6/30/10

Pick Punch Great Guitar Picks From Credit Cards!

Pick Making Demo Video

(Immediate shipping!)

I'm lovin' my Pick Punch! It's easy to use and makes very clean punch outs with credit cards.

Junk mail usually provides regular guitar pick material opportunities with intro offer cards you don't want. Expended gift cards are also in greater abundance these days.

Just don't get carried away with wifey's Tupperware lids!

Old vinyl records can be brittle, it varies from record to record.

Other materials not suitable for the Pick Punch include processed cheese food slices, beef jerky, banana peels and glass.

Royal Hayes - Young Guitar Wonder UPDATE

13 year old Royal Hayes joined our Young Guitar Wonder list back in February 2010. The Hayes family just us know about Royal's recent live public debut; an important milestone for every musician!

The above clip documents Royal at a local Blues Jam in a hoppin' joint called Chef John's, where the lad joins musicians he's never met, including the singer who also jumped onstage from the crowd. They'd already been jamming some Blues together when someone shouted "Little Wing", which Royal and the crew eagerly delivered!

Serious! So understand that up to this point, young Royal had only been playing at home with jam tracks. I think he makes the jump to the stage with cool and style!

It doesn't get any better than this in the real world! And the video contains zero Disney additives.

www.youtube.com/user/Vapor40 has more clips from Royal! Stop by and give him some support!

YOUNG GUITAR WONDERS

6/29/10

Crossroads 2010 Wrap-ups

(photo: Rich Murray @ The Guitar Channel)

Rich from The Guitar Channel blog has some good review and resources from last weekend's Crossroads Guitar Fest in Chicago which he was fortunate enough to attend.

First off, that's M.C. Bill Murray in the photo above. We don't know what Elvis would look like today, but Bill is made up as what you might call an Elvis Custom Shop Vegas Reissue Model. We just don't know if his coils are wound quite the same way E's were. Probably not.

For those of us who didn't make the trip to Chicago, Rich has a link to a list of selected theaters around the USA where the Crossroads Fest will be shown on July 27.

Plenty of Youtube stuff is popping up too. User Towjambo has some good Jeff Beck clips shot way up front!

And of course in a few months, we oughta see some DVD/Blue Ray action for the fest.

The photo credit above links to Rich's own Crossroads photo gallery.

6/28/10

Best Digital Delay Pedals for the Money

Boss DD-3 at $109.

At $109 the good ol' BOSS DD-3 is still by far the best bang for your digital delay buck!

In the brief clip above, a chatty Joe Bonamassa gives some short sips of his DD-3 as he basically gets Eric Johnson with it. And look! Joe's playin' a Strat! So this clip precedes his tiff with Fender and rebound marriage to Gibson.

So if you like those type of delay tones and effects but have gotten swamped up in the morass of delay products available, just get back to this $109 dollar 800ms BOSS used by the pro's.

Then get on with your life!

BUT... If that's not simple enough for your G.A.S. jones, for only $100 more-- that's right $209, you can now get the:

Keeley Modded Boss DD-3 Digital Delay Guitar Effects Pedal

The diff between the Keeley mod & the stock DD-3 is filtering for more analog tones, and an effects loop feature. Just go to the link for more details. If the stock DD-3 is good enough for you as it is for Joe B., then just spend $109. Either way, the DD-3 is a winner without bangin' your head through the boutique brigade of big buck bananarama ballyhoo.

Remember when Joe described his DD-3 has analog sounding. Can't beat a nice big organic sounding delay for that kinda money!

These are currently available through all the big box stores you know & trust for $209. The above link is Musician's Friend, but they're the same at Guitar Center & Music123 as well.

Order today & don't delay... rather DO delay! ;))

More Keeley Resources at www.guitargearstores.com

Find BOSS DD-3 MIJ "Big Chip" Versions

June 25, 2010 Friday Strat Update

Monday June 28: Sorry to keep everyone hanging. I've only missed a couple Friday Strat features in 3.5 years. I received a hi-end product late last Friday which ended up having issues ultimately prohibiting a review. Kind of discouraging, but it's gotta go back.

I hope you at least enjoyed "UPS Girl", who we discovered in Google Images when searching "UPS truck". In this case, Google delivered beyond what was expected.;))

"Yours is still in the truck... But not my truck!"

2:45 PM PST

So the truck shows up, but the driver says, "I show something for you, but it's not on the truck..."

How special is that!!!

Stay thirsty my friends...

Friday Strat Directory

6/27/10

Stratocaster Upgrade Ideas

UPGRADE GUITAR PARTS & SUPPLIERS

Sprague Orange Drop caps

TONE CAP RESOURCES - info. about tone capacitors, treble bleed kits and the easiest ways to find & test the right caps for your tone.

New genuine Fender pre-wired, loaded Eric Johnson Bodies. Convert your EJ RW to Burst!
(In Stock - The STRATosphere)

The STRATosphere
"Genuine Fender parts & worldwide shipping at The STRATosphere. Our store specializes in USA Fender Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster, & Bass guitar parts: necks, bodies, hardware, pickups, & cases. Buy deluxe, vintage, custom shop, & modern models 24/7. Get the best Fender quality only at The STRATosphere!"

Angela Instruments - "GENUINE FENDER USA PARTS AND ACCESSORIES FOR STRAT, TELE, JAGUAR, JAZZMASTER, PRECISION BASS, JAZZ BASS AND FENDER AMPS! TONS OF PREMIUM N.O.S. AUDIO TUBES, TRANSFORMERS, SOCKETS, CHASSIS, CAPACITORS, RESISTORS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE! SERVING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORLDWIDE SINCE 1977." Also stocking lots of Lindy Fralin pickups.

PRE-WIRED- LOADED Custom PICKGUARD SUPPLIERS
From Guitar Gear Stores - online directory of guitar and guitar parts dealers. Aged-relic guitars, parts & accessories included.

pre-wired voodoo gypsy Hendrix pickguard

Gypsy Pickguard from Metal Shop Music

(see reverse bridge pup angle)

Metal Shop Music (premium replacement necks, loaded Strat, Tele & Jazzmaster pre-wired pickguards) Specializing in a large variety of loaded, pre-wired Fender factory and Custom Shop Strat pickguards. Pickup configurations typically include: Lace Sensor Holy Grail 54's, Samarium Cobalt, Texas Specials, TBX, Duncan 59's, Tex Mex, Lace Sensor Hot Gold SSS, etc. ALSO LINDY FRALIN loaded pickguards.

Slider's Vintage Classic 59's

Slider's Vintage Classic pickups are available through their eBay user account: sliderspickups . Rod "Slider" McQueen builds one set at a time. The pickups are vintage reproductions with NOS wire, rounded edge bakelite covers and vintage magnets which Slider charges and matches to each set. Any sets that aren't pre-sold are listed at eBay. McQueen has been featured at ToneQuest Report and is 100% rated at eBay, where his item descriptions are heavily detailed.

Killer Guitar Compents "KGC" machined bell brass hi-resonance trem blocks.

Killer Guitar Components

- Specializing in hi-grade machined brass trem blocks for superior Strat tone & sustain.
Raw Vintage Trem Springs & Saddles

Guitar Parts And More hardware & guitar kits-- ALLPARTS Dealer.

Suhr BPSSC - BPSSC stands for Back Plate Silent Single Coil. This is a major upgrade for Stratocaster & Strat-type guitars. Removes all 60hz hum without degrading signal. Recommended by Scott Henderson.

No, Mercedes Benz hasn't started making disposable shavers...

Tricked Out Guitar is still selling Tremol-No units for under $50, including free shipping! That's the best deal-- check around yourself!

Dazbootman "Abalone" Pickguards

Dazbootman Pickguards
Dazbootman Pickguards is the one-stop shop for hard to find and unique guitar pickguards.

Rockin' Billy's

Rockin' Billy's Guitar Parts

- (aka Greasy Groove) Pin-up decals and thousands of graphics pickguards. Click pickguards in their menu, then Strat Pickguards subcategory!

Tricked Out Guitar has parts and hardware for tricking out your Strat. Product lines include: Allparts, Q-Parts, Stellartone, Lindy Fralin, TV Jones, Seymour Duncan, Wilkinson, Mighty-Mite, Fender, Gibson, Custom Shop and more. They're also a dealer for STELLARTONE TONESTYLER Pots. Be sure to check out TOG's custom prewired pickguard assemblies in several yummy flavors.

Tricked Out Guitar (main store site)

Birdseye Maple Replacement Necks at Metal Shop Music

Exotic wood Musikraft finish Strat-Tele Neck

Custom Musikraft exotic wood necks by Jamerson-Guitars

Jamerson-Guitars

a Top-rated Seller, is Fender licensed Musikraft's Official eBay "Custom Shop". Besides maple, these guys make necks from striped figured ebony, zebrawood, cocobolo and more!

"Schoolgirl" by artist Keith Garvey

2.5" x 6" clear vinyl static decal
Available at Hot Chick Stickers (directory below)

Vintage Pin-up Decals - Directory for classic waterslide decals, including How-To links for applying decals, graphics and refinishing your guitar.

Ouija Board graphic guitar skin by Fourth Floor Graphics

GUITAR SKINS by Fourth Floor Graphics- Just like the Skinit stuff for phones, iPods & laptops.

AXEWRAPS

- More skins for guitars.

Paint Your Own Guitar - DIY tutorial download with illustrated step by step approaches for custom finish projects. Includes tips, techniques and product suggestions.

Always use better cable for better tone!

George L's Deluxe Purple kit w/black caps - In Stock: Al's Music Source

Mogami 2524 Silent 10' w/Neutrik plugs - In Stock: NY Pro Audio Cables

Here's a couple suppliers for really good guitar cable who stock friggin' tons of the stuff! Or maybe I should say miles of it.

Al's Music Source

- California based supplier, claims to have the largest George L's inventory "on the planet". The George L's deluxe kits are currently available in black, blue, purple & red with various combos of caps colors -- and Al's has it all in stock.

NY Pro Audio Cables

- Huge East Coast cable outfit with lots of Mogami cable that they terminate in-house with Neutrik plugs. Other top cable brands also available.

Eric Johnson uses George L's, and Scott Henderson is a big fan of Mogami cable. Either way you can't go wrong. East or West Coast.

Guitar Builder & Luthier Tools & Supplies

Complete eBay category results

Wilkinson WVC SB Chrome USA Strat Retrofit at AZ Guitar Parts

AZ GUITAR PARTS

- Bridges, Pickguards, Pickups, Tuners, Plates, and Necks.

Pro Rock Gear - Parts source for Wilkinson & Floyd Rose bridge/trem systems.

GuitarGearStores.com
Guitar Gear Stores consolidates all the best eBay music instrument gear stores into an easy to navigate directory site helping you find the hottest guitar products on eBay.

ebay MIM Strat search
Cheaper, used "made in Mexico" or "MIM" Strats make great DIY upgrade projects!

VACUUM TUBES & AMP PARTS DIRECTORY - Includes NOS tubes suppliers.

PRE-WIRED- LOADED PICKGUARD SUPPLIERS

Fret MD: Electric Guitar and Bass Setup and Maintenance (DVD)

Pimp Your Strat Directory -Mods, wiring diagrams, tips, tutorials and hardware upgrades suppliers.

NOTE: Stratoblogster may be interested in featuring your Strat DIY/relic/hotrod/pimp project. Contact us at Bigfrets77 at gmail dot com ! Include 2-3 clear photos, specs, components used and a brief description about your build, plus any tips you'd like to share which might help first timers.

6/25/10

Discover Signature Blues Licks with Greg Koch

Greg Koch cracks me up! Just the kind of guitar teacher we all need-- a guy who keeps things loose.

I just ran into a nifty profile at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal online. Greg and his trio are at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse tonight in Milwaukee, where beer is sure to be consumed in copious amounts. Especially if they have those beer tube tower thing-a-ma-jigs like the H-D place in Vegas. Damn!

Here's the short interview on why Greg Koch loves his Strat:

His favorite guitar: A 1992 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster. It started off being a very exotic, transparent Daphne blue. But over the years... it has turned into more of a surf green... And it’s got gold hardware, because at the time I thought gold hardware was very pimp.

Cost: $1,300. It was a lot of money at the time, but it was a made-to-order.

Why it's special: It kind of was my dream guitar at the time. It was my favorite color at the time, it was the right neck shape and all that other kind of stuff... It’s traveled with me all over the globe... It’s one of those things that you can pass down to the kids, and they can say, "That was Dad’s guitar."

Favorite song (not one of your own) to play on it: If I do any covers when I play, I usually will do a Hendrix selection or two... more of the obscure, latter-period Hendrix tunes.

Your guitar's name: I just call it Old Blue, and often I'll yell out the line from "Old School," "You’re my boy, Blue!"

Greg has a few instructional DVDs that are as entertaining as they are helpful. Portuguese subtitles are extra.

Prewired & Loaded Stratocaster Pickguards

Pre-wired, custom loaded guitar scratchplates.

EJ Pickguard

Texas Specials w/Tonestyler control

The STRATosphere eBay Store sells loaded Eric Johnson pickguards (upper photo). The most time and tweaking with the EJ Strat design went into the pickup configuration. A reliable source told me they went through 17 different configs on the new EJ Rosewood before arriving back at the original EJ config! In other words, all EJ pickup configs are the same-- both the maple slab and RW models currently utilize the same pickups.

Metal Shop Music specializes in prewired Lindy Fralin pickguard configs. Check out their "Loaded Pickguards" link for the full meal deal. MSM also stocks loaded "Gypsy" Strat pickguards with the reverse angle bridge pickup a la Hendrix.

Tricked Out Guitar is custom configuring pickguards with Stellartone Tonestyler tone controls (lower photo). The config shown includes Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. The Tonestyler is not a potentiometer per se', but a smooth rotary switch loaded with tiny chip capacitors, similar to audio gear tone controls.

Vintage Pin-up Decals - Directory for classic waterslide decals, including How-To links for applying decals, graphics and refinishing your guitar.

Pimp Your Strat Directory -Mods, wiring diagrams, tips, tutorials and hardware upgrades suppliers.

Relic Resource Directory - Links to relic builders as well as how-to tips and supplies for creating your own relic.

Sexy Pinup Decals by HECTIC

Vintage, Bomber Art, Classic, 30's, 40's, 50's

Click photos for better view!

HECTIC DECALS eBay Store joins our Pinup Resource Directory for the procurement of fine classic pin-up decal selections, specializing in waterslide decals for guitar applications. The above photos are just two examples of several which not only display very stylish decal-guitar combinations but also decals applied correctly.

And that's important!

Relic Deluxe provides a great tutorial guide for applying waterslide decals on your guitar the right way.

Pimp Your Strat Directory -Mods, wiring diagrams, tips, tutorials and hardware upgrades suppliers.

6/24/10

Another One Off Guitar by Lee Garver of GMW

Solid oiled Pau ferro neck w/flame Koa fretboard.

Abalone striped Koa flame/quilt maple top on Honduran mahogany body.

Click images for close-up!

CustomGuitarBoutique.com of NYC has recieved another exclusive custom one-of-a-kind build from Lee at GMW Guitar Works. It's ready to ship now after a year in the works.

Contact Kelcey at CGB for a quote. Key info. and full specs are as follows:

"The pin striping is hand inlayed abalone around the koa flames. The koa flames and quilt maple top are 5/8" thick at the center. The wood flames are NOT a veneer. The two rear cavity plates are mahogany laminated over aluminum, and are painted to match the Honduran mahogany body."

Body Description…………ATS (carved top SS with angled neck heel scallop)

Body Wood…………...…..5/8” thick koa hot rod flames/quilt maple surrounds over a one piece Honduran mahogany body

Headstock Description……Millennium

Neck Specifications………solid pau ferro (oiled)

Body/Neck Binding………ivoroid body binding

Fingerboard Wood………..flame koa, 1 11/16” (R3), 22 frets, 25 ½” scale, 6105 frets, satin finish on board

Fingerboard Inlays………..GMW Dragon’s Breath inlays, abalone side dots

Bridge System…..………..Original Floyd Rose (not recessed)

Pickups…………………..Duncan JB (TB-4) and Lace Sensor/Actodyne Gold Dome neck PU

Tuners……………………Gotoh SG-36 with ebony buttons

Hardware Color…………..gold

Jack Type/Location………football side jack

Control Type……………..volume and Gibson style 3-way PU selector switch

Color/Graphic…………….au natural top with trans brown body/matching rear cavity plates

GMW Logo Color………..two ply stacked “gold on black” GMW logos

Serial Number……………G0015

Assembly Date…………...06/24/10

Special Friday Strat Coming This Week!

"Yours is still in the truck!"

Tomorrow-- Friday, June 25th you'll need to be patient for our Friday Strat.

Brown is doing something very special for us!

"Goddamn Stratoblogster, this is some
serious gourmet sh*t!

Me an'
Vincent woulda been satisfied with
freeze-dried Tasters Choice. You
spring this gourmet f#%*in' sh*t on
us. What flavor is this?"

STAY TUNED...

Friday Strat Directory

TWEEDOCASTER - Too Sexy for My Body...

Just add a suede elbow patch to the upper bout, and you'll have "Professor Tweedocaster".

One of our loyal readers sent me a link to this one featured at the Cakehead Loves Evil blog, a blog worth checking out for interesting twists on things.

And maybe a little pocket for the meerschaum pipe and tobacco. Oh! And a matching headstock oven mitt.

"I say, is that a Strat under there old chap!"

Note: Nearly every time a reader refers me to something, they say something like, "I'm sure you've already seen this..."

JUST KNOW THAT MOST OF THE TIME I HAVEN'T!

So, don't be afraid to let me know about stuff folks!

74-75 Natural Ash Stratocaster - No Reserve Auction

Vintage early 70's Fender Ash Strat

Item ID# 200486644372

Bidding is pretty brisk on this early '70 something natural ash. This era featured the 3 bolt neck, bullet truss and fat headstock. In the lower photo neck plate close-up the seller also wants us to see there is some finish checking. My natural ash '73 Tele is loaded with checking, so no surprise there. They're listing it as a '74 in one place, and '75 elsewhere, but one of those years is probably correct.

A very nice case is also included. Be sure to check out their other listings which include a '74 blonde hardtail in very nice shape.

Seller: fender4you

- 100% rated Top-rated eBay Seller.
Location: Hendersonville, TN

Hi-end Strat Listings

6/23/10

Jas Obrecht's New Blog!!!

Anyone not familiar with Jas Obrecht should simply watch the above clip. I can only add my own two cents by saying that I pretty much grew up reading his great artist interviews in Guitar Player Magazine. Awesome catching up with one of the very best guitar writers in the business!

Major kudos to Josh at Guitar Lifestyle for finding & featuring this very cool video about Jas Obrecht! On top of that, Obrecht himself commented at Josh's blog letting him know about his own new blog Jas Obrecht Music Blog which I'm very proud to add to the Stratoblogster blogroll. Be sure to also read his bio at the blog!

88 Custom Shop Sea Foam with Gold Hardware

Early Fender Custom Shop 80's Sea Foam Stratocaster

Early Fender Custom Shop Sea Foam with Gold

Item ID# 260509677846

We sure don't see many Surf or Sea Foam Green finish Strats with gold hdwr!

I can't recall the last time I saw one. But it works-- makes it look more... Italian? Sure!

PM BLUES

eBay Store has an unbelievable vintage gear inventory! This '88 early era Custom Shop Strat is in beautiful condition. They list it both as Sea Foam and Surf finish color, but a glance over at ReRanch seems to verify SEA FOAM to my eyes, as this finish looks deeper & darker than the Surf Green swatch. I trust ReRanch.

The neck is a "V", and the gold hardware is described as "unworn". The listing provides contact info. including a phone# to reach Paul for more details. Otherwise, the photos are excellent, and the guitar comes with original tweed case. Other than the headstock stamp, I see no mention of a Custom Shop *COA, so ask Paul about that.

He also lists several very clean looking early 70's Marshalls, and a vintage '54 Tele Blackguard that'll make ya cry! Serious! It's 6 3/4 lbs and poetically priced at $54K, so go ahead and cry!

*See post comments for more info. about authentication on early Fender Custom Shop guitars.

Hi-end Strat Listings

6/22/10

GW Blips Guitar News Page Getting SPAMMED!

Guitar related content is currently getting displaced and slammed down badly with SPAM feeds!

Just today I ran into a rash of random stuff for furniture, flowers, clothing, mesothelioma lawyers, etc.

If you're a guitar/music blogger who feeds to GW Blips newsfeed, or anyone going there for guitar content, make sure to exercise your VOTE DOWN option on this spam to get it out of the way. You can simultaneously VOTE UP guitar & music items.

I also recommend contacting GW via their contact link, to let 'em know about the spam. Since you have to be a registered user to submit content there, GW oughta be able to identify the spammers and kill their accounts.

Happy 62nd Birthday to Todd Rundgren!!!

That's right, 62!

Todd Rundgren was born June 22, 1948. But he's far from hangin' it up! If you haven't kept up on Todd, the above clip is from his '08 "Arena" release.

Todd is God-- and God is MAD!!!

Todd Rundgren Tickets

6/21/10

1996 Built Coppercaster '57 Custom Shop

Rare Copper Finish Strat FCS

The bottom photo reminds me of butterscotch pudding.

I actually tasted butterscotch when I saw it too, but it took me 30 minutes to figure out what I was sensing.

Anyhow, this is #14 of a 30 piece run from '96. The seller doesn't provide much data in terms of specs, i.e. body wood, radius, neck profile, etc., but does let us know it's a '57 platform. I count 21 frets, and the neck may be a "V" from what little view we get of the back. He also says it's "unplayed" and one of six which remained in the USA-- so this seller seems to have interesting connections & privileged info. He also lists other hi-end gear including a Gibson Custom Shop Johnny A guitar.

Oh and the anodized pickguard goes real nice too. Seems like a rosewood would work as well. So basically, everything goes well with butterscotch pudding.

Seller: mikelrob