"Survival is based on spending money on things that you need, not things you don’t need because some things can wait until a season of prosperity."
― Brenda D. Johnson
"Money spent on good-quality gear is always money well spent."
― Tahir Shah
I decided to make some changes to a few of my Stratocasters resulting in the above new build. This was once a MOD Shop guitar, but I changed it to a 3-tone body with black plastic parts and pure vintage pickups. This is somewhat reminiscent of a 1979 Strat, but this has a deluxe bridge and modern locking tuners. I've been on more of a sunburst kick, as my current 2-tone collection demonstrates.
From left to right:
- 75th Anniversary
- 70th Custom Shop '54 NOS
- 60th Commemorative
- American Vintage II '57
- 70th Anniversary '54
The main difference between Fender's 2-tone and 3-tone sunburst finishes lies in the color gradation. A 2-tone sunburst typically features a darker outer edge (often black or dark brown) fading into a lighter center (usually a light blonde or yellow). In contrast, a 3-tone sunburst adds a third color, often a reddish hue, creating a more vibrant transition from the dark edges to the lighter center.
Having all these guitars somewhat absurd, I freely admit.
Check this out ...
Fender recently released a new version of their personal amp, the Mustang Micro Plus. I think the coolest thing about the new model is that it integrates with Fender's Tone app. Not only can you customize and edit effects pedals, but also choose from a variety of amplifiers. Purists will say the vintage sound is diminished, but they're a ton of fun to experiment with.
Here's one chain I've been using for a Gilmour, Hendrix, and Trower sound:
You simply touch an effect pedal ...
And you can change all the effect controls.
Touch the amp to access its dials ...
It has 25 amps and 25 effects onboard with 100 editable presets—pretty cool, eh?
While I plan to sell a good portion of my guitar collection eventually, now isn't the right time—the used market is still flooded from the pandemic boom. Many people jumped back into old interests or tried something new, but buyer's remorse and waning enthusiasm seem to be common. Guitars are meant to be played, and that's what I do with most of mine, though there are a few tucked away for now.
All images © 2024 Mike McDowell