Also: wenn Ihr ein Instrument bzw. Zubehör braucht oder einfach mal den Mask 4 Fun Gitarristen kennen lernen wollt:

Soundhaus Lübeck, Bei der Lohmühle 92, 23554 Lübeck, Tel.: 0451-

47 70 71  Öffnungszeiten: Mo - Sa ab 10.30 Uhr

Auch ich beteilige mich an diesem Blog. Die Kollegen hatten mich gefragt, was denn die richtige Mask 4 Fun Gitarre war. Dazu Bild 1.

Die Hagström D'Aquisto hab ich 1987 in Stockholm gekauft. Sie kommt auf unserer „Lots of Fun“ Kassette (Gibt’s immer noch bei Woanders) beim Song „Pretty Eyes“ zum Einsatz. Die Geschichte mit der Halseinleimung würde den Rahmen sprengen.

Die mittlere ist ein Rockinger Bausatz „mit alles, auch schahfe Ssoße“:

24 Bünde, HSH Bestückung (gabs 1983 noch gar nicht), einem Piezo unter dem Steg, 4 Schalter. Von den 5 Potis sind 3 auch noch Push-Pull Ausführungen…

Ich hab den Bausatz (durchgehender Hals mit Paddelkopfplatte und 2 Mahagoniblöcken 9x4.5x40 cm) 1983 zum Abi bekommen und wir haben den ganzen Winter daran geschmirgelt – also nie Korpora mit Bandsäge sägen lassen. Wir haben sie erst mit Akryl gelackt – klang nich, dann mit Nitro – klang auch nicht. Jetzt ist sie geölt und gewachst und schwingt super. Die ursprünglichen großen Schaller M6 Gold mussten gegen M6 Mini getauscht werden. Das machte die Gitarre weniger kopflastig.

Die Gitarre hat 1000 Sounds, von denen ungefähr 5 gut sind und um die zu erreichen muß man immer ca 5 Schalter umlegen. Sie ist etwas charakterarm, hat aber ein Mördersustain.

Die blaue Rockinger-Strat ist auch ein Bausatz, diesmal von 1986, Reste des blauen Lacks befinden sich in Mekios und meiner Lunge und an einem Mikrostativ, das ausgemustert bei mir steht. Zunächst mit OBLs und einem Rockinger ST-Rat Pu ausgestattet ist nur noch dieser in der Mitte erhalten. Am Steg ein Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck, am Hals weiß ich grad nicht. Das originale True Tune Tremolo (Atze Gölsdorf lässt grüßen) wurde ca 1990? Gegen ein Floyd Rose umgebaut. Aktuell schaltet man mit dem Kippschalter den Stegpu direkt auf den Ausgang. Die Gitarre benutze ich heute fast gar nicht mehr, weil das Floyd Rose zuviel Tonsubstanz klaut durch seine Messing/Gussstahl-Anteile. 1986 gabs aber keine Fender Strat.

Noch ein Bild vom Basteln an der Rockinger-Strat:

Damit kommen wir zu Bild 2.

Auch in den 1980ern hätte ich diese Auswahl lieber gehabt. Dies ist meine erste (Ich kaufe mir keine Variax-Gitarre) Reihe.

Kopfplatten von l nach r:

Gibson LP DX mit Standard HB (Burstbucker 1+2) ca 1972

Gibson ES 345 1966 third Fretbord, Varitone mono

Squier JV Tele 1982

Gibson SG STD 1968

Rickenbacker 360 12 V 64 (mit Trapezsaitenhalter und nachgerüsteter Stereobridge)

Gretsch Country Club 1965/66, Bigsby nachgerüstet, neue Filtertrons

Epiphone Elitist (Japan) Casino

1995 Fender American Classic Custom Shop Strat nachgerüstet mit Blechreiterbrücke und Sperzeltunern

Gibson ES 175, zusammengebaut von Boris Dommenget aus einem 1957er und einem 1958er Modell mit echten PAFs. Yeah.

Ich jammte auf meiner Les Paul Junior im Wohnzimmer, und fand dabei einen netten kleinen Groove und ein paar Melodiefetzen.

Also nichts wie den iMac an und schnell die Idee mit Garageband aufgenommen, damit ich sie nicht vergesse. Weil das Fragment mich etwas an Southern Rock so Marke Lynyrd Skynyrd erinnerte, gab ich ihm den Namen Southern Idea. Und das Resultat klang so (am Anfang ist eine Pause von 3 Sekunden): Southern Idea

Die Strophe klang schon recht ansprechend, aber für den Chorus hatte ich, wie man hört, noch keine knackige Idee.

Ich habe daraufhin diese erste Aufnahme benutzt, um die Idee zu einem richtigen Song auszubauen. Sobald der Text und die Melodie standen, schnitt ich kurzer Hand das erste Demo um, und erweiterte es zum Backing Track.

Der neue Song hieß (No-one's gonna) Save Our Ass, und das erste "richtige" Demo klang so: Save Our Ass - rough demo

Weil ich immer gerne meine Freunde mit meinen neuen Songs nerve, bekam natürlich auch Mekio die Aufnahme per E-Mail zugesandt. Er war von dem Stück so angetan, dass er mir sofort anbot, mir per Hand gespielte Roland V-Drums für ein richtiges Demo zuzusenden.

Also machte ich mich daran, ein "amtliches" Demo aufzunehmen. Als die Aufnahme bis auf Mekios Schlagzeug praktisch fertig war, habe ich ihm einen Mix zugeschickt. Es dauerte nicht lange, da kam als Antwort eine fette Audiodatei.

Ich habe Mekios Track dann im Pro Tools LE in den restlichen Mix eingefügt. Nach ein paar Mixsessions stand dann die "endgültige" Version. Ich hoffe es gefällt: Save Our Ass (Dirty Yoo Mix)

PS: Wenn wir jetzt bei den Amis wären, müsste ich wohl darauf hinweisen, dass in den Beiträgen oder Songs oder Videos geäußerte Meinungen natürlich nur die Meinung des jeweiligen Autors widerspiegeln blabla...

Aber wir Hanseaten sind ja bekanntlich tolerant ;-) <bussi> MB

First of all, I would go for a Squier Vintage Modified '70's Jazz Bass as my first choice.

I've heard great feedback and reviews about this bass. Don't let the Squier text in the headstock fool you, most owners of this bass have praised it to play even better than MIM Fenders. To add, because of it's low price point, a lot players are modifying them such as replacing the tuners, bridge and pickups that in the end make it a great bass for value.

Lastly, my final choice would have to be an SX jazz bass. They're carried by Rondo Music.

According to the populace of Talkbass, SX (or more commonly known in the community be "Essex") bass guitars are the holy grail of low priced bass guitars. They offer the most value for any instrument out it the market today. Again according to owners, they are almost on par with MIM Fenders with exception to the neck radius and sometimes hardware. Nonetheless, they're great instruments that are even available locally in the Philippines after contacting a JB Music representative (though I'll have to wait till September till their shipment arrives). Because of their low price point, I'm even tempted to buy two of these; the other a Precision bass that would offer more tonal variety than one expensive bass.

Now, not only do I love listening to music, but I also love playing instruments as well. The drum kit is something I'm gaining more knowledge and experience with as time goes on, and I'm really REALLY interested in learning how to play piano. Yet, the one instrument that started it all was the guitar.

Way back in 3rd grade, my parents decided to give me for Christmas my very first electric guitar, which was made by Japanese company called Vantage. Since there are no pictures of the model I have floating around the internet, and my digital camera bit the dust, I can only describe how it's a natural wood color, two humbuckers, and kinda has the look and feel of a decent Paul Reed Smith model. Since I was just a wee lad, I managed to create more noise than melody out of that thing, courtesy of a trusty Squier practice amp (with dual cascading gain, so it kicked ultra ass). My inexperience with how to handle the guitar and its controls ultimately led to its demise, with the input jack busting and the tone knobs becoming fully clockwise (which should NEVER happen). Nowadays, the Vantage (named "The Fonz," don't ask why) just stands in the corner, a nice reminder of the past.

After a period where I lost interest in playing guitar (hey, Nickelodeon was far more cooler to me back then), I managed to get sucked back in again in the 8th grade when my dad gave me his old-as-hell Jackson Fat Strat knockoff. It looked like something that fell off the Queensryche tour bus, with a SHARP ANGLED headstock, a whammy bar, and a neck that was thin enough for me to try my best Eddie Van Halen tapping impression. It even sounds like the image; this guitar (I named it "DeGarmo," after the Queensryche guitarist) was meant to be played with distortion and other special effects, not as a clean guitar (unless there was a nice chorus or flange effect). It worked for my pseudo Cobain guitar skills, but I knew I needed something more.

This would begin my era of using Squier guitars, the affordable Fender brand from Asia. From 8th grade to 10th grade, I would acquire four guitars from the company: A 1997 Affinity Series Duo-Sonic in black, a 2002 Affinity Series Telecaster (pictured above), a red 2003 S-65 (an SG copy formerly made by Guild's affordable DeArmond brand), and a 2003 Telecaster Custom. Now, there is an unfortunate stigma attached to the Squier name (especially in my high school years) which would have me automatically ejected from bands. But, affordability aside, they are genuinely good guitars for the player on a budget.

Now, the Squiers were pretty good to me. But, I needed to evolve in my arsenal. My dad would give me his cherished (and very heavy) 1977 Wine Red Gibson Les Paul Standard, equipped with strap locks, coil tap, and DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups. It's probably one of the most RAWK guitars I have, but its age and wear keeps me restrained from totally going bonkers with it. So, as I was still on a budget (and still am, thank YOU college), I found comfort with Epiphone. They didn't have the stigma Squier guitars had and their guitars sound remarkably on par with their more expensive Gibson brothers. Two guitars from them, a 2007 Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90 (pictured above), and an vintage white SG, would enter my collection.

I may not be tooooo nuts about entering the music industry as a musician, as the many pitfalls and risks honestly scare me straight. But, I enjoy the guitar as a wonderful hobby; it's the best way (along with blog writing, duh) to release whatever is lurking inside my head.

Judas Priest - The Sentinel *just learned this the other day!!*

Epiphone
Site: http://www.epiphone.com/
Romania: Proguitar
Artisti: John Fogerty, Ace Frehley (KISS), Billy Greer (Kansas), Chris Henderson (3 Doors Down), My Chemical Romance, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Jim Laurey (Motorhead), John Lennon (The Beatles), Bob Marley, Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Morris (Judas Priest), Willie Nelson, Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Nichelback,
Despre: Este o submarca a Gibson

Fender
Site: Fender.com
Romania: ProGuitar
Artisti: Avril Lavigne (Telecaster), Eric Clapton(Stratocaster), Jimi Hendrix(Stratocaster), Sum 41(Telecaster)
Despre: Unele dintre cele mai renumite chitari din lume.

Gibson
Site: Gibson.com
Romania: din cate stiu eu nu exista reprezentanta in Romania
Artisti: Duran Duran,  Angus Young (AC/DC), BB King, Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Aerosmith, Los Lobos, Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory), Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, Gretchen Wilson, INXS, Joel Madden (Good Charlotte), Neil Diamond, Prince, Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Rudolf Schenker (The Scorpions), Shakira, Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, Slash (Velvet Revolver)
Despre: Sunt considerate cele mai bune chitari de serie din lume.

Gretsch
Site: Gretsch.com
Romania: Proguitar
Artisti: Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), Bono (U2), Eric Johnson, George Harrison (The Beatles), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Malcolm Young (AC/DC), Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Neil Young, Sheryl Crow
Despre:

Hora-Reghin
Site: Hora.ro
Romania: in mai toate magazinele de instrumente muzicale
Artisti:
Despre: Suna destul de bine doar ca trebuie sa ai grija de ele. Cea mai mare problema a lor sunt cuiele de acordaj care au tendinta sa se strice. Am auzit des acest lucru dar se poate sa fie si din cauza ca hora e o chitara de incepatori si se tinde sa se duca la extreme. 

Ibanez
Site: Ibanez.com
Romania: M&C musical
Artisti: George Benson, Chris Broderick (Megadeth), Brad Delson & Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park),  Cristi Gram (Phoenix), Billy Graziadei (Biohazard), Dexter Holland & Noodles (The Offspring), Jani Liimatainen (Sonata Arctica), Munky (Korn), Mike Mushok (Staind), Matt Roberts (3 Doors Down), Barry Stock (Three Days Grace),
Despre:

Jackson Guitars
Site: Jacksonguitars.com
Romania: Proguitar
Artisti: Phil Collen & Rick Savage (Def Leppard), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), Phil Demmel  (Machine Head), Hammish (My Dying Bride), Outkast, Derrick Green (Sepultura), Serj Tankian (System of a Down),
Despre:

Maxine
Site: -
Romania: Se gasesc in magazinul muzica la etajul 1
Artisti: -
Despre: Sunt ieftine si suna destul de curat.

Schecter
Site: Schecterguitars.com
Romania: M&C musical
Artisti: Robert Smith and Simon Gallup (The Cure), Jerry Horton (Papa Roach), Tommy Lee, Evil Jared (Bloodhound Gang), Adam (Three Days Grace), Mark & Frank & Aaron (Crematorium)
Despre:

Squier
Site: Squierguitars.com
Romania Proguitar
Artisti: Sum 41 (Telecaster), Avril Lavigne (Telecaster)
Despre: Chitari facute de Fender pentru low-end user.

Stagg
Site: http://www.staggmusic.com/
Romania: erau importate de M&C musical, acum nu mai apar pe siteul lor
Artisti:
Despre:

Yamaha
Site: http://www.yamaha.com/guitars/home/
Romania: E un magazin pe undeva pe Bdul Victoriei, cum mergi dinspre muzica spre Bdul Regina Elisabeta.
Artisti: Brian May (Queen), Sammy Hagar & Michael Antony (Van Halen), Tony Kanal (No Doubt), Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard)
Despre: 

My “Coup de Coeur*” of The Week!

Do you miss my "Coup de Coeur" post? ^^

So This week it's related to L'Arc~en~Ciel and especially to its leader "Tetsu".

Quick resume of him:

Tetsuya Ogawa (born October 3, 1969,at Maibara in Shiga, Japan), known professionally as tetsu, is the leader and bassist of the Japanese rock band L'Arc~en~Ciel. He also does backup vocals and has written some of the band's songs, including 'Link', 'READY STEADY GO', 'finale', 'Driver's High' and 'Pieces'. In the band, his name is 'tetsu' (All in lower case).

Since 2001, he had solo work under the name 'TETSU69' (Number 69 is his birth year). As of 26th November 2006 he changed his solo name to 'tetsu'.

In 2007, Tetsu and 22-year-old actress Ayana Sakai got engaged.

Tetsu's Fanvid

Playing Style:

Tetsu is renowned for his melodic style of bass playing. Many of L'Arc~en~Ciel's songs involve Tetsu playing counter melodies with ken (guitarist of L'Arc~en~Ciel) while still holding a groove with the drums. Tetsu's songwriting can be seen as more 'poppish' as compared to ken's who has a heavier and sometimes bluesy approach. Slides and hammer-ons/pull offs are frequently used in his playing.

Tetsu plays with a pick most of the time, but uses fingerstyle occasionally when the song calls for it, like in 'winter fall' and 'jojoushi'. In a few songs Tetsu can be heard using the slap style of playing such as in the Laruku song 'THE NEPENTHES' and 'twinkle, twinkle'. Tetsu has also used distortion such as in the song 'STAY AWAY.' Tetsu has also been known to play briefly with a banana (which he whips to the audience afterwards) prior to the beginning of a song in some concerts.

Tetsu primarily plays a 5 string bass since L'Arc~en~Ciel's 15th anniversary, but is known to occasionally use 6 strings in L'Arc~en~Ciel songs such as Neo Universe, Time Goes on,Get out from the Shell where Tetsu plays lead melody.But in Perfect Blue he use a 6 string baritone guitar(similar with electric guitar but tuned one octave lower)

Even though Tetsu is endorsed by ESP Guitars and has several models, he used his Zon bass for most of his recording works. Tetsu is an avid collector of basses and guitars. He owns over 120 basses and more than 20 guitars.

Personal feelings: He's my model as a Bass player ^^, he's simply awesome! I like particularly his melodic bass's lines and his playing style.

Tetsu Angle - Shout at The Devil

All that to say that I plan to switch my current Bass: Squier Affinity Precision Bass

It's my first Bass.

So I plan to switch to an higher model, I want a Tetsu's Model Bass which is: GrassRoots G-T-68BZ

(In fact I'm dreaming to get his "Bardic" but it's too expensive for me so I take his lower model ^^, you can see it in details in "Bass Magazine December 2007 ft tetsu")

As you noticed it's almost the same guitar (My favorite color is red) but it's an "Artist Model"!

The Edwards Series is still too expensive for me.

Let's see some pictures!

Note: I don't think Tetsu use this Bass but the ESP one in following pictures but it's almost the same design + his custom stickers ^^.

Form "Asialive 2005 Photobook"

and now the Bass only:

All these pictures are found here

The guitar Specs:

BODY : (Top) Quilted Maple, (Back) Ash
NECK : Hard Maple
FINGERBOARD : Maple , 21frets
SCALE : 864mm (Long)
JOINT : Bolt-on
BRIDGE : Custom Type
PICKUPS : (Front) GJ-1B
(Rear) GJ-1B
CONTROLS : Master Volume, Master Tone, Hi Cut, Low Cut
COLOR : See Thru Fiesta Red
PRICE : 71,400yen (Include TAX)

The price is ~450€ (~$700) but some Japanese Store sell it for ~50.000yen! ( ~313€ ; ~$495)

I'm already looked everywhere on the web, only Japanese website sell it T_T

I mailed some of them to know if they ship outside Japan (Still waiting for their replies)

If you're interested in this guitar you can try these websites (All in Japanese):

http://www.soundmama.com/commodity/detail.php?comid=929

http://www.mikigakki.com/category/details.php?item_id=g-t-68bz

http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/ikebe/0000092272.html

http://www.soundhouse.co.jp/shop/ProductDetail.asp?Item=1132%5EGT68BZ%5E%5E

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/34music/737849/737853/737855/852120/

http://www.kurosawagakki.com/items/detail/16186.html

http://www.j-guitar.com/sp/sea/view_detail/s10341864.html

All Tetsu's ESP Bass can be found here:

http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/tetsu/

and you can find here his Bass's collection:

http://www.laruku.com/index02.html

You can check others "Artist Model" of Guitars and Bass:

http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/index.html (The Gazette, Dir en Grey, etc...)

http://www.fender.jp/artist/index.php (YUI, MARIA, etc...)

http://www.fernandes.co.jp/products/artist_model.html (Ken, hide, Buck Tick, Janne Da Arc, etc...)

And Drums:

http://www.pearlgakki.com/drum/artist.html (Yukihiro, AKFG, Sakura, Aqua Timez, GLAY, etc...)

If you're European, I highly recommend this website to purchase Instruments:

http://www.thomann.de/

Unfortunately, Tetsu's GrassRoots is not there...

To conclude this long post, here is a video extract from "L'Arc~en~Ciel - Awake Tour DVD".

The sound of his bass is so awesome!

Extract - My Dear

[dailymotion id=x4hf41]

Official Website

http://www.tetsu-tetsu.com/

http://www.larc-en-ciel.com/

http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/tetsu/

*means in French: loving something impulsively, irrationally, immediately.

Over the last few months, I have been desiring a 3 pickup strat-style guitar. If I had my druthers, i'd be caressing an Eric Johnson Signature strat right now, but since my credit limit is not a giant infinity symbol, i'll have to make do.

Oddly enough, in my entire time playing guitar, i've never owned an SSS guitar. My first electric guitar was basically a yamaha fat strat (bought from a Compusa after begging. Hey, it came with an amp and a strap! Woo!) and all electrics since then with the exception of my MIM telecaster, have been humbuckered. Ibanez, Dean, Gibson, Jackson, Yamaha; all having humbuckers in the bridge. I don't really get to take advantage of the single coils, and coil splitting just doesn't cut the mustard. Nothing sounds like that standard strat sound.

So, i've come to a crossroads, and i'm down on my knees (Had to do it...) begging the guitar deities to answer my questions intelligently, without the usual territory that comes with the guitar i'm debating on buying. It's a Squier affinity strat. The one with the 60's fat headstock, sunburst finish and a **GASP!** Alder body. Hell, Alder is better than cheap crappy basswood, or worse...MDF.

Here's my rationale so far:

It's a Fender. I'm willing to bet that the machine that cuts the bodies out of what is most likely the cheapest, B-stock Alder, uses the exact same programming as custom shops. The CNC machines Fender uses in USA to cut their monstrously overpriced models, is probably programmed identically to the ones in China, blasting out 2 bazillion squiers a day. A small exception may be the bridge pocket on the front, but i'll check that out if I go through with this insanity. And same goes for the necks. It's probably the same maple neck from the 70's reissue, minus the tinted nitro finish.

Granted, it's not the Squier Japan that used to be a good name, but it's made under Fender which means Fender parts will fit in just fine. Something goes wrong? I'll get parts meant for a Fender, and things will be fine.

The problems it has are probably easily fixable. I've watched videos of Dan Erlewine do a full setup on a cheapo guitar, and make it legit. I believe it was a cheap Epiphone dot, but I could be mistaken. Fret leveling, nut shaping, saddle cleaning. All of a decent days guitar work to turn a 150 dollar guitar, into something perfectly reasonable.

A 150 dollar strat facsimile with Medium Jumbo frets, no less. Even better!

Not only that, but it's the attachment to it. A few dings and scratches on a Squier affinity with some Dimarzio Velvets or Duncan Customs in it won't hurt me like it would to hear the zipper on my jacket within 5 inches of an Eric Johnson signature, or my oft considered ESP strat,  Suhr classic or Vigier excalibur. **Faint**

I am considering this guitar as something I don't feel bad customizing. New pickups and wiring, some hardware, using it to practice painting, coloring and refinishing. All of the things i'd like to do, and I haven't felt like doing on my Ibanez Prestige.

And here's why i'm asking:

Every place with reviews about the affinity are all new players who are unfamiliar with the guitar as an object. It's an icon for them, and when some little buzz pops up, they throw it back like a carp, and spend the rest of their days ragging on it. But no actual reputable player or magazine has sat their ass down and reviewed the bane of the guitar industry's existence. We all look at it as heresy. The cheap, mass produced soulless guitar from chinese sweatshops made of the wood from ransacked Tibetan villages, (please don't sue me, Fender. I'm kidding...hopefully) pickups outsourced by Seymour Duncan to some third world country where kids wind them by hand (please don't sue me, Seymour. I'm kidding...hopefully)  and parts and hardware made from scrapped Russian military bases. (please don't bomb me, China. I'm kidding...hopefully). I haven't seen Guitar World, Guitar Player, or any of the other publications sit the hell down and review it like a guitar. I can't trust a bunch of guitar newbies to tell me if a guitar is legitimately good or bad. Hell, they're the same people who swoon for LTD guitars **yawn**.
So, should I get one? Turn it into a semi-legitimate strat after some leveling, sanding, polishing, removing the Squier label then putting on a Gibson decal and more? Would it be worth it to have a decent framework for a project guitar cost only 150, rather than spent 1800 on one I wouldn't dare touch?

Yes, at some point i'll go to a Guitar Center and give my best try at actually reviewing a Squier, but for now I don't want to leave my house, I simply want to let sparks fly on the internet.

I await comments. Like all of my other posts, I expect to get some grief for the things i've said. It seems I can't say anything right here, but since i'm not running for office, it doesn't matter. Though it seems like I am with all of the crap I seem to get thrown at me by the internet.

Please don't sue me internet, i'm only kidding. Actually, i'm not. Some people have no sense of humor.

Squiers were built from original Fender factory blueprints and were very accurate replicas of vintage models. Such was their quality when they came out in 1982, that when some sample instruments were sent to Fender in the US for inspection, the management and staff were amazed by them, particularly as the quality of USA Fenders had deteriorated under the ownership of CBS (who had bought out Leo Fender in 1965) and by 1982 had reached a low point. The quality of these Fender Japan instruments may well have galvanised Fender USA staff into buying the company back from CBS in 1985 and once again producing top quality instruments. Squiers from this early period, especially ones with a JV (Japanese Vintage) prefix before the serial number, are now sought after and considered quite collectable. Current Squiers are made in China and, while they lack the very high quality of early examples, are still good instruments.

This one was built in 1983 (the date pencilled on the end of the neck is 9th April 1983) and is a '57 reissue Stratocaster. I got it when it was just over a year old and it was already second-hand, although it was in immaculate condition and had been fitted with a 5-way pickup selector. It has picked up quite a few battle scars since I've had it, it had a refret in 1995 and in 2001 I changed the pickups for Fender Vintage '57/'62 replacements as the old ones had become a bit quiet. The essential character of the guitar remains very much intact and it plays like a dream. The body is made of alder and is light, resonant and the guitar is surprisingly loud when played acoustically. The neck has quite a slim 'C' profile and is made of one piece of maple. The bridge assembly and tuners are all original and still work fine.

In a later post I'll give you some tips about setting up and maintaining Strats, as it can be a little tricky to get them playing at their best.

There are quite a few Squiers of this vintage on eBay most of the time, so if you're looking for a very high quality Strat or Telecaster for quite a bit less than you'd pay for a Fender USA made vintage reissue, you could do worse than pick one up.

The accessories are super cute as well -- guitar bag, picks, strap...

I really like this guitar strap... I could always get it for Rockband!

The picks are super cute -- I saw someone make earrings out of them at the farmers market many months ago. I didn't buy a pair because I am pretty sure I can make my own.

Hello Kitty Fender Guitar in pink and Badtz-Maru Fender Branco Bass Guitar in black... Soooooo cuuuute! I want them both!

Fender Hello Kitty Mini Strat Electric Guitar (they are a little bit smaller than the ones pictured above and they cost about $50.00 less also):

Hello Kitty Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar:

I like the look of the stratocaster better, but I love how acoustic guitars sound. And I don't know why, but I think this would be easier for me to learn on...

Hmmmm... I guess I will just keep my eye on ebay and GuitarCenter for the Stratocaster and Dreadnought (so far, they seem to have the best deal in town).

Well, a couple of years ago I convinced my parents to buy me a Squier Strat (electric) for a Christmas present...and 4 years later it has sat there collecting dust. I had many friends who were willing to teach me...but friends arent exactly the best teachers ("dude, just put your fingers like this")...

Anyhow, seeing as how one of my resolutions is to learn to play the guitar, I decided to pick it up last night and start playing. I had to tune it obviously, it had been a while. EADGB...and pop. Ooops! Yea, so there goes the plan of learning to play...

but alas, today I woke up and was determined to start. I went to a local guitar shop who said he couldn't string the guitar for me in 2 hours because he was the only one working...even though the place was empty except 2 other customers. So I head over to Music-Go-Round and the guy strung my guitar in 20 minutes...hmmm, either the first guy was really slow or really lazy.

But anyhow, I got my guitar stringed up and I ACTUALLY LEARNED a little today. (For those into guitars, I just got the Martin & Co. DARCO Electric Guitar strings). So, yea, I'm excited about learning.

If any of you out there play the guitar, post your tips or your comments.

And of course, even the non-guitar playing people are welcome on this blog. :)

Squier by Fender Jazz Bass

E questa e' la mia principale aspirazione nonchè prossimo acquisto.

 Yamaha RBX374

Ancora non cel'ho tra le mani e gia lo amo..