Sometimes I think I have a problem. That I should stop buying guitars. Other times I think my biggest problem is not having enough guitars.
		60's Sekova Viola Bass. Made in Japan. Grandpa bought this bass for somewhere around $20 from a yard sale, and kept it as a backup. This was the bass I learned to play on. In the picture, the electronics are gutted, and one of the pickup cavities is covered with black tape. Initially, the electronics worked, but after about a month or two, they kind of just disintegrated. So, I gutted it, out of frustration as well as curiosity. The wire and pots were shot, not to mention the poor quality of the pickups. The bass is horribly unbalanced because of the fully hollow body and the pretty chunky neck. The neck plays very well, however.
		1995 Epiphone Thunderbird Bass, Made In Korea. Ordered special from Edward's Music in Fayetteville, NC after drooling over it in a Musician's Friend catalog. My first "real" bass. Had a nice playing jazz bass type neck, decent pickups, very nicely finished three tone sunburst w/ pearloid pickguard. I really like the style of this bass. The non-reverse Firebird/Thunderbird shape is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, because of the shape, the headstock would try to kiss the floor every time you let go of the neck. Kept this one for a good while, but finally cut her loose once I started playing the RD so much. I'd really like to play a non-reverse Firebird guitar to see if they neck-dive as well.
		circa 1996 Fender Standard Stratocaster, Made In Mexico. I do not have a picture of my actual guitar. My guitar featured the Arctic White finish and a one-piece maple neck, but had a regular white pickguard, not a cheesy wood grain colored thing like this guitar. But, this is the closest thing I could find. This was the low-end of the Fender line (with price point just above the Korean Squiers). Pretty decent guitar, about $300-$350 new if I recall correctly. Played a lot better than the current Mexican Fender Standard guitars. Was sold to pay for the Super-Sonic.
		1996 Squier Super-Sonic, Crafted In Japan. Traded this thing for a hollowbody Greco Bass. Bad move. I can't believe I did that. Anyway, I liked this guitar a lot and it was just fun to play because of it's small size. It cost me somewhere around $500. Of all the 'vintage syled' stuff Fender has ever put out, these guitars are probably the chunkiest sounding - especially when strung with 11's. The basswood body is what does the trick on this one. The neck is smaller - 24" scale like a Mustang, and the body has a weird reverse-Jazzmaster-but-smaller kinda look. The only problem was the placement of the pickup switch. I'd be right in the middle of recording a song and I'd knock the switch every time.
		1978 Gibson RD Standard Bass, Made In USA. Bought from Purple Pawn in Greensboro, NC. Daddy helped me pay for it because it was my "first Gibson." As with the Thunderbird, I really like the shape/style of the RD Series. This is the standard version, i.e. no active electronics. Pickups provide for a nice thumpy jazz bass sound. She's super heavy, and sustains for a while. Neck was a lot fatter than the Thunderbird or my current P-Bass, and had a width at the nut similar to a Precision (yet it was pretty easy to play). The RD is a little neck-heavy, but no where near as bad as the Thunderbird. I later sold this bass to a Japanese guitar shop that had a booth at the South Carolina guitar show.
		1969 Gibson EB-2 Bass. Made In USA. After I first told Daddy that I wanted to play bass, on one of our many trips to Fayetteville, we got Grandpa to get out the Gibson and play a little. I got to play the Sekova. He showed me a couple bass runs to practice, which I'll never forget. Before we left, he told me that if I was serious about learning to play, and if I stuck with it, that his bass and amp would be mine when he passed. I stuck with it, and this bass will stick with me as long as I'm alive.
		circa 1985 'SQ' Series Squier Stratocaster, Made In Japan. Bought from the now defunct Tone Zone is Asheboro, NC. Instantly fell in love with this guitar because of its neck. 7.5" radius, vintage size fretwire, rolled edges. "Plays like buttah." It was pretty beat up when I got it, and I've added a few nicks of my own since then. Bridge single coil pickup was pretty wimpy (more wimpy than normal for a Strat), so I replaced it with a Hot Rails.
		60's/70's Greco Hollowbody Bass. I got it as a replacement for the EB-2, so I'd have a hollowbody bass I could take to practice without worrying about messing up the EB-2. I traded my Squier Super-Sonic for this thing. I know, I know, I've kicked myself enough times to make up for you wanting to kick me now. I like the shape of the bass, and it had a good sound to it, but it wasn't worth the Super-Sonic. Not to mention that by the time UPS delivered it from Florida, the fretboard had popped off. I'm not sure if that was at the fault of UPS or Ed's Guitars............. I traded this one for a Silvertone Amp-in-Case Guitar for my dad.
		1985 Gibson Les Paul Custom. Made In USA. This was daddy's guitar, and I always thought it was uber-cool looking. After Daddy got his Strat, the 'Paul didn't see much action because it is so heavy, and I ultimately asked for it as my high school graduation present. Les Paul + Boss ODB-3 Overdrive + Bass Amp = guitar so thick you could swim through it.
		2000 Fender GC-12. Daddy and I were in Edward's in Fayetteville and were trying out acoustics for some reason. Can't remember why. But I found one I liked, a small bodied and shorter scale Fender, and Daddy bought it for me. Told me that "Everyone needs an acoustic to take to college." Plays best with light guage strings. I had intend to add a pickup to it, but I sold this one in the fall of '05, once I got my Alvarez. Amanda's the one playing it in this picture.
		circa 2000 Brownsville Choirboy. I bought this guitar when I was on a trip to Nasheville with my grandparents. I had $100 to blow, and wanted a guitar from Nasheville. The neck was nice (although I had to play about 10 of them to find one with a decent neck and setup), and the tuners were smooth. The body was some type of particle/pressboard material. Had kind of a Dano vibe about it, but didn't really sound that great. The coolest thing to me were the knobs - chrome w/ pearloid inserts. Daddy bought it off me and then traded it.
		1978 Gibson RD Standard Bass #2. Made In USA. Factory Second. I bought this RD to replace my first one, which, after a while had began to sound a little 'dead' to me. The pickups just weren't that strong. This one also had the original case, and was in better condition than the first. Update: Sold in the spring of 2005 (for $1025) to a guy in Switzerland, of all places.
		2002 Yamaha SGV-300. This was a Christmas present to me from my Amanda Panda. Looks super cool, and has a very well done metallic red finish. Neck played okay. Couldn't get the stinkin' thing to stay in tune for long though. Has a pretty hokey tremolo that I blocked off, but I think the tuners were the culprit. I also had a love-hate relationship with the pickups. Sometimes I couldn't wait to replace them, other times I'dl find some unique, recording worthy tone. Cut this one loose on eBay in May of 2005.
		2002 Fender Telecaster. Blue Flower Finish. Crafted In Japan. Played so good, it makes me sick to my stomach when I think about having to sell it. This was the 3rd Fender Japan instrument I've owned. I can't say enough about the quality of Japanese made Fenders. There's the story about how the head of Fender broke down in tears when he saw how great the first Fender Japan instruments were, and how they were of such better quality than the American ones. Well, the head of Fender should still be cryin' because Fender Japan still blows American Fenders out of the water.
		Unknown 70's Import. Someone gave this guitar to Zac and I to do whatever we wanted with it. It sat around Zac's house for about three years and in the summer of 2002 I finally did a little work to it. I refinished it with primer black, put some new tuners and string trees on it, and wired it for a single volume control. Sold it on eBay.
		Epiphone G-310. Made somewhere in Asia. Bought a G-310 from Guitarbage on eBay, with the intent to refinish in a aged Pelham Blue color, but I later found out that the only thing that will strip the cheaper finish on most import guitars is something called "aircraft thinner." too much work for me. Sold it as parts on eBay.
		Fender Precision Bass Special Deluxe. Made in Mexico. Bought in July '04 off eBay. For some time, I'd been wanting to get another bass with a PJ pickup combination like my Thunderbird had, and this bass presented itself one day with a $300 buy-it-now. Needless to say, I snatched it up (they sold for $650-ish new). This bass has a Jazz Bass spec'ed neck, which is a little easier on my small hands. I really like the anodized aluminum pickguard. You either love it or hate, there's no in-between. This is now my main bass, and I'll probably hold on to this one forever unless I replace it with another Precision. Every bass arsenal should have a P Bass.
		Squier Jagmaster (Vista). Made in Japan in the mid 90's. Bought this one from Harry's Guitar Shop in Raleigh with some of the cash from the RD sale. In addition to jonesing for a PJ bass, I'd been wanting to get another short (24") scale Fender. I played this one sitting down, and it played like butter. The neck was a perfect shape, just like my old Super-Sonic. However, I made the mistake of not trying out the guitar while standing up and wearing a strap. Once I'd had the guitar for a while and finally played her standing up, it was the most awkward feeling. I guess I have just gotten used to Strats and the way they hang on your body. I just couldn't get comfortable with this guitar. Ended up selling it to Terry at work. He loves it!
		Ibanez AFS75. Made in China. Bought in fall of '05. One day, I walked into Guitar Center, and they just happened to be having a sale. They had a blue-burst version of this guitar on display, for $250 (regularly $330). I had seen it earlier in the day, but hadn't picked it up. I crossed the street and went to check out Sam Ash, but then went back to Guitar Center. I seem to recall having money to burn, so I was trying hard to find something to buy. On this second trip to Guitar Center, I grabbed the blue Ibanez and gave it a whirl through a decent Fender amp. Within seconds, I was sold. It literally played just as smooth as my Gibson Les Paul. I was amazed that a $250 guitar could feel that good. I got the sales rep to dig a black one out of the back, and took that sucker home. I'm toying with the idea of replacing the pickups with some dual-coil lipsticks. - Update - I sold this guitar after I bought the Ventura Barney Kessel copy at the Charlotte guitar show. Partly to use the $$ from the Ibanez sale towards the Ventura, and also to eliminate another Chinese-made guitar from my arsenal.
		Alvarez AD60SC. Made in China. Bought this in the Winter of '05 from Edwards Music. I actually tried out a different model, essentially the same shape/feel except with a different wood. That one was made in Korea. I had Edwards order this one, and when I got it and looked in the sound hole and saw "Made In China". Kinda odd that the same guitar would be made in two different places. This one felt and played just like the other one, so I'm happy. The piezo and electronics are the same used in Alvarez's super high-end Yairi guitars.
		Mid 90's Squier ProTone Precision Bass Special. Made in Korea. I bought this one as a backup to my Precision Bass, because it has a Jazz-width neck. Had a Buy-It-Now on eBay for $120 plus shipping, which was a good deal. It had a few bumps & bruises, and the pickguard was warped. These ProTone models are getting more and more expensive, averaging about $300 for one in decent condition. Althought it was a nice bass (I really loved the color scheme), I didn't like the feel of the neck. Just felt different than my other P Bass. Plus, the body was 1.5" thick instead of 1.75", so it felt a little less substantial. I sold this one within a month or two on craigslist.
		Late 90's DeArmond Jetstar Bass. Made in Korea. Been playing this one regularly for the past year or so with my band. At first it was a little annoying because of the neck dive, but over a few weeks I began to compensate for it and don't really notice it any longer. I really love the neck dimensions - rounded profile, 30" scale, 1-5/8" @ the nut and 2-1/8" at the last fret.
		Squier Telecaster Thinline HH. Made in China. Bought this one on an impulse. The seller didn't double box it and the top got cracked around one of the pots, and as well as a few extra dings through the finish. Got a partial refund. Ended up paying $65 when it was all said and done. This model had a Gibson scale (24.75"), two humbuckers and semi-hollow body w/ f-hole. Later sold on Craiglist.
		Squier Vista Series Musicmaster. Made in China. This model and the Musicmaster Bass were the only "Vista Series" guitars made in China. If this guitar had been made in Japan like the rest of the Vista series, it would probably fetch around $500. This particular guitar hung on the wall of Monroe's Music in Asheboro from the late nineties until August of this year (2006). I know this because I tried this guitar out in high school. I offered the owner $175 for it, and bought it off him, not really intending to keep it but to liberate it from Randolph County. Later I sold it on eBay for a little more than I paid for it.
		Danelectro U-1 Reissue. Made in ????. Probably China or Indonesia. Some Dano reissues were made in Korea, but I don't think this is one of them. Bought this one from a Craigslist ad for $100. I'd had "the perfect" overdriven sound in my head for a while that I just couldn't get with any of my other guitars. I got this one, brought it home, ran it through my Boss OS-2 into my bass combo amp and heard that tone that I'd been dreaming about all that time. I'll keep this one until I replace it with a Korean made reissue.
		70's Ventura Barney Kessel Copy. Made in Japan. Ever since I found out that there were Japanese copies of the Gibson Barney Kessel models, I wanted one. I really wanted the Gibson version, but I knew I'd never afford one, so I gunned for the Japanese version. Found this one at the Charlotte guitar show for $350 with a case included and snapped it up. At the time I was super-stoked because I'd finally found one. Eight months later, I'd played it maybe five times. It just didn't speak to me. I'd already sold the Ibanez hollowbody, so now I no longer have a proper archtop. Sold via Craigslist in April '07.
		Ernie Ball Musicman Sterling SUB. Made in USA. I played a regular MM Sterling at Harry's in Raleigh. I never actually plugged it in, I just played for feel. And it felt great. But the bass was a metallic blue color w/ maple fretboard that I wasn't too keen on. Plus it was $1300, and I was still in my cheap phase. So after scouring eBay for a while, I snagged this SUB model. It had the same 3-band EQ as the regular models, but had a textured finish, black finished neck, and lacked the 3-way single/hum switch found on regular Sterlings. I took it to band practice and gave it a test drive. While the neck felt great (and the action was awesomely low), I couldn't get a sound out of it that I liked. It sounded like an active bass (what a surprise!), and that's a sound I don't like. Plus the body didn't have any contours so it was a little uncomfortable to play for extended periods. So, I cut her loose. I think this was probably my first attempt at trying to find 'the perfect bass'. Ended up selling it via the TalkBass classifieds.
		Yamaha SA-17. Made in Japan between 1968-72. I'd consider this my first true "collector purchase." I'd known about the SA-15 guitar version (it'd been on my 'want' list for some time) and always thought that it would have been cool if they'd built a bass version. Then one day, I'm cruising through eBay and this thing pops up. Whaddayaknow? They did make a bass version after all. I had to have it, no matter the cost. Ended up paying more than I should have for it but. So far I've had it 6 months and I've only plugged it in twice. It has that cool hollowbody sound, but I just don't use it with the band I'm in right now, plus I have the Sekova hollowbody, my greenburst parts hollowbody and the Gibson EB-2. So as much as I love the unique look of this bass, I have to cut her loose because I can't justify having her around.
		Aria Pro II TSB-550 Thor Sound Bass. Made in Japan, 1980 (based on serial number). This was my second attempt at finding the 'perfect bass'. I asked on TalkBass if anyone knew of a full-scale (34") bass with neck dimensions similar to my DeArmond Jetstar. The only two suggestions I got were to try 80's Arias and early 80's Hamer Cruisebasses. So, I tried an early 80's Aria Pro II. I love everything about this bass except for one thing - the nut width is 1.75" instead of 1.5". Everything else is great: upper fret access is awesome thanks to neck-through design, sounds awesome plugged in and recorded, neck width is only 2" at the last fret, neck profile is comfy, body design is well balanced, and the hardware is top quality. If only the nut width was smaller, my 'perfect bass' quest would have ended here. When I bought this bass, the electronics weren't working and all the metal was pretty grungy. I fixed the electronics (replaced the volume pot & jack), cleaned the brass nut, cleaned the frets & scrubbed the bridge. I'll be putting this one up for sale soon.
		Hollowbody Greenburst Parts Bass. A while back, our singer (and fellow bass player) told me about an old guitar of his that had suffered damage from a fall. I inquired a little further and found out that the guitar was a 70’s Univox/Electra/Teisco ES-335 copy in greenburst. I immediately offered to buy the carcass from him. Later he brought it to practice and just gave it to me. So far I've married the body with a NOS Univox bass neck and added tuners, bridge & tailpiece. I plan to add DeArmond Turbo-Jet single coil pickups plus new pickguard.
	this list is kinda out of date...............
		Custom Strelecaster. This is a quicky photoshop job I did of a project I would like to complete at some point in the future. Strat body with no forearm cut (but with the belly cut), string-thru tele bridge, '69 Tele Thinline guard, side jack, Fender Japan strat neck. Vintage Noiseless pickups.
		Fender Aerodyne Telecaster. Another fine Fender Japan product. Only made for one year. Already out of production. You can't tell from the picture, but the body has a nice contoured top, kind of like a Les Paul. Very lightweight. Vintage fretwire. If I ever get one, I'd have to mod it with a Tele-style humbucker in the bridge with a push/pull coil tap on the tone pot. Probably a concentric vol/vol as well.
		Schecter Tempest Special. This is a Diamond series model. I've only seen two for sale in this particular finish. It seems like Schecter changes their specs every few months, so this one didn't stay around long. I think this is the best finish/option setup they've ever done for the Tempest. Second best would be this same setup with the classic 'Goldtop' finish.
		Electra Custom Pro. I've always liked this guitar, because of its 335-style body but lack of f-holes. I also like the fact that the body, neck and headstock are all bound. I've never played an Electra guitar before, but I've played one of the MPC Basses, which was top-notch in terms of quality. I think I'd have to put in some covered pickups though.
		Custom SG
		Ibanez Destroyer
		Ibanez Iceman
		Gibson RD Standard
		Gibson RD Artist CMT
		Gibson S-1
		Gibson ES-325
		Fender Starcaster
		Epiphone SC-450