that funky

80’s micro-tuning stop piece that was

missing parts. The finish was checkering

too (Awl shucks!!!) I grabbed it for under

half it’s value, cleaned up the selector

switch and DID NOTHING TO THE FRETS

BECAUSE THEY ARE SO GREAT WORN

DOWN!!! Swapped the tunable stop piece

for a normal Gibson part. Probably one of

the easiest to play guitars in the inventory

with a medium-to-thin radius neck, this

Studio example of the Les Paul likes all

the normal facets of rock and jazz and

sounds great with the nicely aged 1983

body and stock pickups. As for the

checkered finish – mojo vibe!

Gibson les paul jr.

Simple, straight-up stop-

bridge P-90 at it’s best! This

Les Paul features the satin

finish without multiple

coats of varnish, giving the

guitarist a sense of

“woody-ness” sustain.

Great for any kind of rock

genre. Neck is medium

radius. Plays as good as it

looks!

Gibson les paul jr.One of my personal favorites ’cause it’s so

beautifully ugly! The Jr’s had such an ugly

pick guard to begin with… but the paint on

this is… um, yellow? Green??? A mixture???

Ah – WHO CARES what color it is – it played

amazing and followed me home – I swear!

This all-stock guitar sat unwanted and not

played in a store for years. Why?!?! Great

tone and highly playable, this flat face

classic is perky, bright and true to the

mission of tone on a less expensive LP body.

Love the dull nickel hardware! I think it is

one of my very best examples of an

American made guitar. It can growl with the

best or deliver clean blues and jazz while

offering a comfortable neck for those

keeping score. It’s one of those guitars that

puts you into a “mood for playing” What

more could a player ask for?

Gibson melody maker

Simple fun is the theme here… The

Gibson Melody Maker has been around

since 1959 in various forms – usually a

lower-line spin-off of a main line. There

were many years where it had it’s own

distinct appearance and sound. This

heavily played and well-worn-in reissue

of a 1959-1961 single cutaway Melody

Maker. Though it has the basic Les Paul

shape, it is half the thickness and is a flat

face. The bridge pickup delivers bright,

crispy tone and a blast to play. Great

garage tones. All stock parts. This color

scheme is not easy to find due to

demand. Most early ones were and

amber-burst. I love these classic colors

on this great instrument. Medium-to-

(almost) thick neck. What a pleasure to

play this Gibson jewel.

Gibson sg vos

Another classic – the SG VOS from

Gibson Custom Shop! Really

adds classic vibe to the moment

just by looking at it! Definitely a

thicker neck than the Standard

SG, this P-90′d monster sounds fab

through either large or low

wattage tube amps. I love the SG

because it fits like a body part

and sounds bright, yet powerful as

if you just stood on somebody

else’s. It either screams British

invasion or unstable punk rocker

– which one are you?

Gibson sg jr.

I know what you’re thinking…

“ANOTHER P-90 GUITAR!!!

AHHH!” Don’t let it get to you

– seriously! It’s one of my little

issues regarding how I

interpret sound, I’m sure.

But – it’s an SG which means

you cannot go wrong…

Plays amazing and sounds

great – they all do or I

wouldn’t own them!!!

Uncomplicated is the word.

Crank the tone to full rich,

increase volume as needed

while the amp is maxed-out.

It has that killer retro-

minimalist vibe that will make

your studio day fun!

Gibson sg (Les paul) 1961

limited edition The only thing Gibson got right on this guitar is how it looked new in ‘61! The neck is more reminiscent of a early 70’s feel. I know why nobody liked the Vibrola tremolo system from ‘61 – it was horrible! This is a 2013 factory re-engineered version and is even worse than the original, with the strings coming over the bridge at such a shallow angle that the strings barely want to stay engaged in the saddle grooves when you play hard. Players typically removed this unit and either installed a Bigsby or made it a hard-tail. Don’t use the Vibrola– just keep it tucked away like in the picture and you won’t travel out of tune. So… Why did I even buy it? What was I thinking? This guitar has one of the most unique SG “sparkle” tones that I have ever heard that is best described as if you were to toss a rock into a tranquil lake – the “toss” being the pick touching the strings and the growing rings expanding outward duplicates the sound exiting the amp in waves. It plays and feels really great –the set-up makes it - just don’t pick it up thinking that you are playing a real ’61! It also has perfect weight and is so well balanced – has that expensive feel.

Try it!!! Just don’t use the Vibrola!!!

Gibson 1961 les paulFor some, this is a “religious” item. Others may

call it “pivotal” I guess it doesn’t matter what you

call it as long as you know this one was one of

the first built that critical year when Gibson

gambled on its freaky cool SG design to be the

new Les Paul. It is, actually, a Les Paul. Les didn’t

like the design and demanded that his name be

removed from future headstocks. It doesn’t

matter what anybody thinks of it – one chord or

lick will make you into a 1961 junkie. This neck is

so thin, so wafer thin and fast that it is banned in

43 States. Easily puts any shredder guitar to

shame instantly. Current Bigsby is the third such

trem on this serial number. Minor body damage

to the ¼” jack area was poorly addressed over

20 years ago and is noted not to have any effect

on it’s playability. Note the “softer”, rounded

body horns.

As for the pickups - PAFs. As for tone – bright and full of natural compression –

strikes a nerve like nothing else in the collection. This is the real deal and you

will know why the classics are the way to go after just three chords…

Gibson sg 1970After foolishly having sold my original back in

1988, I finally got it back! This is a 100%

unadulterated 1970 Gibson SG Standard. It even

has the original orange velvet case! The sound is a

little deeper and darker than the neighboring 1961

due to the stock nylon bridge saddles which

Gibson used on this and several hollow body

designs in the late 1960’s. The neck is thinner and

narrower than the all of the tribute models (this is

the real deal) but not quite as thin as the 1961.

Nicely wears the scars of a thousand nights out on

the town, doing it’s thing… Finish is beautifully

cracked everywhere. I know and believe that

once you play a thin neck SG, you will be hooked

forever. They don’t come cheap – Gibson has

done a fantastic job of NOT making anything

quite like this and the 1961 again, despite what

they say in their marketing of “reissue” guitars with

notably thin necks. I have played hundreds of SGs

and the two here that are vintage are for real.

Real ‘61s and ‘70s are truly unique.

Gibson sg Standard bass

This is a 2012 reissue of the classic

1960’s Gibson short-scale bass that the

company claimed was the “fastest

playing bass”. Featuring all mahogany

body and neck, it is outfitted with

traditional T-Bird three-point bridge and

Grover Shamrock tuners. The SG

Standard Bass's deep, powerful T-Bird

Plus pickup in the neck position and a

smaller, punchier vintage-style T-Bird

mini pickup in the bridge deliver titanic

timbres. They're routed through

independent volume controls and a

master tone control, yielding a versatile

combination of multiple- and single-

pickup tones, as I am sure you already

figured since it lacks a fourth knob and

selector switch.

Gibson es-333Gibson stock pickups gave me the

creeps... So, after unsuccessfully trying out

lots of pairs of pants, I chose Plaid! Yes –

those are SINGLE COIL pickups! After

goofing on the pickups, I decided to go all

the way with a Bigsby trem. Haven’t filled

the former post holes from the old bridge

and not sure if I will. Great rocker guitar –

bright, yet with the right amp, comes up

remarkably smokey with rough edges on

the neck pickup for some musty-old jazz. I

like this one for those 1965 early Grateful

Dead sounds. Early sixties slim neck (almost

like a ‘61 SG!), satin finish. Like the Highway

One guitars from Fender, this has incredible

natural tone which I attribute to the “lack of

lacquer”. I love this one for the thin neck

and killer single coil tones. To me, this one is

a working musicians axe.

Gibson flying vAnother Gibson classic – this Flying “V” leaves

little question to the imagination as to how

shape may effect your ability to play an

instrument as it allows complete access to the

upper frets. Gibson had trouble selling them

when they were introduced in 1958. Go figure

– just like the explorer featured here as well –

neither sold well at all. Jimi Hendrix and

subsequent rockers in the late 1970s and ‘80s

brought it back to main stream and it has been

in the Gibson repertoire ever since. Mine

features Vintage Alnico II humbuckers. The

body is much lighter that you would expect.

Flat, hand-rubbed finish allows the tone to

resonate nicely. I played this often and kept it

out of the case for many years. My Flying “V”

is a fantastic player guitar that is hard to put

down. I think the feeling of freedom (of

anything near your hands) best describes this

lightweight, fast playing beauty.

HOFNER 500/1 STANDARD BASS

The 500/1 Hofner Bass made it’s

debut in 1956. Prior to 1962, the

bridge pickup was mounted at the

center of the guitar body. Paul

McCartney, the most noteworthy of

Hofner players, had a 1961 and a

1963 500/1 model. The older

example was stolen in 1968 during

the filming of Let It Be.

Heavier than the B-Bass yet still super

easy to play, the tone rich Standard

model is a step-up in construction

from it’s B-Bass brother. Lead switch,

dual volumes and a master kill

switch offers the musician all of the

options to “get the bass groove”

going… Fantastic alternative to get

you into the creative mode faster.

Even the case is narrow.

Rickenbacker r-330Killer fun! Rickenbacker first developed the

300 series in 1956 with the advent of the

“capri Series” guitars. Rickenbacker had

been around since the 1930s, building

mostly banjos, until the 1950s. The break that

launched the brand worldwide was when

the Beatles, early in their career, began

using the “Ricks” live and in the studio. The

300 series had less variations than the

Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul,

just for comparison, and has been in

continuous production since 1956. Perfectly

balanced and loaded with attitude, this late

1980’s 330 Rickenbacker features upgraded

standard single coil pickups with no other

modifications. Robust tone in all directions

and bitch’n vibe! Super easy to play with the

neck sitting high above the body in classic

Ric style!!!

Rickenbacker r-330-12Gotta have a 12-stringer somewhere… so, it

may as well be a Rickenbacker – right? First

released in limited quantities in 1963, the

“Rick 330-12” has changed very little, if at

all, since day one. Once again, it was Beatle

George Harrison who bought one and used

it live and on numerous recordings, making

it a must-have for anybody looking for that

“chimey-chime” sound. Try as you may, no

guitar simulator can exactly reproduce the

real deal. Great all stock guitar that sounds

perfect when played through a Fender Blues

Deluxe amp with ext cab. You will need a

compressor to tame that ringy-ring, chimey

chime! The ultimate one for the job is made

by the Analog Man in the Ross style of

circuitry – and we have one here… Fun to

play, great tool in a studio situation as a

stand-bye for making that memorable sonic

statement.

Rickenbacker r-360The gentle sparkling metallic red and

white beckoned me from across the

room… This particular Rickenbacker

was owned by the author of Rock

books about vintage gear from

Bigsby and Gretsch, as well as

serious gear documentaries

chronicling Beatles and Rolling

Stones, right down to the last pick

used. He did the initial set-up , too.

What a work of art – such an amazing

design. It plays as nice as it looks –

such a dream tool for studio use.

Write that new song with this – it

creates new music “right on the

spot.” If this doesn’t move you, then

you are either already dead or

simply need to rent a different

guitar… from me.

Rickenbacker r-4001 bassNo explanation required here… this

Fireglow 4001 is a genuine 1976 with it’s

original case. Nearly every big name

used one at some point or another, from

REM to the Beatles. This R-4001 is in super-

excellent condition and has no

alterations that I am aware of. I had to

get one, and this one was a dream come

true, surpassing all of my requirements for

a used guitar and far exceeding my

original expectations by being a vintage

instrument, which I never expected to

acquire in this particular model. The

bridge pickup cover is in the case, not

pictured here. So sweet, amazing and

iconic. Plays truly amazing too! Feel

history through your fingers as you create

something new – a new history.

Squire duo-sonicSmaller body than the Stratocaster or

Telecaster… or, even a Mustang. This

light weight and easy to play guitar is

amazing. If you have a small body

frame, then today is your lucky day!

Two stock pickups offer a true voicing

of early ‘60’s single coil circuitry. The

neck is probably the nicest feature –

smooth and tiny. So comfortable, a five

year old can learn the Star Spangle

Banner in one lesson… Regarding this

item, my guitar tech says of this

purchase, “Rich - this one is the best

voiced and most playable of all of your

other guitars… and, it’s a Squire!” Like

I said, this gem is another good one for

those with small frames. The vomit

beige color makes me even happier.

DANELECTRO 3021Another 1997 re-issue of a classic: The

Danelectro 3021… This is my second one

of this exact model and color. I sold the

first one and kept this example, which also

happens to be the first item I ever

purchased off the internet. It is the lightest

guitar around with incredible tone from

such basic single-coil pickups. It best

exemplifies the classic tone of an early

1960′s Danelectro and retains the original

floating-style bridge. So easy to play…

Nothing truly has that late 1950s, early

1960s feel to it with the distinctive “way-out

there” construction of mostly post-war

building materials that minimize the use of

wood, hence, it’s light weight. The tone is

so cool – it is exactly what you’d expect

from this type if you have played an

original, only mine is better constructed

and feels really tight.

D’ARMOND M-75

This is my second M-75. I bought a re-issue

in 1998 and returned it with neck issues. I

was really depressed. Then, 7 years later, I

found this item in the used” section of a

favorite guitar store in Rochester, NY. I

couldn’t believe my fortune as I had only

seen two of these anywhere, ever. They are

that rare. Heavy (weight) solid body with a

crisp bright sound. Original D’Armond

pickups give this 1960’s re-issue a hard

punch. Great with maxed-out volume on a

low watt tube amp… Use the guitar volume

for total tone control and hear the colors

emerge! It pairs nicely with the Fender

Vaporizer amplifier released in 2014. I think

that the amplifier is really important with this

instrument, so I would go with either the

Vaporizer, Vox Handwired AC15 or the 1966

Fender Pro Reverb.

Music man sterling stingray bass

The “SUB” series to Music Man has

absolutely done something

amazing here… This bass has the

play-ability of the best bass guitars

around and costs a fraction of the

price to own. In terms of value, this

Stringray is a must-own for anyone

considering the purchase of a

studio or “just for-fun” bass, but

wants to have quality of

workmanship and tone that the

$1600- 2200 versions offer. Like all

Music Man bass guitars, it is active

with a 9v batter… while I would love

you to try the Rickenbacker bass,

the feeling I get when I play this one

is one of “bring it on” and great

confidence. Enjoy!!!

Dean cadillacThe Dean Cadillac first made it’s debute in

1978 as an alternative to the Gibson Les Paul.

Though “cool looking”, it was never a huge

seller. Other than the obvious physical design

differences, including the oversized

headstock and jutting “Gibson Explorer” lower

body horn, the other main differences were in

the contoured body and reduced thickness of

the body, making it a comfortable and

lightweight alternative to the Les Paul. By

1978-79, many manufactures were taking

business from Gibson and Fender with

innovative to gimmick-y designs. Over the

next decade, the two aging rivals would

struggle to seek an identity amongst the

numerous challenges to their long-seated

reign, ultimately to return to their vintage core

strengths.

This particular model was used by Rick

Okasek of The Cars, in 1979-80.

DEAN ML1979Dean guitars found their way

into the heavy metal arena

with a different look and feel

than the standard double coil

axes of the late 1970’s...

Several other acts outside of

the metal genre (most

notably Elliott Easton of The

Cars) played this style Dean

in 1979-80. This particular

guitar is a re-issue of that era,

most likely crafted between

1999-2002. Thin, wide neck

with low action feels like the

original and plays like a

dream! Cream binding on a

set-neck design… so nice.

Univox hi-flyer bass

The exact year of my U1801B (“B” for

black) is unknown, though estimated to

be between 1971-1976. Of the ones that I

have seen that survived to this day, mine

is by far the best example of an un-

altered Hi-Flyer bass in super condition.

Univox copied the Mosrite guitar theme

and made them available in 6 and 12

string versions as well, though heavier

than a Mosrite. This is a short scale bass –

there is no evidence of Univox ever

having built a conventional scale version

of this guitar… Following a 20-minute set-

up, it played like a dream! The neck has

a medium radius feel (almost feels flat in

the middle!) and currently features flat-

wound strings. Well built, with Japanese

craftsmanship easily recognizable just by

picking it up.

Epiphone Rivoli BassClassic 1960′s bass tone embodied in a

semi-hollow configuration. Set neck with a

smooth medium radius diameter. Classic

Gibson T-Bird three-point bridge and T-Bird

neck pickup featuring volume and tone

control. The push-button controls the

polarity of the pickup. The Rivoli was very

fashionable in the 1960s Notable users of

the Epiphone Rivoli in the 1960s include

Chip Hawkes (The Tremoloes), Cahs

Chandler (The Animals), John Entwistle

(The Who), Tony Jackson (The Searchers),

karl Green (Herman’s Hermits), Paul

Samuel Smith and Jimmy Paige (The

Yardbirds). In its resergence, the Rivoli bass

found more recent users Adam Clayton

(U2), Robert Levon Been (Black Rebel

Motorcycle Club) and Manuel Balone

(Licks).

Epiphone classic

thunderbird iv bassAnother great guitar from Epiphone…

This Thunderbird grabbed my attention

with it’s narrow and thin neck – much

the way the ‘61 and ‘70 vintage SGs are

built. The frets on this extremely lengthy

guitar are medium jumbo sized.

Coupled with the comfy neck, the

nicely rounded frets really make a killer

combination for enhancing your talents

on the bass. The mahogany neck-

through design is so solid and well

crafted – beautiful 7-ply

mahogany/walnut. Passive Gibson TB

Plus Humbucking pickups… Fun guitar

to play and easy to use. If thunderbirds

are your style, this Epiphone does it with

class.

Epiphone Wilshire (Crestwood

or newport???)

My friend Scott had an original 60’s

black one with the big “e” right in the

middle of the pick guard that he

brought into school one day in 1981… I

fell in love with it immediately.

Particularly memorable was the neck –

ridiculously heavy and smooth… some

years ago, he told me that he had sold

it! Saw this one at a favorite store –

played it without plugging it in for :30

seconds and bought it. Fast, accessible

smooth neck on a mat finish. Rich

playability with great reach into the

upper frets. Incredibly smooth rubbed-

in finish with no lacquer is so beautiful.

Recommend a juicy low-end amp as

these mini buckers are bright. Country

and garage punk are it’s favorites!

Epiphone casino 1964

Limited EditionThe finger print smudges are mine…

obviously was in a big hurry when I

took the picture that day. Sorry.

Medium-chunky neck, great P-90 tonal

variation and a completely hollow

body. The pickups are awesome and

they are the reason why I selected this

guitar. Slow trem (like a Bigsby) and

nice natural acoustic tone. This is a

limited edition and is an exact replica

of the original ’64 from Michigan. I was

delighted to see that adding some

serious volume and a little natural tube

compression did not tip it over into the

feedback zone, as many hollow bodies

are prone to… Thicker neck than the

neighboring Sorrento, featured here as

well.

Epiphone dot (es-335)

This is my 3rd Epi 335. The most

important thing to learn about guitars is

that the price of the item will never

interfere with the playability of the

instrument. Epiphone and Squire both

prove this daily as both have

instruments depicted here that topple

the most expensive guitars in this

collection. This DOT is a killer, fast, no

lies and no issues axe that feels and

sounds as fun as it looks. It was built in

the mid nineties (the best years along

with right now) Faithfully making you

sound your best and leaving the fans to

wonder which $4000 guitar you used to

make that recording – tell them with

pride that a used Epiphone did it right

the first time…

Epiphone sorrento Limited

EditionI will gladly put it up against any

Gibson semi-hollow or hollow body out

there right now, for that matter. This

one is my second one, and, in my

opinion, the best re-build of a classic

instrument, right to 1962 specs.

Perhaps my favorite of all because of

the natural sonic tone making it a true

dream guitar. Acoustically, it is by far

the best in the collection. Have had no

feed back issues with those stock mini-

buckers. I am a medium build guy –

this fits my body size like a glove with

it’s thin body that goes forever with

tone… It’s another limited edition with

certification. So well built, it will sway

you toward Epiphones forever – I

guarantee it.

Epiphone AJ-200 VS

This Epiphone AJ does a

great job as a rhythm

instrument to accompany

any arrangement possible,

just short of having the

deeper tone of a Gibson or

nicely aged vintage

Epiphone. The neck is

highly playable – like an

electric guitar, and that is

why it earned a place here

with me – thin and

uncomplicated. To put it

best - the neck is thinner

than the tone of this future

classic example!

Epiphone ej-200 limited

editionMy second one of these… could not

put this one down because it played

so well and was highly affordable.Big

body contrasts the medium-to-small

radius neck. Great guitar for feel and

playability with a crisp-semi deep

tone. No electronics on board, so you

will either need to mic it or get yourself

a detachable acoustic pickup (hmmm

– note to self…) Though it sounds

brighter than it’s wealthier Gibson

cousin, I find this to be a fine recording

guitar and does the job magically due

to it’s ease of use. A true “winner axe”

from the moment that I first played it.

Not sure what makes it a “Limited

Edition” – just a name I guess…

Ibanez ar420 artist

“If you can’t join them - beat them!” was the cry from Ibanez’s work benches in the late 1970’s as the law suits piled up on their virtually exact Gibson copies. This design was the result of their research from 1978 and is a faithful re-issue of the fabled AR420 series electric guitar, from Ibanez. The basic plan is of the Gibson Les Paul, however, the pickups may be used in series or parallel and coil tapped for single coil tones by utilizing the Ibanez Tri-Tone selectors to get that Fender sound as well. Super 58 custom pickups feature moderate output and vintage tone. Rich arched flamed maple top in Blu-Burst (super rare!!!) and mahogany back. Abalone body binding looks cool. 3pc maple neck and overall great performance made this a champion guitar. The significance of this item was that it represented one of the first quality import challenges to a US-dominated industry. I was lucky to play an original back in 1983-84 that belonged to my friend Jay, of “Amnesty”. This one, with a little more wear, will also become a classic.

Ibanez ae450Not a classic by any means –

I took this to college in 1984!

First generation thin-bodied

acoustic-electric with

passive Vol./Balance EQ.

Ceramic stock pickup in a

nicely aged body allows for

some great tone possibilities.

Comfortably worn-in over 3

decades of camp fires,

courtships and gigs. Thin

body delivers bright tones, so

think about EQ control on

your console. Not to be used

without the pickup for

recording purposes since it is

a thin bodied instrument

lacking deep natural

acoustic tone.

Gretsch g-3156This cat’s-eye wonder with a rare

single action Bigsby trem features

stock pickups which have good

output. It won’t feedback as much

as you may think, despite it being

completely hollow – just be

reasonable with where you

sit/stand relative to the amp. Very

fun to play as it’s mere presence in

a room is inspiring. This is very

playable, unlike some of the other

Gretsch models that have a

distinct tone, but are sometimes

regarded as more challenging to

love. I have owned three Gretsch

hollow bodies and just keep this

one for now because it is such a

winner.

Gretsch g118t

The real deal… wanted one since the

mid eighties when I saw a vintage one in

a guitar shop in Catonsville, near

Baltimore, then saw a documentary on

CSN & Y where they showed them being

used by Buffalo Springfield… so cool! A

country western style guitar used in a

rock format!!! This is a stock guitar, of

recent vintage, but was purchased

because it sounds and plays like a much

older guitar. The back and sides are of a

darker green. Sounds and plays

amazing dubbing it as an attitude maker,

game-changer for studio sessions. This is

a really high quality piece of gear, for

certain, and has inspired hundreds of

players from county to rock.

Gretsch g5034tft rancher electro

acousticI know what you are thinking – it’s Pee Wee Herman’s

guitar!!! Am I right?!?! When I first learned of this item, I was

sitting with it’s main creator, Andy, who had an idea that

was totally “Gretsch”, yet, Gretsch had never embarked

upon it’s design because it was thought to be a technical

nightmare! Guess what – it was!!! Which nicely explains

why nobody (including Gretsch) has mass produced this

style. Gibson built a resonator just like it in very limited

quantities in 1999. (10, maybe..?) You can’t just slap a full

Bigsby trem on to an acoustic guitar – the top can’t

handle it. This G5034TFT is specially designed by

increasing the neck angle, special interior bracing which

doesn’t sonically ruin the natural tone, a very mild arch at

the bridge and special-secret tough as hell wood that

stays true to using only natural products in building the

body… The result – the G5034TFT. I bought one with low

expectations of it perhaps having a cheap and

uncomfortable feeling to it… Not at all! The feel is best

related as really tight, completely comfortable to play

and it sounds amazing! No joke – this is as serious of a

guitar as any other depicted here.

Gretsch g-3203

In the mid-to-late nineties, Gretsch

embarked upon a sales effort focused

on bringing back some of it’s heritage

pieces from the early 1960’s, including

this nice jumbo-bodied guitar. It

features Fishman electronics with B-M-

T tone EQ, volume and MHZ control.

Cool retro raised pick guard should

not scare you – it won’t ever get in the

way of your playing. Acoustically

speaking, the tone is between Guild

and Epiphone-Jumbo. I like this one

because of it’s electronics package

and because it is just an unusually

appointed instrument that is clearly

getting better sounding with age.

GRETSCH G-2210 JR. JET

BASSAll you long-neckers need to take a walk on the short side of bass guitars… Any of you 6-stringers that think you’ve seen it all, stand back!!! This, and any of my short-scale basses (3???) are without a doubt the most fun you will have with four strings – especially if you are a six string player fill’n in with some bass duty. This is blast to play – FAST & SOLID. I have spent hours playing this UNPLUGGED because it crushes in speed anything out there. You will learn something new each time you pick it up because you can do so much without the restrictions of neck length. It makes six string-ers (like me) sound like we know what we are doing! I like this because it FEELS right, even though it appears so wrong!

Gretsch g9220 Bobtail

(round neck)Got to have a resonator guitar somewhere,

right? This is my second resonator, my first

being a Regal, who was the supplier of

acoustic guitar bodies to the original maker

of resonators, John Dopyera, back in 1928. I

have played a bunch over the past ten

years or so, trying to find a great sounding

one to keep. Create some bright – tin pan

acoustic tones with this highly playable

(some are not so playable) resonator guitar.

Put some different strings on it or open tune it

to your desire if playing slide.

This G9220 features what Gretsch terms as a

“round neck” that actually is more like a “V”

root from the body toward the headstock.

Plays slide-style great and sounds rich with

those open tunings. This guitar has no on-

board electronics. Enjoy!!!

Gretsch g-100Old-old school at it’s re-incarnated

best. Archtop body and sound

holes give it that cool pre-1960s

feeling – super bright and crisp. That

is the normal tone for these types of

guitars, no matter their age. This is a

reproduction guitar that harnesses

today’s technology in woodworking

to make a more playable classic

instrument. The neck, for example,

features a super thin-tapered radius

that feels more like an early eighties

Dean guitar. The body is about an

inch shallower than that of a

modern standard dreadnought

acoustic guitar. The finish is satin,

single coat. This is the one I like to

take to on weekend outings. No

electronics on board…

Godin 5th Avenue -

kingpinSimple, old-school design that boasts a

single coil P-90 type pickup at the neck

position… simple vol/tone controls.

Played three of these over a two year

period and was not in love with any after

fantasizing about this make and model for

nearly the entire ten years of their

production… Then, one cold wintery day,

opportunity knocked on the web and this

one fit the fantasy – the factor: it was

USED. Used gear is almost always a better

way to go anytime I have a choice.

Crispy-new sometimes sounds… “too

crispy”. 16" fingerboard radius 24.84"

scale 1.72" nut width, all Canadian Cherry

top-back and sides. Silver Lead Maple

neck. Plays and sounds just like a classic

1950’s archtop!!! Freak’n awesome…

Guild A-150 SAVOYThe elegant tone quality and

design of this guitar will bring real

satisfaction to the most critical

player. A truly outstanding

acoustic/electric, the A-150

Savoy is a pleasure to see and

hear, pairing a wonderfully free-

playing late-1950s Guild

orchestra model with the

distinctive addition of an

exceptionally voiced DeArmond

1000 floating pickup. The

welcome return of a true Guild

classic. Picture yourself in the

later days of Big Band music

when these guitars first began to

show up. Use this on your jazz or

orchestral session to bring in the

mood of your music.

Guild ac30 usa 1986

Sure is getting harder and harder to find USA made Guild guitars… This one popped up on the web and I webbed it with it’s original hardshellcase. This is a fine example of a 1986 Guild just prior to factory closure in New Hampshire.

It’s funny what you will find in the case compartments of used guitars… this was loaded with full string packs, about 40 picks, a quartz tuner, winder, glass slide, twostraps and has a very non-intrusive pickup installed with no alterations made to the guitar. The price was so low, I had the sales clerk pinch me. After apologizing for my bizarre request, I went home with it… the guitar, that is.

Martin d12x1 12-string Great 12-stringer for those acoustic strum-alongs where a little extra “ring” to your tone is desired… this one is easy to play (for a 12-string acoustic) and isn’t too neck heavy either. You will need the acoustic Ernie Ball pickup (got one here you can use) or a good microphone (should actually try using a PAIR of condensers) to record with this item. Great for those creative moments where you have the opportunity to add another flavor to the tone of your project. Think of the folk heroes of the 1960’s or alternative/indie rockers of the 80’s-90’s and how they either used this tool as the backbone of the tone, or, as an “almost afterthought” layer of a hit.

RECORDING KING LAP STEEL

Whether your mak’in Hawaiian

style music , old school Mississipi

or Exile on Main Street

background tones, this lap steel

slide will faithfully create tones

to remember. P-90 style single

coil bridge pickup, mother-of-

toilet seat pearl deck and a

whole ‘lotta of wood will bring

your sliding ideas to into the

studio microphones.

Selection of standard guitar

glass and steel slides provided

upon request… Otherwise, you

may use whatever slide tool you

want.

AMPLFIERS

“Like other musical components, the amplifier is as unique unto itself as is any other piece of gear every time you

turn it on.”

-Rock’in Rich

Fender supersonic comboSuch a cool amp because it’s three

tube amps! The Supersonic is a ‘65

Vibrolux, ‘66 Bassman and a dual

(cascading) gain “Burn”amp all in

one unit! This amp is a clear favorite of

most who have played through all in

the collection. Footswitch toggles

between the classic ‘60’s genre and

the dual gain channel. It also toggles

between the two ‘60’s amps and

engages/disengages effects loop.

The 60wt output is really, really

powerful. Gobs of Fender classic

springy-spring reverb – surf is

definitely up on the Vibrolux channel!

The “Burn” channel with the

cascading gains is in a similar class as

modern Marshall/Mesa in tone and

decay, though totally unique in

overall feel. This amp super-delivers

on value for recording.

Other specs: single 12" Celestion® "Vintage 30" 8 ohm speaker and high-grade baltic birch ply. Vintage Channel: Volume, Treble, Bass, Voicing Switch (Vibrolux/Bassman). Burn Channel: Gain 1, Gain 2, Treble, Bass, Middle, Volume, Master Reverb, Rear-Panel Effects Send/Return Level Controls. Tilt legs. Preamp Tubes: 6 x 12AX7, 2 x 12AT7 Power Tubes: 2 x 6L6. Ext cab output.

Fender ‘59 bassmanOne of those fun to learn and

tweak amps that only takes a

minute to get acquainted with… If

this amp has a fault, its that you

have to play it loud to “get that

sound” from it’s 50wt power source.

But, that is half the fun! The other

half is playing a bass guitar through

it to get that Beach Boys sound –

such a cool and versatile amp!!! It

truly has that vintage bass tone!

With either type of guitar you will

like the sharp and quick response

that the 4x10” Fender Green Back

speakers deliver. It has that Fender

“THUNK” sound with a six string

instrument – both chunky and

thunderous.

Other Specs: 50 watts, two independent channels: Normal

and Bright. 2 Normal/2 Bright ¼” inputs. Controls: Normal

Vol./Bright Vol., Treb, Mid, Bass, Presence (it works). US-made

GT-6L6 output tubes, 12AX7 preamp tube, original spec 5AR4

rectifier tube, internal bias pot to adjust for other tubes.

No on-board effects at all – straight foreword sound machine from the 1950’s.

It can do this clean or incredibly loud - distorted. It’s a favorite!

Fender blues deluxe & ext cabThis is a fun amp to experiment with tube

swapping at the pre-end of business.

Currently, I chose to clean it up a bit so

that the clean channel remains clean at

higher volume settings. I added an ext.

cab for bigger tone. I play my

Rickenbacker R330-12 with an Analog

Man “Ross” compressor through it – right

on the money for 1966 tone! The ext. cab

really adds to the overall depth of tone,

delivering unmistakable vintage Fender

tube texture to your project. Good for

country too in the clean mode. Rockers

will love the natural crunchy-ness in the

second channel with “drive” mode for

gritty dirt! It’s a known fact that the

Presence knob does absolutely nothing on

this model!!! Other specs: 40 watts, one 12” Special Design Eminence® speaker, two 6L6 Groove Tubes® output tubes and three 12AX7 preamp tubes. Two channels (normal with bright switch, and drive, spring reverb, effects loop, footswitch for channel and reverb.

Fender blues jr.Remember the amp that you tried at the

store, fell in love with, but couldn’t come

up with the scratch at the time to make

it yours? Here it is!!! This FBJ model has

been enhanced with a Hellatone

G12H30 Vintage Celestion speaker

which allows the tone break-up to

occur at a higher output, giving that

extra 15% of usable volume range that

was previously over-oversaturated and

truly unusable with the stock speaker.

Output (decibels) is greater too. The

result – more tone range to experiment

with while still delivering slightly

muddy-to- nicely muddy tones. Fat

switch is fun to tap into at varied

outputs. Spring Reverb. Just a killer

studio tool! Everybody loves this amp…

Other Specs: 15wt output, EL-84 output tubes, 12AX7 preamp tube overdrive, spring reverb. Single jack input.

Fender pro reverbThis 1972 vintage “Silverface” (CBS

years) was another lucky find as it

faithfully assists the artist in locating

authentic juicy and vibrant classic

tube tones from surf spring reverb

to mild distortion. The point-to-point

wiring is really noticeable when

making any changes to volume or

tone. LOTS OF VINTAGE FENDER

“THUNK” VOLUME! Super sensitive

to the type of guitar being played through it. Don’t expect a

Telecaster to produce any wildly

distorted tones, however,

humbuckers and P-90’s tend to

break-up much earlier with gentle

volume progressions.

Other specs: 6L6 power tubes, casters, original Fender 2x12 speakers. Footswitch.

Normal channel reminds me of my old Twin Reverb – super squeaky

clean!!! Fun combo: A-B/Y this amp with the brother ‘66 Pro Reverb… I

don’t know what to call it, but it sounds so cool!!!

Fender pro reverb 1966Unreal! No master volume –you only get one knob to play with. Go nuts! Go insane! Ahhh!!!!! The reverb is bigger than an Olympic sized pool – surf factor is way beyond legal. Two independent channels (like the Twin) . All hand-wired, all tube (even the rectifier), two 12” Jensen - Fender speakers (one is original, the other is “original” to 1967…) and at 40 watts of tube power, look out!

Almost enough gig power, but suited just as well for a longer life of studio

work. Tone breaks up nicely (unlike the Twin) for most guitars, right around ¾

of output where it won’t get louder, just “muddy-er” Great amp for that

natural tube compression where the tone begins to get thick, like late 1960’s

rock, where it retains the warmth without all that modern-day crispy crackle.

FENDER VIBRO CHAMP XDThis is the smallest chunk of sound I

own… While not big enough to join the

band, the Vibro Champ makes a great

practice, rehearsal, or, recording amp.

With sixteen digital voice options, five

digital effects and pre-post tubes, this

amp creates enough quality sound for

studio time when isolated tracks are in

need.

Several things I recommend when using

this amp: put NEW strings on the guitar,

only use it for leads, and play in a solo

in a sound booth. Microphones matter

too – choose them based upon what

your studio tech recommends for small

amps as this is one of those amps where

you will WANT to hear all of the cool

subtle errors in your playing. (play

“scrappy” leads)

Other Specs: 1x12AX7A pre-amp tube and 1x 6V6GT

delivering 5WT output through an 8” Fender Special

Vintage Modified Design speaker.

Fender excelcior pro“Pawn shop special”, as

proclaimed by the Fender

marketing execs… Huge 15”

monster tone Eminence

Legend speaker does just

that, with a Tone switch

(yup… Bright/Dark)) and a

single volume. The effect is a

variable rate Tremolo at a

fixed output/depth. Another

throw-back are the three ¼”

inputs for Guitar, Microphone

and… Accordion!!! Why I like

it: It sounds unique due to the

huge speaker and keeps the

creative thoughts flying

through my head with those

red hot vacuum tubes. A

favorite due to unique tone

on the first date…

Other specs: Its surf green. Dual 12AX7

preamp tubes and dual 6V6 output tubes, three

individually optimized inputs.

Fender vaporizerThis is one of two “Pawn Shop Specials” here,

where their idea was to create a totally unique

soup-to-nuts tube amplifier design not

common in the current marketplace, make a

thousand or so over the course of a year, then,

end the line. The Vaporizer is garage band-

style amp featuring a 2x12” configuration, has

two inputs (normal and bright) and simple

controls for Volume (no master volume

control), Tone and Reverb. It’s the weirdest

wet-tunnel reverb ever. In fact, the user may

even turn off the volume and just play in the

reverb tank (2% volume) which is best

described as if you were dropped into an

enormous empty stainless steel wine barrel.

Such a unique and totally 1960’s sounding

effect. It has lots of early clean and then

crunches big in hi-gain volume.

Other Specifications: 12w, two x 12AX7; two x 6BQ5/EL84 tubes, Internal speaker disconnects to allow the amp's 1/4" output to be used with external 8Ω speaker enclosures, Speakers: 2x10" Special Design Vaporizer speakers, “Wedge” pedal volume boost.

No distortion pedals needed here – already included is the VAPORIZER pedal

that bypasses the volume settings all together and goes full-throttle volume-

boost insane, as-in beyond “10”. Hey, do you think Budweiser suggested the

front grille design???

Vox ac15 classicCould not resist the tones on the

newer VOX AC15 Classic, which are

truly great for recording. This amp

may be able to handle small gigs

and mic’d for larger ones, but it hits

it’s mark in the studio regime for

certain with a nicely clean-to-broken

up tone in the Normal channel and

the unmistakably VOX Top Boost

tones. Trem and Reverb on board are

very smart and crisp. I love this amp

– It plays as if it were designed for

studio work and offers the classic

overtones that were so prevalent in

rock between 1964 and 1972.

Sometimes it is great to have a

million tone options – sometimes it is

better to have many options with just

a few effective controls… the VOX

AC15.

Other specs: Valve/tube complement: 2 x EL84/6BQ5 & 2 x 12AX7/ECC83, one Celestion/VOX 12”, 15wt/8ohm speaker,

footswitch.

VOX AC15hw (HAND WIRED)Define or redefine tone today with

an unusual amp whose sole

purpose is to take whatever

instrument that you are holding in

your hands and basically make it…

“more”. More Les Paul, Telecaster,

SG, R-360… Just “more”. The HW

series amps are no-frills, tube-

tweaker delights. Most old-school

hand wired amps had no master

volume… VOX has installed a MV

kill switch, just so you throwbacks

can get excited with a single

volume knob, if that is what floats

your boat. A foot switch controls

channel switching between (you

guessed it!) “Normal” and “Top

Boost” channels. The Alnico Blue

speaker delivers a bell-top high end

with natural compression and

dampened warmth below.

Other specs: One 12” Celestion Alnico Blue speaker, The preamp uses three classic

ECC83/12AX7 tubes. The power stage a duet of EL84 tubes. The VOX Hand Wired Series use a tube rectifier, an EZ81 tube. Channel switching pedal.

JET CITY 333 JCA20 HEAD &

Bugera 212bk cab

The Jet City 333 Head, created by Mike

Saldano himself, is a straight-up 20wt Class A

head featuring old-school raw tube tone

provided by a Master Volume, Gain, 3 EQs and

Presence. 8ohm output and Standby mode.

Why I like it: Great recording amp for those

looking for the late seventies to late eighties

tube tones. Really sensitive tone controls.

The Jet City head came with a single 12”

cabinet – way too thin. After searching for a

2x12 cab for the Jet City, I became attached

to this Vintage Series 140wt Bugera, which

receives either 4/16ohm mono or 8ohm stereo

output. This is a well-engineered cabinet from

both a tone and vibration perspective.

Marshall CLASSIC 5 headFaithfully reproduces the tones

featured on great albums from the

early classic rock era… Don’t let the

5WT fool you – it will easily fill a room

with wonderful broken-up natural old-

school Marshal distorted tone! Most

reminiscent of the late 1960’s Plexi

head, when compared to other

Marshall tones. Many who have

discovered this call it the “mini-Plexi”.

Play it through a Marshall 1960A or B

4x12 cab - ‘cause that’s what I do!

Unreal!!! Loves pedals – try a “wah”

pedal and find yourself in a white room

with black curtains at the station… Try

the Electro Harmonix line boost pedal

(LPB-1) because it too faithfully

replicates the late 1960’s overdrive

tones that match the amp’s design.

Other specs: Dual 12AX7 preamp tubes and a single EL84 power amp tube. Single output./input.

Marshall 1974x handwiredClassic rockers must-have item… the tone-vibe

that moved a generation into the mid to late

1960s and set the bar from that point forward –

the 1974X, which closely matches the tones of

the “Blues Breaker” amp of that era.

Produced from 1965-1968, it was primarily used

as a studio amp while the larger Marshall valve

heads found their way on stage. Most rocker

wanna-be’s don’t get it because THIS IS YOUR

FATHER’S OLDSMOBILE! Like any great vintage

tube amp, you need to listen closely as you

make SMALL control input changes on both the

guitar and amp to get your tone right for the

project – no presents for the Gen Y user. It is

hand-wired so changes are subtle to sudden.

Includes tremolo. One volume, like the Class 5

head also featured here – wind it up until you

find your tone. Like most quality tube amps, you

can find great clean tones too. The range I

enjoy is where the aggressiveness of the pick

on the strings determines how muddy the tones

emerge.

Other Specs: 18W 1x12 Combo Amp comes with 2 EL84 tubes in the power amp, 3 ECC83s in the preamp, an EZ81 rectifier tube, and features valve-driven tremolo. A proprietary, aged reissue of the 20W, ceramic magnet CelestionT1221 speaker used in the original adds

to the Marshall 1974X's tonal authenticity.

Marshall jcm 900 dual reverbKiller ½ stack of classic rock tone

featuring 50 watts of Marshall HiGain tube

tone. Two channels, each having their

own reverb. Footpedal and single input

on face. Master and Gain knobs per

channel and shared 4 channel EQ… The

cabinet is what makes it a Marshall,

though. Without the 1960A/B cabinets, the

sound is just not a Marshall. Such great

fun! The Model 4500 is studio friendly with

a “downshift” to 25wt mode if desired,

and has that tone everybody else tries to

copy. Why I like it: This amp can provide

a late 1960’s distorted sound on the clean

channel when maxed out. The distorted

channel really delivers a steady rumble of

any level of Marshall distortion you care

for when in the mood. Loves effects –

“tones/feels” won’t get lost. Spend most

my time on the clean channel – actually

gives a good jazz tone too!

Other Specs: Select down to 25wts, FX loop, and

features 3xEEC 83 preamp control tubes and 2x5881

output tubes.

PEAVEY CLASSIC VTX 1981In November of 1981, I bought my first VTX. The

output is all tube, the front end is solid state.

Many great jazz and metal tones may be

derived with the numerous tone variations such

as Saturation and Post Gain. Strangely, it does an

incredible job at giving life to country and jazz-

style picking too.... The reason why it is a “game

changer” has nothing to do with it’s interesting

pre and post configurations – it’s the built-in

phase shifter that makes this an indispensable

amp and thereby earning a permanent place in

my collection. The phaser itself is nothing more

than a typical everyday unit with “rate/amount”

input, HOWEVER, it produces an incredibly broad

analog range, and, by pulling out on the “rate”

knob (stopping the phase loop) the now

mystified user may slowly dial in any tone on the

phase spectrum that stimulates that nerve in your

brain that says “this is just way too cool!!!”, and

keep it there. Jimmy Page – eat your heart out!

Coolest filtering on the planet, by far…

Other specs: 65wt output, 4x6L6 tubes,

spring reverb. Footswitch for: reverb,

channel and phase shifter. 2x12 Scorpion

speakers.

Epiphone so-cal 50One day I decided to just try this at a favorite

local independently owned music store –

brought it home that same day. May be used in

either a 25 triode or 50 watt configuration

(selector switch on back side). 412 cab

featuring Eminence Vintage speakers. The So-

Cal is a class AB amplifier. Monster tone controls

really are sensitive – the knobs themselves are

BIG - that is why I like this amp. You can also cut

the entire EQ section out for just raw tone – what

an innovation. Reverb is spring. Foot switch for

channel/reverb. So many options for tone

earned it a place in my personal studio. Some

love it for the clean mode. It’s an amp that fits no

mould, so if you are trying to create a tone – start

here. Nicely sensitive Mid range.

It’s overwhelming size means relatively nothing in terms of amount of sound,

it simply makes a quality “big” studio amp. The 412 speakers are key as

they tell the story well.

Other specs: 4, 6 and 8 ohm outputs. Tubes are EL34’s with DC powered filaments.

Yorkville bass master 200In a pinch for a simple to use but great

sounding bass amp? The Yorkville Bass

Master 200 of the late 1990’s features a 15”

Unity speaker driven by a 150 watts/4ohm

rating solid state combo power with contour

(great “slap” enhancer!) and limiter control

buttons, Bass, Mid, High-Mid, and Treble

EQs. Effects loop is a great bonus. Built the

way it sounds – like a tank. I use this for live

session recording because it can fill a room

with distinctive round bass tone without

killing the rest of the band… Simply put – it

makes bass playing super fun and records

very well as a solo piece. While I always am

looking for better gear, I have not found

anything that does as good of a job as this

combo, so it remains (after 12+ years) my

longest running go-to bass amp. It loves

effect pedals too.

Acoustic b100 Bass amplifier

Studio bass from Acoustic – the

masters of bass amplification.

The B100 is a (you guessed it)

100 watt amp. It can handle

any studio work with that clean

Acoustic tone which many

bassists demand. Moderate

gain advancements allows for

a distorted but kindly

compressed sound – just keep

below the speaker limits

(“idiot”clip light… as if you

can’t hear when it gets to be

TOO much!) The Acoustic B100

is a studio go-to amp if you

don’t need the bigger Yorkville

sound, also featured here.

B100 specs: 100W Power output, 15" speaker, Passive and Active (-15dB) 1/4" input jacks, Effects Loop, Controls/EQ: Gain, Volume, Variable Notch Filter, Low, Lo-Mid, Hi-Mid, High

Miscellany 1

ELECTRO-HARMONIX

LPB-1 OVERDRIVE LINE

SIGNAL BOOST

FEATURING SINGLE

OUTPUT KNOB, ON/OFF

FOOT SWITCH.

ELECTRO-HARMONIX

ENGLISH MUFFIN

MASTER AND GAIN

VOLUMES,

TREB/MID/BASS

CONTROLS. TWO

COVERED 12AY7

VAACUM TUBES.

ANALOGMAN

COMPRESSOR ANALOG

COMPRESSOR BUILT TO

PERFORM LIKE THE

CLASSIC ROSS

COMPRESSORS OF THE

1960’S.

VOX WAH PEDAL

CLASSIC STANDARD

MODEL

ELECTRO-HARMONIX

HOLY GRAIL REVERB

FEATURING SPRING,

HALL AND “FLERB”

ELECTRO-HARMONIX

MINI BIG MUFF

SUSTAINER, FUZZ

DISTORTION.

ELECTRA STEREO

FLANGER 605F

FOUR CONTROLS:

SIGNAL SPEED,

DEPTH, SWELL,

COLOR.

ZOOM 506II BASS

PEDAL 39 EFFECT/AMP

MODELING PEDAL.

BARBER ELECTRONICS SUPER

SPORT DISTORTION TOO MANY

ADJUSTMENTS TO LIST HERE!

SUPER-COOL BOUTIQUE

TONES…

ELECTRO-HARMONIX Iron

Lung: EH’s VOCODER

EFFECT WITHOUT ALL OF

THE FANCY

ADJUSTMENTS!

Note: We will provide the proper power source/power connectors for each AC unit.

Batteries for DC units are the renter’s responsibility.

Miscellany 2

LINE 6

MODULATOR

BOX STOMP

BOX 15

MODULATION

TYPES

LINE 6 DELAY BOX 20

DELAY TYPES, REVERSE

MODE, DIGITAL LOOP

SAMPLER

LINE 6 FM4

MODELER LOTS

O’FUNKY MODS

LINE 6 POD 2.0LIVE WIRE AB/A&B

SWITCH

IBANEZ AD9

ANALOG

DELAY THREE

CONTROLS:

TIME/LENGTH,

REPEAT,

LEVEL.

Note: We will provide the proper power source/power connectors for each AC unit. Batteries for DC units are the renter’s responsibility.

BOSS BLUES DRIVER

IBANEZ TS-9

TUBE SCREAMER

DANELECTRO VIBE (BASIC

UNIVIBE)

Miscellany 3

BEHRINGER 4 INPUT

MIXER WITH ON-BOARD

EFFECTS

YAMAHA JAZZ DX24 KEYBOARD

(MAKE UNKNOWN, BUT IT’S

REALLY NICE!) 1949 YORK

STAND CORONETT

LP Congas includes

Stand.

TOCA SYNERGY bongos, no stand.