"The guitar is the easiest instrument to play and the hardest to play well."
— Andrés Segovia
Rather than shell out cash for a new guitar, I acquired the above Aztec Gold Stratocaster in a gear trade at Dave's Guitar Shop. To say I'm a bit guitar heavy is an understatement — I've decided to part with some that I don't play very often. Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is a financially dangerous affliction, though there are far worse examples of it out there than what I've amassed.
Speaking of, Dave's recently moved from their Fitchburg location to their new one in Sun Prairie — they really needed more space. Founded by Dave Rogers in 1982, it's always a dangerous endeavor to visit for fear of finding something I feel like I just have to own. Incidentally, Dave has one of the largest privately owned vintage electric guitar collections out there, which you can see here.
As for new and used contemporary models, they have plenty of Fender guitars ...
Gibson ...
Paul Reed Smith ...
Pricey Fender Custom Shop guitars ...
Of recent mods/builds ...
You would call this a "partscaster" (as they're known in the Strat community) on account that it's comprised of parts from other Stratocasters. The neck and tuners are from one guitar, purchased a new body, pickup and pot covers, etc. For this build I wanted kind of a Stevie Ray Vaughn look (sans initials), but with a maple neck rather than rosewood. I've got a couple of other builds that I'm working on and will write about them once complete.
Naturally, with play comes maintenance and repairs. A tone potentiometer broke on my Ultra Gold/Seymour Duncan Stratocaster, so I replaced it — I've gotten pretty good at soldering replacement components. Since the strings were off, I polished up the pickguard and hardware before restringing it:
A few of my guitars have solid rosewood necks and needed to be oiled — here you can see a before and after shot:
It's been especially dry this winter and I do cycle through the guitars once every month or so to make sure they're doing well — at least none of fret sprout!
To keep guitar wood healthy, I maintain a constant humidity level between 45 and 50% in my apartment. During the dry winter months, these means running humidifiers. I have a couple of these HuPro Humidifiers — lots of features and run super quiet. As an added health bonus, my nasal passages are happier as well.
Here's my Bordeaux Metallic HSS all polished up ...
I keep my Eric Johnson Stratocaster plugged in to my amp and effects next to my desk, ready to play. I've been taking online lessons at TrueFire to further develop my technique and style. I'm no Gilmour or Eddie, so there's always something to learn. Matt Schofield's blues course is pretty darn good.
When I want to shoegaze it, I use my recently purchased Shields Blender, developed in conjunction by Fender and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. I enjoy good distortion/fuzz as much as any rock guitarist and this effect pedal is extremely versatile in terms of crunch, sound, and tone. I don't have any personal samples to share right now, but if you want to hear what can be done with it, check out this YouTube video.
Playing, building, and learning about guitars has been a very rewarding and creative way to spend my time, especially during the winter months. Whether strumming favorite tunes, improvising blues or jazz, experimenting with different effects, it provides an endless outlet for focus and self-expression.
All images © 2024 Mike McDowell