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1970 Gibson 335TDC: This was my first good quality guitar. Bought it from my brother-in-law (1980) who got it for his thirteenth birthday (1970). He told me he had a Les Paul in the closet. I asked to see it, and since he didn't care enough to even know what he had, I made a deal on the spot! Mom-in-law later gave me the original sales receipt.
 
 
 
 
 
  
1964 Fender Jaguar: I answered a local trade paper classified that just said "Fender Guitar and Randall Amp". The guy said he bought it new at a local music store in the early 70's. I offered less than his already low asking price and he accepted. I was packing it up when another buyer showed up and hung his head in disbelief at the deal I'd just made.
(I immediately sold the Randall amp for enough to cover the whole deal!) I later removed the neck to positively identify it and found out it was a '64 by serial number and neck date!
 
 
 
 
 
 
1970 Gibson Les Paul Jumbo: That's right, one of the rarest Les Paul branded guitars you'll ever see. I read somewhere that less that a hundred were made. Note the characteristic (like 70's Les Paul Studio) low impedance pickup and knobs for volume, 11 position Vari-Tone switch, bass and treble. The super thick lacquer finish has lots of cracking / checking, and makes the acoustic qualities a little dull by some standards but it’s a killer when plugged in! I found it on one of my pawnshop trips and knew I'd never seen anything like it before. I made a quick trip to the bank and looked all over the web for information on it. The only one I found for sale was in Belgian and they wanted about six times what I paid. (If I did the currency conversion right). Come to find out, I had seen one before (page 172 in Tom
Wheeler's book "American Guitars").
 

Les Paul Special: Late 70's reissue of the famous 1959 (like a TV, but not white / yellow) thankfully updated to a stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic. I bought the pawn ticket to it from a local musician that had fallen on hard times, and was going to loose the guitar on a way cheap pawn.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This Is my home-brew Budget Stratocaster. Built from parts gathered at the pawnshop and eBay. It has a solid spruce oil finished body and straight grain maple neck, gold hardware, tortoise shell pickguard and hot, Hot, HOT Seymore Duncan Hotrail pickups. Wiring is standard Strat style and the Duncan pickups lack some of the bright "sparkle" of single coil's but they are very powerful and great for crunch tone and lead. They also are  good to overdrive older amps that don't have a lot of gain.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hohner SE-400: Bought very cheap on Yahoo auction. Very pretty and nice playing guitar for the money. I've had several of the Hohner Les Paul, 335 and Gibson Jazz box copies (both Japan and Korea made) and like them much better than the competing Matsumoku, Fuji Gen Gakki and Samick types. Though they were probably made side by side, I believe Hohner watches the quality a little better than most other resellers. Hohner also has some unique designs of their own. (Sadly this guitar has been sold! But if I find another cheap, or models; HS-400, SE-35, HS-35, I wouldn't hesitate a moment to buy another. If you know your Hohner models, there are some great ones.  
 
 

Early 70's Alavrez Japan copy of Gibson Dove: Fantastic action with the adjustable bridge and the tone is respectable too! I interrupted the pawnbroker's football watching / gambling with friends with a lowball offer, he made counter-offer at about twice my price. I suggested we flip a coin - heads I pay my price, tails I pay his price. He couldn't resist the opportunity to show off for his friends. I whistled my way towards the door toting my very inexpensive guitar, while he put too little money in the till and loudly cursed me all the way out of his shop.
 
 
 
 
 
Fender Squier Jagmaster: I love it for its 24" scale Jaguar feeling neck and the humbuckers (made by Mighty Mite / Cort I think) are smokin' baby! Of course it was bought embarrassingly cheap but its more beat than the picture shows.
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   

Hohner G3T (Steinberger licensed vibrato): I originally bought one of these for sitting in front of the computer monitor / recording console (works in a chair with arms and no headstock to crash into stuff) and soon found it has incredible action and EMG pickups that love effects. Solid maple neck-through construction and whammy till the cows come home with rock solid tuning. Vibrato locks down too so you can do those steel guitar mimicking multi-note hammer / bends without the bridge lifting out of tune like a Floyd Rose.
 
 
 
 
 

J Steele Gibson 335 copy: This guitar is a mystery to me. I have had no luck at all finding any information on it in books or on the web. I regretted bidding what I felt was too much for this one on eBay until I got it and set it up. It has a beautiful kind of root beer or antique brown to black burst finish. No bull, this is absolutely the best playing and sounding Asia made copy I've laid hands on! However, its got to be just another "house branded" guitar. The "open book" headstock suggests pre-lawsuit but could be Korean. If anyone has Information of J Steele guitars please email me with details.
 
 
 
 

Hoyer Archtop from late 50's or early 60's I think. No the picture is not distorted it really is that wide! Cool Grestch cats eye sound holes. Trapeze is kind of Grestch or early Epiphone reminiscent too. All electronics mounted on pickguard or in sealed chrome housing underneath it. I'm having a real problem finding much information on this guitar too. The new Hoyer company has been of little help so far. Any help with identifying would be greatly appreciated.
 
 
 
 
 

I jokingly call this Picture the "Wall of Shame" The guitars are my first three! Left to right they are:  #1 1968 Teisco ET-200 bought for me by my mother as a 13th birthday present from the worlds first Wal-Mart (Figure out where that was and you'll know where I lived then). #2 Was thrown into the crowd at a local college campus rock concert about 1970. Lets just say I wanted it more than any of the other grubby little hippy kids and leave it at that. It says "Hand Crafted by Montclair" (Montgomery Wards house brand) on the Pickguard and model #3904 sticker on the back of the headstock. I've seen one since that said Ibanez on it! Gotta love those horns ;-}. #3 is the first guitar I paid for with my own hard earned cash ($30 pawnshop prize) and actually has a decent multi laminated neck. #4 is my first bass guitar, an early 70's Fender Musicmaster. It was cracked from butt to pickup and the pickguard was shot so I repaired the crack, re-finished it and fabricated the new pickguard from a sheet of aluminum.
 

This is a photo of my hobby room from a few months ago. A few of these have found new homes but I've acquired several vintage amps and some acoustic guitars and added a workbench so the room is jammed!  (Update 10/03, many of the guitars shown here are gone,
 but others have taken their place.)