*Note, for the purpose of this page, "instruments" refers to guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments. Stuff like my piano can be found on the "Other Equipment" page.
Current Instruments
Brand: Yamaha
Model: 2000 EG 112
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2000-Present
Modifications: Seymour Duncan SH-1n bridge pickup, middle/neck pickups removed
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This was my first guitar, I got it for Christmas in 2000. It came in a starter pack with a strap, a small practice amp, an instructional VHS tape (oh jeez, VHS? I'm old...), etc...for a starter pack guitar, this thing is actually pretty decent! I've done a lot to it over the years, I swapped out the bridge pickup for a Seymour Duncan '59 (I accidentally bought the neck version of the pickup, but it sounds surprisingly good in the bridge!), removed the other two pickups and left the selector switch to act as a "killswitch," and plastered the thing in stickers. The "inlays" are actually white electrical tape, and I went through a phase where I thought "relic" guitars looked cool, so I sanded some of the finish off and scuffed up/dented the body in various places. We all do dumb stuff when we're 16, right? Anyway, this guitar is still part of my arsenal, I mainly use it for alternate tunings that I don't typically use (mainly when I'm covering songs like "Rebellion" or "Easier to Run" for my Youtube channel).
Model: 2000 EG 112
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2000-Present
Modifications: Seymour Duncan SH-1n bridge pickup, middle/neck pickups removed
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This was my first guitar, I got it for Christmas in 2000. It came in a starter pack with a strap, a small practice amp, an instructional VHS tape (oh jeez, VHS? I'm old...), etc...for a starter pack guitar, this thing is actually pretty decent! I've done a lot to it over the years, I swapped out the bridge pickup for a Seymour Duncan '59 (I accidentally bought the neck version of the pickup, but it sounds surprisingly good in the bridge!), removed the other two pickups and left the selector switch to act as a "killswitch," and plastered the thing in stickers. The "inlays" are actually white electrical tape, and I went through a phase where I thought "relic" guitars looked cool, so I sanded some of the finish off and scuffed up/dented the body in various places. We all do dumb stuff when we're 16, right? Anyway, this guitar is still part of my arsenal, I mainly use it for alternate tunings that I don't typically use (mainly when I'm covering songs like "Rebellion" or "Easier to Run" for my Youtube channel).
Brand: Guild
Model: 1982 X-82 Nova
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2005-2010, 2015-Present
Modifications: Custom pickguard artwork, aftermarket Kahler tremolo, non-original knobs
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This is an ABSURDLY rare guitar - Guild's production records show that only 460 of these instruments were produced between 1981-1984. I've never seen another one in person! This guitar was originally purchased from the old Wright Guitar shop in northeast Ohio by my uncle in the mid-'80s. The Kahler tremolo was installed at the same time the guitar was purchased (some later versions of this model came with a Kahler as a factory option, but the 1981-1982 models came stock with a tune-o-matic/stopbar bridge and tailpiece). My uncle passed away from cancer at a very young age a couple years later, and my dad kept this guitar locked up in its case for many years afterward. Once I had been playing for a few years, he finally got this thing out again and let me start using it. It was my #2 guitar after my Flying V for a couple years, until I bought my Ibanez RG in 2007. I still used this guitar quite a bit after that, up until I moved to Minnesota in 2010. Knowing the sentimental attachment my dad had to his brother's guitar, I decided to leave it with him when I moved. My brother used it pretty extensively after that. After my dad passed away in the summer of 2015, my brother surprised me and told me I could have this guitar back if I wanted it. I didn't do much with the guitar for several years after that, but I started restoring it in 2018. So far, I've swapped out the knobs (a couple times, actually), stripped the large pinup girl-style decal off the back of the guitar (I hated it to begin with, and also discovered that it had been applied with several layers of Scotchgard or some other type of non-guitar-friendly clear coat material over the top of it, which affected the guitar's sustain), installed a new locking nut to make the Kahler usable again, and replaced all of the electronics except for the pickups. The stock pickups sound great, but are unfortunately pretty microphonic, so I'm looking at replacing them eventually as well.
Model: 1982 X-82 Nova
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2005-2010, 2015-Present
Modifications: Custom pickguard artwork, aftermarket Kahler tremolo, non-original knobs
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This is an ABSURDLY rare guitar - Guild's production records show that only 460 of these instruments were produced between 1981-1984. I've never seen another one in person! This guitar was originally purchased from the old Wright Guitar shop in northeast Ohio by my uncle in the mid-'80s. The Kahler tremolo was installed at the same time the guitar was purchased (some later versions of this model came with a Kahler as a factory option, but the 1981-1982 models came stock with a tune-o-matic/stopbar bridge and tailpiece). My uncle passed away from cancer at a very young age a couple years later, and my dad kept this guitar locked up in its case for many years afterward. Once I had been playing for a few years, he finally got this thing out again and let me start using it. It was my #2 guitar after my Flying V for a couple years, until I bought my Ibanez RG in 2007. I still used this guitar quite a bit after that, up until I moved to Minnesota in 2010. Knowing the sentimental attachment my dad had to his brother's guitar, I decided to leave it with him when I moved. My brother used it pretty extensively after that. After my dad passed away in the summer of 2015, my brother surprised me and told me I could have this guitar back if I wanted it. I didn't do much with the guitar for several years after that, but I started restoring it in 2018. So far, I've swapped out the knobs (a couple times, actually), stripped the large pinup girl-style decal off the back of the guitar (I hated it to begin with, and also discovered that it had been applied with several layers of Scotchgard or some other type of non-guitar-friendly clear coat material over the top of it, which affected the guitar's sustain), installed a new locking nut to make the Kahler usable again, and replaced all of the electronics except for the pickups. The stock pickups sound great, but are unfortunately pretty microphonic, so I'm looking at replacing them eventually as well.
Brand: MS Guitars/Synsonics
Model: MS #2 (Custom guitar/restoration project)
Finish: Bronze Sparkle
Years Used: 2006-2010, 2015-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This is one of three instruments my dad built under the "MS Guitars" name - the other two were a short-scale bass and a vintage-looking 3-pickup guitar with a Bigsby-style tremolo on it. I want to say this guitar was an 18th birthday/graduation present my dad put together for me, but my memory isn't the best. As best as I've been able to tell, this guitar started life as a late 80s/early 90s "Synsonics" guitar - the small body, slightly shorter 24" scale, and hardware/electronics are all consistent with various Synsonics guitars I've seen, however I haven't been able to track down one with this exact set of specs (it's most similar to some of the "Terminator" models, but lacks the tremolo and built-in amp). This guitar has a bit of an identity crisis going on, it has a body style and angled, pointy headstock like a Jackson/Kramer or some other kind of "80s shredder" guitar, but it has single-coil pickups and totally sounds like a Strat! The paint on this thing is really cool too, my dad mixed a ton of powdered bronze in with the paint before he finished the guitar, and it sparkles spectacularly under the right lighting. Like the Guild, this is one of the guitars I didn't bring with me when I first moved to Minnesota, but I re-acquired it in 2015 after my dad passed away. The action on this guitar is extremely high (the nut is very tall), so I tend to use it for the rare occasions when I play slide guitar.
Model: MS #2 (Custom guitar/restoration project)
Finish: Bronze Sparkle
Years Used: 2006-2010, 2015-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This is one of three instruments my dad built under the "MS Guitars" name - the other two were a short-scale bass and a vintage-looking 3-pickup guitar with a Bigsby-style tremolo on it. I want to say this guitar was an 18th birthday/graduation present my dad put together for me, but my memory isn't the best. As best as I've been able to tell, this guitar started life as a late 80s/early 90s "Synsonics" guitar - the small body, slightly shorter 24" scale, and hardware/electronics are all consistent with various Synsonics guitars I've seen, however I haven't been able to track down one with this exact set of specs (it's most similar to some of the "Terminator" models, but lacks the tremolo and built-in amp). This guitar has a bit of an identity crisis going on, it has a body style and angled, pointy headstock like a Jackson/Kramer or some other kind of "80s shredder" guitar, but it has single-coil pickups and totally sounds like a Strat! The paint on this thing is really cool too, my dad mixed a ton of powdered bronze in with the paint before he finished the guitar, and it sparkles spectacularly under the right lighting. Like the Guild, this is one of the guitars I didn't bring with me when I first moved to Minnesota, but I re-acquired it in 2015 after my dad passed away. The action on this guitar is extremely high (the nut is very tall), so I tend to use it for the rare occasions when I play slide guitar.
Brand: Fernandes
Model: 2006 Dragonfly Pro
Finish: Gun Metal Blue Satin
Years Used: 2012-Present
Modifications: Autographed/personalized, non-original strap buttons
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This guitar was previously used by Linkin Park's Brad Delson as a backup guitar, and it ended up being used for a couple live performances of "No More Sorrow" in June of 2011. The following year, I developed a friendship with Brad's guitar tech Sean Paden and did some work for his Green Guitar Project line of eco-friendly guitars. As a thank-you for my work, as well as a way for the band to recognize my own website (yes, they're aware of it!), Sean and all six members of the band autographed/personalized the guitar and sent it to me as a surprise gift. I don't really use this guitar much, both because of all the signatures/writing on it, and because it didn't have strap buttons when I got it (they were removed along with the strap lock assembly before the guitar was sent to me). However, I have used it on a few recordings, most notably the droning "feedback chords" at the start of my remix of "Lost in the Echo." I finally put some new strap buttons on this guitar in early 2019. Funny story about this guitar: I thought for years that the second knob didn't do anything and must have been a disabled tone control...turns out this guitar doesn't have a tone control at all! The second knob is an "intensity" control for the sustainer pickup. I literally never tried messing with it while I had the sustainer turned on, because I thought it didn't do anything!
Model: 2006 Dragonfly Pro
Finish: Gun Metal Blue Satin
Years Used: 2012-Present
Modifications: Autographed/personalized, non-original strap buttons
Current Status: Active use
Notes: This guitar was previously used by Linkin Park's Brad Delson as a backup guitar, and it ended up being used for a couple live performances of "No More Sorrow" in June of 2011. The following year, I developed a friendship with Brad's guitar tech Sean Paden and did some work for his Green Guitar Project line of eco-friendly guitars. As a thank-you for my work, as well as a way for the band to recognize my own website (yes, they're aware of it!), Sean and all six members of the band autographed/personalized the guitar and sent it to me as a surprise gift. I don't really use this guitar much, both because of all the signatures/writing on it, and because it didn't have strap buttons when I got it (they were removed along with the strap lock assembly before the guitar was sent to me). However, I have used it on a few recordings, most notably the droning "feedback chords" at the start of my remix of "Lost in the Echo." I finally put some new strap buttons on this guitar in early 2019. Funny story about this guitar: I thought for years that the second knob didn't do anything and must have been a disabled tone control...turns out this guitar doesn't have a tone control at all! The second knob is an "intensity" control for the sustainer pickup. I literally never tried messing with it while I had the sustainer turned on, because I thought it didn't do anything!
Brand: Fender
Model: 2000/2001 Standard Stratocaster
Finish: Midnight Blue
Years Used: 2013-Present
Modifications: Fender American Professional solid rosewood replacement neck, Fender locking tuners, tortoise shell pickguard and back plate, Tremol-No system added
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I had been looking for a Strat for a long time, and finally found a good deal on a used one through the Used Gear section on Guitar Center's website. While it was being sold as a "used" instrument, it still had the original plastic covering on the pickguard. Somebody apparently bought this thing new and hardly played it! I got it for $200 less than what a new Strat would cost. With the money I saved, I immediately purchased a Tremol-No and had it professionally installed. This device allows me to switch from a full-floating tremolo, to a tremolo that only moves downward (similar to the old "blocking off" trick in the back cavity), to a completely locked-down bridge that functions like a hardtail. This makes changing strings a breeze, and I can switch tunings easily when I need to as well. In the spring of 2017, I swapped out the stock machine heads for locking Schaller tuners, and that's the state the guitar stayed in for the next four years. Over time, this guitar developed some issues with buzzing/fretting out at the first few frets because of excessive back bow in the neck, and it eventually got to the point that I had loosened the truss rod as far as it would go, and it still wasn't enough to give the neck any relief. I decided to go all-in on upgrading this guitar no matter how expensive it ended up being compared to its original value, so I bought an all-rosewood American Strat replacement neck in the spring of 2021, and fitted it with Fender's drop-in locking tuners. I love the new neck, it plays really nice, and I even have a 22nd fret now! I finished off upgrading this guitar in 2024 by swapping out the white pickguard and back plate for tortoise shell ones, I felt like they matched the look of the rosewood nicely. *Note: Photo used is not my guitar, it's just an example of what it looked like before all the modifications. Photo of my actual guitar coming soon!
Model: 2000/2001 Standard Stratocaster
Finish: Midnight Blue
Years Used: 2013-Present
Modifications: Fender American Professional solid rosewood replacement neck, Fender locking tuners, tortoise shell pickguard and back plate, Tremol-No system added
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I had been looking for a Strat for a long time, and finally found a good deal on a used one through the Used Gear section on Guitar Center's website. While it was being sold as a "used" instrument, it still had the original plastic covering on the pickguard. Somebody apparently bought this thing new and hardly played it! I got it for $200 less than what a new Strat would cost. With the money I saved, I immediately purchased a Tremol-No and had it professionally installed. This device allows me to switch from a full-floating tremolo, to a tremolo that only moves downward (similar to the old "blocking off" trick in the back cavity), to a completely locked-down bridge that functions like a hardtail. This makes changing strings a breeze, and I can switch tunings easily when I need to as well. In the spring of 2017, I swapped out the stock machine heads for locking Schaller tuners, and that's the state the guitar stayed in for the next four years. Over time, this guitar developed some issues with buzzing/fretting out at the first few frets because of excessive back bow in the neck, and it eventually got to the point that I had loosened the truss rod as far as it would go, and it still wasn't enough to give the neck any relief. I decided to go all-in on upgrading this guitar no matter how expensive it ended up being compared to its original value, so I bought an all-rosewood American Strat replacement neck in the spring of 2021, and fitted it with Fender's drop-in locking tuners. I love the new neck, it plays really nice, and I even have a 22nd fret now! I finished off upgrading this guitar in 2024 by swapping out the white pickguard and back plate for tortoise shell ones, I felt like they matched the look of the rosewood nicely. *Note: Photo used is not my guitar, it's just an example of what it looked like before all the modifications. Photo of my actual guitar coming soon!
Brand: Schecter
Model: 2014 Diamond-P Custom-4
Finish: Vintage White
Years Used: 2015-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I was recruited to play bass in a band in the spring of 2014, but I didn't have a bass at the time, so I spent almost a year borrowing a Yamaha bass from our guitarist. I bought this bass in February of 2015, I actually purchased it directly from Schecter as it had been discontinued and they were liquidating their remaining stock at a heavily discounted price. This thing sounds MASSIVE, to the point that the old Fender Bassman amp I was using at the time couldn't handle this bass's high output. We spent a good chunk of band fund money on a new amp after I got this bass! I love the finish on it too, you can't go wrong with a black pickguard on a white instrument. Even though I'm primarily a guitar player, this was the most-used instrument in my arsenal for several years, as I was playing bass in two different bands for a considerable length of time. Due to years of heavy gig use, this bass has had a few parts replaced, namely two of the three pots plus the output jack. It's going to need new tuners soon too, open-back tuners don't hold up well after about the third or fourth time they've had beer spilled on them!
Model: 2014 Diamond-P Custom-4
Finish: Vintage White
Years Used: 2015-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I was recruited to play bass in a band in the spring of 2014, but I didn't have a bass at the time, so I spent almost a year borrowing a Yamaha bass from our guitarist. I bought this bass in February of 2015, I actually purchased it directly from Schecter as it had been discontinued and they were liquidating their remaining stock at a heavily discounted price. This thing sounds MASSIVE, to the point that the old Fender Bassman amp I was using at the time couldn't handle this bass's high output. We spent a good chunk of band fund money on a new amp after I got this bass! I love the finish on it too, you can't go wrong with a black pickguard on a white instrument. Even though I'm primarily a guitar player, this was the most-used instrument in my arsenal for several years, as I was playing bass in two different bands for a considerable length of time. Due to years of heavy gig use, this bass has had a few parts replaced, namely two of the three pots plus the output jack. It's going to need new tuners soon too, open-back tuners don't hold up well after about the third or fourth time they've had beer spilled on them!
Brand: Yamaha
Model: 2017 FGX800C
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2017-Present
Modifications: Added top strap button
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After many years of playing an Ovation acoustic/electric that wasn't exactly my cup of tea (see the entry for my Ovation CK057), I finally sold it in September of 2017 and bought this more traditional-styled Yamaha acoustic. I'm VERY happy with this guitar - I played three identical models when I was shopping for one (plus the very similar FSX series version of the same guitar) and picked what I felt was the best one of the bunch. I finally put a top strap button on this guitar in early 2019 so we could use it as a backup acoustic guitar for both of my bands' live shows.
Model: 2017 FGX800C
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2017-Present
Modifications: Added top strap button
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After many years of playing an Ovation acoustic/electric that wasn't exactly my cup of tea (see the entry for my Ovation CK057), I finally sold it in September of 2017 and bought this more traditional-styled Yamaha acoustic. I'm VERY happy with this guitar - I played three identical models when I was shopping for one (plus the very similar FSX series version of the same guitar) and picked what I felt was the best one of the bunch. I finally put a top strap button on this guitar in early 2019 so we could use it as a backup acoustic guitar for both of my bands' live shows.
Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: 2019 SE 277
Finish: Fire Red Burst
Years Used: 2019-Present
Modifications: PRS locking tuners
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After looking to buy a baritone for many years (the options for a non-multiscale baritone 6-string with passive electronics are surprisingly small these days!), I got a good deal on a display model SE 277 from Sweetwater near the end of 2019. Very nice guitar, surprisingly light and well-balanced for how long the neck is! I upgraded to locking tuners on this one in December of 2021, the same kind I already had on my SE Custom 24.
Model: 2019 SE 277
Finish: Fire Red Burst
Years Used: 2019-Present
Modifications: PRS locking tuners
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After looking to buy a baritone for many years (the options for a non-multiscale baritone 6-string with passive electronics are surprisingly small these days!), I got a good deal on a display model SE 277 from Sweetwater near the end of 2019. Very nice guitar, surprisingly light and well-balanced for how long the neck is! I upgraded to locking tuners on this one in December of 2021, the same kind I already had on my SE Custom 24.
Brand: Schecter
Model: 2018 Banshee-7 Extreme
Finish: Charcoal Burst
Years Used: 2020-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: Not long after I got my baritone, I also decided to look into getting a new 7-string, since I had sold my old Ibanez a while back. This Schecter solves all the problems I had with the Ibanez - It intonates better, it doesn't suffer from "neck dive," and it looks a hell of a lot nicer too! This one has a 26.5-inch scale that's somewhere between a "regular" guitar and a baritone, which really helps it play comfortably while also maintaining intonation on the low B string (I always had trouble with the low B pushing sharp on my Ibanez with its shorter scale length and lower string tension).
Model: 2018 Banshee-7 Extreme
Finish: Charcoal Burst
Years Used: 2020-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: Not long after I got my baritone, I also decided to look into getting a new 7-string, since I had sold my old Ibanez a while back. This Schecter solves all the problems I had with the Ibanez - It intonates better, it doesn't suffer from "neck dive," and it looks a hell of a lot nicer too! This one has a 26.5-inch scale that's somewhere between a "regular" guitar and a baritone, which really helps it play comfortably while also maintaining intonation on the low B string (I always had trouble with the low B pushing sharp on my Ibanez with its shorter scale length and lower string tension).
Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: SE Custom 24
Finish: Charcoal Fade
Years Used: 2020-Present
Modifications: PRS locking tuners
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After 13 years with my trusty Ibanez RG being my main guitar for drop-tuned "Linkin Park-ish" stuff, I decided it was time to upgrade. I initially had a bad experience with a defective Schecter that I bought from Musician's Friend and immediately returned (see the entry for my Schecter Omen-6 Extreme), but in July of 2020 I got a great deal on a display model of this guitar from Sweetwater, just like I did with my SE 277 (this guitar had one tiny scratch on the back that was barely visible, and they knocked $80 off the price - nice!). This one's in a limited edition "fade" finish that progresses from grey to black. I upgraded the tuners to the PRS-branded locking tuners in the spring of 2021, and I'm planning on upgrading a couple other things on this guitar (it has a Strat-style bridge, so I'll probably get some kind of locking mechanism like I have on my blue Strat), but I already like it a lot as it is.
Model: SE Custom 24
Finish: Charcoal Fade
Years Used: 2020-Present
Modifications: PRS locking tuners
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After 13 years with my trusty Ibanez RG being my main guitar for drop-tuned "Linkin Park-ish" stuff, I decided it was time to upgrade. I initially had a bad experience with a defective Schecter that I bought from Musician's Friend and immediately returned (see the entry for my Schecter Omen-6 Extreme), but in July of 2020 I got a great deal on a display model of this guitar from Sweetwater, just like I did with my SE 277 (this guitar had one tiny scratch on the back that was barely visible, and they knocked $80 off the price - nice!). This one's in a limited edition "fade" finish that progresses from grey to black. I upgraded the tuners to the PRS-branded locking tuners in the spring of 2021, and I'm planning on upgrading a couple other things on this guitar (it has a Strat-style bridge, so I'll probably get some kind of locking mechanism like I have on my blue Strat), but I already like it a lot as it is.
Brand: Guild
Model: 2021 F-2512CE Deluxe
Finish: Trans Black Burst
Years Used: 2022-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I hadn't owned a 12-string of any kind since I sold my Epiphone doubleneck in 2009, and I'd actually never owned a 12-string acoustic at all, so I bought one in early 2022. It's a beautiful, well-made, and LOUD jumbo-body with a cutaway.
Model: 2021 F-2512CE Deluxe
Finish: Trans Black Burst
Years Used: 2022-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I hadn't owned a 12-string of any kind since I sold my Epiphone doubleneck in 2009, and I'd actually never owned a 12-string acoustic at all, so I bought one in early 2022. It's a beautiful, well-made, and LOUD jumbo-body with a cutaway.
Brand: Yamaha
Model: Revstar RSE20
Finish: Neon Yellow
Years Used: 2022-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After making the somewhat difficult decision to part ways with my Flying V, I decided to pick this guitar up to fill the dual-humbucker, 24.75-inch scale role that the Flying V previously did. I've been a big fan of the Revstar line for years, I just never had a good reason to buy one until now. I went with the neon yellow finish because it was one of those "that's so hideous, I actually want it just for how ridiculous it is" kind of things. The fret ends were a little rough on this one and had to be filed down, but otherwise it's a great guitar that punches way above its price point (like most Yamaha products).
Model: Revstar RSE20
Finish: Neon Yellow
Years Used: 2022-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: After making the somewhat difficult decision to part ways with my Flying V, I decided to pick this guitar up to fill the dual-humbucker, 24.75-inch scale role that the Flying V previously did. I've been a big fan of the Revstar line for years, I just never had a good reason to buy one until now. I went with the neon yellow finish because it was one of those "that's so hideous, I actually want it just for how ridiculous it is" kind of things. The fret ends were a little rough on this one and had to be filed down, but otherwise it's a great guitar that punches way above its price point (like most Yamaha products).
Brand: Squier
Model: Classic Vibe Bass VI (CME exclusive edition)
Finish: Walnut
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I'd always wanted a Bass VI, but Fender typically only offers them as custom shop models that cost $3,000 or more (go figure - they released the Vintera II '60s Bass VI less than a year after I bought this!). I had Schecter's version of one (the Hellcat VI) on my Musician's Friend wishlist for over 3 years, but it was NEVER in stock! I discovered Chicago Music Exchange's assortment of Fender/Squier exclusive models at some point in 2022, and a short time later, they offered this Bass VI model. I pre-ordered it, and received it at the end of January in 2023. Unlike the typical Classic Vibe Bass VI's, this one has a maple neck with binding and block inlays, and the walnut finish looks really cool. I'm probably going to upgrade the bridge on this, but otherwise it's a lot of fun.
Model: Classic Vibe Bass VI (CME exclusive edition)
Finish: Walnut
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I'd always wanted a Bass VI, but Fender typically only offers them as custom shop models that cost $3,000 or more (go figure - they released the Vintera II '60s Bass VI less than a year after I bought this!). I had Schecter's version of one (the Hellcat VI) on my Musician's Friend wishlist for over 3 years, but it was NEVER in stock! I discovered Chicago Music Exchange's assortment of Fender/Squier exclusive models at some point in 2022, and a short time later, they offered this Bass VI model. I pre-ordered it, and received it at the end of January in 2023. Unlike the typical Classic Vibe Bass VI's, this one has a maple neck with binding and block inlays, and the walnut finish looks really cool. I'm probably going to upgrade the bridge on this, but otherwise it's a lot of fun.
Brand: Firefly
Model: FFLGS 12/6 Doubleneck
Finish: Off-White
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: With my recently-purchased unbranded/BCS doubleneck turning out to be a dud, I kept plugging away at trying to find another doubleneck option, and had Firefly recommended to me by a few people. This guitar thankfully had no major issues, and I finally have a "keeper" doubleneck now! I'm sure I'll be upgrading pickups and hardware on this one eventually, but for now I'm super happy with it.
Model: FFLGS 12/6 Doubleneck
Finish: Off-White
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: With my recently-purchased unbranded/BCS doubleneck turning out to be a dud, I kept plugging away at trying to find another doubleneck option, and had Firefly recommended to me by a few people. This guitar thankfully had no major issues, and I finally have a "keeper" doubleneck now! I'm sure I'll be upgrading pickups and hardware on this one eventually, but for now I'm super happy with it.
Brand: Rivolta
Model: Mondata VIII
Finish: Fuoco Burst
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: In April of 2023, I had an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone: One of my guitars was stolen. In this case, it was a really cool Japanese non-reverse Firebird made as a collaboration between Kaminari and History Guitars (see the entry for my Kaminari x History KH-Cygnet). I ordered it off Reverb...and someone swiped it from the entryway of my apartment building right after it was delivered. Never even got to take it out of the box. I'll probably never see that guitar again...but there was a somewhat happy ending to the story, as I acquired this Rivolta under incredibly fortunate circumstances shortly afterward. So I still ended up with a Firebird-style guitar, and this one even has a third pickup! Note that this is one of the older model Mondatas that had white pickguards instead of the cream/gold-colored ones found on the newer models. In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of the ones I listed for sale because I knew I could get a decent amount of money for it...but nobody bought it. I ended up using this guitar to record the majority of the rhythm guitar tracks on my band's album later that summer, so I decided to keep the guitar after all.
Model: Mondata VIII
Finish: Fuoco Burst
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: In April of 2023, I had an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone: One of my guitars was stolen. In this case, it was a really cool Japanese non-reverse Firebird made as a collaboration between Kaminari and History Guitars (see the entry for my Kaminari x History KH-Cygnet). I ordered it off Reverb...and someone swiped it from the entryway of my apartment building right after it was delivered. Never even got to take it out of the box. I'll probably never see that guitar again...but there was a somewhat happy ending to the story, as I acquired this Rivolta under incredibly fortunate circumstances shortly afterward. So I still ended up with a Firebird-style guitar, and this one even has a third pickup! Note that this is one of the older model Mondatas that had white pickguards instead of the cream/gold-colored ones found on the newer models. In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of the ones I listed for sale because I knew I could get a decent amount of money for it...but nobody bought it. I ended up using this guitar to record the majority of the rhythm guitar tracks on my band's album later that summer, so I decided to keep the guitar after all.
Brand: Fender
Model: MIJ Limited International Color Stratocaster
Finish: Sahara Taupe
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I always planned on picking up a second Strat EVENTUALLY...but when Fender dropped this limited run in mid-2023, I made the (probably irresponsible) decision to order one as an impulse buy. This ticked a lot of boxes for me, I was looking for something with a maple neck, I've always loved the larger-style headstock found on '70s Strats, I think Japanese Fenders are the best instruments Fender makes in terms of price-to-quality ratio, and it came in a unique color. Fender Japan also uses basswood on a lot of their Strats instead of the alder found on the USA/Mexico models, so it's tonally a tad different than a "typical" Strat as well. I'd never played a Fender with a U-shaped neck profile before, so I was a little surprised by how huge the neck is, but I have big hands, so it's not really a problem for me.
Model: MIJ Limited International Color Stratocaster
Finish: Sahara Taupe
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I always planned on picking up a second Strat EVENTUALLY...but when Fender dropped this limited run in mid-2023, I made the (probably irresponsible) decision to order one as an impulse buy. This ticked a lot of boxes for me, I was looking for something with a maple neck, I've always loved the larger-style headstock found on '70s Strats, I think Japanese Fenders are the best instruments Fender makes in terms of price-to-quality ratio, and it came in a unique color. Fender Japan also uses basswood on a lot of their Strats instead of the alder found on the USA/Mexico models, so it's tonally a tad different than a "typical" Strat as well. I'd never played a Fender with a U-shaped neck profile before, so I was a little surprised by how huge the neck is, but I have big hands, so it's not really a problem for me.
Brand: Ibanez
Model: Artcore Expressionist AG85
Finish: Black Flat
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I got this guitar for an absolutely stupid price (I'm talking like, nearly 50% off retail) from a Reverb seller in June of 2023. It's a really cool archtop "jazz box" with floating pickups, and I love the all-black look combined with the gold hardware (about the only situation when I DO like gold hardware!). Turns out this was a factory second that was marked as defective because it's missing the side dot position marker at the 9th fret. How does an Ibanez factory second even end up in the U.S. in 2023? I have no idea, but it's mine now!
Model: Artcore Expressionist AG85
Finish: Black Flat
Years Used: 2023-Present
Current Status: Active use
Notes: I got this guitar for an absolutely stupid price (I'm talking like, nearly 50% off retail) from a Reverb seller in June of 2023. It's a really cool archtop "jazz box" with floating pickups, and I love the all-black look combined with the gold hardware (about the only situation when I DO like gold hardware!). Turns out this was a factory second that was marked as defective because it's missing the side dot position marker at the 9th fret. How does an Ibanez factory second even end up in the U.S. in 2023? I have no idea, but it's mine now!
Former Instruments
Brand: Ibanez
Model: 2003 AX7221
Finish: Pewter Grey
Years Used: 2003-2018
Current Status: Sold (July 2018)
Notes: I had been playing guitar for a couple years, and had just started getting into learning Linkin Park songs, when I decided I wanted a 7-string to play With You and Runaway without having to down-tune like crazy. I want to say I got this guitar at the same time I got my Fender Champ (which would've been my 15th birthday). This guitar had a few different stickers on it over the years (most consistently, there was an 8-ball sticker in between the pickups for the majority of the time I had the guitar), and I also had Dunlop strap locks on it. It stuck around in my arsenal for a little over 15 years, but I almost NEVER used it - outside of playing those two songs, I briefly used it with one of my college ensembles when we had "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil in our setlist, and other than that, it spent the majority of its time collecting dust in my guitar rack. I finally sold it in the summer of 2018 when I was getting rid of some other gear that I hadn't been using. I ended up buying a new Schecter 7-string about a year and a half later.
Model: 2003 AX7221
Finish: Pewter Grey
Years Used: 2003-2018
Current Status: Sold (July 2018)
Notes: I had been playing guitar for a couple years, and had just started getting into learning Linkin Park songs, when I decided I wanted a 7-string to play With You and Runaway without having to down-tune like crazy. I want to say I got this guitar at the same time I got my Fender Champ (which would've been my 15th birthday). This guitar had a few different stickers on it over the years (most consistently, there was an 8-ball sticker in between the pickups for the majority of the time I had the guitar), and I also had Dunlop strap locks on it. It stuck around in my arsenal for a little over 15 years, but I almost NEVER used it - outside of playing those two songs, I briefly used it with one of my college ensembles when we had "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil in our setlist, and other than that, it spent the majority of its time collecting dust in my guitar rack. I finally sold it in the summer of 2018 when I was getting rid of some other gear that I hadn't been using. I ended up buying a new Schecter 7-string about a year and a half later.
Brand: Ovation
Model: 2004 CK057
Finish: Crimson Red Pearl
Years Used: 2004-2017
Current Status: Sold (September 2017)
Notes: I put a lot of miles on this guitar...I got it while I was still in high school, and played it until I was almost 30 years old! I dropped this guitar backstage during rehearsals for my high school talent show less than a year after I got it, and broke a large chunk of the headstock off (it broke in a really odd fashion, the crack went vertically through the low E and A tuning pegs). My dad fixed it for me, and I had no issues with it in the following years, but it always bugged me that the crack was visible. Anyway, I had a love/hate relationship with this guitar...I always felt like I could never get the action low enough for my liking, I didn't care for the way the round back made the guitar "lean" at an awkward angle against my body when I tried playing it standing up, and being that most of the body was made of plastic, it didn't sound very good unplugged. I found myself borrowing acoustic guitars from other people for gigs pretty frequently once I started doing solo gigs in 2011! The last time I used this guitar was at the St. Paul, Minnesota memorial gathering for Chester Bennington in August of 2017 (I performed a short Linkin Park cover set), and I ended up trading it in for my Yamaha the following month.
Model: 2004 CK057
Finish: Crimson Red Pearl
Years Used: 2004-2017
Current Status: Sold (September 2017)
Notes: I put a lot of miles on this guitar...I got it while I was still in high school, and played it until I was almost 30 years old! I dropped this guitar backstage during rehearsals for my high school talent show less than a year after I got it, and broke a large chunk of the headstock off (it broke in a really odd fashion, the crack went vertically through the low E and A tuning pegs). My dad fixed it for me, and I had no issues with it in the following years, but it always bugged me that the crack was visible. Anyway, I had a love/hate relationship with this guitar...I always felt like I could never get the action low enough for my liking, I didn't care for the way the round back made the guitar "lean" at an awkward angle against my body when I tried playing it standing up, and being that most of the body was made of plastic, it didn't sound very good unplugged. I found myself borrowing acoustic guitars from other people for gigs pretty frequently once I started doing solo gigs in 2011! The last time I used this guitar was at the St. Paul, Minnesota memorial gathering for Chester Bennington in August of 2017 (I performed a short Linkin Park cover set), and I ended up trading it in for my Yamaha the following month.
Brand: Rogue
Model: B30 Deluxe Banjo
Finish: N/A
Years Used: 2005-2010
Current Status: Unknown (Loaned to friend, March 2010 - current whereabouts unknown)
Notes: Once I'd been playing guitar for a few years and had built up some decent chops, I started exploring a lot of different styles of music just to see what I was good at and/or enjoyed playing. I went through a phase in my junior year of high school where I was listening to a LOT of folk/Americana acoustic-based stuff, so my parents decided to buy a starter-level banjo and mandolin for me, both were by Musician's Friend's in-house brand, Rogue. The banjo had some issues with the neck that made it pretty uncomfortable to play, so once I figured out the basics on it, I more or less set it aside and stopped playing it. As I was getting ready to move to Minnesota in the spring of 2010 and deciding what all I was going to take with me, one of my friends mentioned that he'd always really wanted to learn to play banjo. I didn't have a case for mine, so traveling with it probably wouldn't have been a great idea. I told my friend he could have my banjo for as long as he wanted, and I'd let him know if I ever wanted it back for some reason. I lost touch with this friend a few years later, and I have no idea if he still has the banjo or not. I don't really care, as I'm at the point where if I ever want a banjo again, I'll probably just buy a higher-quality one myself.
Model: B30 Deluxe Banjo
Finish: N/A
Years Used: 2005-2010
Current Status: Unknown (Loaned to friend, March 2010 - current whereabouts unknown)
Notes: Once I'd been playing guitar for a few years and had built up some decent chops, I started exploring a lot of different styles of music just to see what I was good at and/or enjoyed playing. I went through a phase in my junior year of high school where I was listening to a LOT of folk/Americana acoustic-based stuff, so my parents decided to buy a starter-level banjo and mandolin for me, both were by Musician's Friend's in-house brand, Rogue. The banjo had some issues with the neck that made it pretty uncomfortable to play, so once I figured out the basics on it, I more or less set it aside and stopped playing it. As I was getting ready to move to Minnesota in the spring of 2010 and deciding what all I was going to take with me, one of my friends mentioned that he'd always really wanted to learn to play banjo. I didn't have a case for mine, so traveling with it probably wouldn't have been a great idea. I told my friend he could have my banjo for as long as he wanted, and I'd let him know if I ever wanted it back for some reason. I lost touch with this friend a few years later, and I have no idea if he still has the banjo or not. I don't really care, as I'm at the point where if I ever want a banjo again, I'll probably just buy a higher-quality one myself.
Brand: Rogue
Model: RM110AE Acoustic-Electric Mandolin
Finish: Sunburst
Years Used: 2005-2018
Current Status: Sold (October 2018)
Notes: While I didn't end up sticking with the banjo (see above), I really took a liking to the mandolin and kept it with me for many years. This one had a pickup and electric guitar-style volume and tone knobs, but it had super low output when plugged in so it wasn't much use for recording. I decided to sell this instrument in 2018 because I intended to buy a higher-quality mandolin, but that ended up not happening. Still planning on buying another one someday though!
Model: RM110AE Acoustic-Electric Mandolin
Finish: Sunburst
Years Used: 2005-2018
Current Status: Sold (October 2018)
Notes: While I didn't end up sticking with the banjo (see above), I really took a liking to the mandolin and kept it with me for many years. This one had a pickup and electric guitar-style volume and tone knobs, but it had super low output when plugged in so it wasn't much use for recording. I decided to sell this instrument in 2018 because I intended to buy a higher-quality mandolin, but that ended up not happening. Still planning on buying another one someday though!
Brand: Epiphone
Model: 2005 G1275 Custom
Finish: Heritage Cherry
Years Used: 2005-2009
Current Status: Sold (July 2009)
Notes: I had this thing for a few years, and while the visual appeal of the doubleneck was cool, I really didn't have much use for it at the time. I'd pick it up, try noodling around on it, and just end up playing "Stairway to Heaven" or "Hotel California." And even though this was approximately a $900 instrument (in 2005 money!), it still suffered from poor craftsmanship like most other Epiphones I've seen over the years (other people SWEAR by Epiphone, I don't know if I've just had bad luck with them or what, but I've never liked a single one I've picked up). It didn't intonate properly, the output jack was too tight to plug a cable into without popping the hex nut off of the threads (you can see it's even missing in this photo), and the frets were VERY poorly installed. I ended up selling this guitar in July of 2009 to buy an Amtrak ticket to visit a friend in Minnesota that I met through the LPU. The following year, I moved in with her. In 2014, we got married. Yeah, I think selling this guitar was a good choice!
Model: 2005 G1275 Custom
Finish: Heritage Cherry
Years Used: 2005-2009
Current Status: Sold (July 2009)
Notes: I had this thing for a few years, and while the visual appeal of the doubleneck was cool, I really didn't have much use for it at the time. I'd pick it up, try noodling around on it, and just end up playing "Stairway to Heaven" or "Hotel California." And even though this was approximately a $900 instrument (in 2005 money!), it still suffered from poor craftsmanship like most other Epiphones I've seen over the years (other people SWEAR by Epiphone, I don't know if I've just had bad luck with them or what, but I've never liked a single one I've picked up). It didn't intonate properly, the output jack was too tight to plug a cable into without popping the hex nut off of the threads (you can see it's even missing in this photo), and the frets were VERY poorly installed. I ended up selling this guitar in July of 2009 to buy an Amtrak ticket to visit a friend in Minnesota that I met through the LPU. The following year, I moved in with her. In 2014, we got married. Yeah, I think selling this guitar was a good choice!
Brand: Gibson
Model: 2004 V-Factor X (Flying V)
Finish: Heritage Cherry
Years Used: 2005-2022
Modifications: Gibson Custombucker neck pickup, treble bleed tone circuit, non-original knobs, custom "SUE U" truss rod cover
Current Status: Sold (November 2022)
Notes: This was my #1 guitar for nearly 18 years. It had numerous battle scars, and underwent numerous modifications, including the installation of a Custombucker neck pickup and treble bleed mod in 2016, and several different sets of knobs from 2018 onwards. Unusually light for a Flying V too, at slightly under 6 and a half pounds! I really thought this would be a "lifer" guitar...Gibson ruined that with their business decisions. Between the "Play Authentic" debacle and the ridiculous trademark infringement lawsuits against Dean Guitars over guitar models that had been in production for decades without prior issue, I lost all desire to associate myself with the Gibson brand. I covered up their logo on this guitar's case, and I replaced the stock truss rod cover with one that reads "SUE U" in the summer of 2022, to make my feelings a bit more apparent. That was a short-term thing though, as I ultimately sold the guitar near the end of the year. A damn shame, as it sounded great and was incredibly comfortable to play, but I got to the point where I was so disgusted by Gibson as a company that I didn't even want to be seen with this guitar anymore. Oh well. I've got plenty of other guitars.
Photo Credit: Trevor Rodriguez
Model: 2004 V-Factor X (Flying V)
Finish: Heritage Cherry
Years Used: 2005-2022
Modifications: Gibson Custombucker neck pickup, treble bleed tone circuit, non-original knobs, custom "SUE U" truss rod cover
Current Status: Sold (November 2022)
Notes: This was my #1 guitar for nearly 18 years. It had numerous battle scars, and underwent numerous modifications, including the installation of a Custombucker neck pickup and treble bleed mod in 2016, and several different sets of knobs from 2018 onwards. Unusually light for a Flying V too, at slightly under 6 and a half pounds! I really thought this would be a "lifer" guitar...Gibson ruined that with their business decisions. Between the "Play Authentic" debacle and the ridiculous trademark infringement lawsuits against Dean Guitars over guitar models that had been in production for decades without prior issue, I lost all desire to associate myself with the Gibson brand. I covered up their logo on this guitar's case, and I replaced the stock truss rod cover with one that reads "SUE U" in the summer of 2022, to make my feelings a bit more apparent. That was a short-term thing though, as I ultimately sold the guitar near the end of the year. A damn shame, as it sounded great and was incredibly comfortable to play, but I got to the point where I was so disgusted by Gibson as a company that I didn't even want to be seen with this guitar anymore. Oh well. I've got plenty of other guitars.
Photo Credit: Trevor Rodriguez
Brand: Epiphone
Model: 2006 Les Paul Junior
Finish: Vintage Sunburst
Years Used: 2006-2009
Current Status: Retired/Destroyed (October 2009)
Notes: I bought this guitar for 100 bucks to function as a backup in case I broke a string on my Flying V during a show or something. Unfortunately, I quickly found out that it was way too crappy of an instrument to even fill that role. I expected shoddy craftsmanship, being about the cheapest electric Epiphone made at the time...however, I did NOT expect the intonation on the G string to be a quarter step sharp when the other 5 strings were in tune, on a wraparound tailpiece with no means of adjusting individual string intonation to begin with! This guitar was completely useless for anything that required using the G string. I briefly used it as a baritone guitar, but it sounded awful tuned down that low. It sat in my guitar rack collecting dust until one night in October of 2009, when...well, let's just say it got smashed up real good in a particularly angry situation. I'm normally not the guitar-smashing type, but this guitar was such a piece of junk that I probably would have brought it to a show at some point and destroyed it on stage if I hadn't smashed it that night anyway. Oh well. My brother salvaged the body from this guitar, repainted it blue, found a neck to go with it, and built a guitar for himself. That guitar ended up being an even bigger piece of junk than this one was, and he ended up destroying it for good a few years later, haha.
Model: 2006 Les Paul Junior
Finish: Vintage Sunburst
Years Used: 2006-2009
Current Status: Retired/Destroyed (October 2009)
Notes: I bought this guitar for 100 bucks to function as a backup in case I broke a string on my Flying V during a show or something. Unfortunately, I quickly found out that it was way too crappy of an instrument to even fill that role. I expected shoddy craftsmanship, being about the cheapest electric Epiphone made at the time...however, I did NOT expect the intonation on the G string to be a quarter step sharp when the other 5 strings were in tune, on a wraparound tailpiece with no means of adjusting individual string intonation to begin with! This guitar was completely useless for anything that required using the G string. I briefly used it as a baritone guitar, but it sounded awful tuned down that low. It sat in my guitar rack collecting dust until one night in October of 2009, when...well, let's just say it got smashed up real good in a particularly angry situation. I'm normally not the guitar-smashing type, but this guitar was such a piece of junk that I probably would have brought it to a show at some point and destroyed it on stage if I hadn't smashed it that night anyway. Oh well. My brother salvaged the body from this guitar, repainted it blue, found a neck to go with it, and built a guitar for himself. That guitar ended up being an even bigger piece of junk than this one was, and he ended up destroying it for good a few years later, haha.
Brand: Ibanez
Model: 2007 RG3EX1QM
Finish: Transparent Grey Burst
Years Used: 2007-2020
Current Status: Sold (August 2020)
Notes: This is the guitar I bought solely because of my YouTube channel - I wanted something that fit in the "Linkin Park realm" of being geared towards drop tunings and modern high-gain settings. By sheer coincidence, the same day I got my refund check from my student loans during my second semester of community college, I walked into Guitar Center, saw this thing hanging on the wall, went "Hey, an RG with passive pickups and a fixed bridge, you don't see too many of those," tried it out, loved it, and bought it on the spot. The money I got back from my student loans was gone in a matter of HOURS, haha. It turns out that this was one of the Guitar Center/Musician's Friend-exclusive RG models, so you don't see a ton of them in this exact configuration. I see a lot with flame tops instead of quilted tops, and I see a lot with V7 and V8 pickups instead of the "Designed by EMG" pickups mine has (although these pickups are essentially just a V7/V8 set with EMG-style covers on them anyway). This guitar was a workhorse of mine for over 13 years, including being featured on an overwhelming majority of my YouTube Linkin Park covers for most of the time I had it. That being said, I never cared for the hardware or inlays on this guitar, and as I built up my guitar collection over the following years, I came to the conclusion that I'd eventually need to upgrade to something better. Following a bad experience buying a Schecter from Musician's Friend, I got a good deal on a PRS SE Custom 24 in July of 2020, and sold this guitar the following month. Of all the guitars I've gotten rid of, this one was the hardest to part with because I'd done so much with it, but it was really time for an upgrade.
Model: 2007 RG3EX1QM
Finish: Transparent Grey Burst
Years Used: 2007-2020
Current Status: Sold (August 2020)
Notes: This is the guitar I bought solely because of my YouTube channel - I wanted something that fit in the "Linkin Park realm" of being geared towards drop tunings and modern high-gain settings. By sheer coincidence, the same day I got my refund check from my student loans during my second semester of community college, I walked into Guitar Center, saw this thing hanging on the wall, went "Hey, an RG with passive pickups and a fixed bridge, you don't see too many of those," tried it out, loved it, and bought it on the spot. The money I got back from my student loans was gone in a matter of HOURS, haha. It turns out that this was one of the Guitar Center/Musician's Friend-exclusive RG models, so you don't see a ton of them in this exact configuration. I see a lot with flame tops instead of quilted tops, and I see a lot with V7 and V8 pickups instead of the "Designed by EMG" pickups mine has (although these pickups are essentially just a V7/V8 set with EMG-style covers on them anyway). This guitar was a workhorse of mine for over 13 years, including being featured on an overwhelming majority of my YouTube Linkin Park covers for most of the time I had it. That being said, I never cared for the hardware or inlays on this guitar, and as I built up my guitar collection over the following years, I came to the conclusion that I'd eventually need to upgrade to something better. Following a bad experience buying a Schecter from Musician's Friend, I got a good deal on a PRS SE Custom 24 in July of 2020, and sold this guitar the following month. Of all the guitars I've gotten rid of, this one was the hardest to part with because I'd done so much with it, but it was really time for an upgrade.
Brand: Cordoba
Model: C3M
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2016-2020
Current Status: Sold (October 2020)
Notes: One of my classes during my sophomore year of music college required that I have a classical guitar, so I bought this cheap Cordoba to fulfill that need. Not a bad instrument for 200 bucks...I had literally never played classical at all before buying this thing, but I did surprisingly well in the class! I kept it for a few years afterward, but it always bugged me that it was the only guitar in my collection that I couldn't plug in to anything, so I started looking into finding an acoustic/electric nylon-string guitar instead. I ended up selling this one in the fall of 2020.
Photo Credit: Sweetwater
Model: C3M
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2016-2020
Current Status: Sold (October 2020)
Notes: One of my classes during my sophomore year of music college required that I have a classical guitar, so I bought this cheap Cordoba to fulfill that need. Not a bad instrument for 200 bucks...I had literally never played classical at all before buying this thing, but I did surprisingly well in the class! I kept it for a few years afterward, but it always bugged me that it was the only guitar in my collection that I couldn't plug in to anything, so I started looking into finding an acoustic/electric nylon-string guitar instead. I ended up selling this one in the fall of 2020.
Photo Credit: Sweetwater
Brand: Schecter
Model: 2015 Omen-6 Extreme
Finish: Ocean Blue Burst
Years Used: 2020
Current Status: Returned due to defect (June 2020)
Notes: In my nearly 20 years of buying guitars, I'd never had to return one before, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. I bought this guitar as a Stupid Deal of the Day on Musician's Friend in late June of 2020, thinking it would be an affordable upgrade to my Ibanez RG, which I had been thinking about selling. Obviously they'd had some of these sitting around the warehouse for a while, because the serial number revealed that it was a 5-year-old model! When this guitar arrived, I took it out of the box, took one look at it, and immediately decided to return it, as the strings weren't even close to lining up with the pole pieces on the pickups, and they seemed to be slightly off-center on the neck - either the bridge wasn't put in the right place, or the neck was put on slightly crooked. Either way, definitely far too expensive of a repair for a guitar in this price range, so I returned it. I was pretty bummed about it, I like Schecters and the blue was a nice color, but I ended up getting a good deal on my PRS SE Custom 24 shortly afterward.
Photo Credit: Musician's Friend
Model: 2015 Omen-6 Extreme
Finish: Ocean Blue Burst
Years Used: 2020
Current Status: Returned due to defect (June 2020)
Notes: In my nearly 20 years of buying guitars, I'd never had to return one before, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. I bought this guitar as a Stupid Deal of the Day on Musician's Friend in late June of 2020, thinking it would be an affordable upgrade to my Ibanez RG, which I had been thinking about selling. Obviously they'd had some of these sitting around the warehouse for a while, because the serial number revealed that it was a 5-year-old model! When this guitar arrived, I took it out of the box, took one look at it, and immediately decided to return it, as the strings weren't even close to lining up with the pole pieces on the pickups, and they seemed to be slightly off-center on the neck - either the bridge wasn't put in the right place, or the neck was put on slightly crooked. Either way, definitely far too expensive of a repair for a guitar in this price range, so I returned it. I was pretty bummed about it, I like Schecters and the blue was a nice color, but I ended up getting a good deal on my PRS SE Custom 24 shortly afterward.
Photo Credit: Musician's Friend
Brand: Danelectro
Model: Sitar
Finish: Red Crackle
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (July 2023)
Notes: This is a weird one, it's a reissue of the Coral electric sitar from the 1960s, as made famous on songs like "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones, "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone, "Do It Again" by Steely Dan, "Ten Years Gone" by Led Zeppelin, "Wherever I May Roam" by Metallica, etc... I'd always wanted one purely because of what a unique instrument it is. I'd had one on my Sweetwater wish list for literally about 4 years, and had never seen it in stock. In mid-2022, I just happened to see that they'd randomly gotten a couple of them in stock, and I FREAKED OUT and bought one on the spot because I had no idea when I'd get another chance. Anyway, as I said, it's a super unique instrument - the six main strings are tuned like a regular guitar, and there are 13 drone/"harp" strings on the upper part of the body that are tuned to a chromatic scale from E to E. There are three pickups (two on the guitar section and one on the drone section), and a volume/tone knob for each, so you can blend them to your liking. The sitar-like sound is created entirely by the unique "buzz bridge" design. I just think this thing is really cool! In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them. It was actually bought by Mike from The Art of Guitar on YouTube (he's another Minnesota native), so it definitely went to a good home! I plan on buying another one of these someday.
Model: Sitar
Finish: Red Crackle
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (July 2023)
Notes: This is a weird one, it's a reissue of the Coral electric sitar from the 1960s, as made famous on songs like "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones, "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone, "Do It Again" by Steely Dan, "Ten Years Gone" by Led Zeppelin, "Wherever I May Roam" by Metallica, etc... I'd always wanted one purely because of what a unique instrument it is. I'd had one on my Sweetwater wish list for literally about 4 years, and had never seen it in stock. In mid-2022, I just happened to see that they'd randomly gotten a couple of them in stock, and I FREAKED OUT and bought one on the spot because I had no idea when I'd get another chance. Anyway, as I said, it's a super unique instrument - the six main strings are tuned like a regular guitar, and there are 13 drone/"harp" strings on the upper part of the body that are tuned to a chromatic scale from E to E. There are three pickups (two on the guitar section and one on the drone section), and a volume/tone knob for each, so you can blend them to your liking. The sitar-like sound is created entirely by the unique "buzz bridge" design. I just think this thing is really cool! In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them. It was actually bought by Mike from The Art of Guitar on YouTube (he's another Minnesota native), so it definitely went to a good home! I plan on buying another one of these someday.
Brand: D'Angelico
Model: Premier DC
Finish: Fiesta Red
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (September 2023)
Notes: I'd never owned a hollow/semi-hollow electric, and I'd really been hooked on the idea of getting a D'Angelico ever since Chester played them on the One More Light tour. As luck would have it, Musician's Friend offered this as a Stupid Deal of the Day in the fall of 2022, and I couldn't pass it up. This one has the fancier-looking "stairstep" tailpiece option. I used this as my primary "teaching guitar" for lessons for several months, and I just never ended up liking it as much as I thought I would. In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them. I plan on eventually buying another "335-ish" hollowbody, but it probably won't be another D'Angelico.
Model: Premier DC
Finish: Fiesta Red
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (September 2023)
Notes: I'd never owned a hollow/semi-hollow electric, and I'd really been hooked on the idea of getting a D'Angelico ever since Chester played them on the One More Light tour. As luck would have it, Musician's Friend offered this as a Stupid Deal of the Day in the fall of 2022, and I couldn't pass it up. This one has the fancier-looking "stairstep" tailpiece option. I used this as my primary "teaching guitar" for lessons for several months, and I just never ended up liking it as much as I thought I would. In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them. I plan on eventually buying another "335-ish" hollowbody, but it probably won't be another D'Angelico.
Brand: Cordoba
Model: GK Studio Limited
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (July 2023)
Notes: I'd gone a couple years without a nylon string guitar by late 2022, so I started looking for a nice acoustic-electric option. I ended up getting another Cordoba, this time going with the flamenco-style GK Studio model. This one is a limited edition that has ziricote for the back and sides instead of the typical cypress or rosewood found on the standard GK Studio blanca/negra models. Being a flamenco guitar, it has a clear "tap plate" surrounding the sound hole. Really cool electronics on this one, it has both an under-saddle piezo pickup and an internal microphone, with a Fishman Presys preamp that lets you blend the two together. It looks and feels like a guitar that costs a LOT more than it does! In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them (one of my bandmates actually bought it from me). I plan on getting another GK Studio when I'm able to.
Model: GK Studio Limited
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (July 2023)
Notes: I'd gone a couple years without a nylon string guitar by late 2022, so I started looking for a nice acoustic-electric option. I ended up getting another Cordoba, this time going with the flamenco-style GK Studio model. This one is a limited edition that has ziricote for the back and sides instead of the typical cypress or rosewood found on the standard GK Studio blanca/negra models. Being a flamenco guitar, it has a clear "tap plate" surrounding the sound hole. Really cool electronics on this one, it has both an under-saddle piezo pickup and an internal microphone, with a Fishman Presys preamp that lets you blend the two together. It looks and feels like a guitar that costs a LOT more than it does! In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them (one of my bandmates actually bought it from me). I plan on getting another GK Studio when I'm able to.
Brand: N/A (Brandon's Custom Shop/generic Chinese knockoff)
Model: 12/6 Double Neck (1275-style doublecut model)
Finish: Metallic Silverburst
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (March 2023)
Notes: I had an Epiphone doubleneck many years ago (see the entry for my G1275 Custom), and after I sold it, I spent a long time thinking I'd never want another one, I just didn't see much use for it. After I got my acoustic 12-string in early 2022, I started reconsidering that, because I really wanted to add an electric 12-string to my collection, and if I'm gonna get that, I might as well get a doubleneck and get two guitars in one, right? Haha. Anyway, I didn't want to spend a ton of money, and Epiphone had recently discontinued their doubleneck model, so I had to do some digging. I eventually discovered this guy Brandon on Reverb, who apparently has connections with one of the Chinese factories that builds knockoffs of a lot of American guitar designs (these guitars have no branding on the headstock). He orders guitars, checks them over and sets them up so they're in decent playing condition, and then sells them on his Reverb store. He offers a wide variety of doubleneck models (singlecut, doublecut, and Strat-style), and what really caught my eye was the unusual variety of finish options he offers. I took a gamble and got a doublecut model similar to my old Epiphone, in a really cool metal flake silverburst finish...and I got a lemon. The 12-string neck had a pretty bad corkscrew twist from the moment I got the guitar, and it only got worse with time. I had planned on turning it into a project guitar and upgrading the electronics and hardware, but the bad neck really threw a wrench into those plans, and I kind of ragequit the idea altogether when I ordered a case for an Epiphone doubleneck thinking it would fit the guitar, and that turned out not to be true. I ended up offloading the guitar and case at a Music Go Round store a few days later, and I got my Firefly doubleneck not long after that.
Model: 12/6 Double Neck (1275-style doublecut model)
Finish: Metallic Silverburst
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (March 2023)
Notes: I had an Epiphone doubleneck many years ago (see the entry for my G1275 Custom), and after I sold it, I spent a long time thinking I'd never want another one, I just didn't see much use for it. After I got my acoustic 12-string in early 2022, I started reconsidering that, because I really wanted to add an electric 12-string to my collection, and if I'm gonna get that, I might as well get a doubleneck and get two guitars in one, right? Haha. Anyway, I didn't want to spend a ton of money, and Epiphone had recently discontinued their doubleneck model, so I had to do some digging. I eventually discovered this guy Brandon on Reverb, who apparently has connections with one of the Chinese factories that builds knockoffs of a lot of American guitar designs (these guitars have no branding on the headstock). He orders guitars, checks them over and sets them up so they're in decent playing condition, and then sells them on his Reverb store. He offers a wide variety of doubleneck models (singlecut, doublecut, and Strat-style), and what really caught my eye was the unusual variety of finish options he offers. I took a gamble and got a doublecut model similar to my old Epiphone, in a really cool metal flake silverburst finish...and I got a lemon. The 12-string neck had a pretty bad corkscrew twist from the moment I got the guitar, and it only got worse with time. I had planned on turning it into a project guitar and upgrading the electronics and hardware, but the bad neck really threw a wrench into those plans, and I kind of ragequit the idea altogether when I ordered a case for an Epiphone doubleneck thinking it would fit the guitar, and that turned out not to be true. I ended up offloading the guitar and case at a Music Go Round store a few days later, and I got my Firefly doubleneck not long after that.
Brand: Danelectro
Model: Vintage 12-String
Finish: Dark Aqua
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (July 2023)
Notes: I wasn't in the market for an electric 12-string in late 2022, as I had just bought a 12/6 doubleneck and was planning on modifying it to my liking (see the entry for my Brandon's Custom Shop doubleneck). Unfortunately, I got a call asking if I could play some 12-string on a session, and the doubleneck wasn't in anything close to playable condition. D'oh! I had a good experience with my Danelectro sitar, and I knew the lipstick tube pickups would lend themselves nicely to the classic jangly 12-string sound, so I bought this guitar instead of looking for a suitable guitar to borrow/rent (and I certainly wasn't going to let myself get replaced for the gig, I rarely get to do any session work as it is!). Not sure what they were thinking with the finish name, there's nothing "dark" about it! Cool guitar though. In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them. I'm not in a big rush to replace this guitar since I now have a serviceable doubleneck with my Firefly, but I'll eventually pick up another "single-neck" 12-string. It might be another Danelectro, it might not.
Model: Vintage 12-String
Finish: Dark Aqua
Years Used: 2022-2023
Current Status: Sold (July 2023)
Notes: I wasn't in the market for an electric 12-string in late 2022, as I had just bought a 12/6 doubleneck and was planning on modifying it to my liking (see the entry for my Brandon's Custom Shop doubleneck). Unfortunately, I got a call asking if I could play some 12-string on a session, and the doubleneck wasn't in anything close to playable condition. D'oh! I had a good experience with my Danelectro sitar, and I knew the lipstick tube pickups would lend themselves nicely to the classic jangly 12-string sound, so I bought this guitar instead of looking for a suitable guitar to borrow/rent (and I certainly wasn't going to let myself get replaced for the gig, I rarely get to do any session work as it is!). Not sure what they were thinking with the finish name, there's nothing "dark" about it! Cool guitar though. In the summer of 2023, I ended up in a financial pinch and sold a few of my guitars, this was one of them. I'm not in a big rush to replace this guitar since I now have a serviceable doubleneck with my Firefly, but I'll eventually pick up another "single-neck" 12-string. It might be another Danelectro, it might not.
Brand: Kaminari x History
Model: KH-Cygnet
Finish: Black
Years Used: N/A (Purchased 2023, never used)
Current Status: Stolen (April 2023)
Notes: As mentioned in my entry for my Rivolta Mondata VIII, this was the guitar that was SUPPOSED to be my Firebird-style instrument. Unfortunately, it was stolen by a porch pirate after it was delivered, and I never got to play it. I doubt it'll turn up anywhere that anyone reading this website would find it, but just in case, it's black with a red/tortoise shell pickguard, it has a large aluminum tailpiece with "Kaminari Guitars" engraved in it, a "History" logo on the front of the headstock, and the back of the headstock has "Made in Japan" on it, along with the serial number KG160001. If by some chance you come across this guitar, PLEASE CONTACT ME!
MAY 2024 UPDATE: After almost a full year without any sign of this guitar, I had mostly given up on ever seeing it again, but I still periodically searched around online to see if it popped up anywhere. On April 29th, 2024, I surprisingly discovered that it had recently been sold at Pawn America in Roseville, Minnesota. A full year later, and it was 15 minutes away from me. But it could have been sold any time since the last time I'd looked, so I didn't get my hopes up...then I called and found out it had been sold on April 28th. Literally ONE DAY before I found the listing. I was confused, because Pawn America (like all pawn shops in the United States) is supposed to use the LeadsOnline registry (or something similar) to track down items that are flagged as stolen. Why didn't my guitar come up in the database? Oh, because it was never in the database. Because my useless local police department NEVER BOTHERED TO PUT IT IN THE FUCKING SYSTEM A YEAR AGO WHEN I REPORTED IT AS STOLEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. Oh well, at least I still had an open police case, I figured it would be as simple as the police contacting Pawn America, Pawn America giving them the buyer's info, explaining the situation, and getting the guitar back while the buyer got a refund. That's how it SHOULD have worked...but it turns out the buyer lives out of state and hasn't been responding to any efforts to contact them. Now the police are basically telling me there's not much else they can do, and they've even started giving me passive aggressive "your patience is appreciated" responses when I check for any updates. Fuck them. I should've had this guitar back in my hands, no questions asked, a month ago. Instead, someone's failure to JUST DO THEIR FUCKING JOB means it could be anywhere in the country now, and the best response any involved party can give me is basically "shit happens." I haven't even gotten an apology.
If you're the person who bought this guitar, or if it's changed hands again and you know where it is, please contact me, because I sure as fuck don't have any faith left that I'll ever get it back by doing things the "right" way.
Model: KH-Cygnet
Finish: Black
Years Used: N/A (Purchased 2023, never used)
Current Status: Stolen (April 2023)
Notes: As mentioned in my entry for my Rivolta Mondata VIII, this was the guitar that was SUPPOSED to be my Firebird-style instrument. Unfortunately, it was stolen by a porch pirate after it was delivered, and I never got to play it. I doubt it'll turn up anywhere that anyone reading this website would find it, but just in case, it's black with a red/tortoise shell pickguard, it has a large aluminum tailpiece with "Kaminari Guitars" engraved in it, a "History" logo on the front of the headstock, and the back of the headstock has "Made in Japan" on it, along with the serial number KG160001. If by some chance you come across this guitar, PLEASE CONTACT ME!
MAY 2024 UPDATE: After almost a full year without any sign of this guitar, I had mostly given up on ever seeing it again, but I still periodically searched around online to see if it popped up anywhere. On April 29th, 2024, I surprisingly discovered that it had recently been sold at Pawn America in Roseville, Minnesota. A full year later, and it was 15 minutes away from me. But it could have been sold any time since the last time I'd looked, so I didn't get my hopes up...then I called and found out it had been sold on April 28th. Literally ONE DAY before I found the listing. I was confused, because Pawn America (like all pawn shops in the United States) is supposed to use the LeadsOnline registry (or something similar) to track down items that are flagged as stolen. Why didn't my guitar come up in the database? Oh, because it was never in the database. Because my useless local police department NEVER BOTHERED TO PUT IT IN THE FUCKING SYSTEM A YEAR AGO WHEN I REPORTED IT AS STOLEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. Oh well, at least I still had an open police case, I figured it would be as simple as the police contacting Pawn America, Pawn America giving them the buyer's info, explaining the situation, and getting the guitar back while the buyer got a refund. That's how it SHOULD have worked...but it turns out the buyer lives out of state and hasn't been responding to any efforts to contact them. Now the police are basically telling me there's not much else they can do, and they've even started giving me passive aggressive "your patience is appreciated" responses when I check for any updates. Fuck them. I should've had this guitar back in my hands, no questions asked, a month ago. Instead, someone's failure to JUST DO THEIR FUCKING JOB means it could be anywhere in the country now, and the best response any involved party can give me is basically "shit happens." I haven't even gotten an apology.
If you're the person who bought this guitar, or if it's changed hands again and you know where it is, please contact me, because I sure as fuck don't have any faith left that I'll ever get it back by doing things the "right" way.
Brand: Peavey
Model: Rockmaster
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2023
Current Status: Sold (June 2023)
Notes: No joke, I found this guitar in a dumpster! I was taking out my trash one night, and there it was, just sitting right on top of a pile of garbage. I cleaned it up, tested it out, and there wasn't a thing wrong with it other than a couple paint chips! This guitar has a built-in tuner like you'd typically find on a lot of acoustic-electric guitars, along with an 1/8" headphone jack. The headphone amp even has a clean/overdrive switch so you can change sounds while practicing silently! Apparently Peavey made both full-size and junior-size versions of this guitar, this one is full-size. I briefly held on to this guitar thinking I might turn it into a fretless conversion project or something, but I ended up selling it instead.
Model: Rockmaster
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2023
Current Status: Sold (June 2023)
Notes: No joke, I found this guitar in a dumpster! I was taking out my trash one night, and there it was, just sitting right on top of a pile of garbage. I cleaned it up, tested it out, and there wasn't a thing wrong with it other than a couple paint chips! This guitar has a built-in tuner like you'd typically find on a lot of acoustic-electric guitars, along with an 1/8" headphone jack. The headphone amp even has a clean/overdrive switch so you can change sounds while practicing silently! Apparently Peavey made both full-size and junior-size versions of this guitar, this one is full-size. I briefly held on to this guitar thinking I might turn it into a fretless conversion project or something, but I ended up selling it instead.
Inactive/Misc. Instruments
*These are primarily instruments that I've used in some significant capacity, but belong to someone else.
Brand: Aria
Model: 1970s AE-300 (Les Paul copy)
Finish: Tobacco Sunburst
Years Used: 2000-2005
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This is a Japanese "lawsuit-era" singlecut guitar, and it was actually the first guitar that I learned to play on, before I got my Yamaha EG112. This guitar also belonged to my uncle, like the Guild X-82. Unfortunately, this guitar has a lot of electronic components that need to be replaced, so I never got to play it plugged in. I still played with it a bit in the early years of my playing, but by the time I started using the Guild, I had pretty much quit using this guitar. My brother still has this guitar, and is planning on installing new electronics and hardware to make it playable again...unfortunately, this guitar suffered a headstock break in 2017 after falling off a guitar stand, which only makes the needed repairs even more extensive. Nailing down an exact date on this guitar has proven difficult, as serial numbers used by the Matsumoku factory prior to 1977 or so didn't have any particular relevance to the date of manufacturing. Aria also modified their headstock slightly around 1976 or 1977 to not be an exact copy of a certain American company's "open book" headstock (the actual reason for the "lawsuit" nickname for numerous Japanese guitars of this era). This one has the modified headstock, but the serial number doesn't appear to match the date, as it would point to 1980 if that was the case, and Aria had shifted to primarily using the "Aria Pro II" nameplate on these guitars by then, along with some other cosmetic changes. I'd assume it's either a 1976 or 1977, but I'll likely never know anything more specific than that.
Model: 1970s AE-300 (Les Paul copy)
Finish: Tobacco Sunburst
Years Used: 2000-2005
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This is a Japanese "lawsuit-era" singlecut guitar, and it was actually the first guitar that I learned to play on, before I got my Yamaha EG112. This guitar also belonged to my uncle, like the Guild X-82. Unfortunately, this guitar has a lot of electronic components that need to be replaced, so I never got to play it plugged in. I still played with it a bit in the early years of my playing, but by the time I started using the Guild, I had pretty much quit using this guitar. My brother still has this guitar, and is planning on installing new electronics and hardware to make it playable again...unfortunately, this guitar suffered a headstock break in 2017 after falling off a guitar stand, which only makes the needed repairs even more extensive. Nailing down an exact date on this guitar has proven difficult, as serial numbers used by the Matsumoku factory prior to 1977 or so didn't have any particular relevance to the date of manufacturing. Aria also modified their headstock slightly around 1976 or 1977 to not be an exact copy of a certain American company's "open book" headstock (the actual reason for the "lawsuit" nickname for numerous Japanese guitars of this era). This one has the modified headstock, but the serial number doesn't appear to match the date, as it would point to 1980 if that was the case, and Aria had shifted to primarily using the "Aria Pro II" nameplate on these guitars by then, along with some other cosmetic changes. I'd assume it's either a 1976 or 1977, but I'll likely never know anything more specific than that.
Brand: MS Guitars/Telestar
Model: MS #1 (Custom bass/restoration project)
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2004-2008
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This is the first of three instruments my dad built under the "MS Guitars" name - the other two were a custom guitar that he built for me, and a vintage-looking 3-pickup guitar with a Bigsby-style tremolo on it. This bass was actually built sometime in the early 90s as a do-it-yourself restoration project my dad decided to do (he was always tinkering with ideas like this). This bass started life as a 1960s "Telestar" bass (one of many different names Teisco Del Rey put on their U.S. import instruments during the '60s), which my dad bought in extremely poor condition and restored to nearly-new condition, save for stripping the original finish in favor of a glossy natural look, moving the location of the wood block on the pickguard so it would be more convenient as a thumb rest, and putting his own logo on the headstock. I ended up using this bass a little bit while I was in high school, as I often played bass for our vocal jazz group (we had a drum/bass/piano trio that backed them up), and I also played bass in jazz band my junior year. I THINK this bass was also used a little bit on an EP one of my old bands recorded, we had one song that was tuned down half a step so I know I used a different bass on it. I haven't used this bass for a long time, but my brother and his various bands have used it over the years, and he still has it.
Model: MS #1 (Custom bass/restoration project)
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2004-2008
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This is the first of three instruments my dad built under the "MS Guitars" name - the other two were a custom guitar that he built for me, and a vintage-looking 3-pickup guitar with a Bigsby-style tremolo on it. This bass was actually built sometime in the early 90s as a do-it-yourself restoration project my dad decided to do (he was always tinkering with ideas like this). This bass started life as a 1960s "Telestar" bass (one of many different names Teisco Del Rey put on their U.S. import instruments during the '60s), which my dad bought in extremely poor condition and restored to nearly-new condition, save for stripping the original finish in favor of a glossy natural look, moving the location of the wood block on the pickguard so it would be more convenient as a thumb rest, and putting his own logo on the headstock. I ended up using this bass a little bit while I was in high school, as I often played bass for our vocal jazz group (we had a drum/bass/piano trio that backed them up), and I also played bass in jazz band my junior year. I THINK this bass was also used a little bit on an EP one of my old bands recorded, we had one song that was tuned down half a step so I know I used a different bass on it. I haven't used this bass for a long time, but my brother and his various bands have used it over the years, and he still has it.
Brand: Univox
Model: 1970s 'Lectra
Finish: Sunburst
Years Used: 2004-2008
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This was my uncle's bass, it's basically a copy of the Hofner 500/1 model that was popularized by Paul McCartney with The Beatles. Much like the Aria Les Paul copy, this bass has numerous electronic components that need to be replaced, and since I had access to my dad's custom-built bass, I never really used this thing for much other than just messing around at home (being a hollowbody, it had a more acoustic-y tone that made it easier to hear when practicing unplugged). It's a cool instrument though, and I'd like to have it fixed up one of these days. My brother currently has this bass packed away somewhere.
Model: 1970s 'Lectra
Finish: Sunburst
Years Used: 2004-2008
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This was my uncle's bass, it's basically a copy of the Hofner 500/1 model that was popularized by Paul McCartney with The Beatles. Much like the Aria Les Paul copy, this bass has numerous electronic components that need to be replaced, and since I had access to my dad's custom-built bass, I never really used this thing for much other than just messing around at home (being a hollowbody, it had a more acoustic-y tone that made it easier to hear when practicing unplugged). It's a cool instrument though, and I'd like to have it fixed up one of these days. My brother currently has this bass packed away somewhere.
Brand: Squier
Model: 2004 MB-4 "Skull and Crossbones"
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2005-2008
Current Status: In storage
Notes: My parents bought my brother this bass when he decided he wanted to get into playing music. It isn't a bad bass for being a Squier, although the neck could be a little stronger (it flexes/warps way easier than it should). This bass actually saw a considerable amount of use, it was used by the bass player in my first band way back in high school (he actually owned an identical bass to this one, so we would bring both to shows so he had a backup). I also used it on the majority of the bass tracks on an EP another one of my bands recorded. My brother and his various bands used this bass a lot more over the years than I did, obviously.
Model: 2004 MB-4 "Skull and Crossbones"
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2005-2008
Current Status: In storage
Notes: My parents bought my brother this bass when he decided he wanted to get into playing music. It isn't a bad bass for being a Squier, although the neck could be a little stronger (it flexes/warps way easier than it should). This bass actually saw a considerable amount of use, it was used by the bass player in my first band way back in high school (he actually owned an identical bass to this one, so we would bring both to shows so he had a backup). I also used it on the majority of the bass tracks on an EP another one of my bands recorded. My brother and his various bands used this bass a lot more over the years than I did, obviously.
Brand: MS Guitars/Prestige
Model: MS #3 (Custom guitar/restoration project)
Finish: Red Sunburst
Years Used: N/A
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This is one of three instruments my dad built under the "MS Guitars" name - the other two were a short-scale bass and a custom guitar that he built for me. This guitar was built for my brother in 2006, around the same time my dad built MS #2 for me. This guitar started life as a 1960s "Prestige" guitar (one of many different names Teisco Del Rey put on their U.S. import guitars during the '60s), which my dad bought in extremely poor condition and restored to nearly-new condition, save for putting his own logo on the headstock. I never really used this guitar for anything, but I figured I'd include it here since my dad's other two instruments are included.
Model: MS #3 (Custom guitar/restoration project)
Finish: Red Sunburst
Years Used: N/A
Current Status: In storage
Notes: This is one of three instruments my dad built under the "MS Guitars" name - the other two were a short-scale bass and a custom guitar that he built for me. This guitar was built for my brother in 2006, around the same time my dad built MS #2 for me. This guitar started life as a 1960s "Prestige" guitar (one of many different names Teisco Del Rey put on their U.S. import guitars during the '60s), which my dad bought in extremely poor condition and restored to nearly-new condition, save for putting his own logo on the headstock. I never really used this guitar for anything, but I figured I'd include it here since my dad's other two instruments are included.
Brand: Yamaha
Model: 1990s RBX250
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2009-2010
Current Status: In storage
Notes: Prior to acquiring my Schecter, this was my favorite bass I had ever played. My brother was selling some other gear at Guitar Center one day in 2009 (I was with him because he couldn't drive yet), and we saw two old Yamaha basses hanging on the wall for 100 bucks each. Both of them had considerable wear on them, but sounded awesome! He decided to buy the less beat-up of the two, and it turned out to be an extremely reliable instrument. I used this bass to record a few tracks during my last couple years in Ohio, most notably my collaborative cover of "In Pieces" with Alex McMillan. Prior to getting my Schecter, I was considering buying this bass from my brother since he wasn't using it anymore, but I would've had to wait several months before I could visit Ohio again to pick it up, so I bought the Schecter instead (which did turn out to be a better instrument, so I made the right choice).
Model: 1990s RBX250
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2009-2010
Current Status: In storage
Notes: Prior to acquiring my Schecter, this was my favorite bass I had ever played. My brother was selling some other gear at Guitar Center one day in 2009 (I was with him because he couldn't drive yet), and we saw two old Yamaha basses hanging on the wall for 100 bucks each. Both of them had considerable wear on them, but sounded awesome! He decided to buy the less beat-up of the two, and it turned out to be an extremely reliable instrument. I used this bass to record a few tracks during my last couple years in Ohio, most notably my collaborative cover of "In Pieces" with Alex McMillan. Prior to getting my Schecter, I was considering buying this bass from my brother since he wasn't using it anymore, but I would've had to wait several months before I could visit Ohio again to pick it up, so I bought the Schecter instead (which did turn out to be a better instrument, so I made the right choice).
Brand: Yamaha
Model: FG335
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2011-2013
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This guitar belonged to a friend of mine who happened to frequent and often play a lot of the local shows I also played when I started doing solo acoustic gigs after moving to Minnesota. I used it pretty much whenever I could...I mean, a proven workhorse vintage Yamaha model from the late 1970s/early 1980s, or my Ovation that fought me every step of the way when I tried to play it? Pretty obvious choice to me, haha. My friend moved to Kansas a few years later, and sadly passed away in the summer of 2016. I have no idea what became of this guitar after that.
Model: FG335
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2011-2013
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This guitar belonged to a friend of mine who happened to frequent and often play a lot of the local shows I also played when I started doing solo acoustic gigs after moving to Minnesota. I used it pretty much whenever I could...I mean, a proven workhorse vintage Yamaha model from the late 1970s/early 1980s, or my Ovation that fought me every step of the way when I tried to play it? Pretty obvious choice to me, haha. My friend moved to Kansas a few years later, and sadly passed away in the summer of 2016. I have no idea what became of this guitar after that.
Brand: Yamaha
Model: 1990s BB450
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2014-2015
Modifications: Non-original bridge pickup (unknown make/model)
Current Status: Active use (Bandmate)
Notes: When I first joined a band as a full-time bass player in 2014, I had the SLIGHT problem of...not owning a bass at the time. D'oh. For about 10 months, I borrowed this bass from our guitarist. As with just about every other Yamaha product I've ever used, it was a solid, reliable instrument. The only modification I remember it having was some kind of noise-cancelling Jazz Bass-style bridge pickup in place of the stock one, but I have no idea what kind it was. I bought my white Schecter bass in February of 2015, and that took over the role previously held by this bass. Our guitarist still has it and uses it on recordings pretty frequently.
Model: 1990s BB450
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2014-2015
Modifications: Non-original bridge pickup (unknown make/model)
Current Status: Active use (Bandmate)
Notes: When I first joined a band as a full-time bass player in 2014, I had the SLIGHT problem of...not owning a bass at the time. D'oh. For about 10 months, I borrowed this bass from our guitarist. As with just about every other Yamaha product I've ever used, it was a solid, reliable instrument. The only modification I remember it having was some kind of noise-cancelling Jazz Bass-style bridge pickup in place of the stock one, but I have no idea what kind it was. I bought my white Schecter bass in February of 2015, and that took over the role previously held by this bass. Our guitarist still has it and uses it on recordings pretty frequently.
Brand: Ibanez
Model: RG420EG
Finish: Spiderweb Black
Years Used: 2015
Modifications: Red and blue hardware
Current Status: Active use (My brother)
Notes: This is one of my brother's main guitars. I used it to record guitar covers of "Nobody's Listening" and "Don't Stay" during one of my visits to Ohio in 2015, since he keeps this guitar in Drop B tuning anyway (I've since re-recorded both of these videos with my PRS SE 277). This guitar has custom "Spider-Man" hardware - whoever owned this guitar before my brother was clearly a fan, as they painted all the hardware red and blue to go with the spider web graphic on the body!
Model: RG420EG
Finish: Spiderweb Black
Years Used: 2015
Modifications: Red and blue hardware
Current Status: Active use (My brother)
Notes: This is one of my brother's main guitars. I used it to record guitar covers of "Nobody's Listening" and "Don't Stay" during one of my visits to Ohio in 2015, since he keeps this guitar in Drop B tuning anyway (I've since re-recorded both of these videos with my PRS SE 277). This guitar has custom "Spider-Man" hardware - whoever owned this guitar before my brother was clearly a fan, as they painted all the hardware red and blue to go with the spider web graphic on the body!