Stratocaster

The American Spectator ^ | 5/4/2007 | Lawrence Henry

[Bean Counter]

My wife made a mistake. For my birthday in February, she bought me a calendar from the Fender Custom Shop. I hung it on the wall directly behind my desk, right in my range of vision, and I have been gazing longingly ever since at beautiful guitars. My longing stayed within reason until I turned the page to April, and saw the Engraved Thinline Telecaster in flame maple. The clumsy copy below the calendar proper says "both nice to look at and a dream to play."

"A dream to play" has been ringing in my head ever since, the way a phrase from ad copy will do. And two weeks ago, I drove to the nearest Guitar Center and sat down and started playing electric guitars for the first time in 30 years.

Beautiful Telecaster notwithstanding, I played only Stratocasters on that first visit. I have always been a Strat man. Here is a picture of a very nice one, from the current Fender website.

MY PARENTS BOUGHT ME MY FIRST STRATOCASTER when I was in junior high school, in about 1961. Those of you who know the marque will share my chagrin that I do not still have that model, now known as a "vintage" Stratocaster, and much desired. It had belonged to a country western musician, whose big belt buckles had torn up the sunburst finish on the back. I got a Fender Concert Amp with it, and instantly became a popular guy with the two other serious guitar players in my school, Roger Johnson and Bob Cohen. They used to invite me to play with them, mainly so they could use my amp, which was bigger and better than the ones they had.

**SCHNIPP**

[ArmstedFragg]

Try an Audix D4 or D6

HMMM.... (thumbin' through the catalogs)

[Mr. Mojo]

I bought this and a same year Fender Deluxe Reverb amp from a friend back in the 80’s for $400. Wonder what they are worth now?

Don't know about the amp (although if it's a mid-60s blackface I'd definitely hang onto it), but the guitar is probably worth upwards of $25,000. Here's a '64 for sale on eBay right now. Starting bid: $10,000 .....and the auction doesn't end until May 11. Keep and eye on it and see what it sells for. But remember, this one's been refinished, so it'll sell for quite a bit less than yours would (assuming yours is completely original).

[RckyRaCoCo]

Here's the amp including some original paperwork...

Wish I could find someone in Mich. that could give me an (honest) assessment of authenticity/condition for evaluation purposes as i'm not a collector/player myself.

[Mr. Mojo]

That’s a blackface alright (’64 - ‘68). Probably worth 2 to 3 grand. ....far less than the ‘64 Strat.

[wolfpat]

I inherited the Gibson upon the death of my best friend. He had it made fretless at the Gibson factory after an unfortunate event involving some guy trying to weasel in on his girlfriend during a gig (The guitar neck and the guy’s head were broken).

When it came back from the factory, the shop that had sent it went out of business before my friend could scrape the money together to pay for the work. The shop owner seemed to disappear from the Earth. 5 years later, when I moved to the Raleigh area, I tracked this owner down. He had broken into his shop after the sheriff padlocked it, and “stolen” all the guitars that belonged to other people. This EB-3L was in storage. We paid the man, and my friend had his guitar back.

After my friend’s funeral, we all went back to his house. His widow went into the back room, and came out with this guitar. “I was told to make sure I gave this to you”, she said.

It is my most prized possession.

[wolfpat]

Oh, and the speakers are home made. I work in a particleboard factory, and I made the top speakers out of boards from work ($2.00 a sheet for employees).

[wolfpat]

Gotta love Bud Ross!

Is that Hofner the one with the microphone pickups?

[Drumbo]

As a former pro drummer, my second favorite topic is "My Favorite Guitars", just as my second favorite gig is a power trio with a monster axeslinger, alas, my all-time favorite nirvana is pushing an 10-piece or better horn section and my favorite topic is of course, my drum kit.

My favorite bandmates and their awesome guitars:


A '57 Maple Neck Strat


A Pink Maple Neck Shector Strat


A Shecter reverse neck Hendrix Strat


A Very Dangerous braided Paul Reed Smith


A Screaming Gretch Explorer


A Custom Shector Strat


A Cherry Natural Fender Jaguar


A Krammer Strat


A Flashy Dean Hollywood


A Very Sweet Yamaha


The Obligatory shot of my own '83 Slingerland Chrome Cannons

[fso301]

[Cyropaedia]

Thanks, it sounds great when played through my ampeg B200r. Looking to upgrade to an SVT. The old Mullards are the best tubes for bass amplification.

[rockrr]

Agree with you about Mexican Strat’s. I picked up a Richie Sambora signature model (which I understand is a Mexican product) from eBay. It’s been a great machine (all except for the Floyd Rose bridge which is a PITA to change strings ;’}

[MarkL]

But as my screen name implies, I’m totally and hopelessly in love with Rickenbackers. Nothing sounds like them, nothing looks like them

A buddy of mine's got a 360-12, and NOTHING SOUNDS BETTER!

As a bass player, I love the Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003. As with the guitars, nothing sounds quite like them. I bought a custom 4001 back in 1977, which TWA broke (they snapped the headstock off) in 1979. Beautiful instrument. I miss it.

Mark

[MarkL]

My first bass was a "Cougar" EB3 copy. It was an "el-cheapo" imported plywood bass, and I slapped on a Leo Quan Badass Bass bridge, a Dimarzio Model 1 for the front pickup, and a set of Shaller tuning heads. Basicly, I was "painting a turd," but it was fun, it played well, and it sounded much better afterwards.

Here's my current baby, a 1975 Carl Thompson, seen before, then during a recent visit back to Brooklyn, NY for some "Love" from Carl, and after:

Mark

[MarkL]

Used to bang the skins. Far more difficult than playing guitar: 3/4 with stops and five-stroke rolls, etc. And you can’t emote as easily, if at all.

If you do a search of YouTube for Bill Bruford, there's a number of videos which are from an instructional video of Bill's, and he (and Robert Fripp) discuss the concepts behind King Crimson's song "Discipline," and Bill mentioned that the song is in "seventeen" (I'm assuming 17/4), and he then demonstrates how he did it... What an amazing sense of time that man has! He's been one of my very favorite drummers ever due to the amazing things he does with time (the other would be Steve Gadd!)

Mark

[rockrr]

You wanna talk about heavy?!

During my “Jimmie Page” period I scrounged up the coinage ang bought a Carvin Doubleneck (6 & 12). Mine looks like the quilted Maple DT650 pictured on this page: http://www.carvinmuseum.com/playersgallery/dt650.html

I could only play it for about 20 minutes before it would give me neck spasms ;’}. I actually spent more time tuning it than playing it...

[Liberty Valance]

Beautiful!

[cbkaty]

Is that Hofner the one with the microphone pickups?

I don't remember....long time ago. I bought that Hofner for $125.00 and sold it about 4 months later for $160. I thought I'd done well....wish I had it now.

I bought a Les Paul Triumph Bass in 1971....still have it...only problem is it's so heavy...solid mahogany.