The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

[Barry]

Following up from analogfrog's post here:
viewtopic.php?t=52
I thought I'd drop in a few pix of some of my own stuff.

Geez, by comparison to Charles and the Frogman it's a rather mild collection I guess, but I like 'em all anyway!
Not my best quality photography, and then I reduced them quite a bit for this post so they wouldn't take forever to load...but hey! They're free.

The Guitars
My El Degas is here viewtopic.php?t=31
Gibson ES-330 TD--1964
Goya G10 classical--circa 1969
Ovation 1983 Collector's Series--1983
Westone Spectrum ST--1985
Ovation Elite 1868--1990
Danelectro U2 '56 reissue--circa 1998
Vintage TC200BD--2007
Epiphone Les Paul Studio--2007
Edit March 27
Oops! I did it again! Just got it today (pics added to bottom):
Westone Thunder IA--1981
Edit April 1 (no foolin'!
Oops! I did it again, um, again!:
Westone Spectrum S--1985
Edit April 11
Holy G String Batman! Somebody stop me!:
Parker PM-20 Hornet--2005
Edit June 19
When you see 'em, you gotta get 'em!
Vantage Avenger AV325--1981
Edit July 18
GAS strikes when you least expect it!
Vantage VS-600--1980

The Amplifiers (no pix yet)
Danelectro DM-25--1965 (vintage tube with floating spring vibrato!)
Roland Cube 100 --1984 (stage/performance solid state-powerful!)
Washburn SouthSide Jnr. VGA15 --1996 (great practice amp or small gig--mellow to fuzz--vintage tweed finish)
Vox DA5--circa 2008 (un-freekin' believable output from 5 watts!--11 amp style settings X 11 effects settings--run now and get one!)

GUITAR PIX




























Whew! thanks for looking!

(Man, I really have to re-do most of these and use a tripod!!
Just call me s-s-h-h-a-k-e-y-y)

[AnalogFrog]

Nice Gear Barry! I'm really diggin that 330 (druel) and the Dano's pretty sick aswell!

[Geo]

Nice collection! I never heard of a Danelectro before.

Peace, Geo

[Barry]

Nice Gear Barry! I'm really diggin that 330 (druel) and the Dano's pretty sick aswell!

Yeah, the ES330 is my baby.
Many times over the years I've thought of selling it, but then I laid down and took a deep breath until the urge went away. I've had a lot of offers, from dealers mostly, but I'm not budging.

And the Dano...well it's the most fun I've ever had with Masonite.
The damn thing is made of the most impossible combination of materials imaginable and it sounds fantastic! Absolutely authentic 50's 60's sound. And the neck is beautiful

[Barry]

Hey, if you haven't been back since the first time you viewed this post...I've been adding to the guitar stable!
Check the "edits" to the original post above

URRRP! s'cuze me..GAS ya know?

[charles]

Nice Gear Barry! I'm really diggin that 330 (druel) and the Dano's pretty sick aswell!

Yeah, the ES330 is my baby.
Many times over the years I've thought of selling it, but then I laid down and took a deep breath until the urge went away. I've had a lot of offers, from dealers mostly, but I'm not budging.

Never ever ever sell that baby!
GORGEOUS. Gotta love it.

[Barry]

Added another one! A Vantage Avenger!
(See original post above)

[charles]

GAS strikes again! Nice git-fiddle!

[Barry]

GAS again!
Check the original post for the addition.


Still can't find a decent El Degas to save my soul! Where are they?

[charles]

Score

Haven't seen a decent El Degas guitar in a while, either.

[Barry]

I continue to look for decent MIJ El Degas guitars but I dunno what's going on, I can't find a thing in the whole Greater Toronto Area! Suddenly they are rarer than rocking horse poo!

But, I remain well and truly afflicted and infected with G.A.S. and I have been able to indulge my passion for MIJ Matsumoku guitars which are (slightly) easier to find! For proof I offer the following additions to the original listing above:

1981 Westone Concord II

The guitar had taken a fall or two and 2 of the 3 original knobs were cracked and one had been replaced with a Strat style (ugh!). I replaced them all with a new set of "high hats" or "bells":

Great playing guitar with all the Strat sounds in an original design.

circa 1980 Vantage VW150


This Martin clone is an amazingly light guitar, almost feels like balsa wood! But it's alive with sound and exceptional tone. Needed some neck and saddle adjustment to lower the action but she's gorgeous now.

1983 Vantage Avenger X-77T

Something a little different; a single pup with trem bridge. Remarkably versatile sounds from it too, including coil tap switching. The body was in rough shape but the neck was fine and plays great just like all Mats guitars. Winter project ahead to fix the dings and scratches!

1984 Westone Spectrum GT

Same problem with knobs on this one too. It was missing 2 of 3 its original knobs, plus the trem bar. These pix were taken before I replaced them with these ribbed speed knobs:

It's just an amazing guitar, to both look at and to play. Incredible range of settings and sounds, including coil tapping on the humbuckers and on/off switching for the centre single coil pup.

Finally, my current "rescue" guitar:
1981 Vantage Avenger AV310
It's still in the process of being stripped and refinished but here's how it looked as purchased, stickers and all!

All ready for clean up and restoration:

[charles]

The body designs of your Avenger/Spectrum acquisitions are really doing it for me.

Keep fighting the good fight!

[Barry]

(Uh oh! )
The Matsumoku built guitars really are exceptional Charles, with the most incredible necks you've ever played! And for the most part the pups are also outstanding.

Right now they're mostly undervalued (good for me!) and overlooked (good for me again!) however, Westones and Aria Pro II's are gaining a following and the prices on eBoink are climbing ridiculously as I write, especially in England and Europe.

So...come on over to the Dark Side while you still can Charles...we have cookies.

[charles]

Ha ha - your Vantage/Westone/Arias are safe from me.

I'm refinishing my basement floor and have had to move all the gits out of the music room - I find myself questioning/lamenting the amount of gear I have already (don't tell my wife! )...

[Barry]

I feel yer pain my brother! I too am about to ceramic tile the basement washroom...and finish the rough in.
My wife has also been giving me grief. Counting the blue rescue Avenger above I now have 19!! And that ain't counting the amps, keyboards, and PA!

It's actually more the ^%$&* cases rather than the guitars themselves that cause the problem. I haven't yet found a way to deal with them. I rotate the guitars 4 at a time about once a week but it's a pain swapping them in and out of their respective cases. (sigh) Meantime they line up behind the door, two deep. across the wall. 'Hard to explain to one who does not play WHY you need more than one guitar!