Electricized

Guild X-50 1954-1970Mahogany, Maple, Rosewood The Guild X-50 was...

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:27:01 -0400

Guild X-50

1954-1970
Mahogany, Maple, Rosewood

The Guild X-50 was Guild’s response to Gibson ES-125. It was the smallest of Guilds hollowbody and the only model of the ‘X’ line to be non-cutaway. Early models were nicknamed Granada, up until 1961 when the guitar was renamed Cordoba.

Brian May Special 2006-PresentMahogany, Ebony Family-built by...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:52:25 -0400

Brian May Special

2006-Present
Mahogany, Ebony

Family-built by Brian May and his father, the Red Special has been reproduced several times by brands like Guild and Burns since the eighties. In 2006, May created ‘Brian May Guitars’ to market his own take on the ‘Old lady’. Loaded with three Burns Tri-sonic pups, it’s a great quality instrument for $800.

Fender Strat Plus 1987-1999Alder or Ash / Maple / Maple or...

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:15:38 -0400

Fender Strat Plus

1987-1999
Alder or Ash / Maple / Maple or Rosewood

By many considered one of Fender’s finest, the Plus series was released and introduced a lot of new props. It was the first Strats to featured Gold Lace Sensor pickups as well as locking tuners. Those pickups were appreciated for keeping a 50s feel, but without the hum. Hear it

Gibson PAF pickup 1956-1962 The very first humbucker and...

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:13:00 -0400

Gibson PAF pickup

1956-1962

The very first humbucker and probably the most sought after pickup of all time, the PAF was invented by Seth Lover, then Gibson employee, as an answer to the problematic hum caused by single coils. Famously the de-facto pickup on Les Paul standards of that era, the PAF was the secret weapon to crush Fender.

PAF stands for “Patent Applied For”, as seen on the decal. Story goes that no PAF pickup sounds the same, but they all roar. This is probably due to the fact they were randomly stuffed with Alnico II, III, IV or V magnets. Modified patented versions were produced after 1962, marking the official end of the “Patent Applied For” era. Since then, countless reissues, clones and copies have been produced.

GuitarHQ has pulled a very comprehensive guide to the PAF

Photo by mmcquain

Gretsch 6117 Catseye 1964-1968Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood As cool...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:02:00 -0400

Gretsch 6117 Catseye

1964-1968
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

As cool as it is rare, the Gretsch 6117 Catseye got its name from the “Cat eyed” shape sound holes instead of the traditional F-holes. Common to Rickenbacker, catseye holes were only seen in acoustic Gretsch models.

Known colors are black, candy apple red, and an extremely rare metallic blue. Edit: Sam Ash had apparently a 1964 exclusive in Monkee’s red (pictured)

Duane Allman 1946-1971 Hard not be under the spell of the...

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:04:53 -0400

Duane Allman

1946-1971

Hard not be under the spell of the Skydog. The guitar prodigy that is Duane Allman has granted us with flawless studio work, sublime live improvs and electrifying slides, throughout a career interrupted way too early. Besides his talent, he made guitar playing look and feel so effortless, and that grants him a prime seat in the pantheon of guitar gods, very close to Hendrix.

Duane Allman is mostly remembered as a Les Paul Standard player. He also played a 61 SG for slides and Strats during his pre-Allman brothers session work.

Photo: Richard Hombre

Hofner President Electric Archtop 1956-1971Spruce, Maple,...

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 11:29:24 -0400

Hofner President Electric Archtop

1956-1971
Spruce, Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Another superb Hofner. The President Electric was a variant of the acoustic model of the same name, which started off in 1953. It is easily recognized by its triple dot inlays and single cutaway (venetian or florentine). Early models had black bar pickups (pictured). Hear it

Photo from Vintagehofner

Fender Precision Bass Plus 1989-1993Alder or Ash, Maple,...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:45:35 -0400

Fender Precision Bass Plus

1989-1993
Alder or Ash, Maple, Rosewood

Nicknamed “Boner P-Bass” because of its elongated horn, it is one of the first 22 frets american made bass. Two Lace sensor pickups (one Jazz + one precision). Hear it

Fender Voyager 2012Maple,Ebony One of Fender’s prototype...

Wed, 30 May 2012 10:58:52 -0400

Fender Voyager

2012
Maple,Ebony

One of Fender’s prototype at NAMM 2012 this winter was the Fender Voyager. Designed by former Charvel master builder Josh Hurt, the Voyager has their pickups hidden below the pickguard, just like on the original Fender Marauder

Fender Hellecasters Jerry Donahue 1997-1998Alder, Maple Fender...

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:19:00 -0400

Fender Hellecasters Jerry Donahue

1997-1998
Alder, Maple

Fender has honored each of the three member of the Hellecasters band with a signature ~~stratocaster~~ Fender. Jerry Donahue is a Telecaster player, so he “telifyed’ his MIJ signature strat by requesting a metal plate under the bridge pickup. Overall this rarebird (450 made) is considered very well crafted guitar and simply sounds fantastic.

Photo by Cliffsjam

Gibson CS Marc Bolan Les Paul 2011-2012Maple, Mahogany,...

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:28:29 -0400

Gibson CS Marc Bolan Les Paul

2011-2012
Maple, Mahogany, Ebony

Marc Bolan’s Les Paul was a FrankenPaul. It was built out of several LPs from different eras. Its whereabouts are unknown, but Gibson believed its last state to be a 50s Les Paul body with a 70s LP Custom neck. That’s on these specs that they built the Custom Shop Marc Bolan signature Les Paul. Of course, its a limited run of 100, on top of which another 350 VOS have been produced.

The aged finish may be called ‘Bolan Chablis’, its not by licking the maple top that you’ll get a proper taste out of this axe.

Photo by the Music Zoo

Gibson Grabber 1973-1983Maple, Alder Released at the same time...

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:13:00 -0400

Gibson Grabber

1973-1983
Maple, Alder

Released at the same time as the Gibson Ripper, the Gibson Grabber broke even more the EB series mold.

The Grabber was Maple head to toe up until 1975, when the body got swapped with Alder. Same headstock as on the Flying V.

A single pickup, modular, could be easily moved to a neck or bridge position. In parts due to the wood choice, Its tone is brighter than what you could expect from a Gibson humbucker. Hear it

A limited edition re-run was produced in 2009.

Gibson Ripper 1973-1983Maple, Alder, Ebony Gibson EB bass series...

Sat, 19 May 2012 11:03:07 -0400

Gibson Ripper

1973-1983
Maple, Alder, Ebony

Gibson EB bass series was very popular, but getting old. They freshened up in 1973 with the release of two basses that would clash with the Gibson tradition: The Gibson Grabber and the Gibson Ripper.

Instead of the Mahogany body, the Ripper was built with Maple (and alder in 1975), woods usually found on a Fender Production line. The bass was kept at low cost by keeping it cosmetically basic. In 2009, Gibson released a limited edition reissue called the Gibson Ripper II.

Photo: BCR Music

Danelectro model 4123 1963-1969Masonite, Poplar, Rosewood Also...

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:27 -0400

Danelectro model 4123

1963-1969
Masonite, Poplar, Rosewood

Also known as the Guitarlin, the Danelectro 4123 is remarkable not only by shape but by sound: Its extra long 31 frets neck adds a mandolin range.

Silvertone 1423 Jupiter 1959-1962Maple, Rosewood Also known as...

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:12:00 -0400

Silvertone 1423 Jupiter

1959-1962
Maple, Rosewood

Also known as the Harmony H-49, this is one of the Sears catalog guitars produced by Harmony. Two DeArmond pickups with a gorgeous tone, lightweight because of a semi-hollow body, it’s a very desirable guitar usually found under $1,000. Photo: Southside Guitars

Gibson Byrdland 1955-PresentSpruce, Maple, Ebony The name...

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:09:00 -0400

Gibson Byrdland

1955-Present
Spruce, Maple, Ebony

The name Byrdland is a mashup of the names of Billy Bird and Hank Garland the two guitarists who participated in its design. They had requested a short scale archtop that would be less bulky than the traditional hollowbody, and this is basically what they got: A short-scale thinline L5CES.

P90s, PAF pickups, venetian or florentine cutaway, the Gibson Byrdland went through several phases, but was always seen as a remarkable and prized instrument. Some of Gibson’s finest. Hear it

Photo: Georgesmusic

Vox V262 Invader 1967-1968 The Invader came as a replacement of...

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:58:00 -0400

Vox V262 Invader

1967-1968

The Invader came as a replacement of the Vox Bulldog, and just like its predecessor, it perspires Mosrite. Just like any other Vox of that time, it is stuffed with electronics. The Invader includes a E-tuner, a wah-wah effect, a percussion effect, treble, bass and distortion boosters. Very cool and rare axe.

Photo by Sploshette

Bo Diddley 1928-2008 The Stones, the Beatles, the Who,...

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:17:00 -0400

Bo Diddley

1928-2008

The Stones, the Beatles, the Who, Hendrix… You name it. Everyone has been influenced by the simple yet feverish rhythms of Bo Diddley. “The Originator”, as they called him, defined the genre and is unmistakably considered a cornerstone of blues rock. He was also famous for having female guitarists in his band.

His two main instruments were the cigar-box shaped Grestch Twang Machine and the Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird. Both were designed by Diddley himself, respectively in 1958 and 1959. Yes, Bo Diddley was a man, and a remarkable one.

Wandré Model BB 1958-1962Aluminum, Rosewood, Plastic The...

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:47:00 -0400

Wandré Model BB

1958-1962
Aluminum, Rosewood, Plastic

The initials B.B. was the title of a Serge Gainsbourg song. It was also the name of one of Wandré’s first electric guitars. In both cases, they refer to the same emblem of the sixties: Brigitte Bardot.

Her sexy curves were certainly an inspiration for the body shape, on which Wandré experimented with all kinds of unusual finishes, like candle smoke. Long before Travis Bean, Wandré used aluminum for the neck, and plastic for the headstock. Just like Bardot, this guitar was very liberated for its time. More info and pictures at fetish guitars. Photo from Guitarz.

Washburn G-40V 1988Maple, Ebony Made in Japan as part of the G...

Sat, 05 May 2012 10:18:34 -0400

Washburn G-40V

1988
Maple, Ebony

Made in Japan as part of the G series, the G-40V uniqueness comes from its triple coil pickup. Push buttons allow to switch each coil on or off. If you’re interested in hearing how it sounds, one of these rare birds is currently for sale on ebay.