ELECTRIC GUITARS
78-7341 Fender (used, 1966) Jazzmaster, #178698, Lake Placid Blue, in very good plus condition with original hard shell case.
This is a rare color Jazzmaster – Lake Placid Blue is extremely placid – even just looking at it makes one feel extremely relaxed, serenely free of frustration and interruption. Yes, it has a matching headstock, making it even more beautiful and desirable. Fender introduced their model “Jazzmaster” in the middle of 1958 following the great success with the Esquire, the Telecaster and the Stratocaster. They had also found success with the Duo-Sonic and the Musicmaster, (both mid-’56) and the Jaguar (mid-’62). The Jazzmaster was intended to be their top-of-the-line guitar. Interestingly, Gibson had come out with their Les Paul Custom as a top-of-the-line model but the lower priced Standard steals the show, and likewise the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster are the most valuable vintage Fender electrics even thought they were positioned lower. Nevertheless, because of the astronomical prices of the Strat and Tele, the market value and demand for the Jazzmaster has increased nicely, and especially for rare colors, like this.The Jazzmaster has a body that is contoured with an offset waist on each side. It has twin white-covered rectangular pickups, a three-way toggle in the upper treble bout, roller knobs for volume and tone on the bass side of the strings, and one more two-position toggle in the upper bass bout. There are two white (now crème) high-hat knobs in the lower treble for volume and tone, six individual bridge saddles, a large white-black bordered white (now crème) pickguard, and a “floating” tremolo bridge (this guitar lacks its tremolo arm and it lacks its original bridge). In late ’65 this model received a new specification -- fingerboard binding -- and in the middle of 1966 it first received 9 pearloid block-marker fingerboard inlays. The scale length is long at 25.5”, the fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood, the headstock is the larger size that corresponds to Stratocasters of its time. Pickup covers changed to black in 1977, so this was made in the last year for white, and the model in its original form was discontinued after 1980. This guitar has just received a set-up at the Mandolin Brothers Workshop, It has its original all metal tuners with the stylized “F” on the back, original finish and original pickups, This guitar has a replaced volume potentiometer that bears code number 1377345 (made in 1973) but it has an original tone pot bearing number 137 6636 (made in 1966). If anybody wishes to hear this guitar, there is a link to a Staten Island band called Dirty Looks at iTunes where, we are told, you can play a sample. This guitar is $5,671 or at our cash discount price $5,500.
15-6200 Fender (new) Stratocaster® Virtual Guitar, black with a white pickguard and a maple neck, with hard shell case.
The guitar that can do the impossible. Without touching the tuners you can change tuning from standard to open tunings of various types, render the sound of a twelve-string, of a classical, all by the touch of a switch. The 10th Wonder of the Modern World, here’s what Fender Musical Instruments says about it: “Fender and Roland® team up once again to bring you the revolutionary new VG Stratocaster guitar. It’s an incredibly versatile instrument that gives you 37 different Stratocaster, Telecaster®, humbucking, 12-string and acoustic sounds, plus five alternate tunings, all at the simple flip of a switch or twist of a knob. It all comes in the gracefully familiar form of an American Series Stratocaster and it’s designed to deliver each sound with level, balanced tone and volume — no need to readjust your amp settings with each change in guitar sound.” On the surface it’s a classic Strat® in every sense of the word, but, looking closely, there’s a lot of extra magic in there, too. This astonishing testament to technology lists for $2428.56 and the Fender MAP is $1700.
78-7387 Fender Limited Edition Relic Rosewood Telecaster™, #CZ506026, with hard shell case.
Absolutely gorgeous, made by hand, and in extremely short supply. The Fender List Price is $6000 and the Fender MAP is, well, we don’t have that information handy but if you phone or email we’ll share our actual selling price with you which is nothing like the List Price.
78-7119 Taylor (new) T-5 Custom, in Koa wood top, with Artist Inlays and gold-plated hardware, #2007 0524505, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List is $3798 and the Taylor MAP is $2899.
78-7326 Fender (used, 2007) Vintage Hot Rod ‘52 Telecaster®, #XN59291, maple neck, in “virtually new” condition, with tweed hard shell case and all the swag that comes in the case.
Classic looks, modern tone and feel -- Fender’s new Vintage Hot Rod ’52 Telecaster® guitar fuses the beast from the old with the best from the new in one exhilarating’ instrument. Great classic features include vintage styling, a custom vintage Tele® bridge pickup and a thin-skin nitrocellulose lacquer finish; modern features include a Seymour Duncan® Vintage Mini- HB humbucking neck pickup and a satin-backed neck with a flatter radius and medium-jumbo frets. Looks, sounds and feel both vintage and brand-new at the same time! From the silver Spaghetti headstock logo to the serial number stamped into the uncovered tailpiece/bridge assembly plate and the three double-duty brass saddles, this guitar looks “right” from top to bottom. By “right” we mean an original period guitar that was modified by an owner to have a modern mini-humbucker in the neck position. Great variations of sound are housed within the three position switch and the twin metal corrugated rotary knobs, right at your fingertips. Wail, brother, wail with this lightweight, possibly alder body with the dramatic see-through grain pattern and the flat black pickguard all together giving you the vintage vibe of verisimilitude. Dude. $1335 or, at our cash discount price, $1295.
78-7323 Fender (used, 1967) Stratocaster, sunburst, #204260, with original Fender leatherette carry gigbag (with broken handle).
This is a very beautiful, and dignified, vintage fretted instrument. It has its original finish, it has its “Fender Stratocaster with Synchronized Tremolo” and 3 patent dates on the headstock, but it lacks the “Original Contour Body” decal in the bulbous end of the headstock. The fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood, inlaid with 10 pearloid dots in 9 positions. The original cover plate is held in place by 11 original screws. The pickups are original. Both strap buttons and the string tree on the headstock are original; tuners appear original. The revered (and beloved) Neck Date reads 13 Sep. 1967, there is no body date; it has its tremolo arm. This guitar shows normal playing wear including finish chips around the edges and elsewhere. Influenced as so many were by Jimi Hendrix, who played an inverted righty guitar upside down, this guitar’s owner, in a fit of hero worship, routed out a bit of each pickup cavity under the pickguard in order to invert the pickups, which he has since returned to their original position. They are much happier now. Although no normal person can see this (unless he or she has X-ray vision, each of the three cavities was crudely enlarged at the center of its oblong shape. The original shim under the neck is still there; the bridge saddles show normal oxidation, like a modern Custom Shop Relic, but the screws in the saddles are still shiny. It must be a miracle since the owner says he did not replace those screws. During the course of the inversion and then restoration, the pickups were neatly resoldered back in. The nut is chipped on one corner, but because it’s original we feel it should be left alone. The owner says that one or more frets were in the past replaced but to look at them you’d never know. This is a really nice piece. It has the looks, it has the sound, it has the pedigree.
78-7412 Fender (new) Eric Johnson Model Stratocaster, two-tone sunburst, #EJ13860, with hard shell case.
Eric Johnson is considered one of the most respected guitarists on the planet according to Guitar Player Magazine. His recording of “Cliffs of Dover” won a Grammy® in 1991 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The guitar he co-designed with the Fender Musical Instrument Co. is considered an idealized model, having golden colored brass frets, an equally golden maple fingerboard with 10 black dotmarkers, a small headstock with the spaghetti style black bordered silver Fender logo and other decal appellations from times of yore, Kluson-style individual tuners, beautiful cross grain on back of neck and an uncovered spring cavity with five stalwart springs. The neck supports a walnut skunk stripe on its obverse, and the four-bolt cover plate not only has the large stylized initials of the co-designer but it also has a stick figure of a musician bent over in the act of feverishly playing a Stratocaster. History repeats itself but nothing gives a player GAS as much as a first look at this beautiful instrument. The Fender List is $2499 while the Fender MAP is only $1749.99.
78-7418 Fender (new) Eric Clapton Strat, in black, #SZ7321323, with hard shell rectangular case.
The Fender List is $2142.84 and the Fender MAP is $1499.99
78-7411 Fender (new) Vintage Hot Rod ’62 Strat, (SHM), #V179854, with hard shell case.
The Fender List is $2285.70 and the Fender MAP is $1599.99
78-7207 Paul Reed Smith (new) SE Custom in cherry sunburst finish, #CEH19530, with a zipper gigbag.
When it comes to making affordable instruments for the talented amateur player, nobody does it better than PRS. The term SE stands for Student Edition and this is their model called Custom which means that it has moon fingerboard inlays (each one looks like a quarter moon in pearl and abalone. The top is flamey and figured, the twin humbucking pickups are deliberately uncovered and the PRS tailpiece/bridge hosts six individual and fully adjustable saddles for string height and intonation. Twin deeply golden cylinder knobs reside in the lower treble quadrant along with a three way toggle switch while the jack, housed within a football shaped nickel-plated cover lies the phone jack and a tailpin I provisioned at the bass horn and bottom side. The back, sides and neck are mahogany, the back features two cavity covers – one for the spring cavity and one for the potentiometers and jack. Tuners are chrome plated “PRS” logo sealed backs with large buttons. In every way this is a rock ‘n’ roll reflection of the flat-top and flat-back simple solid body with the contour at the cutaway and the bass side back, all the better to soothe your sternum. The PRS List is $798 and you are allowed to phone or email for our discount and cash discount price.
78-7208 Paul Reed Smith (new) SE Custom Semi-Hollow Body, in Blue Matteo finish, CEH22506 with zipper gigbag.
The PRS List is $858 and you are allowed to phone or email for our discount and cash discount price.
78-7317 Paul Reed Smith (used, 2004) McCarty Brazilian Custom 22 Electric guitar, with Brazilian fingerboard and headstock, having a 10-Top of stunning Quilted Maple, serial #380834, in near mint condition with original hard shell case.
One of the most beautiful of all Paul Reed Smith’s guitars was the Brazilian rosewood Custom of just four years ago. Every nuance is tasteful and elegant – including the abalone inlaid signature of the designer adjacent to the block lettered “BRAZILIAN” on the matte finish Brazilian rosewood headplate, with matching B-word truss rod cover; then there’s the solid Brazilian rosewood unbound fingerboard with the large frets and the sequence of 9 individual abalone birds swooping and flying around the place. Then there’s the twin burnished (brushed) chrome pickup nickel covers and gold-plated combination stop tail and bridge, the twin gold high-hat controls, the bottom of which is a push-pull for greater sonic versatility, and the three position toggle. The outer edge of the multi-dimensional quilted maple top is left aging-toner natural and this appears to be binding, but it ain’t. The back and sides are cherry stained mahogany. The condition can nearly not be faulted, and the sound is enough to turn the most jaded player red-cheeked with unbridled lust. Previously owned this is only $3087 or at our cash discount price $2995.
15-6804 Renaissance (new) RS6B-STB Baritone guitar, #07-2691, walnut back and sides with a cedar top, very long scale at approximately 27”, housed in a good quality zipper gigbag.
Renaissance is one of the companies of Rick Turner, guitar player par excellence, formerly second guitarist with Ian and Sylvia, but now the entrepreneur who brings to life many fine acoustic and electric accoutrements that we tend to take for granted. He was instrumental in creating the Highlander pickup, and later the electronic products of the D-Tar company; he designed and builds the electric guitar that Fleetwood Mac uses with the spinning black round pickup (you’ve seen it). He may be a certified genius. Or at least we think so. Anyway, his Renaissance Guitar Company builds chambered electrics that, when plugged into a superb acoustic amplifier like the Fender AcoustaSonic Ultralight make a guitarist and his or her audience think that they are surrounded by the highest fidelity six-string guitar that has ever been used on a stage. Now imagine, if you will, that your guitar was tuned down to B-to-B (5 half-tones down) and, when played, there was no distortion, rumble, or twang, only the smoothest, most heavenly, blended, smooth tonal range in the baritone voice as has ever been heard in a home or auditorium. Now imagine if your fingers were on the strings. This guitar redefines the sound of the acoustic six-string, except that it’s not acoustic – it needs to be plugged into an amplifier, but then. . . watch out! $2088 or, at our cash discount price $2025.
78-7331 Vernon Reid’s own Pensa Suhr (used, c. 1991-‘92) Electric Solid Body Guitar, #111992, in excellent condition, sunburst top, cherry back and sides, with a worn tweed rectangular hard shell case that may or may not have been provided when new.
This cheerful quilted-maple capped double cutaway solid body (the bass horn is longer than the right) bears the legend on its back plate “For Vernon Reid by Stephen Marchione 111992.” It has an offset point on the tip end of the headstock and the “Pensa-Suhr” logo in gold decal on the treble edge of the headplate; tuners are gold-plated, sealed back Gotoh, uncovered pickups are single-single-double, the last with a crème surround; the gold-plated bridge and tailpiece are Kahler, and so are the three square gold-plated covered locking nut with the gold-plated string guide. The rosewood unbound fingerboard is inlaid with 10 ivoroid dotmarkers. There are two black plastic covers on the back – the large rectangular cover is missing two screws; the back of the neck is one-piece maple. It has 22 frets total, 16 of them to the body joint, a position selector, and several rotary knobs. It has twin gold-plated strap pins, one at the point and one at the bottom. There is a chip out of the top, binding and a tiny section of the side at the lower bass bout, and this has been repaired and spot refinished. The guitar is overall quite clean, showing some crazing and a few random dings. The top edge of the guitar is the natural finish maple which, when contrasted with the cherry finish side appears to be binding, but it’s not. It is accompanied by a hand-signed note that reads “The Pensa-Suhr guitar, around 1991 or 1992, was originally built for me by John Suhr when he was the head luthier at Rudy’s Music Stop in Manhattan. Proceeds from the sale of this instrument are to be donated to the Scott Harding Trust. Scott is a renowned record producer/engineer who I have worked with on Mistaken Identity and The Salif Keita record, Papa. He recently was seriously injured and is going to need long-term care. A growing group of friends and colleagues are joining together to provide aid.” Per Mr. Reid, Stephen Marchione worked at Suhr but John Suhr built this exceedingly handsome and exceptionally fine sounding guitar. $2938 or at our cash discount price, $2850.
78-7365 Renaissance (Rick Turner) (new) RN6-Std. nylon string chambered electric guitar, #082758, with a zipper gigbag.
This has a wider neck than the Renaissance Hybrid has, but it’s still way smaller than a classical full sized neck and the sound may make some jump out of their skin (in a good way). Your cost for one of the finest sounding electric nylon string guitars known to exist is $2273 or, at our cash discount price, $2205.
78-7095 Fender Telecaster (used, ostensibly 1956), blonde, #14246, with a period, possibly original, heavily worn tweed rectangular hard shell case.
Sometimes a 1950s Fender electric guitar comes along from the perfect vintage year, that looks like a Telecaster Relic – the quintessence of the combination of age, venerability and normal playing wear, the kind of instrument that if you saw it in a pawn shop window you would stop and genuflect. This is one of those guitars. We believe that this guitar is basically a 1956 Fender Telecaster, however along the years it was modified, and then put back to period original by the acquisition of 1950s parts, although some components are modern. We cannot be 100% conclusive about which parts are original to a single Fender instrument bearing this serial number that was made in 1956 -- and which of them are from other Telecasters and Esquires. The body date in the bridge pickup cavity is “9-56” or September, 1956. Three circular holes have been drilled in the bridge pickup cavity to accommodate longer bridge pickup screws – at one time there was another pickup in that cavity that required longer screws. The control plate was drilled for a mini-toggle switch. Both potentiometers were replaced: The volume pot code is 304-7116 which puts the date of that part at the 16th week of 1971; the tone pot is coded 304-6612 which puts that part’s date as the 12th week of 1966.The pickguard is a ‘50s ‘guard that has, on its underside, a sales sticker that suggests that it was purchased as an after-market part for $70, (it must have been a while ago), but it is, in our opinion, from the ‘50s. The bridge/tailpiece is from the 1950s. The neck pickup was replaced; we do not know if the neck pickup that’s in there is a modern Fender part or a Seymour Duncan. The two strap buttons are correct, the toggle cap is not; the bridge/tailpiece plate is from the 1950s. The six tuners are individual single-line bearing the “Kluson Deluxe” logo and the underside of each tuner is stamped “#2356766 Pat. Appld” which is correct for the late 1950s. The body finish appears to be original, showing crazing, wear, chips and dents, all indicative of a guitar that was normally played but not abused. The cover over the bridge/tailpiece is missing; the maple neck is a ‘50s part, though it has no date so we cannot determine the exact year the neck was made. There is finish touch-up on the back of the headstock and the black “TELECASTER” decal was removed from headstock leaving behind an area of disrupted finish. There is extensive fingerboard wear (on virtually every fret on the board) with steel wool marks evident around the frets and the black dots. The fingerboard was refretted in the past and is presently fitted with a newer and wholly incorrect aluminum nut.
The finish is worn and significantly discolored down to bare wood on both the treble and the bass side of neck; there is, as well, finish missing throughout the length of neck at and adjacent to the skunk stripe. There is a possibility that the back of the neck was shaved down to a lower neck profile -- the neck profile seems to us smaller than it should be. The guitar is housed in what appears to be a heavily worn original period tweed hard shell rectangular case that is missing its latch on the headstock end. One Possible Theory: This guitar may have a Telecaster that was modified and then played for a long time as an Esquire – which is one reason why a prior owner might have removed the word “TELECASTER” from the headstock. If so, this would explain the replaced pot – in order to play it as an Esquire it would have required a bridge pickup (only) and this pickup, if one desired to vary its sound, would have had to have been split, which is why it once had a mini-toggle installed.
This guitar is a Fender Telecaster and parts of it were made in 1956, other parts were speculatively made during the late 1950s, ’60s and‘70s. The replaced neck pickup is a depreciative factor, but it is possible for the person who buys it to find a 1956 or mid-to-late 1950s Fender neck pickup and bring it closer to original. The fact that this is not all one unaltered, unmodified guitar, plus the replaced potentiometers, the suspected thinning of the neck, the lack of a neck date, the replaced nut, and the missing “Telecaster” decal all affect market value. When this year Telecaster is found in excellent condition a 1956 Telecaster that is 100% original, righteous and unquestioned, untouched and unchanged in every way possible and in cosmetically clean condition, can be worth $33,000 to $39,000. That this guitar was putatively reassembled into most of what one would call a 1950s Telecaster means that you save a few bucks. In this instance your requirement is only $20,105 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $19,500.
78-7274 Collings (new) Model I-35 Deluxe, an all solid wood smaller semi-hollow body guitar, #1357255 in tobacco sunburst flame maple, with hard shell case.
The Collings company describes this instrument as being made from Premium flamed maple with a fully carved top. It is a Semi-Hollow mahogany body sporting grained ivoroid top binding, a high gloss lacquer finish, offered in a choice of sunburst or a translucent color. It hosts custom humbucking pickups by Jason Lollar, a Tone-Pro bridge and tailpiece, custom-made grained ivoroid knobs and pickup rings, a 22-fret ivoroid bound mahogany neck with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard that displays mother-of-pearl dot fingerboard inlays. Distance from nut to saddle is 24 7/8"scale length. The fingerboard, body and peghead are all ivoroid bound and said peghead is faced with a dark Brazilian rosewood veneer, a mother-of-pearl Collings logo, Sperzel vintage tuners with ivoroid buttons, a spear-point grained ivoroid truss rod cover that resembles nobody’s else’s, and an asymmetrical headstock shape that sweeps its hair back while saying the petulantly pronounced phrase “It’s the only way.” This guitar is housed in a deluxe TKL hard shell case. If you are thinking of ordering one from us (and you should think about just buying this one) the Finish Choices for the model include: Tobacco Sunburst, Natural Blonde, Crimson, Jet Black, or if you inquire as to special projects, a Custom Sunburst or Unusual Color that one can only imagine. In addition, special optional features of the I-35 (Bill Collings occasionally names his electrics after the highways that traverse the Austin, TX area), include a Premium Quilted Maple top, Parallelogram fingerboard inlays (this guitar sports them double parallelograms), black-white top purfling (this guitar has that feature) and gold hardware (this guitar has nickel-plated). Tom Guarna, a well-known local jazz guitarist, whose latest album release is titled Wingspan, says: “This guitar is really well made. My overall impression is that it’s a new guitar that sounds vintage when you play it amplified. It sounds aged and is exceedingly well-balanced. The craftsmanship is impeccable -- the frets are perfect, everything about it is high-end. I like the neck shape and profile – it is hand filling, like a 1959 ‘burst, and the playability is superb. It’s also a sharp looking instrument.” Your cost on this most majestic of musical muffins is $5,799 or, at our cash discount price $5,625.
78-7019 Collings (new) Model 290 electric solid body guitar, in black with white “fill”, featuring a pearloid peghead and truss rod cover, #2907288, with hard shell plush lined case. “290” is another highway that cuts through Austin, Texas.
What a great idea! It’s exceedingly difficult to name new instruments. This model features a solid mahogany body, high gloss lacquer finish, twin custom P-90-style pickups by Jason Lollar, aTone-Pro bridge and tailpiece, it is available with either black or amber top hat volume and tone knobs. It has a 22-fret unbound mahogany neck with a scale length of 24 7/8” nut to saddle, an East Indian rosewood fingerboard that presents with grained ivoroid dot fingerboard inlays. Its peghead is unbound with an ebony veneer, a mother-of-pearl Collings logo, Sperzel vintage tuners with ivoroid buttons and all this is housed in a deluxe hard shell case. Available Options include a pearloid pickguard & truss rod cover, as well as a pearloid peghead veneer. If you’re thinking of another finish (we like this one but to each his own), the other colors are: Tobacco Sunburst, Crimson, Orange, TV Yellow, Jet Black as well as this guitar which is Black with a White Grainfill. This is an exciting instrument, one that may change your method and your mind about amplified playing. Your cost (so very reasonable) is $2,505 or at our cash discount price $2,430.
78-7268 Fender (new) “1968 Heavy Relic Reissue Strat,” R39482, with hard shell case.
The Fender List is $5000 with a Fender MAP of $3500.
15-6524 Gibson (used, 1971) Model SG Standard, in walnut finish, #962601, “Made in USA” stamped below number, with the “Lyre” tailpiece and tremolo arm, in good condition with a newer Harptone “thermometer” headstock hard shell case.
This version of the SG has pearloid trapezoid inlays in 9 fret positions starting from fret three, a crème bound fretboard, a four-point black pickguard held in place by 10 screws and bearing a white-black-white side lamination. The pickups are twin chrome plated humbuckers, the bridge saddle is tune-o-matic with nylon or plastic saddles, and the tremolo arm for the Gibson Lyre tailpiece resides in the pocket of the newer but high quality case. The nut width for this period SG is only 1 9/16th, but yet this is a fast and easy neck to utilize. There is an old, rather large, long and meandering headstock crack on the back of the headstock on both sides (north and south) of the carved “volute” or hand-stop behind the nut. This was repaired well – it is tight as can be, but it remains visible. The back and front of the guitar as well as the back of the neck and headstock were oversprayed and there is some “orange peel” effect in the finish behind the headstock due to the overspray. Our professional repair shop has performed a new re-fret and so the guitar plays beautifully. This guitar shows normal signs of use and wear, scratches, dings, nicks, very small dents, scrapes especially along edges. The metal parts, however, retain a high shine and luster; tuners are original double-ring “Gibson Deluxe” replicas of Kluson, with pearloid tulip buttons, There is a strap lock type pin positioned from the back of the heel. This guitar was owned by illustrious teacher, author, guitarist Ronny Lee. Mr. Lee has provided the guitar a signed note that reads: “I have used my Gibson SG on many, many engagements and though so highly of it that it appears in the photograph on the covers of my books and also in the photograph appearing on the title pages of my books. To whoever purchases my Gibson SG: I wish as much good fortune and happiness as I have enjoyed during the years that I owned it. (Signed), Ronny Lee. This guitar with hard shell case is priced at $2159 or at our cash discount price $2059.
78-7249 Taylor (new) Custom Walnut Electric Guitar, #2007-1128927, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List is $3098 and the Taylor MAP is $2299.
78-7250 Taylor (new) “Classic” Electric in white finish, #2007-1128901, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List is $1748 and the Taylor MAP is $1299.
78-7114 Taylor (new) “Standard” Electric in “Tamo Top, cherry sunburst” finish, #2008-0114932, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $2398 and the Taylor Map is something like $1785.
15-6984 Fender (used, 1962) Stratocaster, #80150, refinished by Mike Lennon, The Apprentice Shop, to a perfect replica three-tone sunburst, with a newer brown hard shell case having the large rectangular center pocket.
Per Mike Lennon’s repair order (11/27/07) The Arizona-based Apprentice Shop (one of the finest instrument restorers in the USA) “repaired and refinished the body, replaced the bridge, pickguard, back plate, neck plate and all of the screws, rewired to original, restrung and setup.” The guitar is accompanied by its original crème pickguard, green Fender Owner’s Manual, a worn Ronny Lee “No-Mishap” guitar strap (made in Patton, PA and bearing 1959 Patent No. 2,843,039) a small folded four-color card that reads “Fender, Fine Electric Instruments” with a statement and the model and serial number written by hand, to which a small Allen wrench is attached with a thin strip of bandage. In the pocket of the case is a newer cover for the bridge, a newer spring, some newer knobs and a newer tremolo arm. The potentiometer codes are 304-6207 which means that the pots are Stackpole made, and dated February of 1962; the neck date is “2 Apr 62 B.” We discovered that the neck pickup lead was spliced, and that the shielding plate is original but it has three extra holes in it, that correspond to three extra holes in the original pickguard that resides in the case. We believe that the guitar once had 3 mini-switches. Under the pickguard is a small area of spliced-in wood, by Mike Lennon (so you know it was a great job). The case could be from a Fender Jazzmaster or Jaguar. There is no visible body date and we cannot, ourselves, tell if the pickups were rewound, but Mike Lennon didn’t have them rewound so they may very well be original. The finish work is exemplary – the neck shows normal light signs of wear and of course the body shows no wear and yet the entirely is convincingly vintage. This is the real, albeit “restored” deal, and it remains affordable to those who are seeking vintage verity combined with a minimal level of conservative restoration rendering it nearly museum quality. $23,195 or at our cash discount price, $22,500.
15-6999 Fender (November 1968) Fender Telecaster with factory Bigsby, blonde finish, #231075, very good plus condition having a few changes, with original hard shell case.
This guitar is dizzying to see, dangerous to contemplate. It has every feature those who crave a vintage Telecaster would want, including the crème finish and the Bigsby Tremolo. Its neck date is Nov 68 B, its Pot Codes are A3WD25055. However, an extremely close inspection reveals that the volume and tone knobs are replacements, the toggle switch is a replacement and the neck pickup is a Kent Armstrong. This guitar looks just like a Fender 1968 Relic reissue, if there were such a model -- it has exactly the right amount of fingerboard wear in the maple board with its 10 black dotmarkers in 9 positions, a cigarette burn on the blower treble edge of the body, a slightly bubbled pickguard, nicks and chips on the edges and in other places, hand-wear on back of neck in the lower positions, and deep crazing lines as well as light but pervasive crazing lines on the maple headplate. The outlined script Fender black logo has two patent dates underneath it, and "TELECASTER" in a black decal at the bulbous end of the headstock. Its tuners are six vertical "F-plate" originals; the frets show normal signs of wear but of course we do not recommend replacing them (keep it as original as possible). This guitar sounds great, plays great. The bridge pickup was sent out to Lindy Fralin for rewinding in October 2005 and so that pickup plays great as well. This is a beloved model of Fender instrument, one to be raved about nightly. $6181 or, at our cash discount price, $5995
15-6983 Gibson (used, 1959) Melody Maker, two tone sunburst, #936466 (inked), in excellent minus condition with a newer, longer gigbag.
This is from 1959, the finest year -- a true vintage single cutaway Melody Maker having the black oblong shiny plastic covered single coil pickup, the wraparound stop tailpiece/bridge combination, the twin gold high hat knobs in the lower treble bout adjacent to a phone jack, all contained within the oddly shaped black pickguard that bears a somewhat worn "Melody Maker" white legend. The fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood and hosts 7 pearloid dotmarker inlays. The headstock is somewhat snakehead shaped meaning that it gets skinnier as it goes up, and displays the gold Gibson postwar script logo in gold and there under a black plastic truss rod cover held in place by two screws. The instrument shows light normal signs of wear including nicks and scratches in the face, on the sides, light dings and some shallow belt buckle on the back, some nicks on the back of the neck; the tuners are original three-on-a-plate open back with ivoroid buttons. It retains two black strap buttons with a recessed Phillips screw. This is what we call “an affordable collectible American vintage fretted instrument.” People ask us – all the time – “since everything is so expensive today what can I buy that will increase in value steadily but is within reach now?” Well friends, the answer is: “You’re lookin’ at it.” If this were a Les Paul Standard from the same year it would be $400,000. However, being that it’s a one pickup Melody Maker it’s way less. IT WAS $2938 but it’s now ON SALE for $2572 or, at our cash discount price, $2500.
78-7019 Collings (new) Model 290 solid body #2907288, in the black pearloid finish with the white "fill," having a pearloid headplate and truss rod cover, with hard shell case.
Our discount price is $2505, our cash discount price is $2430.
78-7963 Fender (new) Vintage '62 Jaguar Reissue, #V176724, in Olympic White, with hard shell case.
Our price is $1546 or, at our cash discount price, $1500.
15-6901 Fender (new) 1965 Stratocaster Relic, #R37473, in three-tone sunburst, hard shell cases.
The Fender List is $3690 and the Fender MAP is $2583.
78-7959 Paul Reed Smith (new) SE “One” in vintage cherry, #H12383, with a zipper gigbag.
The PRS List is $618.
78-7961 Paul Reed Smith (new) SE Custom Semi-Hollow, #H14747, in Tobacco Sunburst, with a gig bag.
The PRS List is $858.
15-6804 Renaissance (Rick Turner) (new) RS6B-STD Baritone guitar, chambered electric with a bolt-on maple neck, walnut sides and back, cedar top, matte (satin) finish, and housed in a padded zipper gigbag.
A Baritone guitar is tuned B-to-B and so it produces a deep, stentorian rumbling range of astonishing aural abundance. Please see my description in this issue of the Goodall Baritone acoustic. This guitar sounds sort of like that except that it’s an electric and utilizes the Rick Turner pickup and preamp which requires two (not one) 9-volt batteries and produces tone and volume reminiscent of Thor’s terrible thunder. $2088 or, at our cash discount price, $2025.
15-6825 Fender Vintage Hot Rod Telecaster, XN61266, in butterscotch blonde (BTB) with hard shell rectangular case.
The Fender List Price is $2285.70 and the Fender MAP is $1599.99.
15-6755 Gibson (used, 1952) Gibson Les Paul Model, Gold Top, No Serial Number, but we have assigned it #ISI-1775, in excellent minus condition with original hard shell case.
1952 was the first year of the Gibson Les Paul. The earliest examples had an unbound fingerboard, but these are exceptionally early and rare. The balance of 1952 sees a crème bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard and 5/8” high gold cylinder knobs. The tailpiece was a trapeze, supported off of the top by a pointed cone, a metal threaded rod and a corrugated circle of metal to raise and lower the bridge height. The bottom side of this original component (the trapeze portion on the bottom side) is stamped “Pat. Pending.” Five of the six tuners are unsigned Kluson Deluxe type originals and one, the fourth or D string tuner, is a more recent replacement, also unsigned and with an oil hole, but without a center stripe. This guitar shows normal signs of wear and use including a small triangular divot on the back of the neck behind the first fret as well as other less demonstative nicks and impressions on the neck and also on the body. There is light belt buckle contact on the back, chips along the bass waist, dings and crazing overall, small signs of fret wear, some pitting on the 9 pearloid trapezoid inlaid rosewood fretboard mainly around the 2nd fret, chips around the headstock and scratches in the black headplate. We want to remind you that all of this totals “light normal” signs of use, and that we tend to overstate. The guitar is lovely. Said black headplate overlay bears “Gibson” postwar script logo and sideways gold decal “Les Paul MODEL.” In the original hard shell case is the original Gibson “tag” a tri-fold that addresses “Instructions,” “Gibson Strings” and “Gibson Polish,” and reads “For Top Performance of your New Gibson” on the front. Said tag still has the original string, and on the back it reads: “Model: (stamped) LES PAUL,” “Price: $261.50 w/c,” and “Gibson, Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan.” This guitar may show normal signs of use and wear but it is all there (except for the one replaced tuner). This version has the crème colored single-coil P-90 pickups, the crème body and neck binding, and the sound from heaven. It is an unbelievably righteous example of the first year Gibson Les Paul, arguably one of the most sought after models of electric guitar (along with the ’50s Fender Stratocaster) in the known universe. NOW ON SALE. You save around five thousand bucks! IT WAS $38,662 BUT IS NOW ON SALE for $33,500 or, at our cash discount price, $32,500.
15-6749 Gibson (used, 2005) Les Paul Special single cutaway, in TV Yellow, #0 1008, in ink, with twin P-90 black single-coil pickups and a nickel plated stop tailpiece with original hard shell case.
Although this guitar does not have a “Custom Shop” decal on the back of the headstock it is our recollection that it was made by the Gibson Historic Collection. This is also evident in its obviously high quality level of manufacture, including the notion of replicating the attention to the detail and the accuracy of appointments that went into a Les Paul Special from, say, 1960. This one shows normal signs of use and wear including nicks, belt buckle marks on the back, scratches overall, nicks including around the edge of the headplate, mars and scuffs. Its tuners, which were once evidently Kluson copies, were replaced with nickel-plated Grover Rotomatics. The fingerboard is without a doubt East Indian rosewood but the combination of medium brown with black streaks makes one think of Brazilian, and that component is bound in crème celluloid inlaid with 10 pearloid dotmarkers in 9 positions. The headstock is properly chipped and looks like the headstock on an older guitar, bears the inlaid Gibson postwar script logo in pearl and the gold “Les Paul Special” legend, and then a black bell-shaped truss rod cover with white border. The face features a black pickguard bordered in white-black-white, four black high-hat knobs in the lower treble and one three way toggle in the upper bass bout. The nickel plating on the tailpiece is nicely oxidized. There are two black plastic cavity covers on the back, one round and one sort of trapezoidal, and two strap pins. It plays just fine and sounds strong and massive. $1850 or at our cash discount price $1795
15-6758 Taylor (new) Special Order Model T-5C2, the versatile chambered-electric guitar with the 5-position switch on the bass upper side that allows you to play any type of music including singer-songwriter folk, with the panache and presence of a rock and roll shredder.
This one was specially made with a magnificent Cocobolo top – like nothing you (or anybody else) has ever seen, #20070709507. It was made for a Guitar Show, and we were asked if we would like to buy it. We said “YEAH!” It is housed ina plush-lined hard shell brown allegory case. This is List $3799, and Taylor MAP is $2849. Ask us for our actual price.
15-6631 Fender (new) Vintage Hot Rod ’57 Strat, in two-tone sunburst, #V166291, with hard shell rectangular case.
The Fender List is $2335.70 and the Fender MAP is $1634.99.
15-6613 Fender (new) ’62 Telecaster Custom, in 3-tone sunburst, #V159781, with rectangular hard shell case.
The Fender List is $2049.99 while the Fender MAP is $1435.
15-6500 Fender (new) John Mayer “Cypress Mica” model, SE057780, one of a limited edition of 500 guitars, but not individually numbered, in a sort of military gray-green metallic, four bolt plate, with a special semi-hard case.
On the back of the headstock, at the bulbous part, is what appears to be a signature of the artist; we do not know if this is a facsimile or an actual signature. Per the special sheet (code number PN070768) that accompanies the guitar, here are the special features: The neck is made from eastern hard rock maple, hosting 21 Dunlop 6105 frets. It has the appearance of the rosewood board 1960s style and the dimensions, shape and finish of the American Deluxe Series. This neck is finished in a special satin urethane tinted to a vintage amber. The finish is then buffed to a hand-rubbed gloss and the back is hand-sanded. The vintage type string tree is the same as on the ’52 Telecaster. The body is select alder with ‘60s style contours; the pickups are Texas Special variants, custom wound to the artist’s specifications. Included is a 5-position pickup selector, a master volume, a tone control for the neck pickup, and a tone control for the middle and bridge. All of these knobs are white, corrugated, with a black indicator. The tremolo is “non-floating” and mounted flush to the body. By agreement with Mr. Mayer there is no back plate provided. The back of this flyer has diagrams that define the pickups, parts and switch positions (“this is the neck pickup.”) The Fender List is $2142.84 while the Fender MAP (and our Discount Price) is $1499.99
15-6521 Fender (used, 1974-'75) Blonde finish Stratocaster, #673188, in very good plus condition with a newer Fender brand molded thermoplastic hard shell case.
This is the standard Fender Strat of its time -- a hard-tail model – that means that it has no factory tremolo, featuring the famous three-bolt neck plate, the “bullet” style truss rod on the headstock, a maple headstock, neck and body, three white (now crème) rotary knobs in the lower treble bout, a five-position toggle switch with a nicely oranged cap, a strap pin at the bass cutaway and at bottom, six original F-logo Fender sealed back tuners with metal buttons. It has the always welcome skunk stripe in what is probably walnut up the back of the neck to behind the second fret. A prior owner has removed the glossy finish from the back of the neck from fret 1 to fret 13 and oil-sealed the wood in that area, otherwise the guitar shows normal signs of use and playing time – dings, here and there some of them deep forming chips, scratches, scuffs, mars and dents. It overall does not look like a worn instrument; it looks quite happy for a 30-something year old. The pickguard has been replaced with a completely appropriate white-black-white bordered white guard held in place with 11 screws; the neck pickup (only) is replaced with a newer single-coil that matches the other two original ones except that the neck pickup has staggered pole pieces and the original’s magnets are flush. It has the six individually adjustable saddle bridge/tailpiece and the metal clad jack that allows the cable to be inserted at an angle. The headstock proffers the original two string-trees, one raised and one flush, the large Fender® black decal outlined in black, the word “STRATOCASTER” in block, the “Original Contour Body Patented” small decal and the single patent number under the Fender logo of #3,143,028. The nut appears to be bone; the fingerboard is maple with 10 black dotmarkers in 9 positions. Said board shows normal wear especially in the first fret position and at the bottom of the board; the frets are reasonably clean and on the level; the maple is nicely figured, and the entire guitar is of a density that will allow one to build up his or her pectoral muscles quite nicely. $2475 or, at our cash discount price, $2,400.
15-6557 Paul Reed Smith (used, 1999) McCarty semi-hollow, cherry sunburst, with many options, including “double ten” top and back in flamed maple with abalone birds, #9 39886 in solidly excellent condition with a shaped original hard shell case.
We present to you the famous (and popular) Paul Reed Smith semi-hollow body, only 13” in body width (smaller than a Martin Concert size guitar), with a 25” scale, the nut width is 1 11/16th”, and the bridge spacing is 2 1/16th”. This guitar, being hollow (much like ourselves) has a total weight of only 5 pounds, 3 ounces. This means you can be a rock and roll hero without the backache. Features include gold plated hardware, twin McCarty humbucking pickups, a three-position switch, one volume and one tone control and a wholly adjustable stop tailpiece. Condition is “better than most” with a ding and a smudge on the treble bottom quadrant of the face, a few lacquer checks in the control knob region, a ding on the treble back horn, a nick on the top end of the back of the headstock, and other infinitely small indications that it was lovingly held and played. Overall this guitar is very clean and it plays scrumptiously. $3088, or at our cash discount price, $2995.
48-3409 Fender (new) '66 Stratocaster NOS, in Turquoise Blue Metallic, #R11624, with hard shell case.
The Fender List is $3227; the Fender MAP is $2259.
15-6268 Fender (new) Team Built Custom Shop '60's Reissue Closet Classic, Olympic White, unofficially called the Stevie Ray Vaughn Montrose Festival Model, #R31965, with 3 Lipstick pickups and hard shell case.
The Fender List is $4500, and the Fender MAP is $3150.
15-6267 Fender (new) Mark Knofler Stratocaster in Hot Red Red, #SE04588, with hard shell case.
The Fender List is $2142.84, the Fender MAP is $1500.
15-6257 Fender (March, 1960) Stratocaster, sunburst, #49075, very good plus condition with a later walnut brown textured surface hard shell case with a black script Fender logo.
This slab rosewood fingerboard guitar is considered to be three-tone sunburst that has faded, on the face, to two-tone but it still has a bit of red in the sunburst on the back. It has a body date of 3/60; the potentiometer codes on the volume and first tone pot are 304-5946 which declares that they’re Stackpole pots made in the 46th week of 1959. The bottom potentiometer was, in the past, replaced with a pot that has a click (detent) for “on-off.” This highly prestigious instrument shows normal playing wear overall including nicks, scratches, scrapes, mars and chips, plus an triangular area on the back, treble side, that could be chemical reaction with a strap, finish worn off at least half of the back of the neck, oxidation on the metal parts (normal) including the tuners which appear tarnished but original. The serial number in this period appears at the bottom of the 4-bolt neck plate. The toggle switch remains original three-position, the crème-black bordered pickguard, held in place by 11 screws, is suitably green tinted; the original pickups have their staggered pole pieces, the cover remains over the bridge, the oranged color of the tremolo arm cap seems to suggest originality. The letter “A” in the word “Stratocaster” on the headstock decal is chipped off but the rest of the letters remain; it has “Original Contour Body” decal although the “O” and “I” are chipped, and it has the “With Synchronized Trem” decal but the “olo” portion is chipped off (it’s located just under the “A” in Stratocaster). The nut is old looking and properly discolored; the frets show normal wear but not a lot of wear. This guitar shows “honest wear” and it does have the replaced pot, but, aside from the replaced case, it’s all there and quite right. WAS $39,995 but NOW ON SALE for $30,925 or, at our cash discount price, $29,995.
15-6222 Paul Reed Smith (used, 2005) Custom 22/12 electric 12-string, #97325, Blue Mateo finish, with original rectangular hard shell case.
This superb 12-string electric with a neck that’s easily playable, being just under 1 ¾” at the nut, features a hum-single-hum triple pickup configuration, a newly designed, fully intonatable bridge and special humbucking pickups specifically built for PRS 12-string guitars. It utilizes a carved quilted “10-top” high level maple top with mahogany back, a 25" scale length mahogany neck with a rich, dark rosewood fretboard and 9 multi-color abalone bird inlays. It has a special 12-string neck carve, PRS 12-string adjustable stoptail, PRS 14:1 “Phase II” low mass, locking tuners with mini pearloid buttons. Metal parts are gold-plated on this opulent version. The truss rod cover is black and embossed “20th” to celebrate PRS Guitars 20th Anniversary. The two humbucking 12 string pickups are assigned for treble and bass with gold-plated covers and the center pickup is a Lindy Fralin single-coil, The volume and push/pull tone control is coupled with a 3-way toggle pickup selector (push/pull translates to: in the up position it splits the treble pickup to single coil and activates the center pickup). This guitar is in “Virtually New” condition and has been set up by Gil Rosado, one of the best set-up guys in the greater north-eastern quadrant of the United States. New these things list for $5,040. Wow. Your cost on this used example that is stunningly pretty with that three-dimensional “I do believe I’m in the Islands, sunning myself under a palm tree with a Marguerita in hand” Blue Mateo finish, is only $2,779 or, at our cash discount price, $2,695.
15-6347 Paul Reed Smith (used, 2002-’03) Custom 22 in Whale Blue, #2 71562 – 10 top with birds, in excellent plus condition with original hard shell case.
This guitar has a figured maple top, abalone birds inlaid into the East Indian fingerboard; the twin pickup sare each Dragon II humbuckers. The Whale Blue color is an infinite one – it sucks you in and brings you down, down, down the dark ladder about which that Joni Mitchell sings. Paul Reed builds his guitars with a border of natural foinish flamed maple showing around the edge – this is not a binding (we repeat, not a binding) it is the exposed edge of maple that sets off and contrasts the deep ocean blue of the top and the silky black glossy frame of the back and sides. A strap pin depends from the upper bass bout and the bottom side, and the jet black glossy peghead, emblazoned with the script, slightly raised, Paul Reed Smith script logo is offset by the six PRS logo chrome plated sealed-back mini-button tuners. It is not only a work of art, beautiful and delicate and something you just want to have and hold, but it is also a killer rock and roll performer and a screaming stage banshee. $2,263 or at our cash discount price $2,195.
15-6134 Fender (used, June 1954) Stratocaster, #0041, two-tone sunburst, in excellent minus condition, with original (though worn) brown textured “Poodle” style semi-hard shell case.
Leo Fender of Fullerton, CA is credited with having popularized the electric solid body guitar. He reasoned, correctly, that he could bolt a slim, easily playable maple neck with a maple fingerboard to a solid body made of alder or ash, add six-strings and the sound that would be created, when amplified through a tube amplifier (also of his manufacture) would actually turn out to do nothing less than change the course of Western music. His first instruments were flat-sided – first there was the Esquire with its one pickup, then the first two-pickup version was called the Broadcaster, and then for a short time, due, it is said, to the threat of a lawsuit from Gretsch which owned the name “Broadkaster,” Fender removed the name from the flat-sided model entirely and so it became nicknamed “Nocaster”, and, then almost immediately the name changed to Telecaster, inspired by the early commercialization of television. His first flat-sided Precision Bass guitar was unveiled in 1951. In around March of 1954 he debuted a new model having an asymmetrical body with a double-cutaway, three white pickups, each of them single-coil, having a standard tremolo arm and a jack that was mounted on an angle into the top. He called it “Stratocaster” after the excitement people were feeling about the coming of space travel and the Stratosphere. It is said that he made around 100 prototypes that had their serial number inside the back plate. This, then, would be considered one of the earliest “production line” Strats. Leo Fender was a visionary entrepreneur whose impact on the world of Western music is without peer.This first year Stratocaster guitar conforms in most ways to the standard description of a Stratocaster of its time. Its original smaller sized headstock is maple and the string tree (a metal guide) that positions the first and second string has been replaced – the original would have been round and this is more modern. It has the Fender black-bordered stylized gold decal logo with the word “STRATOCASTER” in block letters above “Fender,” it has no patent number decals but it does have the “With Synchronized Tremolo” and the “Original Contour Body” decals but the latter without the Pat. Pend.”decal. On the back of the headstock is a row of six original individual “single line” unsigned Kluson tuners with oval metal buttons; the tuners show a small amount of oxidation. The back of the maple neck, with the darker “skunk stripe” of walnut shows some normal discoloration from hand wear (perspiration) – on each side and some at the middle back of neck. The back of the body is missing the cover over the tremolo cavity. We have removed the neck and the pickguard and examined all cavities: The neck date reads “TG 6-54;” TG was Tadio Gomez. The potentiometer cavity has a piece of original masking tape inside on which “Gloria” is printed and “6-8-54.”
The pickups are original – each one is a mite worn, showing black through the white cover. The potentiometers, each 100K value, appear to be original Stackpole bearing the code #304341; it has an old paper capacitor in the pot cavity. It displays its original nut, black dotmarkers in maple neck, three crème colored knobs for volume, tone and tone. The middle pickup produces sound through “inductance” as there may be a broken wire somewhere inside it or connected to it. Said middle pickup may need to be rewound, but one would have to be careful in doing so since the white cover is worn and brittle. Considering how good the guitar sounds now, and that the pickup does work, we would recommend that its next owner not do anything with the pickup. The pickguard is Bakelite, now an off-white color and it bears 8 screws. The toggle switch that controls pickup selection is original and three-way. The frets, which are absolutely original, are worn in the lower positions and below fret #9 the fingerboard shows some finger erosion into the maple (you’d expect nothing less). The vibrato arm with which the guitar originally came is missing; its three single-coil white pickups have staggered pole pieces. This guitar is normally but not heavily worn, including chips, nicks, scratches, body contact wear, belt buckle wear on the back, and oxidation on the metal parts including the six adjustable saddles, just like a modern Fender Custom Shop “Relic.” Except as noted above (that it is missing back plate and trem arm, has a replaced string tree, newer frets, one pickup mildly impaired due to momentary contact with Kryptonite), this is a largely original, normally worn 1954 Fender Stratocaster. There is a notion that in 1954 the cap on the toggle switch should be “football shaped” and this is a more conventional yet old cap shape, and also that the rotary knobs from this period are sometimes noted as being “baby skirts” – meaning that they should be smaller than knobs that came later. To us both the knobs and the cap seem original and they look like correct, factory provided parts. While we will allow for the possibility that maybe they are early replacements (what? 1955?) in view of the overall integrity of the piece we see no reason why anybody would have replaced them. We feel they’re righteous, as is, for the most part, the entirety.
What you have here is a guitar that personifies the dream of finding the ultimate, optimum Fender Stratocaster from its first year, in all its glory, having the right sunburst, the right fingerboard, the right components (with the few exceptions noted above), the right pickups, and definitely the right sound. To own this guitar is to have fulfilled one important quindrant (something like a hydrant) of the Search for the Five Holiest Grails, the others being the ’59 Les Paul, Martin 1934-’42 D-45, Lloyd Loar signed F-5, and prewar Gibson flathead Mastertone banjo. By Wire Transfer of Funds, this WAS $125,000 but NOW ON SALE for $103,095 or, at our cash discount price, $99,995.
15-6079 Paul Reed Smith (used, 2004) Custom 22, #4 87091, root beer finish, in excellent plus condition,
with the Artist Package that includes gold hardware, in this instance a quilted maple top, abalone script “Paul Reed Smith” headstock logo inlay, locking tuners, Paua abalone birds in 9 fret positions, The Artist Package is further described by the maker as also having Brazilian rosewood fretboard and matte finish headstock overlay, and it is said to come in a leather hard shell case. This black rectangular case might be leather – the two ends certainly appear to be. The twin gold-plated covered humbucking pickups have crème pickup surrounds, each held in place by four screws with two additional adjustment screws on the sides. This is a Stop Tailpiece model with a simple Wraparound with adjustable distance from the neck so that intonation can be set. In the lower treble quadrant are gold cylinder volume and tone knobs and a five-position selector. There are a few minor scuffs and scratches on the back. The body of a Paul Reed Smith guitar is contoured both gracefully and ergonomically – there are few electric guitars as beautiful as this. $2778 or, at our cash discount price, $2695.
15-5977 Rickenbacker (new) 325C58 MG in Maple Glo, #0703436, with hard shell case.
This is the replica of the 1958 Ric chambered electric with the smaller, pointy body and the three toaster top pickups (for making Melba toast). In its own diminutive yet grotesque way it is adorable. Each of the pickups is suspended by 6 rubber feet just like those aliens that came down in Westerleigh, Staten Island a few days ago had. It has a yellow pickguard bearing four totally retro radio knobs each bearing gold shiny diamond shaped inserts. The top, back, sides and neck are blonde maple and so is the slightly Gumby-shaped headstock. The headstock bears the long, spear-oint Rickenbacker logo, black letters on a gold background; tuners are six “Ric-Tite” logo open backs with butterbean buttons. I thought for a second it said “Ric-Tis” but no, it’s “Ric-Tite.” The neck shape is low-oval, the fretboard width is 1 5/8”, the scale length a teeny 21.1” The total length is 34.5”, the bridge is adjustable and “roller” style. This unusually shaped guitar whose only body contour is below the tailpiece is equipped with the Ric “Vib-Rola” tremolo arm which is affected by moving it left to right and not up and down. This is the model that John Lennon is famous for painting black and installing a Bigsby tremolo on. The List price is $3199 and we are able to say “Call or email for our discount and cash discount price.”
15-5986 Gretsch (new) Model G6121-1955 Chet Atkins Solidbody 1955 Reissue, CYG06116296, with hard shell case.
The Gretsch List is $3525 while the Gretsch MAP is $2820.
15-5882 Fender (new) Esquire Relic 1959 Reissue, #R19397, Limited Edition, with hard shell case.
The Fender List is $5000 but the Fender MAP is $3500.
15-5881 Fender (new ) Stratocaster Closet Classic 1966 Reissue, Limited Edition, R26191, with hard shell case.
The Fender List is $5000 but the Fender MAP is $3500.
15-5734 Paul Reed Smith (used, 2004) Custom 22 in natural (blonde) top finish, AAA tiger maple top, #4 87895, with Artist Package, near mint condition with its original rectangular hard shell case.
This guitar has the tremolo tailpiece with its 6 individual saddles - one for each string. It is an astonishingly pretty guitar, with top wood so striped and striking that it is easy to get mesmerized into a vortex of unending vertigo just from seeing it (let alone sniffing it). The rosewood headstock is matte finish and inlaid with a colorful script “Paul Reed Smith” logo, followed by an ® for registered trademark (we don’t recall seeing that before). The tuners are PRS logo sealed backs with metal buttons and ebony caps on their capstans. The guitar comes with a gold-plated strap pin at the bass bout and bottom, a stop tailpiece that’s adjustable in two directions as well as having string compensation, and three rotary knobs. The edge of the top is left natural; the back and sides are mahogany. This is, of course, one of Paul Reed Smith’s finest guitars – it makes one feel great just to see it and playing it may send you into loops of genuine jubilation. $2,572 or, at our cash discount price, $2,495.
15-5476 Gibson (used, 1992) Les Paul "SG '67" Custom in the wine red finish, #91762369, in excellent condition with worn original brown hard shell case.
Gibson made a short run of special semi-reissue style SG Custom guitars only in 1992 and 1993 and they named these "SG '67." This two-point body model, contoured on the bass side, front and back, features three gold-plated cover humbucking pickups, gold-plated Grover Rotomatic tuners, stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge. It has 10 mother of pearl large block inlays in a neck that joins the body at its last, 22nd, fret. It displays a large 4-point white pickguard that is held in place by 11 screws, a three-way toggle near the four gold high-hat knobs and the phone jack is on the face, just below the lower left knob. The headstock is emblazoned with the Gibson fancy Les Paul Custom four triangles and one offset rectangle, plus the postwar script inlaid mother of pearl logo, and bound in 5 ply black-white purfling. This guitar is original and reasonably clean though not pristine by any means - it shows some minor fret wear in the lower positions, gold plating wear on all metal parts, and normal body and neck wear in the form of scuffs, scratches and scrapes. There are scratches on the black back cover plate and rough spots on the edges of the peghead. The case is fairly worn -- the fabric that keeps the lid open is separated from the top; all of the latches show some rust and the latch at the end of the case is missing its U-clasp. Don't let this thorough, honest description depress you - it is, overall, quite nice and even considered clean for an fourteen-year-old fine sounding, plays-like-a-breeze electric solid body that has seen some stage use. $2,056 or at our cash discount price $1,995.
BIG NEWS FROM RICKENBACKER:
Rickenbacker International Corporation is pleased to announce four limited edition guitars to commemorate the 75th anniversary of both their company and of the electric guitar itself since the Ric Electro Spanish (1932) is considered to be one of the first viable, commercially available electric guitars. These instruments will feature a special finish (Dark Cherry Metallic), a gold pickguard with a unique 75th anniversary logo, and a matching gold nameplate. Featured in this limited run of 75 guitars per model will be the Model 330, 360, 660 and 4003. Retail prices will be as follows: Model 330: $2019; Model 360: $2159; Model 660: $2509; Model 4003: $2139. Orders for these instruments were taken beginning at 8:00 AM Pacific Time on September 1, 2006 and SOLD OUT by noon. 60 units of each type were available for sale in North America, the remainder were allocated for export. Mandolin Brothers had the good sense to order 2 of each of the four models – two of which (both 4003 basses) were sold instantly as was one of the 360 electric guitars. If you would wish to RESERVE one of the remaining 5 pieces, each subject to prior sale of course, phone us immediately and place a $100 “Right of First Refusal” deposit on it.
15-5226 PRS (used, c. 2004) Custom 22, teal green finish, #943230, in excellent plus condition with original hard shell case.
This has the famous wide-fat neck, and features include the much-desired “10 Top” of exceedingly evenly and deeply flamed maple and also supports the 9 abalone inlaid fingerboard birds, each one different from the rest, beginning at the third fret. It has Mr. Paul Smith’s facsimile signature in raised gold on the matching green headplate, twin humbucking pickups with crème surrounds, a stop tailpiece, three black cylinder rotary knobs, two cutaways, “strap locks” at the bass horn and the bottom side, ebony button tuners, chrome-plated hardware and said delightfully well-kept instrument is housed in its original PRS black Tolex covered rectangular case. $2165 or, at our cash discount price, $2100.
15-5227 PRS (used, 2004) McCarty Hollowbody Spruce Top #87739, light sunburst, in excellent plus condition with original hard shell case that’s missing two of its latches.
This is a 1 5/8” deep hollow electric archtop that has a stop tailpiece containing an internal Piezo pickup. Consequently it has an extra three-way toggle switch located between the three gold cylinder knobs to allow the use of the two crème surrounded humbucking pickups-both-or just piezo use. It has 10 abalone inlaid birds and a light sunburst resembling a vanilla waver that combines a yellow-orange center with mild brown tinted edges. The f-holes are wide and generous and a three-way control with a crème cap determines which combination of humbuckers is in use. Tuners are ebony button PRS-logo sealed backs. The back of the neck is a golden highlighted mahogany one-piece and mahogany comprises the back as well. Top and back is carved and contoured in a most delightful way. This guitar is more fun than a family of fuzzy felines. $2675 or, at our cash discount price, $2595.
15-5110 Gibson Custom Shop (used, c. 2006) Non-Reverse Firebird VII (variation) in see through crème finish, #CS53489, in near mint condition with original rectangular hard shell case.
Gibson occasionally makes things that are not on the regular menu. The original Firebird VII was made between 1965 and 1969 with three mini-humbucking gold plated pickups, which this has, a Gibson tune-o-matic bridge, which this also has. However, the original issue had a Gibson Vibrato with the Gibson Lyre and floral pattern on the base while this version has a stop tailpiece (a lot more practical). It has the sweeping rounded asymmetrical headstock, six gold plated individual Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners, an extremely pretty East Indian rosewood fingerboard with 10 pearloid dotmarkers in 9 positions, the Gibson logo in gold on the black knife-edge truss rod cover, four black high-hat knobs in lower treble-land and a three way toggle in the northeast bout, a gold strap pin at the bass horn and at bottom, and the oddly shapped black-white-black bordered white pickguard with the red firebird looking west on the upper bass bout. We appreciate the “Gibson Custom Shop Since 1894” gold decal on back of headstock and the nifty bleached mahogany look of the body and neck. In the case is the Gibson Historic Collection Certificate, a Gibson polishing cloth, and some Gibson papers. Gibson used instruments are, of course, not warranted by the factory. For all of its visual bombast this is a short scale electric guitar at 24 6/8th with a nut width of 1 21/32nds. It plays good, sounds good, behaves itself in mixed company. $1,644 or at our cash discount price $1,595.
We have an especially fine selection of the following electric guitar brands in stock:New Paul Reed Smith
New Fender Custom Shop
New Gretsch (gorgeous reissue style guitars)
New Rickenbacker (not many – they’re back-ordered 2 years waiting time so when they sporadically come in they sell quickly).
Within these brand guidelines if you’d like more information on any of the following we’d be glad to email you more info and more photos. Just let me know which ones.
The S-1 Switching System
(see above). According to Fender: “Why choose between hot humbucking pickups and vibrant single-coils? This system allows you to choose from a wide array of series and parallel pickup configurations.” By pushing the recessed button (secretly located on the crown of the master volume control) you can diversify your sound in ways that Purry Combover, the talking cat/guru that lives in the cave, does not even, himself, know.
48-3654 Fender (new) FSR Deluxe Vintage Player Strat in Metallic Blue, #V155617, with hard shell case.
List is $1999.99 and the Fender MAP is $1399.99
88-1457 Fender (new) Custom Telecaster in Silver Sparkle, #R15081, with hard shell case.
List is $4504 and the Fender MAP is $3153.
88-2998 Fender (new) '63 Reissue Telecaster NOS in White Blonde, #R23223, with hard shell case.
Fender List is $3426; Fender MAP is $2398.
88-1860 Fender (new) Custom Telecaster in Purple Sparkle, #CN94495, with hard shell case.
Fender List is $4490; Fender MAP is $3143.
48-3858 Fender (new) Mary Kaye Closet Classic, in White Blonde, #MK5196, with hard shell case.
Fender List is $7400; Fender MAP is $5180.
48-4289 Fender (used, c. 2000) 1952 Reissue Telecaster, in butterscotch, #3569, in excellent condition with original tweed rectangular hard shell case.
This guitar comes quite close to duplicating the Fender Telecaster guitar as it was made in 1952, having a black unbound large pickguard, a nickel-plated neck position pickup, an uncovered bridge pickup, a nickel-plated cover over the bridge and pickup, a maple neck with 10 black markers in 9 positions, the black-bordered silver Fender spaghetti type logo and “TELECASTER” in decal there under, original tuners. It has a mar on the lower treble edge of the top, a few dings and normal signs of use and wear. The owner has clipped off a capacitor and our shop will have soldered it back in (you’ll never know it was done. It can still have Fender Electric Mandolins if it wishes to.) $1,128 or, at our cash discount price, $1,095
48-3172 Gibson (used, 2001) Les Paul Special, #02341378, in excellent plus condition with original hard shell case.
This very attrack-a-tive instrument, made of one piece of solid mahogany, has its twin nickel-plated cover humbucking pickups and a high gloss clear lacquer finish. It would be near mint but for very slight shirt button marks on the back. $928 or, at our cash discount price, $900.
48-3285 Fender (new) Custom Shop ’59 Reissue Esquire, “NOS,” #R15576, with hard shell case.
Fender Custom Shop produces guitars that, if you found the real deal, in an old dusty music store, never sold after 46 years, the guitar would look exactly like this except that, in this “new” condition an original would probably sell for $8000 to $8500 today. This guitar is made to original specification: small headstock, silver Fender script logo outlined in black with “ESQUIRE” in block letters, with in the quotation marks, below, six individual Kluson replica square back (unsigned) tuners, maple board with 21 highly polished nickel-silver frets, a single cutaway, white pickguard held in place by only 5 screws, one pickup, a black-topped single coil at an angle in the bridge, said bridge stamped “Fender Pat. Pend.” With three adjustable double saddles there under. A strap pin on the bass upper side, and a strap pin at bottom allows for playing while standing. The body finish is see-through blonde, and the volume and tone knobs are chrome and corrugated with a three-position black-cap switch above. Leo Fender, wherever you are, your simple, unaffected design has changed the course of American musical history. Thank you! With hard shell case the List price is $3125 and the Fender MAP is $2187.49.
PAUL REED SMITH STUDENT EDITION GUITARS! Did somebody say “Affordable?” These are great guitars at exceedingly low prices.
88-2887 PRS (new) SE-EG, Antique White, with tremolo, E11055, with gigbag.
The List Price is $658.
88-2886 PRS (new) SE-EG, Metallic Blue, E00298, with gigbag.
The List Price is $658.
FENDER (NEW) CUSTOM SHOP GUITARS
At this time we have (all Fender Custom Shop) – all guitars subject to prior sale. Please phone or email for current discount and cash discount pricing.
88-2724 '56 Reissue Fiesta Red Strat,
Relic
88-1860 Fender Custom Shop (new) “Telecaster Custom,” CN94495, in the unusual color of Violet Grape Sparkle!
This guitar has a birds-eye maple neck and matching violet spark head plate, vintage frets, double black body binding, white-black-white bordered pickguard, nickel hardware, black dotmarkers. It has the traditional three bridge saddles, each of which accommodates two strings. The serial number is on the four-bolt back plate along with the Fender Custom Shop symbol. Tuners are individual square backs-with- stripes in the Kluson style, having metal oval buttons. All this is remarkably simple and incredibly wonderful sounding -- but, in this color, if you want your audience to notice you, on any stage in America (or overseas for that matter), this is the instrument you would need. It is, however, NOT for the introverted. It lists, with the reissue hard case, for $4490 and the Fender MAP is $3143.
If no photo appears, if you’d like to actually see photos of any of these, just ask us to email photos to you. If you’d like to know the price, phone or email us and we’ll whisper the price in your computer’s ear.
Paul Reed Smith has released a new series of electric guitars. We are proud to present to you the SE and SE EGYou may know that Fender has been producing wonderfully faithful reproductions of some of their famous vintage guitars. They come in:
NOS = New Old Stock. Appearing exactly as it would have had it not been touched, by anyone, ever.CC = Closet Classic. The look of an instrument that was gently played, once, twice, then carefully placed, for years, under the bed or in a closet along with grandma.
R = Relic. Battleworn like a favorite relative, the look, the feel of an instrument that’s been played, sat on, and, um, dragged just a little.
Here are some of the ones we’re happy to offer you .
88-2009 Roger Sadowsky (used, 1986-'87) electric solid body guitar, double offset cutaway, #573, in excellent condition with a gigbag.
This four-bolt carefully hand-crafted electric guitar shows far less signs of use than expected on face and the back of neck, but, for some reason it shows wear on its lower back in the form of around 60 dings (indentations) in the wood, many grouped fairly close together in the lower treble bout of the back, some nicks on the side, and normal light fret wear. This guitar has a highly figured maple two piece top, and the back and sides could be ash or alder. The guitar is fairly light in weight. The neck could be maple, it's blonde, and the fingerboard is East Indian rosewood bearing 10 possibly maple dotmarkers among 22 fret positions. The side dots are ivoroid, the black chrome plated tuners are Sperzel. Pickups are three black uncovered Sadowsky brand single coils with unstaggered poles visible. There are three black rotary knobs, the center one of which is push-pull, and a 5-way toggle switch in lower treble bout. The guitar is equipped with a 9 volt battery in a compartment on the back, so we presume that the electronics are active in some positions. Black chromed bridge saddles are individually adjustable and there is a black chrome tremolo arm (which works just fine). The maple headstock bears one sophisticated double string roller, and the "Sadowski Guitars, Ltd." decal. The nut appears to be ebony. They say that when a solid body electric guitar sounds really good played acoustically it will knock your socks off when played electrically. If so, this one should be a knock-out. $2,469, or at our cash discount price, $2,395.
You may know that Fender Custom Shop has been producing wonderfully faithful reproductions of some of their famous vintage guitars. Please familiarize yourself with the following terms: NOS = New Old Stock -- it appears exactly as it would have had it not been touched, by anyone, ever.CC = Closet Classic -- the look of an instrument that was gently played, once, twice, on Sundays, then carefully placed under the bed, with grandma, or in a closet, for years. There is some light tarnish on the metal parts, and maybe checking, but no actual sign of wear.
R = Relic; battle worn like a favorite battle axe, the look, the feel of an instrument that’s been played – everywhere, nightly in and behind bars.
Here are some of the ones we’re happy to have for you. We show the List Price but you should phone us for our own pricing.
88-1457 Fender Custom Shop (new) Telecaster Custom 1960 Reissue NOS, #R15081, with hard shell case.
All that glitters isn’t gold – it’s glam, it’s gorgeous, it’s a guitar with sound and playability to match its sparkling good looks. The body (and what a body!) and matching headstock are covered in Silver Sparkle finish, while the maple cap neck has a flame of its own. The pickup covers and the (still covered in cellophane) pickguard are (what else?) black, the black side binding is black and the body binding is black-white-black. The nut width is 1-10/16”, the scale length of neck is 25-1/2”, the body width is 12-3/4” at widest part and the body depth is 1-7/8” deep at the bottom side. This guitar has a medium to large neck profile, a radius of 10” and there is a Fender Custom Shop Cadillac emblem decal on the back of the headstock. Six Kluson replica square-back tuners with small metal buttons depend from the headstock and, at the bridge, 6 individual, adjustable saddles snuggle together like puppies. There is a P-90 pickup in the neck position, a Tele pickup with staggered pole pieces in the bridge and a 3-position switch. Once you’ve been bedazzled, take the sparkling charmer in hand, glide your way over the flaming neck and set your sound – you’ll be glad you did. Sunglasses not included, awe is free. List price is $4504. Call or e-mail for your price.
88-1485 D’Aquisto Centura chambered electric guitar, 0303019, with hard shell case,
We are pleased and delighted to say that a new brand is on the market and many jazz players are paying close attention. This is a high-quality replica of a Jimmy D'Aquisto-designed late ‘80s/early ‘90s Centura. Featuring a solid carved spruce top with mahogany body in a reddish sunburst finish, this guitar has a one-piece, 22-fret maple neck and ebony fingerboard with side markers, which isn’t bound exactly, it’s beveled, and the edge is left unstained. The ebony-faced headstock has a truss rod cover shaped like a Seussian fish (great with butter), and the ebony button tuners are screwed to gold-plated hardware. The single neck position pickup is a humbucker, and you get a volume and tone control, each with an ebony knob. The 3-piece adjustable ebony bridge is the later D’Aquisto design, which adjusts the action by the sliding of a tapered ebony crosspiece. The tailpiece also is D'Aquisto-style ebony with the ebony “wedge” adjusting tab. The mahogany pickguard is slender and appears to float above the body. There’s a gold-plated strap pin on the back of the instrument, below the heel. We ran this remarkable instrument through a Schertler Unico acoustic amp -- the fretting was fast and the tone was superlative, but most impressively it sounded like a D’Aquisto – no surprise since it is made to the master’s design. We love it, we does, and we carry new D’Aquistos because this guitar taught us that the quality, sound and brilliant design are all still evident, and the package affordable. This is a gorgeous chambered electric guitar (the cellophane cover over the pickup comes off, it really does). Your discount price is $2928 or, at our cash discount price, $2840.
83-7710 (7436) Paul Reed Smith (new) Standard 22 in transparent vintage cherry 54268, H.
This, too, has bird inlays and the wide/fat neck. Please call, fax or email for “your price.”
MANDOLIN BROTHERS IS A GIBSON HISTORIC COLLECTION DEALER.
As an "Historic Collection Award Level Dealer" we can sell every Historic instrument in Gibson's roster including:
Firebird I, III, V, VII, '52, '54, '56, '57 Les Paul Goldtop Reissues, '59 and '60 Reissue Flametop, Korina Future, Explorer and Flying V, ES-330, '59 and '60 ES-335 Dotmarker and Block Inlay Reissue, ES-345, l934 L-5, Wes Montgomery, Byrdland and Byrdland Florentine, L-5CES, L-5CT George Gobel, Super 400CES, and the mind-blowing Citation.Gibson Historic instruments are among the finest new electric guitars in the world, (and the dealers chosen to sell them are special individuals who are able to intuit your needs and moods better than anyone with whom you are presently acquainted). We have dozens of fine examples in stock. Come visit, or call us (the telephone) and we'll gladly describe them to you or mail you a black and white photocopy of a color brochure page containing information on the product for which you may already yearn unceasingly.
If you would like more information on MANDOLIN BROTHERS' products and services, please write, phone, fax or email to mandolin@mandoweb.com.
