This Yamaha SSC-500 was my first "real" electric guitar. I traded a relatively cheap (on every level) Washburn electric for it just about the time I graduated from high school. It's an interesting guitar with an even more interesting story behind it which I'll share in a few moments. As far as I can tell, there aren't a ton of these floating around. I can only base this on the number of them which show up on ebay, but this model seems slightly more common than it's humbucker equipped sibling, the SHB-500. Which by the way, seems like a very cool little guitar.
The SSC-500 features three single coils, each with it's own on/off toggle... a very cool layout IMO. There's a single tone and volume but the tone has a push/pull pot. I honestly don't know what it does but it seems to add some juice to the regular single coil tone when engaged. When engaged, it boosts all three pickups so you have to decide if you want a boosted or regular tone, and then you can choose which pickups are on/off. Boosted, the pickups remind me slightly of P-90's, otherwise, they can provide tones which can convincingly nail strat and tele tones. It's a short scale instrument... 24" I believe so it may be more to your liking if you're a Gibson fan as opposed to a Fender fan. May have said, and I suppose I'd agree, that this guitar falls somewhere between a Gibson SG and Fender Strat, both in terms of styling and tones you can coax from it.
And so here's the interesting story behind this particular guitar...
When I was in college in Oregon I gave this guitar away to a friend of mine for reasons unknown. I had two or three other electrics at the time and wasn't playing it much. In any event, from the moment I let it go I missed it. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the guitar (and my friend) soon moved to Chicago and for the past ten years, that's where the guitar has been.
This past winter while checking out the Chicago Music Exchange website, I saw a pristine SSC-500 and decided it was time to replace my old friend. To my surprise, when it arrived it was soon evident that it was, in fact, my old guitar. I was beside myself.
It's still not an everyday player but I do still dig it out... it has a very comfy neck and is capable of some more rude sounding single coil tones that my other instruments cannot reproduce.
Ahh, my first Gibson, my beloved '74 Gibson L6-S, "Mable". The pots date from early '73, and the low serial number suggests that this one was from the first year or two of production. Dating these instruments is not an exact science but I've always had a hunch (for whatever reason) that it was a '74. This model is something of a sleeper but it's becoming more collectible though I doubt that it will ever be worth a ton, even if it was endorsed by Santana.
I picked this guitar up from a used music shop in Keene, NH, Retro Music about 15 years ago. It was $450 with the original case and in near mint condition. The previous owner had placed stickers on the back of the headstock which read "Mable". The stickers must have been removed much later as you can clearly see where the finish around the stickers aged whereas the name did not... and hence, I still refer to her as Mable. It's the only guitar of mine with a name, I'm not one who gives names to my cars or guitars but in this case, the name has stuck.
It's 100% stock, still in fantastic shape despite being my main gigging axe through college, and works flawlessly. It has a cool varitone switch which dishes up everything from heavy humbucker tones to tele twang. Being all maple, it's brighter than most traditional Gibsons but I love the extra bite the maple board provides. The neck is FAT but feels great and the wide/low frets play great. There's a lot of life left in this guitar and is the one instrument I have that I would never part with despite not being the best player in my collection. It's a rock machine that excels at crushing lows and searing highs thanks to the Bill Lawrence designed hum buckers. Lots of these that show up on ebay have been molested in some fashion... either having replaced pickups or reworked electronics. I like this one just the way she is.
Here's my go-to acoustic, a 90's Gibson J-60 Traditional. I picked it up from Bizarre Guitar in Reno about 12 years ago and it's been my main gigging acoustic ever since. Previous to that I had a Washburn jumbo, I think it was called a Cumberland but can't be sure. In any case, I traded it for rent at one point and was without an acoustic for a while. After this one came along, I didn't wish the Washburn one bit (though I do love jumbos).
The original electronics crapped out a few years ago and I replaced them with an L.R. Baggs system which I love. It's a great guitar with a rich low end and lots of volume. The top is solid spruce, the back is solid rosewood, and the neck and bridge are ebony. It's a classic recipe of tone woods which deliver the goods. At this point in her life, she could really stand some new frets but I'm still able to play it for the time being.
I've played gigs from Maine to Oregon on this guitar and until recently, took her everywhere I went. I now have a little Yamaha acoustic I take along with me for road trips and camping adventures. The finish is beginning to show lots of hairline cracks and I just want to keep her in good shape for as long as possible.
This little number is a Cort Source which is basically a 335 knock-off. It's been around for 3 or 4 years now and is a great player. This was my first attempt at rewiring a semi-hollow body guitar and despite being a royal pain, it tuned out great and is a HUGE improvement over the stock pickups, wiring, and hardware. I also buffed out the satin finish using automotive scratch remover and some elbow grease and added a very convincing vintage shine to it. I much prefer this look to the flat, dull, original finish.
Originally the guitar came with aged hardware and a satin finish. The hardware looked to be aged black hardware and I always thought it was a little ugly so I began swapping out parts. It basically looked like black hardware that had been put in a tumbler. I started with the bridge and tailpiece and then added new Grovers. Of course, the peg holes needed to be enlarged but it's an easy enough job if you use a circular file and take things slow. I ditched the large pickguard and opted for a Les Paul size guard. (The one pictured is white but I now have a black guard on it... I've also since removed the lead/rhythm plate under the toggle and added a black tip) The new pick guard required an extra hole but I like the looks of it.
As far as the electronics replacement I found some YouTube videos which were indispensable, the link to the first one can be found here. I followed them religiously but it was a challenge fishing everything through the f-holes and up through the various holes. The pot shaft holes also needed enlarging as did the toggle control. I replaced everything with top quality parts from CTS and Switchcraft and used Orange Drop caps.
The stock pickups (which also featured the ugly aged covers) were so muddy that the guitar just sounded horrid in the neck position... the bridge wasn't too bad though. I had some Epiphone Classic humbuckers kicking around and decided to give them a try, a huge gamble given how difficult replacing the originals was. They had come out of an Epiphone "SG" and just didn't cut the mustard in that guitar. Thankfully, they sound great in the Cort. They're more articulate and not as hot as the originals and I wouldn't consider trading them out at this point.
The neck is chunky (boatneck or large D profile) and plays like butter. I'd have to say that the neck on this guitar is one of my favorite feeling necks, period. Overall, this guitar has been a blast and was a great alternative to other lower end 335-style guitars I considered. The upgrades turned an average sounding guitar into one that can compete with much more expensive models. It's no Gibby, but she's no dog either, and if she gets some bumps and bruises I'm not going to have a stroke. SOLD.
Before I get into the story behind this instrument, let me back up a bit. My love for vintage Fender instruments borders on obsessive. In my book, they are the vintage guitar. I began making Strats from spare parts collected off ebay about 10 years ago and have bought, assembled, dismantled, and sold more than I can remember. I always got more of a kick out of building one to my specs than grabbing one off the shelf. It was a chance to experiment with neck shapes, pickups, custom wiring, and hardware... and of course colors. Much of what I learned about vintage Fenders came from this site, which is the holy grail (in my experience) of all things Fender. There's also a lot of other info regarding other makes of guitars but if you want to geek out on the nuances of vintage Fenders, look no further. In particular, the information regarding Fender's famed custom colors is as comprehensive as anything I've found.
So, about 3 years ago I decided to recreate a vintage looking Fender. Oddly the project began with a custom neck plate, featuring my birthday. The serial number coincided with production models from roughly '64/'65... and so, the project was born.
I decided to custom order a nitro finished (and aged) body from MJT Guitars. They were, and have since been, awesome to work with on every level. I decided I wanted to create a "transition" model which featured some elements of a '64 with some of the new elements of the '65 model. The body I ordered was a yellowed Ice Blue Metallic, a color not available until '65. I paired this with a mint guard and aged plastic parts indicative of a '64, but added a reproduction '65 headstock decal. To add a further twist, I decided to opt for a hardtail bridge which would have been an additional special order. If this were an actual Fender Strat, it would be rare with such appointments and in this color.
I began working on sourcing out parts and aging them (at this point I still did not have the neck). I have a technique I use for aging plastic parts which includes the use of a mustard/baby poop brown/yellow Sharpie marker. It works like a charm, you just need to remember that it's easy to add more aging and nearly impossible to reverse the process.
Once the plastic was aged I sourced out a hardtail bridge plate and saddles. I actually ordered the saddles from some place in Germany if I recall... they are the most accurate reproduction saddles I could find, right down to the machine marks. In retrospect, I wonder if the new saddles from the updated Fender Vintage Series would have looked just as convincing as these?
For aging metal parts I discovered the muriatic acid "double boiler" method. If you're interested in trying it, here's a link. It's as toxic as toxic can be but I swear by it... just be careful with the stuff, it's no joke.
The next thing was to track down some pickups. After an exhausting search, I decided on Klein '65s. They're about as accurate a replacement as I could find to a real '65 Strat pickup... but again, now I wonder about the new Fender American Vintage series. In any event, they're awesome. I opted for a straight forward vintage wiring scheme (which I wouldn't do again... I miss having no tone control for the bridge but I can get in there at some point and fix it). I used CTS pots and a Sozo cap, cloth wiring... all the good stuff.
Finally I was ready to track down a neck. MJT has a ebay store and I watched it like a hawk to find what I was looking for. The custom order necks are a pretty penny but often the necks that come up for auction are just as nice and a huge savings. At the time, they were finishing and aging only Allparts necks (now I believe they are using a few other brands too). I found an SRO-FAT which is exactly that, FAT... an inch thick up and down the neck. I was shocked at how big it felt at first but now I love it! Having said that, if you have small hands I'd avoid it. Mine are average sized and if they were any smaller playing this neck would be a challenge. I also managed to track down a convincing headstock decal. They're available from various sources, some are good and some are not. Because they are essentially counterfeit, the sites that offer them come and go. I'm fearful that sharing my source will again cause them to vanish from the web so you'll have to track them down on your own, but good repros are available.
The tuners I used are the period correct Kluson "two rows"... easy enough to find but a word of caution: Make sure you drill your pilot holes large enough for the tuner screws as they're a nightmare to get screwed in if they're not, and the the screw heads strip easily...leaving you with a half-screwed screw. These necks from MJT (or Allparts) don't have the screws holes drilled in them for tuner screws or the neck plate... if you've never done it just go slow or find a luthier to do it, if you frig it up you're neck won't intonate properly and it'll be crooked... no bueno. I'm not trying to discourage anyone just know that every mm counts (same with the bridge installation). You'll also have to install the nut yourself. It's the one thing I've never done myself but one of these days I'm going to learn. I have a local luthier who's fast, cheap, and does great nut installs and setups so whenever I have fret or nut work to do, I take it to him.
The guitar came out perfectly, I couldn't be more happy with it. It looks vintage, sounds vintage, but has a few unique twists that really make it feel like a custom guitar... and if you've never played a hardtail Strat, you're missing out!
This is my 2010 Les Paul Special. It features and ebony board and mahogany body, and P90 pickups. The attention to detail in manufacturing is superb on this particular guitar. It's been my experience that Gibson's QC can be all over the place at times, but this guitar has been constructed flawlessly. The tone and playability of this guitar are outstanding... it's a wonder that I don't have at least one other P90 equipped guitar in my collection given how much I like them. The only thing I've changed was to add some paper in oil caps to replace the little blue "tic tac" caps that Gibson uses. I do happen to believe that PIO caps have a smoother tone to them.
The only real story here is that I traded a Strat for it... I had been trying to sell the Strat on CraigsList and it didn't sell so I pilled the ad. About a month later an older gentleman asked if I wouldn't like to trade for this LP. He ever threw in a new Roadrunner hardshell case. Seemed like a sweet deal to me!
This is my Yamaha FS-720S "camp" guitar. It looks a lot fancier than it is due to the fretboard "inlays". They're actually decals and I have to say that initially I was a skeptic but they have held tough for a few years under constant (and not always gentle) playing circumstances. You can find them here. Anyhow, the guitar it self is average in my book but it fits the bill for a traveling, camping, front porch guitar. Because I've been spoiled by the low end of my Gibson J-60, this one sounds anemic in comparison. I recognize that it's a smaller body and isn't going to provide the low end of a dreadnought but I keep hoping it will. In an effort to achieve the unachievable, I have it strung with heavy strings and tuned down a 1/2 step... this actually helped a little and is probably as good as it's going to get.
I have a hair-brained idea to try and electrify it using a Strat pickup and some sort of impromptu mount. I don't really have any qualms about modding it... it's not as though I'll be killing the street value and honestly, (IMO) most of my mods are pretty solid. I'll keep you all posted... SOLD.
The Odds & Ends
Here's my little Yamaha GL-1 Guitalele. I have lots of fun with this instrument, it's basically tuned like a guitar with a capo at the fifth fret. You can play it like a guitar, or a uke, and it also gets to sounding like a mando if you really get to chuckin' away on it. I added some little snowflake decals (from the same place the vine decal came from) and they have remained intact since installing them. I'll be curious to see how long they last... even at this point I'd consider them to be an excellent value and they really spice up an otherwise pretty plain instrument.
Alright, I know it's not a guitar (or even a stringed instrument) but I have to share this with you just the same. This little contraption has come to be known as "the bob cod". It's basically a washboard that I outfitted with some little cymbals and tambourine-like shakers. The cat faced pouch was something that I found at a local junk shop... it's a purse I think but some weirdo glued a cat face to it. Then this weirdo decided to stuff green marbles in the eye sockets making it all the more creepy. I keep a spoon (for playing the washboard) and a little triangle in the pouch. It's a lot of fun to bring to casual jam sessions and definitely serves as a conversation piece.
This is the P-Bass I play when I lay down loops to jam over. I've been babysitting it for a friend for years. In our circle of friends this bass has gained a reputation for playing poorly... it's just that it seems like it takes a lot of effort to play it. I did replace the strings recently and adjusted the action slightly and it seems to be playing much better.
I did own an Epiphone EB-0 bass which I thought played better but there was something weird with the electronics. As a guitar player, the short scale is pretty fun to play. It was definitely a guitar players bass. I tried to fix it on a couple of occasions but could never get it sorted out. There was basically no sweep on the volume or tone knobs and I experimented with new caps and pots but the problem remained. I eventually gave it to a friend who played bass.
I have considered the inevitable fact that at some point I will have to return the P-Bass. The new Fender Pawnshop Mustang Bass has been on my radar since they released it. I just think it looks sharp as hell.
Of course I would have to decide between the Mustang and the new Gibson EB basses... that sunburst one looks killer. In any event, until I have to give up the P-Bass I'm just window shopping.
This is my little Recording King lap steel. I was convinced that I'd be able to sit down and figure this thing out but progress has been very slow in coming. It's quite likely that at some point this little beauty will be destined for ebay. On the plus side, the pickup sounds fantastic... love those P90s! I've actually been spending time learning to play slide on the guitar and the process is going much smoother... thank god. SOLD.
Nothing gets a second look from strangers at the campground quite like mussing up your hair, squinting one eye, and playing the opening notes of that banjo tune from Deliverance. I've had this Epiphone banjo for about 6 years and while I (still) haven't figured out frailing, I can play it in my own non-traditional style and make some pretty cool music on it. One of these days I need to restring it too... 6 years is a long time for a set of strings and I'm sure that fretboard would love a sip of lemon oil.
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