# Guitars



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

I've noticed quite a few people here play or are interested in guitars. How about some more pics of them, how long you've played and what sort of stuff you play.

In short - a yak about guitars.........


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

I have been trying to teach myself since 1962, inspired, like so many others, by Hank Marvin.

In those days, as a schoolboy, with lots of enthusiasm and energy but little money, we built our own guitars from whatever hardwood we could scrounge. The pickups and controls were easy to get as was the fret-wire. The fretting may not have been 100% accurate and the necks may not have been exactly true, but we got a sort of sound from them. As I had a flair for electronics, I had a thriving sideline in building valve amps ( no power transistors then!!). gawd knows how I didnt electrocute anyone, but it brought in a bit of dosh to buy a commercial guitar, a Vox Phantom (anyone remember them?)

Anyway over the years, I continued to practice and dispair, until I bit the bullet, dug deep, and bought a real USA Fender Stratocaster in sunburst. This made a real difference having a wonderful action compared to others I had owned.

I am now casting looks at a Gibson Les Paul, but so far have resisted cos............

............there is this watch I fancy, and that is stronger than the urge for another axe......

Cheers

Roger


----------



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

I love valve amps - such a warm sound.

Don't have one at the moment, I use a Roland which has a valve emulation circuit and sounds quite good. Used to have a Vox V125, which until they got bought out by Carlsboro, was meant to be the replacement for the AC30. Should have kept it because they are bloody rare now and worth good money.

I never got on with the USA Strats, always found them a bit bright ( subjective, of course ) and prefered the sound of the Jap strats - settled on a '62 re-issue with maple neck and would never part with it.

I owned a Les Paul standard in wine red in '81, but sold it to add to the deposit on my first house - still miss the thing.


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Garry,

ref The Vox AC30.

I am still kicking myself........2 years ago, I cadged a lift to an Amateur Radio Rally ( yet another timewasting hobby of mine) in his 2 seater. One guy in the fleamarket, offered me a working, reasonably tidy AC30 for Â£25. I wanted badly to buy it on the spot, but my "pal" refused to even contemplate trying to fit it into his Healy 3000. I tried to arrange with the seller to keep it and for me to collect, but he wasnt having it.....so I lost it...

I havent been quite the same since.

I have to make do with a little 10W Marshal.

Roger


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Garry,

further to the " brightness" of the USA strats, as you probably know, with age, comes failing hi frequecy hearing, so things have to be a bit overbright to sound right for me...


----------



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

You could be right Rog, maybe I'll need a USA one in a few years........









Try to post some pics and I'll try to take some and post tomorrow.


----------



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

I prefer to have a smaller wattage amp and turn it up - they sound much better when " driven ".

Shame about the AC30 Rog, I'd be fed up as well.


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Yes OK garry,

but its just a standard sunburst strat.

Roger


----------



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

I love the tobacco burst with maple neck - a real looker. Mines flame red and maple.


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Garry,

How about this for pure nostalgia?


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Or maybe this?


----------



## Guest (Apr 27, 2004)

Heres a pic of my USA Strat I bought new in 1989.

I gave up playing a few years back, just lost interest after about 30 years.









My middle and youngest sons are both really good guitarists, the middle one has a full drum kit set up at home so I gave the Strat to my youngest along with the Marshall Valvestate.

He has a few chums around and they like to play Led Zeppelin, Metallica etc. we have quite a big detached house so fortunately noise isn't a problem.

Better than these moronic kids who spend all their spare time in front of a games console. no human interaction there.

The quality of even cheap guitars nowadays is excellent, they play well and its usually only cheaper machines and pickups that show their initial cost.

When I was young cheap guitars had an action about six inches high!









I used to collect guitars a bit, had a Les Paul, various Strats and a Ricky 360.

I thought they were quite expensive at the time but they are reasonable compared to watches.









My all time favourites are the old American 50's Strats in those great ice cream colors like sonic blue and surf green


----------



## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

This is the only one in our home, it belongs to my daughter.

I do not know anything at all about guitars but it states that the maker is "Bontempi" could it be worth anything ?


----------



## Guest (Apr 27, 2004)

In a word, NO!


----------



## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)




----------



## AlexR (May 11, 2003)

Everything is worth something









I used to have a Bontempi keyboard when I was a kid


----------



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

Nice one Rog,

Neil, that's the exact colour scheme I was talking about. My all time fave on the strats. Could not get it at the time on my Jap '62 re-issue.


----------



## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Garry, Neil

Mine is that colour also.......1991 vintage

Roger


----------



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

You buggers........









That's what I wanted. Never mind, I've gotten used to mine now.

I'll post some pics of my axes by the weekend.


----------



## johnbrigade (Oct 15, 2007)

Sorry for resurrecting this, but the odd bit of guitar porn never hurt anybody if that's your thing!

These are a few of mine - top to bottom, CIJ Fender Tele Custom 72RI, Epiphone 335, MIJ Fender Squier Strat, Gibson Les Paul Std and Gordon Smith GS-1














































I have more guitars than watches and I think it's fair to say that I'm more into guitars than watches - but these are ultimately just tools to me.


----------

