Alternative guitars

[dave robinson]

Hi groovers, I saw the thread about 'not much going on around here' and have to agree that it is quiet these days.
There isn't a lot of Shadows related activity true, but there are bands all over the country doing shows and representing our music all the time, the people out there are still coming to see us, we recently sold out two theatres with Past Masters, doing our Cliff & Shadows celebration show and we will be recipricating those shows as long as the audience is there.

The problem for me is that I've been undergoing treatment for throat cancer for the past four months and although I got through those shows and a half a dozen more rock & roll/sixties shows, I haven't had much energy for anything else - but I am being cured along the way . . . . .

So . . . . I have had a lot of time sitting around and reading about my favouriite subject, music and guitars et al.
This has led to my desiring certain things and starting projects, the first being my restoration of my '62 Fender Stratocaster, which has been with me since 1983. Back then when I bought the guitar, prices weren't crazy for old instruments and I thought nothing of taking the noisy pickups off and replacing them with new ones, not knowing that I was knocking down the value of the guitar later down the line. I modified everything that was wrong - the bridge was rusty so I bought new, not thinking to clean it up instead. Eventually I ended up with a '62 Strat with all new parts that had no resale value, which is why I have began to put it all right again. Sourcing parts from around the world I am happy to say that the guitar has it's petina back and may now be worth a bob or two . . .

With that job under way I began to crave for another guitar, so I went looking for something different, but in keeping with where I am in music which is mostly rock & roll. There are some great guitars out there for the right money and I recently recommended the Squier Jaguar which came home with me from Richtonemusic in Sheffield, but I have now ordered something that years ago I wouldn't even consiider, a Guild Starfire III. These are a new line from Guild (I understand they are Fender built) and I was blown away with the demo, as the sound is different to a Strat but it's a great sound and I for one was guilty of dismissing these guitars in favour of the Strat back in the day. Looking forward to it's arrival and thought it would be good to get the thoughts and similar experiences of other members here regarding the subject of different guitars that don't necessarily fit the Shadows scene.

[keithmantle]

Glad your on the mend Dave, the New Guild Manhattan(Bigsby) looks good value aswell.

[RayL]

Excellent topic - after all, Hank himself has a large and varied guitar collection.

Hank was the source of inspiration for a generation of Fiesta Red Strat owners (well, even if they could only afford a Futurama, the Strat was on their wish list) but before Hank there was Duane with his orange Gretsch 6120.

Or did he have a red one as well? Buyers of his Especially For You album saw him holding what was undoubtedly a cherry-red 6120.

duane 2 albums.JPG

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Then along came The Twangs The Thang where he was holding the orange guitar again.

Of course, we know now that both pictures were taken on the same photo-shoot in the Arizona desert outside Phoenix and the Especially For You picture was tweaked afterwards (maybe they just wanted to make the guitar match their favoured colour for the title wording? Note that the sweater has also been colour-matched to the title).

Anyway, to get back to the point of this story, although I loved the sound of Duane's guitar, I preferred the colour of 'the red one'. Even after I found out that there wasn't a 'red one', I wanted a red one that would sound like the orange one. Since 6120's are just a leetle expensive (and red versions non-existent), I settled for a compromise - but a good compromise.

This was the Ibanez AFS75T.

Ibanez AFS75T.JPG

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Cherry red, the right shape, Bigsby-style tremolo, and beautifully made, but it didn't sound at all like Duane's guitar. The pickups were medium-output 'jazz' non-tapped humbuckers - great, no doubt, for playing foxtrots at a tea dance, but useless for Rebel Rouser.

Out they went, replaced by some tapped humbuckers which could be switched to single-coil.

The story doesn't end there. I showed it to ShadowMusic's own Guitar Guru, Jim Nugent. I hadn't told him a thing about the guitar, yet his first words were "You've changed the pickups"!

Here's my 'alternative guitar' with me trying to sound like Duane on Dave Brigg's Badlands for The Secrets' Secret Society album. The country noodling is by Jim Nugent on another 'alternative guitar', his Yamaha SGV800.

BADLANDS.mp3

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Ray

[Didier]

If I could play guitar and had enough cash, I would be tempted by this one :



The Vigier Expert Retro 54

Didier

[Marko H]

Hi

I like this band sound. Fender Jazz Master sounds great in melodic songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGGWRaOlZmY

Cheers
Marko H.
Finland

[dave robinson]

That's a different sound Ray to what one would expect from a guitar that looks like a 6120, but it's a good sound.
If you want to sound like Duane Eddy I find the single coil DeArmond pickups do it every time.

I like the Quiets too Marko, they sound more pleasing than The Ventures to me and those Jaguar guitars have a slightly different texture to a Strat - refreshing ! Thanks for posting the link.

[dave robinson]

Glad your on the mend Dave, the New Guild Manhattan(Bigsby) looks good value aswell.

I agree about the Manhattan Keith, but I wanted the Starfire III because of it's Florentine cutaway and deep red mahogany colour. It too has the Bigsby . . . .
I had initially looked at the Epiphone Sorrento but the lack of a tremolo put me off it.

[abstamaria]

I am sorry to hear of your ailment. Dave. Recover quickly, and get well soon.

With good wishes,

Andy

[rogera]

I really enjoyed "Badlands" Ray and I thought that the sound from that guitar was certainly in Duane Eddy territory!

[HAIRY]

...and how about a Strat with an alternative amp....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pvboO4wo4s